"Say you love me to my face, I need it more than your embrace. Just say you want me, that's all it takes. Heart's getting torn from your mistakes. 'Cause I don't wanna fall in love if you don't wanna try. But all that I've been thinking of is maybe that you might. And babe, it looks as though we're running out of words to say, and love's floating away." —Jessie Ware.

••

"Liquor ladies?"

A tall blonde guy, drenched from head to toe, stands above their heads as he holds a tray of red party cups. "It's all on the house."

Tia peers over into one of the plastic containers in hopes of identifying its contents. "What is it?"

"Apple vodka, but it's kinda strong."

"Oh, I love apples." She wriggles in her seat excitedly as she extends her hand for a cup, and April and Yuna follows her, each taking a drink of their own.

Carrying hazel eyes to Harmony—who is absorbed in thought as she stares blankly at her lap—a wide smile lengthens his pale, thin lips.

"Want one, cute face?"

"No, she doesn't drink," Yuna tells him quickly.

"Oh, sorry." He beams and motions to walk away, but Harmony's surprises everyone by hastily reaching out and removing a cup from the tray.

"Thanks..."

All four heads snap to her in bewilderment, and she purses her lips at the unwanted attention that she is now receiving.

"I thought you said she doesn't drink?" The guy chuckles with a subtle shake of his head as he strolls over to a group of people stationed next to them.

Harmony ignores the stares coming from the girls as she puts her lips on the rim of the cup, lifting her head and swallowing just a small drop of the liquid. She recalls what Blaze had said about drinking in large quantities, but then following that memory is the one where he had decided that they should just stay friends. Wanting to be somewhat defiant, she goes for another swill, this time draining the entire cup of liquid at the back of her throat.

April is quietly watching her with concerned eyes as she removes the container from her mouth. Crinkling her nose from its intensity, the burning fluid travels down her gullet and reminds her of why she's not ideal for the world of alcoholic beverages. She can never keep a normal face after consuming liquor—to her, it isn't as enticing as other people claim it to be.

However, the alcohol magically numbs the pain in her heart for a brief second, and she figures this could be a form of medicine. A pain-killer. It might be a temporary relief, but it's better than having to undergo this internal suffering without a break to even catch her breath.

Sweeping the residue off her lips with her tongue, she visually searches for someone else carrying alcohol on a tray. If she had known it'd be this remedial, she would have taken two cups instead of one from that blonde guy. But then the girls' scrutiny would have heightened unbearably, and she's not willing to discuss what just occurred between her and Blaze.

"Are you okay, Harmony?" April narrows her eyes, now unable to withstand her concern.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay," she tells her, but her voice is nowhere near convincing. Her roommate can detect the thick thread of sorrow laced in her tone.

"Are you sure?"

She nods.

"I don't think so. I mean, you both have been acting really weird since I got here. You're being awfully quiet and look at Blaze; he's aloof and acting like one of those assholes over there."

Harmony follows her gaze and instantly wishes she hadn't. Blaze is now sitting with a group of boys at a corner of the deck, laughing and showcasing his pearly whites as they egg on a guy to drink more liquor. He has an arm thrown around James, seeming to not give even the slightest care in the world.

He's happy. He's obviously happy without her.

"He hasn't gambled in a while, but now he's making bets with those idiots over there with money. I thought he was getting better," she mutters.

Harmony forces herself to look away from the scene because watching him laughing is more painful than the alcohol firing up in her throat.

She needs more liquor.

"I'll be back," she tells April, whose eyebrows furrow as she gets up hastily and passes her.

April waits until Harmony's petite figure is lost in the crowd before conjuring up from her bench and making her way over to Blaze's little corner.

The group of boys who are making childish noises and gesticulating with their arms spots her coming toward their area. Their idle blabbering ceases as they each eye her openly like a bunch of hungry mammals.

Coming to a stop in front of the set of young adults, she fans away smoke and scrunch her nose at the scent of marijuana. "Blaze."

"Damn, you're sexy." One of the guys whistles loudly whilst feasting his eyes on her bare thighs. James flashes the lad a glare of irritation, and April sucks her teeth at his crude flirting before allowing her eyes to find her cousin.

"Blaze, come here."

He sighs, probably having an idea of what could be the cause of all of this. He gets up without question, and one of the guys whispers something to him as he passes by, causing Blaze to roll his eyes and fan him off dismissively.

She holds him by his bicep and pulls him away from his associates, not wanting them to be an audience. Crossing her slender arms against her chest, she settles all her weight onto one foot. "What's wrong with Harmony?"

Guilt mars his face for a swift second before it disappears again. "I don't get what you mean."

"She's drinking and she isn't being herself at all. Did you do something to her, Blaze?"

"Christ. Seriously, April? What could I have done to her? I am always the bad guy; you should go ask Kite."

"Kite?" She narrows her eyes. "What about Kite?"

