Chapter: Chapter 20Hari yang Erin nantikan sekaligus takuti pun tiba. Sesuai saran Alya, Erin memutuskan untuk berdandan lebih rapi dan menarik, bahkan lebih baik daripada penampilannya saat ke apartemen Alex dulu. Supaya tetap terlihat formal dan serius, Erin mengenakan kemeja biru tua dengan kancing atas terbuka agar kalung emas imitasi yang melingkar di lehernya terlihat jelas. Ia memilih celana jins putih semata kaki sebagai bawahan. Erin berkaca sambil memasukan kemejanya ke dalam celananya. Ia sudah mencatok ikal rambutnya lalu menariknya ke belakang, menambahkan jepitan pita yang mempermanis penampilannya. Ia merias wajahnya secara natural sesuai ajaran Alya. Erin melirik sepatu hak tinggi di sebelahnya yang akhirnya akan ia kenakan hari ini. Sekarang bukan saatnya untuk main-main, kontrak ini bisa jadi penentu besar untuk masa depan painya. “Wow, lu beneran all out hari ini!” Alya langsung memuji Erin begitu ia keluar dari kamar. “Gue bangga banget sama lu, Er!”“Udah ah, jangan bikin gue tamb
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2022-11-17
Chapter: Chapter 19Beberapa hari jelang pertemuannya dengan Henry, Erin meminta Alya untuk mengajarinya cara negosiasi bisnis, strategi pertemuan yang bisa ia lakukan, serta respons seperti apa yang bisa Erin berikan jika Henry melontarkan pertanyaan atau penawaran tertentu. “Inget, apa pun penawaran dia, jangan sampai brand lu dipegang sama dia,” kata Alya dengan nada tegas, seolah ia ingin Erin mengutamakan poin yang ia berikan. “Brand?” Erin mengernyitkan dahi. “Gue yakin banget kerja sama yang mau ditawarin Henry pasti ada hubungannya sama restoran yang dia kelola. Jangan sampai pai lu diklaim jadi punya mereka!” Alya mengetukkan jarinya di meja makan. “Biasanya orang yang udah punya bisnis gede suka banget tuh narik karya pebisnis kecil buat diklaim jadi buatan mereka. Sebaik-baiknya Alex, adeknya belum tentu sebaik dia.” Erin menarik napas tegang. Ia memang belum kenal Henry sebaik Alex. Apa pun bisa terjadi saat pertemuannya nanti. “Duh, kenapa gue baru sadar sekarang, ya?” “Makanya lu punya
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2022-10-13
Chapter: Chapter 18Erin pulang dengan berat hati karena memikirkan pertemuannya dengan Henry siang ini. Ia belum pernah merasa seperti ini lagi sejak hari pernikahan ayahnya yang kedua. Ia memasuki apartemen dengan niat untuk mandi lalu bersantai sambil nonton dan makan camilan.“Hei!” sapa Alya dari meja makan. Ia sibuk dengan laptop di depannya. Tumpukan kertas dan beberapa folder tersebar di meja.“Masih kerja, Al?” tanya Erin.“Nggak. Gue lagi cari inspirasi buat wedding gue.”“Lu kerja sama rencanain nikahan lu kelihatan kayak nggak ada bedanya,” canda Erin. Ia duduk di samping Alya. Erin melihat tumpukan informasi tentang lokasi-lokasi pernikahan, vendor, wedding organizer dan inspirasi-inspirasi gaun pengantin serta dekorasi pernikahan. “Mau gue bantu?”“Maulah. ‘Kan lu bridesmaid gue,” jawab Alya. Kemudian ekspresinya berubah, teringat sesuatu. “Eh, tapi, kalau lu masih overwhelmed soal Henry tadi siang, nggak usah. Lu istirahat aja.”“Apaan, sih? Cuma Henry doang,” jawab Erin dengan enteng samb
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2022-09-23
