Chapter 75: Secret & Lies

~“The best pretenders forget to remember their lies.” —Alex & Sierra.~

Chapter Theme Song: “Broken Frame” by Alex & Sierra.

THIRD PERSON

“We slept together, Harmony.”

She stares at him, her eyes wide and filled with unshed tears. Her mind is a whirlwind of confusion as she tries to make sense of his words.

~They had sex? No, that can’t be right. She refuses to believe it.~

Kite watches her, waiting for her to respond. But she just stares at him, lost in her thoughts.

He sighs, moving closer to her on the bed. This jolts her out of her trance, and she scoots away from him, hugging her knees to her chest. But she doesn’t break eye contact.

Her body is shaking, and Kite lets out a soft sigh.

“Talk to me, Harmony.”

“You’re lying,” she whispers. “You’re lying, aren’t you?”

His eyes soften, and he looks down, hesitating before he finally answers. “No, I’m not. Why would I lie to you? We did sleep together. Don’t tell me you don’t remember anything.”

His voice is sincere, and this scares her even more.

“No,” she says, shaking her head. “You did something to me, Kite. What did you do to me?”

He looks away, puffing out his cheeks before he meets her gaze again. His eyes are narrowed, taking offense to her words. “Harmony, are you saying I forced you?”

She hugs herself, her bottom lip trembling, and Kite scoffs.

“I didn’t, okay? We both knew what we were doing. I didn’t force you. You wanted it too.”

“You’re lying! You’re a liar.” She sniffles. “That’s impossible. I don’t believe you. I don’t believe any of this. Where are my clothes? I need to leave; I can’t listen to this anymore.”

She looks around for her sweater and jeans, but her mind is a mess. She can’t believe he just said they slept together. That can’t be true. She would never do that.

She remembers the last time she was drunk at his house party and ended up dancing with him.

She knows she’s not herself when she’s drunk, but sleeping with Kite is something she wouldn’t do, even when she’s not sober.

This whole situation scares her, and the fact that she’s half-naked makes his words seem more real. But she won’t give in. They didn’t sleep together, and she’s sticking to that.

Kite watches her as she searches for her clothes, holding the sheet to her chest as her eyes scan the room.

She needs to find her things, she needs to get out of here, and she needs to forget this ever happened.

His brows furrow. “Is the thought of us sleeping together that repulsive?”

She looks at him, her eyes wide. She feels like she’s on the verge of a panic attack.

“Yes. Yes it is, Kite. How could you ask that? You know who I love. You know Blaze will hate me if what you said is true.”

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Saying his name makes her realize how serious this is. He would never forgive her.

“Blaze will be done with me, and I can’t lose him. I can’t be without him.” Her voice breaks, and fresh tears fill her eyes.

Losing him would be something she could never recover from.

He’d be a cold that wouldn’t leave her system; no matter how much medicine she takes, no matter how much sleep she gets, she’d still feel sick. She would still be broken.

“Why can’t you?” Kite grips her shoulders, his eyes filled with pain. “He never loved you; he doesn’t feel the way I do. Last night you said you wanted me and that no one can touch you the way I can.”

Her eyes widen, and she pushes his hands away as if they were covered in slime. ~What? She would never say that.~

“Don’t look at me like that, Harmony, what we did—”

“Stop it, Kite. Stop lying to me, please!”

He clenches his jaw. “I am not...there’s proof.”

She narrows her eyes at him. “Wh-what?”

He scratches his forehead and closes his eyes. “There’s blood...from when I...took your virginity.”

She didn’t think she could panic more. To prove his point, Kite points to a small red stain on the bed next to her, and she feels like her heart might stop.

Her throat tightens, and she clutches the sheet, her knuckles white as she struggles to breathe.

“Is that enough, Harmony?”

She can’t hear him anymore. Her ears are filled with the sound of her own blood rushing, and she stares at the red stain as if looking at it will make it disappear.

“I don’t regret it, so I hope you don’t.”

The room starts to spin, and her body shakes. Her breathing is ragged, and she feels like she’s losing touch with reality.

Kite notices her state and waves a hand in front of her face. “Harmony.”

A loud cry fills the room, and she buries her hands in her hair, rocking back and forth.