"He kissed her. I caught them kissing, so you should go to him whenever you're worried about your little toddler."

Deciding he is over the conversation, he turns away to leave, but April isn't finished yet. She grabs his arm and pulls him back to her, causing him to clench his teeth in annoyance.

"April."

"Blaze, I am not done talking to you. What did you say to her after you caught them kissing?"

He draws in a breath and pulls his hat off his head, ruffling his hair in exhaustion.

"I am giving that bastard a chance to have her. He has clearly been coveting her since the first day they met. We both know that I can't feel anything for anyone furthermore."

"Yeah, but she told me. She told me that you told her all about yourself. You have never done that with any other girl before. I know you feel something, Blaze. Stop lying to yourself."

His lips set in a grim line. He knows she's right, and there is absolutely no way he can convince her otherwise. He told Harmony things he wouldn't share with anyone else, and he stayed around her a lot longer than he had intended. Even when she implied for them to sleep together, he couldn't get himself to do it. No matter how heartless his nature is known to be.

"Fine. I feel something for her, okay?" He admits. "But I am not ready for any of this. It fucked me up mentally to see her with someone else. I felt weak—like that pathetic kid who hid in his basement ten years ago. I can't give her love anyway. A broken person can't properly love anyone."

She sighs. "What are you really afraid of, Blaze?"

He squints his eyes and stares past her, trying to find the words to effectively respond to the question. Crossing his arms against his naked chest, he blows his lips out.

"Alright. I fear the power she has over me." He finally reveals, and April's face softens at the confession.

Blaze isn't one to disclose his true feelings to anyone and neither is he one to fear anything under the sun. He's reckless and lionhearted. She's happy he's showing a little improvement when it comes to his emotions.

"When I saw her lips against Kite's, I felt the hurt everywhere inside. I realized how much power she has over me. That was the one thing my mom had—power. She knew I loved her, and every word that left her lips, everything she did...I felt it. After becoming diagnosed, I couldn't remember what that vulnerability felt like for quite some time. But seeing Harmony with Kite reminded me of how that emotion felt." He sighs and rubs his forehead. "I am just trying to protect myself. I have to keep in control and with Harmony...I can't do that."

He turns away to return to his group, but April grasps his bicep to stop him. "Wait."

He shifts his torso to her as his brows pull together impatiently.

"At least go find her. She walked away and I have no idea where she went."

He sighs. "Don't worry; she's probably with Kite..."

She rolls her eyes. "Blaze, stop being a jealous idiot and go find the girl."

"April, just let it go, alright? She deserves better anyway." He turns away and returns to his friends, and April gives up the fight and struts back over to the girls.

She has been a victim of her cousin's stubbornness too many times, and so she's aware that standing there and trying to persuade him will probably take an entire lifetime.

••

"Um, could I have a drink?" Harmony asks the person standing behind a table of drinks. The guy sporting a freshly cut Mohawk puts a palm behind his ear and tilt forward, gesturing for her repeat. She leans a little toward him and raises her voice above the music.

"Drink! I'd like one of these—"

"Oooh." He chuckles as he moves away, and she nods.

"Yeah."

"Cherry vodka or Apple vodka?"

"Apple."

He reads her lips, then nods as he begins to fetch her drink.

"Hey you, nerd girl." A voice comes from behind her, and she keeps her face fixated ahead, deciding not to look in the direction. Nerd girl is certainly not her name.

"I think she's talking to you." Mohawk guy says.

A figure leans against the table, a strong smell of Avon perfume wafting the air before a skinny hand waves in front of Harmony's face. Finally, she brings her eyes to see nonother than the bird with brown hair who was dancing on Blaze some while ago—Amber.

"Can I help you?" She shifts her weight, and her nostrils flare in extreme annoyance as Amber is vulgarly chewing a piece of gum in her mouth once again.

"Have you seen Blaze?"

Harmony looks away at the posing of the question, fighting the urge to yell at the brunette as she grabs her drink from the guy who is now inquisitively watching them.

"No." She mumbles.

"He just fucking left me in his damn room upstairs, what an asshole."

At the mention of that, Harmony's entire body grows rigid. Upstairs? They were upstairs together? What for? Did they sleep together?

"Give me one of those things!" Amber demands before yanking one of the cups impolitely from the table and shoving the liquid down her throat.

"See you around, Mary," she mutters before bumping past her and leaving.

Mohawk chuckles in amusement, but Harmony didn't find her uncouthness funny. "Amber is crazy; don't mind her."

She fabricates a half-smile as she brings the drink to her lips, but the bird's words are dancing around in her headspace, seeking her earnest attention. They were in a room upstairs; why?

"She's crazy but sexy. I've been dying to sleep with her, but Blaze always gets the hot girls. Word on the deck is; they just had sex in one of those rooms upstairs. Fuck, he's lucky." The guy shakes his head with a chortle while fixing a new cup of drink.

