Harmony took extra turns on the long drive to her apartment.When she arrived, she didn’t see the SUV, but she hurried to her building, thankful she lived somewhere that required a key to get into the building.
She ran up the stairs and locked the door behind her, her heart racing.
She was being followed.
If Damien, and every other media outlet and money-hungry jerk who had any connection to her, found her at work, they could find her at home.Was anywhere safe?
Harmony left all the lights off and ate her drive-thru dinner in the dark.Every single sound made her jump.Every echo of footsteps in the hall had her staring at the door.Every car door slam outside her windows kicked her heartbeat up higher and higher.
She couldn’t keep living like she was.She needed sleep.And peace.
Maybe that started with the one man she hadn’t stopped thinking about and learning how he knew where to find her.
Five
Damien walkedinto Sunrise Brews with low expectations.If Harmony was hiding from people, he knew she wouldn’t show up at the coffee shop where they first met, but it was his favorite place before he met her there, and he wasn’t going to change that after years of routine.
He made it to the front of the line and smiled at the barista he’d become friendly with since he bought Harmony’s breakfast.She’d gotten to where she knew his order and was already keying it in as he stepped forward.The smirk on her face made him pause.
“It seems your patience has paid off,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
She nodded her head to the side.
Damien followed the movement and spotted Harmony sipping a drink at her favorite table near the window.The table Damien had taken up as his own in her absence.
“Is there anything else you’d like to add to your usual order?”
Damien grinned widely and nodded.“Yes, please.”
The barista grinned as she added Harmony’s cinnamon sugar french toast muffin.
Damien tapped his phone to the card reader and thanked her for the assist.
“Happy to help,” she said with a smile of pure joy.
Damien moved to the side to wait for his order, keeping an eye on Harmony in case she left before his food was ready.
All the employees knew him and didn’t bother calling out his name, just handed everything over, confirming his name and order.
“Thanks,” Damien told them, balancing the food in one hand and grabbing his drink with the other.He made his way to Harmony and stepped to the side so she would see him before he joined her.“May I sit?”
Harmony jumped, then nodded and sat up taller.She scanned the coffee shop as if she had forgotten where she was.She eased away from Damien just enough for it to sting.
“I got you a muffin.Is there anything else you want?”
She shook her head and tugged her sweater higher on her shoulders.
“Are you okay?”
She looked at him but didn’t say anything for a minute.
Damien’s entire body tingled.Something was wrong.Very wrong.“What happened?”
She tilted her head.“A man I don’t know very well showed up at my work yesterday.I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since people have been doing it for five days now, but it’s…”
“Terrifying,” Damien provided.