What did she do? No, she didn’t sleep with Kite. That’s not her. It must be him, right? He did something to her. But she can’t prove it because she can’t remember anything.

He puts a hand on her shaking shoulder. “Harmony, look at me.”

“Give me my clothes,” she sobs, covering her eyes with her hands.

Her body trembles with each sob, and his eyes fill with regret. “I’m so sorry that—”

“Give me my clothes, Kite!” she yells, pushing him away by his bare chest. “I need my clothes now! I fucking hate you. Do you understand? I fucking hate you, you jerk! I hate you! Give me my clothes!”

He sighs, rubbing his face with his hand. He stands up, retrieves her clothes from under the bed, and hands them to her.

She snatches them from him, and he frowns at the sight of her trembling fingers as she wraps herself in the duvet.

She dresses herself, tears streaming down her face, while Kite rakes his fingers through his hair, looking stressed.

But his distress is nothing compared to hers. If what he said is true, if they slept together, then she and Blaze are finished.

She gets off the bed, tears flowing freely. Her legs feel weak, and she nearly falls.

Kite catches her arm. “I’m sorry, Harmony.”

His apology won’t erase the pain. Nothing he says will make her forgive him or herself for whatever happened last night—if anything did happen.

She pulls away from him and storms out of the room, colliding with Maddie in the hallway. She swallows hard, takes a step back, and lowers her gaze.

“Oh. Sorry.” Maddie smiles. “Good morning, Harmony.”

She keeps her eyes on the floor, hugging herself, and Maddie’s smile widens.

“Are you okay?” Maddie asks, tilting her head to try to catch Harmony’s eye, but Harmony turns away.

“Did you talk to Kite about what you wanted to? You borrowed my room last night because you needed to be alone with him. How did it go?”

Harmony finally looks up at her, noticing the smug glint in Maddie’s eyes.

Maddie seems pleased to see her red, swollen eyes. She waits for an answer, but Harmony doesn’t give her one. Instead, she walks past Maddie and hurries to her room.

She can’t wait any longer. Her skin is crawling, and she feels dirty and repulsive.

Thankfully, her roommate isn’t there, and Harmony rushes to the bathroom to strip off her clothes.

She steps into the bathtub and turns on the faucet, letting the cold water hit her back as she cries and screams, scrubbing and scratching at her skin as if she’s been touched by someone with a deadly disease.

She can’t believe it. It’s not true. That red stain on the sheet could be ketchup or something. It couldn’t be her blood.

She wants to check if her hymen is still intact, but it’s impossible to see for herself, even with a mirror or flashlight.

Gynecological exams can also be inaccurate, since a hymen can be broken for reasons other than sex.

Some women are even born without one. But despite all this, she still wants to see a doctor to see if they can help her figure out what happened. She has no other choice. It’s worth a try.

Thankfully, she doesn’t feel any discomfort between her legs, but that’s not enough to reassure her.

After an hour, she finally gets out of the shower. Her skin is red and wrinkled, but she still feels dirty. It’s a feeling deep inside her, so she fights the urge to get back in the shower.

She looks at her reflection in the mirror, and the girl staring back at her feels like a stranger. If what Kite said is true, Blaze will hate her forever.

She wishes she didn’t have to be at Homewood today; her mind is in turmoil.

But she has a history assignment due, and her math professor said he would start a new topic today, which will be on the final exam. So, she can’t skip class.

Her life is already a mess. She can’t afford to fail college too.

With no enthusiasm for class, she dresses in a floral skirt and her dad’s oversized sweater.

She needs one of his big hugs today more than anything, and hopefully, his lingering scent will help keep her sane.

She leaves her hair down, in case she runs into Blaze. Her eyes will give her away, and she knows he’s good at reading faces.

She’s lost in thought during her AP history class, her mind constantly returning to the fact that she woke up half-naked in a room with Kite, the guy Blaze hates seeing her with.

And the worst part is, she can’t remember anything.

Kite could have raped her, and she has no memory of it. It’s enough to drive her mad.

As soon as class ends, she grabs her bag and rushes out the glass door.

