Chapter 66: Can You Understand My Tears?

~“It’s something that I’ll never understand, how you can love someone so broken, so perfectly.” —Jess Glynne.~

Chapter Theme Song: “Broken” by Jess Glynne.

THIRD PERSON

Blaze swings open the clear door to the music room, his hand securely entwined with Harmony’s as they step inside.

The cool air conditioning sweeping across the room does little to calm her nerves. She can feel her palms growing sweaty with anxiety.

She stands behind his tall frame like a shy kitten, catching glimpses of a few heads turning their way through the gap in his arm. As always.

~Oh, how she despises being the center of attention.~

Blaze looks back at her over his shoulder, a playful smile on his face as he sees her hiding behind him. “Hey, don’t worry, okay? I’ve got you, green eyes.”

She grins up at him. “Thanks, Blaze.”

Maddie, sitting with Malcolm in the far-left corner, spots Blaze immediately. Her face lights up and she’s about to call out to him when a petite figure emerges from behind him.

Her smile fades as she sees Harmony, replaced by a resentful glare. She’s been seeing this girl around Blaze a lot since she came back. And she doesn’t like it one bit.

Justine greets the new arrivals with a nod and a smile, which Harmony returns before quickly finding a seat.

Blaze follows her, and they sit together while Justine discusses the upcoming concert with the group.

Harmony spots Malcolm among the crowd and waves at him. He grins and waves back.

Maddie’s gaze lands on Harmony, and Harmony tries to smile at her, but Maddie just looks away, a clear frown on her face.

“You know, they really should start offering free food here,” Blaze grumbles, and Harmony turns her attention from Maddie to him, laughing at his constant need to snack during music meetings.

“I forgot to grab some snacks before we came. Now I’m starving.”

“Well, eating isn’t allowed here.” She points to the “NO EATING” sign on the wall, and he frowns.

“I don’t follow rules, green eyes.”

~Oh, she’s well aware.~

“And our lead singer will be Harmony Skye!”

Harmony jumps at the sound of her name, her attention snapping to the front of the room where Justine is pointing at her as the room erupts in applause.

Cheers and whistles bounce off the walls, and Harmony starts to feel incredibly self-conscious.

“She will be our lead singer! Show her some love, guys!” Justine continues, clapping her hands.

The cheers grow louder, and Harmony blushes awkwardly. She hates being the focus of attention, good or bad, and doesn’t know how to react when all eyes are on her.

“Thanks.” She smiles and nods at them, unaware of the envious eyes watching her from across the room. Maddie.

“Sing for us!” a boy holding a saxophone, shouts.

~Oh, no.~

“Yes, sing for us, please!” a girl chimes in, clasping her hands together pleadingly. “You were amazing last time. Let us hear it again!”

Harmony sighs and rubs her forehead. “Um...”

“You guys should just wait until we’re practicing for the concert,” Blaze interjects. “You’ll get the surprise then. She can’t sing for you right now; her voice needs rest.”

She looks at him, and he smiles and winks at her. She smiles back, grateful that he’s trying to help her out of this situation.

“Guys, let’s just wait until we’re practicing for the concert, okay?” Justine agrees. “Then she’ll sing for us and—”

“I’ll sing now,” Harmony interrupts, and Blaze looks at her in surprise.

Justine raises an eyebrow, an impressed smile on her face. “You’ll sing? Right here, right now?”

She nods. “Um, yeah...I did it last time, so I guess I could. Plus, it’ll be good practice for the concert.”

Blaze’s lips twitch into a smile, and Justine throws her hands in the air excitedly. “Amazing! Guys, she’s going to sing for us today. Give her a round of applause!”

The room erupts in cheers again, and Harmony blushes as she stands up.

Blaze grabs her arm as she’s about to walk away, and she looks down at him.

“When you’re up there, just look at me, and only me, and you’ll be fine,” he whispers.

She smiles. “Okay, Blaze.”

He nods, and she walks nervously to the front of the room, her legs shaky with anxiety. She’s not sure she can do this. Maybe she should have just kept quiet.

She has no idea what possessed her to agree to sing in front of all these people again.

The room falls silent, everyone’s attention focused on her. Some people even have their phones out to record, and she realizes that if she messes up and embarrasses herself, she’ll end up as an internet meme.

Her eyes find Blaze in the crowd. He was right; just seeing him makes her feel better. He smiles and gives her a thumbs up, and that’s all the confidence boost she needs.

She smiles and takes a deep breath. Keeping her eyes on him, she opens her mouth and starts to sing “Broken” by Jess Glynne.

~“Sometimes when I fall down low and I’ve got nowhere else to go, I hide myself, don’t let it show, but you find me. Sometimes when the day goes by, I’ve missed it because all I did was cry.~

~“You always know the reason why, you know me. You always have the words that never let me down, let me down. Always make me laugh somehow. You tell me don’t worry when I’ve done wrong.~

~“It’s something that I’ll never know, how you can love someone so broken, so right? ‘Cause all I ever wanted was a little bit of paradise…”~

Blaze is gazing at her, his icy blue eyes filled with a kind of admiration that makes her heart flutter. His face is etched with an emotion she can’t quite put into words, but she knows it’s pure, it’s real.

This unspoken emotion fuels her, and she continues to sing.

~“Sometimes when I run too fast, you let me go don’t hold me back, and when I can’t see the tracks, you find me.~

~“Sometimes when I can’t see, I lose my balance and I can’t breathe, you hold me close and brush your cheek on me, you know me. You always have the words that never let me down, let me down.~

~“Always make me laugh somehow. You tell me don’t worry when I’ve done wrong. It’s something that I’ll never know, how you can love someone so broken, so right?~

~“Cause all I ever wanted was a little bit of paradise…”~

Tears start to well up in her eyes, the combination of the heartfelt lyrics and her deep affection for Blaze becoming too much to contain.

Her mind starts to replay their shared moments, all the ups and downs that have led them to this point.

She never thought she could feel this way about someone. She loves him. More than he could ever possibly know.

Blaze is watching her, his eyes clear and focused, as if he’s feeling every emotion she’s pouring into the song.

Maddie is watching them both, seeing the raw emotions playing out on their faces. It’s clear to everyone in the room that the words she’s singing are meant for Blaze Xander and no one else.

~“Standing so close you’re holding me up. I hope I give you just as much, cause you could never let me down, even when I’m standing here now. So broken, arms open wide.~

~“Cause all I ever wanted was a little bit of paradise. You tell me don’t worry when I’ve done wrong, it’s something that I’ll never know, how you can love someone so broken, so right?~

~“Cause all I ever wanted was a little bit of paradise.”~

The song ends, and the room falls silent. Blaze closes his eyes and lowers his head for a moment.

Harmony watches as he wipes his face and looks back up. She can’t tell if he’s been crying, but as he starts to clap, the rest of the room joins in, their faces filled with admiration.

Harmony smiles and wipes away her tears, but they keep coming, falling freely down her cheeks.

She sang those words from the deepest part of her heart, and she hopes they reached his.

The room is still filled with applause, and some people are even wiping away tears. But Maddie is sitting there, glaring at them both with a look that could kill.

Feeling an overwhelming need to be close to him, Harmony walks over to Blaze. As soon as he stands up, she throws herself into his arms, nearly knocking him over. He steadies himself and wraps his arms around her.

She buries her face in his shirt, her tears soaking the fabric. He holds her tighter, closing his eyes.

“Thank you,” he whispers. “Thank you for loving someone like me, Harmony.”

She wants to respond, to tell him he’s welcome, but the tears won’t let her. So she just cries, hoping he understands what her tears are saying.