Chapter: Chapter 17Seperti permintaan Henry, Erin ambil jam istirahatnya lebih awal untuk diskusi dengannya. Mereka duduk bersebrangan di meja kedai. Erin terus menatap Henry meneguk kopi hitamnya beberapa kali. Henry datang dengan penampilan sama seperti Erin bertemu dengannya pertama kali, hanya saja sekarang lebih rapi dengan kemeja putih berdasi biru bercorak putih. Mungkin ini hanya perasaan Erin, tetapi lingkaran hitam di bawah matanya makin terlihat jelas karena wajahnya pucat. Erin sampai punya hasrat untuk menjejalkan pria ini perawatan kulit yang ia miliki di rumah atau menyuruhnya pulang untuk tidur.“Gimana kamu bisa tahu aku kerja di sini?” Erin menyilangkan tangannya di meja.Henry menaruh gelas kopinya. “Tentu saja dari Alex. Dia selalu cerita soal pai kamu dan beberapa kali menyebut tempat ini.”“Masa sih?” Erin terkesiap sambil menahan senyum. Apa yang Alex katakan ke Henry? Ia ingin tahu semuanya. Tanpa menghiraukan reaksi Erin, Henry melirik ke rak pendingin kedai. “Ternyata kamu men
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2022-08-15
Chapter: Chapter 16Setelah Erin menceritakan apa yang terjadi padanya beberapa hari lalu di kedai, semua karyawan termasuk Alya ikut berkomentar. Mereka hampir tidak percaya dengan apa yang Henry lakukan padanya.“Dia nyuruh kakak berhenti bikin pai gitu aja?” tanya David dengan nada tidak percaya. “Seenaknya banget sih dia.”“Iya! Okelah, resepnya dari ibunya, tapi ‘kan masih bisa diomongin baik-baik dulu,” timpal Hana. “Erin sendiri juga nggak tahu.”“‘Kan udah aku bilang, Kak Erin, pasti bakal ada masalah,” kata David sambil mengelap dan menata konter.“Kenapa lu bisa mikir sampai ke situ?” Hana berkacak pinggang.“
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2022-03-07
Chapter: Chapter 15“Apa maksud kamu aku pakai resep pai ibu kalian?” Erin menatap kakak-adik di depannya. “Aku dapat resepnya dari buku ibu aku!”“Henry, I thought you said you’re going to take this easy.” Alex melotot pada adiknya. “Don’t lay it on thick to her like that!”“Aku tidak berlebihan, dia memang memakai resep ibu kita,” sanggah Henry.“Sebentar, kalian bisa kasih penjelasan dulu?” sela Erin.“Baiklah.” Henry memandang Erin dengan fokus. Pandangannya membuat Erin berusaha untuk tidak menunjukkan kegelisahannya. Ke
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2021-12-01
Held Light, Held Close
Held Light, Held Close follows Celeste Bradbury, a quiet, disciplined young woman who arrives in New York to work with the world-famous band Luminous Riot. Raised in the hush of convent halls and foster homes, Celeste has learned to survive by moving gently, listening closely, and building her life out of small, steadfast rituals. But the music world is loud, chaotic, and unkind—especially under the sharp eye of Paul Logan, the band’s volatile lead singer who meets her composure with relentless mockery.
As weeks turn into months, Celeste maintains her quiet routines, her faith, and her dignity despite the storm around her. She becomes a still point in the band’s restless orbit—an anchor none of them expected, and a mirror that reveals what each member is running from. Through rehearsals, touring, backstage politics, deadlines, and private battles the world never sees, Celeste’s presence begins to shape the group in ways that defy explanation.
The House She Built is a story of chosen family, slow-burn transformation, unspoken tenderness, and the quiet power of a woman who refuses to break—even when the world demands it. It is about the sanctuary we build within ourselves, and the imperfect people we let inside.