It’s lunchtime, and she plans to hide out behind the school. She doesn’t want to eat lunch in the cafeteria today, and April and Blaze will look for her in the dorm if she stays there.

Trying to ignore the painful thoughts racing through her mind, she steps out into the hallway, but stops short and freezes when she sees Blaze leaning against the wall in front of her.

She swallows hard and struggles to keep her emotions under control as he approaches her.

~Stay calm, Harmony. Stay calm.~

She’s terrified that he already knows something, but Kite wouldn’t have told him, would he?

“Good morning.” He gives her a half-smile, and she forces one in return, feeling her eyes burn with guilt.

He notices her strange expression and narrows his eyes. “Are you okay?”

She nods quickly and adjusts the strap of her bag on her shoulder. “Y-yeah...I’m fine.”

He crosses his arms over his chest, and his expression tells her he doesn’t believe her. It’s hard to fool a sociopath with killer instincts.

He can sense fear, lies, and panic. She can’t afford to let her guard down, or she might lose the guy she loves forever.

“You texted me saying you were at your dorm last night. When I came by, you weren’t there. No one was, and I tried calling, but you left your phone behind,” he starts, and her heart begins to race.

“Why is that? Where were you?”

“I, um... I had to help my mom with something. She came by the school, so I went with her and came back this morning.”

Blaze looks at her, his gaze intense. She hopes he’ll just let it go. She needs him to not suspect anything, at least not until she can see a gynecologist and figure out what happened last night.

He nods. “I was worried. I called you a bunch of times.”

“I saw the messages.” She shifts her weight from one foot to the other.

“Let’s grab lunch in the cafeteria.” He smiles, taking her hand. “April and the others are already there.”

His warm hand in hers helps her relax a little.

She tries to smile, but it’s hard to be genuine when you’re carrying a heavy load of guilt. “Yeah... okay.”

***

They walk into the cafeteria and join April and the others at their usual table in the back.

Blaze keeps their hands together as he slides into his usual seat. He pulls out a chair for Harmony and she sits next to him, forcing a smile his way and trying to ignore the ache in her chest.

~I just want this to go away.~

“Where were you last night, Harmony?” April asks, picking up a french fry from her tray.

Harmony swallows, her throat tight with nerves. Blaze is busy unwrapping his burger and taking a bite, not really interested in April’s question.

“I...went back with my mom,” she finally says, making sure her story matches the one she told Blaze earlier. “She needed my help with something.”

“Oh.” April smiles.

“We went to a party last night. We wanted you to come,” Yuna tells her.

“Yeah, it was fun.” Tia grins. “We met some cool people from Jaxton University.”

“Hello to the wildest crew in Homewood!”

Harmony looks up from her lunch to see Dustin grinning at them. To her horror, Kite is standing next to him.

Their eyes meet, but she quickly looks away, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

~Why is he here? Why can’t he just stay away from me? He’s making everything worse by showing up. He should just leave me alone. I’m already suffering enough.~

Her thoughts race as she stares at her untouched sandwich, her hands shaking slightly.

Kite finds a seat at the table. Not next to her this time, but next to Yuna. Dustin sits next to Tia.

Blaze rolls his eyes, his appetite gone. He wraps up his half-eaten lunch and leans back in his chair. “I’m starting to think you two go to Homewood.”

Kite starts to say something, but then Maddie appears at the table, surprising everyone.

“Hey, guys.” She smiles, holding her tray of food. “Can I join you?”

Her brother Mal stands behind her, clearly unhappy. It’s obvious that she dragged him over here.

If it were up to him, he’d stay far away from Blaze and his friends. He doesn’t like them. But Maddie has other ideas.

Kite looks uncomfortable, and he stares at Maddie for a moment too long. She gives him a strange smile and then turns to Blaze, pulling up a chair.

The table is already crowded, but she doesn’t seem to care.

Her brother sits down behind her, looking uncomfortable. He takes out his phone, clearly wishing he were somewhere else.

He’s not the only one.

Everyone is feeling awkward. April and the girls exchange glances, and James runs his hand through his hair, looking agitated. Maddie is sitting right next to him.

The table goes quiet, but then Blaze speaks up, sounding annoyed.

