Chapter 68: He Will Say It When He Is Ready

~“Someone taught me that I was evil.” —Kate Vogel.~

Chapter Theme Song: “Rain” by Kate Vogel.

HARMONY

I’m rooted to the spot, staring at her in disbelief. How did she get in? I was sure I’d locked the door. Blaze could pick a lock, but Maddie?

She sees my confusion and lets out a dry laugh.

“Did I scare you?”

Her question brings me back to the present. I shake my head. “No, I just...I thought I locked the door. What are you doing here?”

She shrugs, stepping closer. “Just thought I’d drop by. Is that weird?”

I shake my head again, rubbing my hands on my shorts. Her presence makes me nervous. The look she gave me at the meeting earlier was anything but normal.

“My dorm room is right next door to yours. It’s just a quick walk,” she says.

“Wait, your room is next to mine?” I raise an eyebrow.

She giggles. “Yes, silly. Daddy paid extra for it. The girls who were there before had to move. Money talks.

“Isn’t it great? We’ll be so close. It’ll be fun.”

~This is turning into a Lifetime movie way too fast.~

“Well, thanks for stopping by,” I say, hoping she’ll take the hint and leave. Her vibe is off.

She frowns. “You don’t seem happy to see me. You were expecting someone else...”

“No, I was just—”

“It’s Blaze, isn’t it?” she cuts in.

I blink, unsure whether to admit that I was waiting for him.

She’s bound to find out about us sooner or later. And after the scene we made at the music club tonight, she must know we’re into each other.

“Yeah,” I admit. “I was waiting for Blaze.”

Her face twitches at my confession, but she forces a smile. Her eyes are shining with something. Anger? Jealousy? Danger? Maybe all three.

“That’s sweet...” She reaches up and pulls out a sharp, black hairpin, her dark hair falling around her face.

I swallow hard as she starts twirling the hairpin on her fingertip, a strange smile on her face.

“What?” She tilts her head. “It’s a hairpin my mom got in China. Nice, right?”

I force a smile. “Y-yeah...it’s nice.”

I take a step back. The air feels heavy.

“You know what I love about it?” She grins, and I shake my head.

“I love how sharp it is. It’s like a knife. Imagine stabbing someone in the neck with this. That’d be a sure death, don’t you think?”

I don’t answer. My heart is pounding. I take another step back, but she keeps moving closer.

“I’m hurt, Harmony... I’m upset that you lied to me.”

I back into the nightstand. I’m trapped. I grip the edges of the cold wood as she keeps coming.

“I lied to you? About what?”

She scowls. “You said you and Blaze were just friends.”

“Maddie, I didn’t say we were just friends... I didn’t get a chance to explain because you wouldn’t let me.”

She stops and crosses her arms. I can’t take my eyes off the hairpin in her hand.

“Okay...so tell me now. Are you two together?”

I sigh and look at her. “Yes. I mean, we’re not officially dating but...we have an understanding. We do what lovers do...I guess.”

She stares at me, her eyes cold and dark. Then she grins.

“That’s cute. I’m sorry for being so possessive over Blaze.”

I laugh nervously. “Well... ‘possessive’ sounds a bit strong...”

“Does it? Harmony, I’m hurt that you didn’t tell me about this sooner. I thought we were friends?”

~Were we?~

I bite my lip, not sure what to say. She keeps talking.

“I hate liars, Harmony. I hate fake, goody-two-shoes bitches.”

My eyes widen. I can’t believe what I just heard. Did she just call me—

She starts laughing. I stare at her, realizing that she might not be sane—just like everyone says.

Who says something like that and then laughs?

“I didn’t mean you, Harmony,” she says, still laughing. “I meant in general. I would never call you a bitch. I know you’re not fake.”

I blink at her while she laughs. “Your face was priceless...you thought I was talking about you, didn’t you? I would never call you a bitch. I like you too much!”

This is beyond creepy. I can’t find anything funny about what she just said.

Finally, she settles down, wiping away tears of joy. “Well...thanks for letting me in on what’s going on between you two. By the way, I think this hairpin would look great on you.”

Her eyes lose their sparkle, and she smirks. “Can I try it in your hair?”

“Um, no...I’m good...”

