Chapter 58: What’s Broken Can Be Mended

~“I know they say we’re broken, holding on to a love like this. Well if we’re broken, I don’t wanna be fixed. And my heart is open knowing that you are worth the risk. Well if we’re broken, I don’t wanna be fixed.”— Sam Tsui.~

Chapter Theme Song: “Fixed” by Sam Tsui.

BLAZE

Hospitals and I are old friends.

I used to come here a lot, getting patched up after my crazy mother had her way with me. That was when the injuries were too bad for a simple band-aid.

Whenever the doctors asked my dad how I got hurt, he’d spin some ridiculous story.

Fell off a swing, tripped while running—you know, the kind of stuff that doesn’t explain a gash in a kid’s head.

Either the doctors were too stupid to see through his lies, or they just didn’t care. Or maybe the whole system is just messed up.

Either way, it all led me to one conclusion: people are fake, disloyal, and unfair.

The bad guys get away with everything, while the good guys get screwed over. And the people who are supposed to protect us? They’re the worst of all.

The world is a fucked up place, filled with fucked up people. And I’m just lucky I don’t give a shit about any of them.

Except for Harmony Skye. She’s the one girl who’s stuck in my head, long after I should have moved on.

Even after she found out what I was really after, even after she was under me, ready for us to have sex. I’m still here, and I never thought I’d stick around this long.

I’ve been sitting outside her hospital room for a while now, watching the doctors and nurses rush around.

The smell of rubbing alcohol and cleaning supplies is all too familiar, and I find myself breathing it in without even realizing it.

My hands are sweaty as I rub them together, waiting anxiously for news about her.

She has to be okay. If she’s not, I don’t know what I’ll do.

My phone rings, the metallic ringtone echoing down the hallway. A few people turn to look at me.

I stand up to pull the phone out of my pocket, and my heart sinks when I see my dad’s name on the screen. I take a deep breath and answer the call.

“Yeah, Blake.”

“Blaze, it’s Sunday. Do you want me to pick you up for dinner?”

I scratch my forehead, relieved that I have a good excuse not to see him today. “I can’t. Harmony’s sick. I’m at Huston’s Hospital.”

“Harmony’s sick? Oh my God, what happened?”

“She has a fever. I’m waiting for the test results.”

Just then, the door to her room opens, and the doctor steps out.

“I’ll call you back,” I say, standing up quickly. I try to see past him into the room, but he’s already closing the door.

“It’s just a fever. She’ll be fine. I gave her some medicine,” the doctor, a man in his fifties with streaks of gray in his hair, tells me. His name tag says Dr. Pete, not that I care.

“What’s your relationship to her?” he asks, pulling out a notebook and starting to write something down.

I don’t really know how to answer that. Things are complicated between us, especially after the way she stormed out of my room last night.

I’m trying not to get my hopes up about the fact that she talked to me when she was sick, because I know she might be mad at me when she’s feeling better.

“She’s just a classmate.” The words feel like a lie as soon as I say them, and it seems like Dr. Pete thinks so too, because he smiles and raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t look up from his notebook.

“Is that so? Well, you seem to care a lot about her. Do you have a phone number for one of her parents?”

“I’ll have to get it.”

“Good. Please call them and let them know that we’ll be discharging her at four today.”

“Okay, I will.”

He nods and walks away, leaving me alone in the hallway.

I open the door and go into the room, closing it quietly behind me.

She’s lying on the bed, sound asleep. The room is quiet except for the sound of her breathing. I let out a sigh of relief. She’s my only ~antidote.~

She makes me feel alive. It took me a while to realize it, but I always feel better when she’s around.

I pull her phone out of my pocket and start looking for her mom’s number.

Her phone isn’t locked, which doesn’t surprise me. She’s not the type to have anything to hide.

I’m scrolling through her contacts when I see my name.

“Blaze❤”

The heart emoji next to my name makes me smile. I close my eyes for a second, letting the feeling wash over me.

~This feels good.~

I fight back a grin, but it’s a losing battle. I stare at my name for a little longer, feeling a warmth spread through my chest.

