Chapter 14 - [ Shape of You ]

Brandon's voice erupted from the speakers, a velvet hammer that struck the crowd silent before pulling them in like a riptide. The unusual rhythm he'd crafted pulsed through the yacht, each beat a siren call impossible to resist.

"The club isn't the best place to find a lover

So the bar is where I go

Me and my friends at the table doing shots

Drinking fast and then we talk slow"

The yacht's deck transformed into a dance floor as bodies started to move. The rhythm was infectious, unlike anything they'd heard before. Whispers of excitement rippled through the crowd.

"Oh my god," a girl gasped, her eyes wide with wonder. S

he clutched her friend's arm, nails digging in.

"It's like... he's inventing a new genre right here!"

"Take my hand, stop, put Van the Man on the jukebox

And then we start to dance, and now I'm singing like~"

Brandon's voice grew more infectious with each line.

The audience swayed, completely entranced.

As he sang, Brandon's eyes locked onto Elise.

He pointed at her, throwing a playful wink her way.

The crowd went wild, cheering and whistling at the gesture.

"Girl, you know I want your love

Your love was handmade for somebody like me

Come on now, follow my lead

I may be crazy, don't mind me"

The chorus hit, and the energy on the yacht exploded. People jumped and danced despite never having heard the song before.

"I'm in love with the shape of you

We push and pull like a magnet do

Although my heart is falling too

I'm in love with your body"

Elise's mind raced, her carefully constructed walls crumbling. Her mind raced, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.

'Is he... is he singing this to me? No, it can't be. But that wink... Oh God, he's looking at me. What do I do? Breath, Elise. You're the Big Sis…'

She fought to maintain her cool exterior, even as her insides churned with a mix of excitement and panic as she watched Brandon dominate the stage.

"And last night you were in my room

And now my bedsheets smell like you

Every day discovering something brand new

I'm in love with your body~"

As Brandon continued to sing, the crowd's enthusiasm only grew. People were shouting praises, their voices barely audible over the music.

"This guy's a fucking genius!"

"Where has he been hiding all this time?"

"I've never heard anything like this before!"

The yacht had become a frenzy of movement and sound, all centered around Brandon's mesmerizing performance.

His fingers danced across the guitar strings, his body swaying with the rhythm. The crowd was entranced, hanging on every note. As he transitioned into the chorus, his voice soared.

"Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I

I'm in love with your body

Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I

I'm in love with your body

Every day discovering something brand new

I'm in love with the shape of you"

With a fluid motion, Brandon swung the guitar to his back. He grabbed the mic, yanking it free from the stand. The crowd's excitement surged as he stepped off the makeshift stage, moving among them.

"I've gotta tell you, I'm in love with your shape

You said them other bruddas couldn't really juggle your weight"

Brandon's eyes locked onto Elise, a cheeky grin spreading across his face. Elise's breath caught, her cheeks flushing despite her efforts to maintain composure.

"I know, girl, you got a body they would kill for

Love you through whatever, who you tryna skip a meal for?"

Devon's eyes widened, his jaw dropping.

"Yo, this cat can rap too? Damn, he's killin' it!"

Brandon high-fived audience members as he moved through the crowd, his energy infectious.

"Girl, you're too precious, why you tryna split the bill for?

I ain't even gassing, they should have you up on billboards, that's real talk"

People reached out, trying to touch Brandon as he passed. His confidence grew with each line, his delivery smooth and effortless.

"We can listen to my tunes until you're sick of my raps

And I've got money in the bank, but not a figure like that"

Devon was practically bouncing, his excitement palpable.

"This is next level, man! He's a GODDDD!"

"I ain't even tryna play it cool 'cuh this is bigger than my pride

Let me multiply your lovin', then I hit you with Divide, check it"

The yacht pulsed with electric energy as Brandon swaggered back to the stage. He placed the mic on the stand with a smooth flourish, then swung his guitar back into his hands.

Brandon moved like a force of nature, each gesture deliberate yet effortless.

His silver-grey hair caught the light, a halo of starlight around features that seemed carved by a master sculptor. A sheen of sweat made his skin glow, as if he were lit from within by the music itself.

The crowd surged forward, bodies moving in rhythm, hands reaching out towards Brandon. His light grey eyes sparkled with mischief and confidence as he launched into the chorus once more.

"I'm in love with the shape of you

We push and pull like a magnet do

Although my heart is falling too

I'm in love with your body"

Joyce was a whirlwind of excitement, jumping up and down, her loud voice carrying over the music as she cheered.

"WOOHOOO~~!"

Even Elise, usually so composed, had been swept up in the infectious atmosphere. She stood, her body swaying slightly to the beat, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Last night you were in my room

And now my bedsheets smell like you

Every day discovering something brand new

I'm in love with your body"

As the song neared its end, Brandon's gaze locked onto Elise. His voice took on a softer, more intimate tone as he sang directly to her.

"Come on, be my baby, come on

Come on, be my baby, come on

I'm in love with your bo-ody!"

His voice dipped low on "body," sending shivers through the crowd.

"Na-na-now~

I'm in love with your bo-ady"

The inflection in his voice rose and fell, teasing and playful.

"Come on, be my baby, come on

Come on, be my baby, come on

Oh~ I'm in love with your body"

Brandon's voice soared on the "Oh," his eyes never leaving Elise's.

"Every day discovering something brand new

I'm in love with the shape of youuUuU~"

The final note hung in the air like a spell, the "you" rising and falling in a vibrato that seemed to bend reality itself. As the last echoes faded, the world held its breath, suspended in that perfect moment.