Baca
Chapter: Where Chaos Learned Her NameBy late morning, the studio buzzed. Instruments tuned, coffee hissed, and Brett’s laughter echoed off the cinderblock, chased by Mark’s muttered curse as he tripped over a cable. The place smelled of sweat and burnt popcorn. Window light striped the linoleum, marking old scuffs and stories.Montreux had become the word everything orbited, spoken with a mix of reverence and irritation, like a saint whose miracles always required sacrifice. It lived on the whiteboard, spelled in block capitals and underlined in green, with little stars and exclamation marks added whenever someone grew anxious. The word lingered on the coffee cups—one mug now permanently etched with it in Sharpie, as if caffeine might summon some Swiss precision. The concept hovered in the pauses between chords, an ever-present reminder that made everyone check their emails more often. Setlist revisions piled up, with sheets rumpled and smoothed out so many times the paper resembled softened fabric. Changes to tempos con
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-15
Chapter: The Center That Didn't AskNao arrived with a paper bag that smelled like butter and a quiet apology. The aroma clung to his jacket, trailing behind him like a peace offering in a place that sometimes forgot to be gentle. His sneakers squeaked faintly on the scuffed linoleum, and he took each step with the care of someone entering a church mid-service, not wanting to break the spell of the morning.He didn’t announce it. He didn’t clear his throat or make a joke to soften the offering. He simply crossed the room, set the bag down on the kitchenette counter as if it had always belonged there, and let the paper crinkle softly when it met laminate. The sound was small, domestic. It did not compete with the studio’s morning noises. It joined them.The studio was waking up. The overhead lights buzzed and flickered at the edges. Someone’s amp let out a quiet note from yesterday, hanging on like something unfinished. The fridge clicked, then fell silent. Outside, the sky was gray, waiting for the day to start.Celeste
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-14
Chapter: What She Kept UnsaidDuring the second break, Celeste checked her phone. She did it the way someone might test a sore tooth—cautiously and compulsively, expecting discomfort but unable to resist. Her thumb hovered over the warm screen, as if seeking comfort.She hadn’t meant to check it. She stood to stretch, rolling her shoulders until they loosened. She reached for her notebook to jot a reminder, the pen familiar in her hand. But the phone pressed at her hip, its weight insistent, humming with unsent messages. By the time she pulled it out and glanced at the screen, she’d already given in.One new email. The blue badge, just a single dot, pulsed on the screen. Celeste felt her heart skip; a swirl of anticipation moved through her—not quite dread, not quite hope—but a flutter right in the middle, as if the future pressed in before she knew what she wanted.Alex Logan. The name glowed on the screen, sharp and familiar, a note struck in an unfinished chord.The studio grew loud again. Paul paced by the amp
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-12
Chapter: The Weight That Didn't Announce ItselfPeter was late, not in the careless, shrugging way of someone who expects the world to wait, but with the aching precision of a man who has never been late before in his life. The air in the studio was noticed before anyone spoke. Even the dust motes hesitated in the angled morning light, as if unwilling to settle without him.Celeste noticed that because Peter was never late.He arrived early and waited. Bass case upright at his feet like a promise kept before it was required, the handle worn smooth by years of practice. Jacket folded over the same chair every time, sleeve aligned with the backrest as if the chair had been built for him alone—his private ritual, a claim staked in a room always shifting. He nodded to her once on arrival, not as a greeting exactly, more as confirmation. I am here. I will be where I said I would be. Then he moved quietly through the room, careful with space, careful with sound, careful with other people’s gravity. Small movements, all intention: a mug s
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-11
Chapter: The Studio That Remembered ThemIn the hallway, the carpet swallowed their footsteps. The art stared blankly. The elevator waited.Mark exhaled like he’d been holding his breath since the lobby. “You were incredible.”Celeste adjusted her folder. “I was prepared.”Paul walked beside her, hands in pockets, grin spreading. “You just told corporate they’re idiots. I dream about doing that, but HR says I’m not allowed anymore.”“I told them their schedule was unrealistic,” Celeste said, lips twitching. “If they want brutal honesty, they should put it on the agenda.”“That’s corporate-speak for idiot.” Paul nudged her shoulder, companionably. “Next time, draw them a picture.”She didn’t smile.Paul did. “I respect it. If you ever stage a mutiny, let me know. I’ll bring snacks.”Mark shot him a look. “Don’t encourage her.”Paul laughed. “Too late.”The elevator doors closed. The cologne smell returned, faint and unimportant.As they descended, the numbers ticking down, the band’s shoulders loosened in increments, like kno
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-10
Chapter: Where Numbers Pretended to be IntactThe deck began its slow march.Slides bloomed across the screen with confident colors and even more confident numbers. Festival branding came in all gradients, with logos so polished they could double as mirrors. Timing windows were tight as a drumhead. Sponsor obligations, highlighted in cheerful yellow, looked less daunting. Social engagement targets appeared with breezy optimism. The presenter had clearly never tried to get a band to post a group selfie before noon. Clean phrases slid into place. Numbers followed, like small threats wrapped in optimism. Celeste doodled a tiny shark in the margin of her notepad, and then another, just to keep her hands busy.Paul fidgeted, boot bouncing once, twice. Brett stared harder at the table as if it might open up and swallow him. Nao’s leg bounced, the rhythm speeding. Leo’s jaw tightened, camera forgotten. Peter’s hands stayed folded, too still, knuckles pale.Celeste listened.She didn’t annotate every slide. She didn’t need to. She listen
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-04-09
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