Finally, I shake myself out of it and keep scrolling until I find her mom’s number. I hit dial and put the phone to my ear.

She answers on the first ring. My dad usually takes two or three rings to pick up, if he picks up at all.

“Harmony, baby,” her voice comes through the phone. “How are you, sweetie?”

I clear my throat, suddenly feeling awkward. I haven’t talked to a ~mother~ in ten years.

But then again, Liz was never really a ~mother~ to me. She was always distant and cold, so maybe I’ve never really talked to a ~mother~ at all.

“It’s not Harmony. It’s Blaze. Mr. Blake’s son...”

“Hey there, sweetheart. Your dad asked me to come over for dinner next weekend…”

She continues talking, but her words fade into the background as I close my eyes and let loose a string of curses in my mind.

~Why can’t he just stay out of my life? I’ve finally found a way to escape my hellish past, and he wants to be a part of it, even though he only reminds me of my abusive childhood.~

“Where’s Harmony, though?” Her voice is laced with worry, and it’s clear she loves her daughter deeply. My mother never loved me like that.

“She’s at the hospital—”

“What?!” Her shriek pierces my ear through the phone, and I pull it away for a moment. “Oh my God, oh my God...”

“It’s okay. She just has a fever.”

“Oh, Jesus! Which hospital? I’m coming right now.”

“Huston’s Hospital.”

“Okay, thank you, sweetheart. Oh Lord!” She hangs up, and I hope she makes it here safely. She sounds like she’s on the verge of a heart attack.

A soft groan from Harmony pulls my attention. She’s finally waking up, and I walk over to her side as she tries to sit up in bed, wincing and holding her forehead.

She looks incredibly cute in my T-shirt, and it stirs something in me.

~Jesus. She’s sick, Blaze. Get a grip.~

“Are you okay?” I ask, sitting on the chair next to her bed.

She nods weakly, then looks at me. She stares for a moment, seeming utterly confused, before her gaze drops to her clothes.

“It’s my T-shirt,” I explain.

“Oh, sorry...” She starts to lift the hem to take it off, but I gently place my hand over hers.

“No, don’t. Keep it on.”

Her face turns pink at my touch, and it’s a sight I find incredibly satisfying. She still blushes when I touch her. I thought I might have lost her for good.

“How do you feel?” I ask, pressing my hand against her forehead. I let out a sigh of relief when I feel that her fever has gone down. “Your fever’s gone down since they gave you the medicine... I was worried about you.”

“Thanks for helping me,” she mumbles. “Can you see my phone? I want to call my mom.” She looks around the room, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear to keep it out of her way.

I hand her the phone. “Here, I already called her.”

She looks surprised as she takes the phone from me. “You called her?”

“Yeah. She was pretty freaked out. I told her you’d be okay.”

“She must be so worried.” She sighs, biting her lip.

Her phone buzzes, drawing my attention.

“It must be her.” She quickly swipes the screen, and I catch a glimpse of the incoming text.

Kite

Harmony, are you okay? I am worried about you.

My jaw clenches so hard I feel like my temples might explode.

What the hell is this guy’s problem?

Harmony tenses as she reads the message, probably unsure of how to react with me sitting right here.

“Don’t fucking answer,” I command.

She looks at me, and I snatch the phone from her and toss it onto the table. It’s probably broken, but I don’t give a shit. I grab her shoulders and push her back onto the bed.

She looks up at me, her eyes wide as I hover over her. I stare into her eyes, and I can see the confusion in them.

“You belong to me, Harmony. You can’t leave me.”

HARMONY

Some people might call me ~stupid~, while others might say I’m too easy.

No matter what Blaze Xander does, I always find myself drawn to him. I can’t stay away from him, no matter how hard I try.

He’s like a drug, my own personal drug, and he has no idea how much power he holds over me.

I know it’s not safe, but I can’t control myself when it comes to him.

Maybe it’s because I understand his sociopathy. I know it’s not an excuse for him to hurt me, but I can’t stay mad at him knowing he has a mental disorder that affects his behavior.

I’m disappointed in myself for getting mad at him last night, but it’s hard to accept him being close to other girls.

