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Chapter 8
Talon
Ican’t take my eyes off her, watching as anger bubbles beneath her surface, rattling her resolve. If Alexi has ever been phenomenal at anything, it’s pissing Harmonia off. With. Out. Fail.
He’s the doom and gloom to her rainbows and sunshine, and as much as it gets under each of their skins, they're drawn to it. They want whatever emotion they can get out of each other, and Alexi comes with his own brand of irritation.
Seeing her wag her finger in his direction, declaring how much she hates him, is my sign to intervene. It’s an action I haven’t had to take in a very long time, yet it still feels natural as I lean forward, soothingly sweeping my fingertips over her shoulder as I consider how to distract her from the situation.
I remember once, when Harmonia was eleven and we were seventeen. She was playing with some girl who lived on the next street over. Her mom was friends with Harmonia’s, and the noise and laughter coming from the pair of them drove Alexi insane as he tried to work on something. Eventually, he’d snapped. He stormed over there and lost his ever-loving mind on the pair of them.
The giggles had quickly turned to bouts of anger and frustration as Harmonia yelled back at him, refusing to shut the hell up like he had demanded. Then I appeared, the knight in shining armor, to distract Harmonia and her little friend, which meant she still had fun and Alexi got the peace and quiet he always fucking craves.
Now though, she’s no longer the child that lives across the road from us. No. Now she is all woman. Every dip and curve of her body serves as a reminder, begging me to inch closer.
Fuck.
Just like I had done earlier, before I remembered myself and tossed water on my own burning flame for her.
Raking my fingers through my hair, I lock eyes with the beauty sitting beside me, when an idea comes to mind. Something she said earlier really aggravated me, more than I would have expected, but now it’s all I can think about.
Without a word, I drop my hand from her shoulder and turn it palm up, offering it out to her. I watch as she slowly looks from my calloused fingers to my face, trying to read my thoughts, but I know she’ll get nothing.
I wait her out, counting down from twenty, and just as I get to two she slowly places her palm in mine. Curiosity killed the cat, or that’s the saying at least. All I know is that curiosity is what gets Harmonia into trouble. Always.
My body tenses as her skin glides over mine, and my fingers curl around her hand as if I’ve done it a million times before. I can feel Alexi and Malik looking in our direction, but I can’t return their stares, not right now, not when she’s… her.
I rise from my seat, encouraging Harmonia to move with me, and she does, eyes fixed on mine the entire time. Without a word, I walk us over to the bi-folding doors that stretch across the entire back of the house.
A slight chill fills the air as I open one of the doors, and Harmonia shivers beside me. It’s on the tip of my tongue to offer her the jacket I’m wearing, but before I can say a word, she’s releasing her hold on my hand and racing into the garden.
I gape after her, frozen with surprise as I hear a chair scrape from behind me, and I know with utter certainty that both men are watching her with me.
“She’s going to run,” Alexi grunts, watching as her legs move quickly, carrying her to the center of the grass where she stops. A smirk spreads across my face.
“Be real, Alexi. She’s never going to run if we give her what she wants.” My words catch even me by surprise, but I don’t regret them. I know they’re true without a shadow of a doubt. I’ve longed for her, knowing what she can bring to our unit, and having her here now secretly fills me with hope.
Hope.
A word I’ve only ever felt around this woman, and I don’t think that’s ever going to change.
Alexi doesn’t offer a response as the three of us watch her, the soft glow from the moon dancing over her with the gently flickering lights of the city dancing far off in the distance.
“Gods, I wish it was raining.”I can hear her from here, not that I expect she realizes it, and before I can even consider my actions, I’m snapping my fingers, greeted moments later with a light drizzle falling from the sky.
Her gasp rings in my ears as she throws her arms out to the side and spins on the spot, a giggle tumbling from her lips, leaving me no option but to stare at her in awe.
She’s the lightness we need. The soul that can chase away all of our darkness, the shadows, and tormented memories. I may be the only one of us to admit that, but I know it’s in their minds too, even if it’s only in their subconscious. She belongs with us. Always has, always will.
Glancing out of the corner of my eyes, I spy Alexi to my left and Malik to my right, both of them tracking her every movement just as I am. I clench my hands, forcing myself to take a deep breath before I get carried away again.
I turn to face the woman who holds all of our attention, only to watch as her spinning slows and her hands cover her face. Frowning, I inch closer without actually stepping outside to see what’s wrong, and that’s when I notice her shoulders shaking and the soft sobs falling from her lips.
“She’s crying.” Malik confirms my own thoughts, uncertainty thick in his voice as he considers what to do. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her cry like this. From a grazed knee or a lost ice cream, yeah, but this… feels deeper.
Before I can take a step forward, Alexi’s arm crosses in front of me, ushering me out of the way as he moves to step out of the house at the exact same time the bi-folding doors slam shut.
I falter in confusion, looking at Harmonia through the glass as she looks in our direction too. Her hand is raised, poised in position like she’s just used her magic to close the door, and I gape in surprise when I realize that’s exactly what’s happened.
