Dissonance Read Online Free Page B

she said it didn’t sound like boasting. No, it was almost like she wasn’t that impressed herself with the accomplishment, which didn’t make sense to Chase. Even with all of A New Horizon’s success, he’d never won a major music award, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t care if he did. He moved closer to the speaker as the song began to play.
    Kenzie could sing, that was for sure. She hit all the right notes, and she sounded upbeat and perky. If Chase had to pick a word to describe her voice, as she sang about line dancing and two-stepping and hot cowboys in Wrangler jeans, though, it would be “honeyed.” It sounded pleasant enough, and he could see how it became a country hit that people loved to dance to, but the song lacked a certain sincerity. Where was the feeling? Where was the heart? The soul? Sure, a good dance beat and catchy melody were nice, but Chase wanted to feel something, too. And listening to this song, he didn’t.
    “You hate it,” Kenzie surmised, and he wondered how much his expression gave away. He’d never been accused of having a poker face.
    “I don’t hate it,” he corrected. “I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it, either.” Chase frowned. “Did you write it yourself?”
    “No. The song was selected for me because my manager thought it would be a hit. And it was. It was a huge hit.”
    Great. Now he’d put her on the defensive, which wasn’t the intent. “I don’t doubt it. It’s a fun song to listen to, and probably dance to. It’s just not my thing,” Chase said with a shrug. “Do you have something else? Something you wrote, preferably?”
    After a second, Kenzie nodded. “Sure. I’ll play my newest single for you. I wrote this one.”
    “Great.” Chase leaned back against the wall to listen, and right away he could tell this was a completely different song.
     
    You built me up, then tore me down.
    You tore me down, but you couldn’t break me.
    Now I’m breaking free and I’m takin’ it back.
    I’m taking my life back.
    You don’t own my heart and you don’t own me.
    I’m takin’ it back.
     
    The lyrics were raw, emotional, the kind of thing Chase might have written himself. Everything about the first song was commercialized, and exactly what Chase didn’t like about music. And everything about the second one was... real. The words were heartfelt, and Kenzie didn’t hit a wrong note as she sang them. Maybe it was because his own reputation was for being brooding and melancholy, but Chase connected with the song.
    He also couldn’t help but wonder what Kenzie might have been going through when she wrote it. Was it autobiographical? Not all songs were, so he didn’t want to make an assumption, but Chase was curious, nonetheless. He’d tread softly with that issue, though.
    “Wow,” he said. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”
    “You mean you like it?”
    “I love it. It’s so raw, so real.” He studied her. “What was the motivation behind it?”
    “Just something I was dealing with at the time.” Kenzie shrugged. “Nothing important. I’m just glad someone likes the song.”
    Chase frowned. “Does that surprise you?”
    “A little, yeah.” Kenzie went over and shut the speaker off. “Not a lot of people do, it seems.”
    “It’s not a hit?”
    She shook her head. “Not so far, no.”
    Chase didn’t quite get it. He loved the song, and connected to it so much more than with the other, but then again, some of the best songs he thought he’d written hadn’t been his biggest hits, either. “Their loss, then. I guess there’s no accounting for some people’s taste. Or lack thereof.”
    “I guess.” Kenzie smiled, but it wasn’t what he’d call a happy one, and Chase decided it was time to change the subject.
    “Why don’t I play you one of mine, now, and you can tell me what you think.”
     
    ***
     
    “That’s a great idea,” Kenzie said. Anything to get off the subject of the song she’d poured her heart