“There’s plenty of room in the cafeteria. Why does everyone want to sit here? I hate crowds.”

“Blaze, I missed you at the concert yesterday,” Maddie says, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I didn’t see you there.”

Blaze ignores her as if she’s not even there. He turns to Harmony. “Do you want to have lunch and watch a movie in your dorm?”

She nods, eager to get away. Being at a table with Kite and Maddie is too much. The anxiety is overwhelming.

“Yeah, I’d love that, Blaze.”

“Great.” He takes her hand, but Maddie interrupts before they can leave.

“Harmony, we had a good talk last night.”

Blaze stops, his grip on Harmony’s hand loosening.

Harmony’s heart races as Kite gives Maddie a warning look. She ignores him and continues. “Our chat in your dorm room last night was really fun, wasn’t it?”

Blaze looks confused and turns to Harmony, who wishes she could just disappear. This is all too much.

“Didn’t you say you were with your mom last night?”

Everyone at the table is looking at her now, and she wishes she could just melt into the floor or disappear. She’s trapped in a nightmare.

She opens her mouth to tell another lie, but Kite interrupts.

“Blaze, the concert was great yesterday. I heard you planned it all. I’m impressed you could put together such an amazing event.”

Maddie glares at Kite, knowing exactly what he just did. He changed the subject, derailing her plan. She’ll deal with him later.

Blaze takes his eyes off Harmony and glares at Kite. “Yeah. But you weren’t invited, so…” He shrugs and takes Harmony’s hand, pulling her to her feet.

Kite clenches his jaw, and Maddie taps her nails against the table, trying to keep her composure. Seeing Blaze and Harmony holding hands makes her seethe with jealousy.

“Enjoy your lunch,” Blaze says to everyone at the table before leading Harmony out of the cafeteria.

“There’s so much tension at this table,” Yuna whispers. “I can barely eat.”

Maddie’s anger bubbles over. She bites her lower lip, shoving her chair back and storming out, following Blaze and Harmony.

Kite swears under his breath and jumps up, chasing after her.

Once they’re outside the lunchroom, he grabs her arm, pulling her toward him. His eyes flicker behind her, waiting for the other two to round the corner before he turns his glare back to her.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

She jerks her arm free. “I’m going to tell Blaze. I’m going to take down that little bitch, and when I’m done, she’ll be the one cutting her wrists next. It makes me sick to see them together!”

She tries to walk away again, but Kite pulls her back, his anger flaring. “That’s not how you do it, Maddie!”

She scoffs and shakes off his hand. “Then how? Tell me, scaredy-cat. How? You had your turn, now it’s mine! So don’t you dare interfere with my part of the plan. Stay out of it!”

His face hardens as he stands still, just staring at her, realizing she’s truly lost it.

“You know, I saw what you did in there.” She steps closer to him, her eyes narrowed. “I saw how you jumped in and changed the subject when I brought up last night. Playing the hero, huh?

“Blaze was so close to finding out, and you ruined it. Don’t screw this up for me, Kite.”

“You wanted to humiliate her in front of everyone? The whole table was there, Maddie, you can’t do that! Are you out of your mind? I care about Harmony, just like you care about Blaze.”

He shakes his head. “I’m starting to regret getting involved in this with you.”

“Oh really?” She laughs, sounding unhinged. “Then go ahead, tell them everything. Let’s see how that works out for you.

“When she finds out you were working with me to ruin her relationship with Blaze, she won’t want anything to do with you, Kite. You’ll lose your chance. So go ahead, you’re free to.”

He swallows, looking away, his face softening as he finally gives in.

Maddie scoffs, looking at him like he’s pathetic. “See? You can’t do it. You know you’d be screwed if you told her everything now. You need this plan as much as I do.

“So don’t interfere. This is my part of the mission...I’m warning you for the last time—stay out of it.”

“Maddie, are you okay?” Malcolm steps out of the cafeteria, and Kite quickly steps away from her.

She pastes on a fake smile and moves toward her brother, who looks confused. Her voice is suddenly sweet and calm as she throws her arm around him, leading him back inside.

“I’m fine, Mal. Just dealing with some stuff.”

She shoots Kite a warning look over her shoulder as they disappear behind the door.