There’s a low, gothic riff that blesses my ears, and I see Harmony has perched herself at the seat behind the white grand piano. Asher’s guitar tangles with her melody, and it’s so beautiful, yet I find myself backing away. Not wanting to stand here,and watch him,whenever he decides to join them.
I spin around with urgency, only it’s too late.
It’s always too goddamn late.
I slam into a solid wall of muscle, feeling the permanent contusions beneath my skin ache on contact.
Great.
My hands instinctively fist the strap of his bass guitar as everything spins around me, my head a hazy mess.
“Oh god,” I whisper, my knees weakening. Harlen wraps his arms around my lower back, anchoring me to him while I find my balance.
The release of adrenaline is quick when I feel it almost instantly simmer through my veins. I swallow hard, tilting my chin in defiance toward the man I fucking hate, then I shove at his chest as hard as I can.
Only his fingers dig right into the flesh of my hips.
“Let me go,” I growl low in my throat. The heat of my rage blossoms at my cheeks, and I know he thinks it’s fucking cute because the corner of his mouth quirks.
Asshole.
He sucks on his full bottom lip, his icy eyes twinkling, then he pinches me once more, this time much more gently, before reluctantly dropping his hands.
I step backward, my eyes still locked on his, shaking my head with a scoff and slipping past him.
I don’t have anything to say to him.
Fingers are a coil around my wrist when they pull me to a pause. The breath in my lungs dissipates as his thumb pushes into my pulse point.
Cutting my head to the side, I meet Harlen’s now hardened gaze.
“Cherry-”
I slice my arm down toward the ground, breaking the hold he has always had on me.
He sucks on his front teeth, jaw flexing.
He’s losing his patience.
I stare right into his hopeful eyes when I state, “Should have just let me fall–” With a rough swallow, the tightness in my throat feels like I’m drowning all over again. “You’re good at that.”
He doesn’t reply, his now murky eyes locked onto something above my head. I spin around and stare down the barrel of Tyler’s obsidian gaze.
Oh, fuck.
He has a blunt between his lips, brow furrowed, as his drums take an extra hard beating.
Turning back around, I face Harlen before I shoulder charge right past him, leaving him to drown in the mess he created.
Let’s see if he makes it out alive.
Stepping into the mouth of the dark tunnel, both sides of the gray concrete close in on me as my erratic pulse tries to beat me to the ground.
My stomach clenches, an attempt to tame the violent undulating waves of nausea. The bones in my legs are a dull acheamong the chatter of my teeth that rings out around me like a pair of jangling keys.
I hadn’t really given much thought to the day Tyler would find out about me and Harlen. I knew one day it would come to light, but I only had the intention to play my silent part, and I had just hoped Harlen would find a way to be an expert in his.
Only, the selfish fuck couldn’t find a way to let go when he needed to.