She starts to move towards me. “Come on, let me see how it looks in your hair...”

“I’m good, Maddie. I don’t use that kind of—”

She grips my arm tightly, grinning. “It’s okay, Harmony. I just want to see how it would look in your hair...”

She raises the pin to my head, and I squirm away. “No, I’m good...”

“Come on, just let me put it in.”

“What the fuck are you doing?”

A stern voice echoes from behind Maddie, and I recognize it instantly. It’s a balm to my terrified heart.

She backs away from me and hides the hairpin as Blaze strides over to us, his eyes darker than ever.

I’m panting heavily while she smiles innocently. “Blaze, are you—”

He seizes her wrist and twists it around to snatch the hairpin from her.

He examines it, his jaw clenching as he rolls his eyes skyward. Maddie opens her mouth to speak, but Blaze yanks her out the door with him.

BLAZE

Every guy has that one girl they regret sleeping with. For me, that girl is Maddie, mostly because she’s a psycho, obsessed with me and clearly needs therapy.

My dad thinks I’m nuts? He should meet this girl. She makes me look sane.

Once we’re out of Harmony’s sight, I let go of her so abruptly she almost slams into the hallway wall.

I run a hand through my hair as she turns to me with a twisted smile.

“Blaze, I missed you so—”

“What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you sick?”

She frowns. “Blaze...please don’t be mad at me. We haven’t talked much since I came back, and I miss you so much it hurts.” She reaches out to hug me, and I step back.

“What the hell were you trying to do to Harmony? Huh? How dare you touch her!” My brows knit together in anger, and I fight the urge to wrap my hands around her thin neck and squeeze.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

~Men don’t hurt women, Blaze. Men don’t hurt women.~

I repeat the mantra ten times before opening my eyes to meet hers.

“Listen, I’m not right in the head, you get me? You of all people should know that. So it’s best you stay far away from Harmony. I won’t ask again—or you’ll pay.”

She scowls, her eyes glossy. “I wasn’t doing anything to her. She liked my hairpin, so I was just—”

I step closer to her, eliminating the small space between us. My eyes flash dangerously as she backs up against the wall.

She looks up at me timidly, and I rest my hand above her head, leaning in so no one else can hear what I’m about to say.

“Do you think...that I don’t know what you were trying to do with that hairpin?”

She swallows.

“You see, Maddie, your little ‘innocent game’ doesn’t fool me. You might fool Harmony, but you can’t fool me.

“I’ve come a long way from stabbing a cop, jabbing someone in the neck with a pencil, and nearly slashing a lecturer’s face. And that’s not even the half of it.

“So do you honestly think I don’t know what you were trying to do with that thing? Do I look stupid?”

“Blaze, I wasn’t going to—”

“Shh. Shut up. If I see you pull something like that again, you’ll regret ever coming back here...because I’ll mess with your head so bad, you’ll end up in an asylum and never come back.

“Piss me off, and I’ll make sure you spend the rest of your days in a white room, scratching at your own skin. Don’t test me. You’re not the only crazy one here.”

She gulps fearfully as I step back, shooting her one last glare before walking away, leaving her pressed against the wall.

HARMONY

Blaze comes back to my dorm room after a while, and I jump up from my bed at the sight of him.

I meet him halfway. “Hey...what happened? What did you say to her?” I ask, concern lacing my voice.

He grins widely. “Oh, nothing much...just a little warning. I’m starving. Got any food?”

He walks over to my bed and flops down with a tired sigh.

My curiosity is piqued, but I don’t want anything to ruin our time together tonight, so I decide to let it go, promising myself I’ll think about it later.

I smile. “I think I have some snacks in my cabinet.”

He props himself up on his elbows, grinning. “Wow, I love you for this. Got any Doritos?”

~I love you for this.~

It’s the second time he’s indirectly said he loves me, and I don’t know if it means anything. I don’t want to overanalyze or read too much into his words. That’s not healthy.

When he’s ready, he’ll say it, and then I’ll know for sure what he means.

“Yes, actually. I do have Doritos.”

“Awesome!” He grins. “Then go grab it and let the night begin.”

I laugh. “Okay. A bag of Doritos, coming right up!”

I dash off to the mini kitchen in the room, and he smiles softly.