Chapter 67: Movies & Talks

~“Every time you hold me close, I feel you’re trying to mend a shattered soul.” —Declan J. Donovan.~

Chapter Theme Song: “Numb” by Declan J. Donovan.

HARMONY

“Wow, that was incredible!” Mal exclaims, approaching me as the music meeting wraps up and people start to trickle out of the room.

Maddie trails behind him, her gaze bouncing between me and Blaze, a frown etched onto her face.

“Thanks, Mal.” I reply with a smile.

“That was fantastic, Harmony!” Justine chimes in, joining our little group with a grin that stretches from ear to ear. “I really enjoyed it.”

“Thanks, I’m glad you did. It means a lot to hear that you guys liked it.”

“Oh, it wasn’t just us.” She chuckles. “The way you were looking at Blaze, so full of passion, I think the whole school knows you two are in love now.”

My cheeks flush instantly, and I sneak a glance at Blaze, whose face is now an unusual shade of red. ~Is he blushing?~

Maddie stiffens noticeably, then forces a smile as she clears her throat. Everyone’s attention shifts to her, and Mal seems to have momentarily forgotten that his sister was standing there.

“Ready to go, Maddie?”

“Yeah.” She nods, her eyes locked on me as her lips form a tight smile. “That was beautiful, Harmony.”

I return her smile. “Thank you, Maddie.”

“Well, we’ll see you around. My sister needs to get settled into her dorm room.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize you were living on campus, Mal,” I say, genuinely surprised, and he shrugs.

“Up until yesterday, I wasn’t. It’s my first day. Maddie asked our parents if she could live on campus yesterday, so I decided to move in too so she wouldn’t be alone.”

I nod in understanding, and Maddie adds with a smirk, “So, we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other...Harmony.”

Her smirk makes my lips twitch awkwardly. “Well...that should be nice, I guess.”

“Oh, it will be.” She crosses her arms over her chest, glaring at me with an intensity that sends chills down my spine. It’s so unsettling that I have to look away and focus on Mal.

“See you around then, Mal.”

He gives me another smile, then glances awkwardly at Blaze, as if unsure whether to say goodbye to him too. He decides against it and walks away with his sister.

“Don’t forget to practice the music sheet I gave you, okay?” Justine reminds me.

“I won’t.”

She pats my shoulder. “Thanks for being a part of this. I owe you one.”

“Don’t mention it.”

She gives us another smile before leaving the room. Justine isn’t so bad, even though we got off on the wrong foot. I wonder what made her change her mind about Blaze.

Maybe she realized that it’s pointless to be in love with him because he’ll never return her feelings. I know he’s a tough nut to crack when it comes to emotions, but I’m willing to take that risk with him.

“Did you see the way Maddie was looking at you?” Blaze asks as we start to head for the exit.

“How?” I ask. He holds the door open for me and steps aside as I walk out into the hallway.

“She was looking at you like a fucking psycho. You’re telling me you didn’t notice?” He ruffles his hair, a habit of his, as we start to walk down the corridor.

The evening sun is setting, casting an orange glow over the university grounds.

“Well, she was looking at me, and it was a bit creepy...”

“A bit? She’s like something out of a fucking horror movie.”

I can’t help but laugh.

“It’s not funny. Seriously. She’s creepy.”

I cross my arms over my chest and look up at him.

“Mhm. I thought you loved horror movies and found them hilarious and entertaining? What happened to: ~’Yeah! This is so much better than people pretending to love each other on-screen! This is real life! Yeah!‘”~

I try to imitate his voice, but I just sound like a fourteen-year-old trying too hard.

He bursts out laughing, throwing his head back. “Wow, you sounded like a teenage boy just then. Fuck, do I really sound like that?”

I giggle. “No, not at all, you sound much sexier—”

My eyes widen, and I mentally kick myself.

~Did I just say, “you sound much sexier?” Why would I say that?!~

“Woah.” Blaze is grinning. “I didn’t know you found my voice sexy.”

“That was just a slip of the tongue.”

“A slip of the tongue, huh.” He bites his lower lip, and I realize that not only is his voice sexy, but everything about him is.

“Anyway, to change the subject, did you like my song earlier?” I ask, looking down at the tiles as we walk, feeling a bit embarrassed for asking.

“Nope...I didn’t like it.”

My head snaps up, and my heart shatters. I frown. “You didn’t?”

“Nope.” He shakes his head.

“Oh...” I feel like crying.

He steps in front of me, and I stop abruptly, looking up at him. I’m sure I look like a sad puppy begging for a pat on the head right now.

“I didn’t like it, Harmony,” he says, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I ~loved~ it...from the bottom of my heart.”

My lips spread into a smile, and my once broken heart is now beating harder than ever.

That’s the best pat on the head I’ve ever received.

“Thank you...I’m glad you did.”

He licks his lips. “April and the girls are going out tonight, so...do you want me to come over? We can talk and watch some movies?”

~Yes!~

I can barely contain the joy that’s bubbling up inside me. “Okay...I’d love that.”

“Great.” His grin is infectious. “I’ll head back to my dorm, grab a shower, and swing by once I know April’s out.”

I can’t help but giggle. “Okay. I’ll be waiting.”

His smile widens as he takes my hand in his, and we continue our walk down the hallway.

***

Back in my dorm, I find that April’s already gone. She must have left for her girls’ night out.

I flop onto my bed, exhausted, and start rummaging through my suitcase for something clean to wear.

Remembering that Blaze is coming over, I don’t want to look like a frumpy grandma. I settle on an oversized shirt and a pair of floral shorts. They’re not too revealing, but they don’t scream ‘old lady’ either.

I hop into the shower and let the hot water wash over me. I step out feeling refreshed and full of energy. I towel off and slip into my chosen sleepwear.

Thinking about what might happen tonight with Blaze sends a thrill of excitement through me.

Being alone with him has often led to some risky situations, but I’d be lying if I said they weren’t also incredibly sweet.

I guess he was right. I am addicted to danger. Maybe he knows me better than I know myself.

I’m in the bathroom, quickly tying my wet hair up into a bun, when I hear a noise from the other room. My heart immediately starts racing.

It must be Blaze. I’m surprised he’s here so early, but maybe he’s just as eager as I am.

I smile to myself and apply some lotion before stepping out of the bathroom, grinning from ear to ear.

“Hey, you’re here early, Blaze. I just took a...”

My words trail off as I stop dead in my tracks. Instead of Blaze, I’m looking at Maddie.

What is she doing here?

I cock my head to the side. “Maddie?”

The door swings shut behind her, and a wide grin spreads across her face. “Surprise.”