And that's officially the icing on her cake of sorrow. Tears form puddles in her eyes as she tries to blink them away. Suddenly feeling sick to her stomach, she grabs another drink from the table like an alcoholic.

The guy looks up. "Woah, easy there. Those are very strong. If you're a lightweight, you probably won't be able to handle so much."

Ignoring his warning, she drinks down the cup in a fast go and reaches for another. In a blink, that dose finishes and she is on to grab the fourth cup when a hand grips hers.

"Stop, you've had enough."

She looks up and her eyes meet Kite's. She frowns and drags her hand away from him.

"Harmony."

She turns away and begins to leave the area, but she can hear his hasty strides as he follows behind her.

She wants nothing to do with him. All of this started when he kissed her, and she's still appalled that someone could be this selfish.

He grabs her arm once they are away from the table, and she tugs herself free and whirls around with watery eyes.

He draws in a breath. "Harmony, why do you keep crying over him? He doesn't deserve you."

"Kite, I don't want to talk to you; what you did was so selfish and obscene. How could you just—"

"I like you. That's why."

"Kite, just stop."

She covers her eyes with her hands, unable to stop the tear flow now. She shouldn't have come to this pool party. Everything feels so messed up all of a sudden.

He moves in to hug her, and she steps back. "Don't."

He sighs. "I did it to see whether he deserved you or not. I wanted to see his reaction—to see if he felt the same about you. I am sorry I took that approach."

"It doesn't make it any better, Kite. You apologizing doesn't change anything. He hates me. He doesn't want anything to do with me anymore, so just save your apology." She sobs as she wipes away the droplets of water formed along her cheek, and Kite sighs in remorse as he watches her quietly.

••

Despite the growls of laughter and chattering around Blaze, there is still an emptiness within him. He is back to that feeling he often had before he met Harmony. Having no sense of purpose or belonging.

His mind is consumed with only thoughts and images of her, but no-one would know this, seeing that he is an expert when it comes to forging his emotions.

He can't forget how broken and devastated she looked when he had left her in that room upstairs, and her glossy eyes keep resurfacing his head, disabling him from thinking about anything else for even a second.

She deserves better. She doesn't deserve him. Kite sure can give her a stress-free and less troublesome life. He is healthier, and with him, she wouldn't have to worry about having an unempathetic lover all her life.

Blaze knows that it's best he stays in his fucked-up world while she stays in her world of righteousness. Someone as pure as her should not be corrupted by him. He is aware of that, but he is still unable to get her off his mind.

Glancing across the deck, he finds that April and the girls are seated and talking, but Harmony is still missing. He sighs and rubs his forehead, deciding to go find her.

As he gets up from his spot on the pool bench, James cranes his neck to look up at him, squinting his eyes from the bright glow of sun above his head. "Where are you going? Josh is about to bet."

"I'll be back," Blaze tells him.

He ventures out to search for her, scanning through the crowded area to locate her curly black hair and her cute burgundy swimwear. He recalls when April said she had been drinking, so he figures he would probably find her at the liquor stand. He squeezes through dancing adolescents to get to the area when a cold hand grabs his.

With a screwed-up face, he looks back to see a grinning Amber, and he rolls his eyes to the back of his head.

"I was looking for you, babe. We weren't finished upstairs."

"I can't talk to you right now." He pries his hand free, and she clutches onto him again.

She is always this fucking stubborn and she needs to thank God for Logics because my ASPD often gives me the urge to shove her away. Blaze thinks.

She hisses. "Why are you always so hot then cold, Blaze Xander?"

"Why are you always so clingy and annoying?" He shoots back.

She gasps, blinking her eyes in shock, and he takes the opportunity to free himself from her and walk away.

Once he has made it through the tight crowd, his eyes instantly come in contact with Harmony. Her back is positioned to him, and a rush of relief washes over him like a dose of cool water.

He takes a step forward, but his movements come to an immediate halt when he sees that Kite is standing in front of her.

She's wiping her eyes as if she's crying, and her back is visibly shaking. Blaze's heart pains in his chest. He had hurt her way more than she deserved.

Kite's glare then drifts behind Harmony and their gazes collide. Blaze clenches his jaws tightly as he straightens his spine, and Kite's eyes hold the same dark glint as they stand in their positions—silently glowering at each other.

Then a smirk rises at the corner of Kite's mouth as he moves in close to Harmony. Blaze holds his breath as his competition wraps his big arms around her fragile body, his stare fixed on him while his smile grows wider.

The sight is unbearably painful, and Blaze's first instinct is to shove his knife in the fucker's stomach. But the scary confirmation causes him to still in his spot as the truth finally comes home to him.

The emotions he is experiencing toward her is a lot more than he may have imagined. At first, he thought he just merely cared about her, but now he's realizing that perhaps she has his whole heart in the palm of her hand. Many are afraid that he'll emotionally destroy her, but maybe Harmony is the one who has the power to emotionally destroy him.