I’m becoming so needy and clingy. I know it’s not healthy, but I can’t help it.

He’s looking at me expectantly, as if waiting for a response to his declaration. His icy eyes, which seem to hold an entire world within them, pierce mine.

My silence prompts him to speak again.

“I didn’t sleep with Amber—I swear, I didn’t. I couldn’t do it because all I could think about was you. And I know you didn’t willingly kiss Kite.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you and for everything I said. I regret it all.”

His sincere apology softens my heart, and I bite my lip, looking away from him and down at the small space between us.

I don’t know what to say.

“But...you ended the contract, Blaze. You said I shouldn’t be tied to you and that—”

He cuts me off with a fierce kiss, catching me off guard.

I raise my hand to his arm, but he grabs it and pins it above my head, taking control as his mouth moves against mine.

Slowly, I close my eyes and surrender to him completely. He cups my cheek and slips his warm tongue into my mouth, but suddenly the most embarrassing thought crosses my mind, and I pull away abruptly.

His lips, a soft shade of pink, pout as our kiss breaks off. His eyebrows furrow in concern. “What’s wrong?”

“I...” I’m gasping for breath, while he seems to be breathing just fine, even after such a passionate moment. “I...I didn’t brush my teeth.”

He looks at me, disbelief etched on his face. The room falls silent. Then, he starts to laugh. His laughter fills the room, a deep, beautiful sound that makes me smile.

“Are you serious?”

My cheeks flush with embarrassment. “Yes...we can’t kiss right now...”

He bites his lip, bringing his face close to mine. “I really don’t care about that, Harmony...”

He leans in to kiss me again, but I press my hand against his chest, stopping him. He frowns as I slip out from under him.

I start to get off the bed, but he pulls me onto his lap in one swift move.

I gasp. “Blaze, you can’t—!”

“Shh. It’s a hospital, green eyes.”

My back is against his chest, and I’m trying to keep my breathing steady. I can feel the bulge in his jeans—this is dangerous.

I tense up when I feel his lips on my neck. “Are you still down with the fever?”

I close my eyes, enjoying the sensation of his mouth on my skin.

“I-I feel a little better...”

“Good. Because seeing you in my T-shirt is turning me on, Harmony...”

His hand is on my thigh, my skin exposed by my denim shorts. He’s moving his hand up, the ring on his pinky finger cool against my warm skin.

His other hand wraps around my stomach, pulling me closer to him.

The necklace around his neck brushes against the back of my neck, and his soft hair tickles my cheek, feeling like expensive silk.

“You’re sweating so hard...”

~I know. I know.~ I can feel the sweat gathering on my nose.

“Is it because of the fever...or is it because of me?”

I swallow hard, squeezing my legs together. His whispers in my ear are stoking a fire deep within me. A fire that only he can reach.

His hand finds the zipper of my shorts, but he just holds it.

“Can I touch you?” he asks softly.

I nod, and he slowly pulls down the zipper. The room is so quiet that the only sound is the zipper coming undone.

My heart is pounding in my chest as he slips his hand into my shorts. But then, the door to the room swings open.

“Blaze... Jesus—heavens!”

I jump off Blaze’s lap as his father turns his back to us. ~Oh God.~

I’ve never been this embarrassed in my entire eighteen years, except for that time at the bonfire when I ran off crying.

“It-it’s not what it looks like,” I stammer, but Blaze just rolls his eyes, clearly not bothered that his father just caught him with his hand in my shorts.

“You should knock, Blake,” is all he says. His father turns back to us with a smile, and I relax a little.

He waves us off as he walks over, still smiling. “I didn’t see anything. What exactly were you guys doing? I didn’t catch on to it.”

~I’m sure he did.~

Blaze rolls his eyes again, and I manage a weak smile. If my mom had walked in, she would have had a fit, or maybe she’d be the next one in the hospital.

Despite everything Blaze has told me about his dad, including his affairs and his failure to report the abuse, I can’t completely hate him.

I’m angry that he let his son go through such pain, and I hope he’s paid for his negligence. But I can see that he’s trying to make things right with Blaze.

Maybe he’s not the only one who knows that what’s broken can always be mended.