"And the arms of the ocean are carrying me, and all this devotion was rushing out of me. And the crashes are heaven, for a sinner like me. But the arms of the ocean delivered me." — Florence + The Machine.

"Why did you choose this statement?" I ask softly.

The midday sun has now sunken lower in the sky and the air has become a lot cooler, signifying that we are slowly nearing evening. The forest is much chillier at this time of the day and the breeze is light and soothing, gently surging through the trees.

"I didn't..." He finally responds in the same tone I had used, his expression still blank and unreadable. "I mean I did but I was drunk. I don't know why I asked them to write that..."

I stare at him in silence.

I believe him. People do a lot of odd things when they are drunk, waking up the next morning to ludicrous choices they made the night before and wanting to tear their hair out because of it. But the fact that in his drunken state he chose such a strong statement, I can't help but wonder if deep down his heart is really 'drowning.'

He smiles, but his eyes are clear of all jubilant emotions. "Don't look at me like that, it's just a statement."

I sigh as I settle onto my knees. "I don't think it's just a 'statement,' Blaze."

We keep our gazes joined for a while, but he doesn't say anything about my last response, instead, he lets out a harsh exhale and lifts himself upright, adjusting his chain around his neck and pulling his hat off.

"Still trying to read me."

"I just feel like the words are a lot deeper than you're letting out," I mutter.

He dusts his hat against his palm then looks over at me, his dark hair falling into his left eye attractively. His teeth hold captive his ruby-colored lip as he slopes his head back, wounding his palm around my nape and pulling my face gently toward his.

My eyes flutter apprehensively as I breathe softly through my parted lips, staring at his mouth that's only inches away from mine. Fast heart rate, weak feet, and shaking hands are just a few of the effects he has on me at this moment and the list only grows at each passing second.

"Y-you said you wouldn't kiss me again..." I remind him, my voice brittle and uneasy.

He reaches a hand up and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. And then he speaks, his tone so soft, yet powerful. Raising the hairs on my skin.

"You can't trust me, Harmony. I kind of suck at keeping promises."

I lift my eyes now, seeking clarification through his, but as usual, it's pointless. He gives nothing away as he seems to be remarkably skilled at not wearing his emotions on his sleeves.

But I am the opposite, because at this moment I am badly nervous, and it's showing in my scarlet complexion and the way my limbs are trembling as if we are in the midst of a massive earthquake.

His head begins to move in closer before he puts his forehead against mine. Skin against skin. Hot breaths fusing. I close my eyes slowly, uncertain if I should allow him to kiss me, but not finding the will in me to pull away. He's like a magnet; dragging you to him against your own will and holding you in place. Holding you in place until he gets what he wants and acknowledging how dominant and powerful his aura is I can't imagine him not getting his way all the time.

I wait to feel his flesh against mine, but now five seconds have passed, and I still feel nothing. I reopen my eyes to find him staring at me silently.

"What?" I whisper.

His lips twitch as he taps his finger against the ground. "Nothing. Do you want us to go now?"

He pulls himself up and I can't get rid of the intense feeling of embarrassment soaring within me. I closed my eyes like an idiot. I closed my eyes as if I wanted it.

But you did want it. My subconscious adds, and I ignore her, getting slightly irritated at how accurate she has been all day.

"We are leaving now?" I ask, but the question comes out sounding awfully disappointed. I cringe inwardly as Blaze turns to look at me, pushing back some strands of hair that was lapping into his face.

"Yeah. Do you have a class soon?"

"No," I reply softly, shuffling on my feet. "We just got here. We could stay a bit longer..."

He reveals perfect dental purity as his mouth separates into an amused grin. "Woah. Getting comfortable now, aren't we?" He chuckles, and I smile shyly, diverting my gaze.

"That's not it...."

He grips my hand again, threading his slender fingers through mine and the warmth returns to my stomach as I stare at our hands.

"We should go though, being with me here alone isn't safe for you and I don't want you to be away from the dorms for too long."

I nod, my face contorting in confusion as to why being with him alone isn't safe. I postpone my curiosity as he leads the way to the door.

We leave the house and Blaze slips the rusted key into his pocket; our palms still connected as we trod down the familiar path that we took a while ago. I observe the beautiful essence of nature while inhaling the freshly damp air residing around us.

His words earlier return to my mind and I look over at him, noticing that his focus is transfixed on the track beneath our feet, his dark hair swirling in the afternoon wind.

"You said being with you alone isn't safe. Why'd you say that?"

He looks ahead of him now and his eyebrows furrow thoughtfully. There is a stretch of silence before he renders his answer.

"Because I am not a guy you want to be around sometimes. I am kind of...fucked up. If you want to put it that way."

I press my lips together, allowing his response to sink it. "Maybe I am silly because I just feel like you're not that bad. I feel like...you're trying to scare me off."

His lips slightly pull at the side. "I am very honest, green eyes." He looks at me. "If I tell you that I am fucked up, best believe that I am fucked up. Maybe if you stay around long enough...you may start to see it."

I nip at my lip, crinkling my nose. "Well, I may stay around long enough. I was thinking that maybe we could be friends?"

What happened to 'keep your distance,' Harmony?

He stops in his tracks suddenly and I do too, as he turns to look at me, his hand now leaving mine, unfortunately, as he slips his palms into his pockets.

"Do you feel safe with me?"

I crane my neck to look up at him. Seeing that knife in his bag did scare me to bits, but there is just something inside of me that believes Blaze isn't as bad as everyone paints him to be. They could be wrong. He could be wrong.

"Well...I wouldn't say I trust you. But I don't mistrust you either..."

"Why exactly?"

"Mm?"

"Why exactly do you not mistrust me?"

I shrug my shoulders. The woodland is becoming even colder, and I wrap my arms around myself, thinking hard on a response.

"I don't know. I am just going with what my heart says, I guess." I bite my lip.

He steps up to me, closing the tiny space that which was left between us, but the proximity doesn't make me feel irked like when Mr. Jones had done so earlier today. Blaze's body heat easily juxtaposes the chilly air around us, and the calm shade of blue his eyes held a second ago has now darkened noticeably.

"If you found out, that I am kind of..." He points a finger to the side of his head and my eyes follow the action. "Mentally screwed up. Would you still want to be friends with me then?"

Why is he asking me this? Casting my mind back to the conversation I overheard this morning with his father, I can't help wondering if he is genuinely mentally disordered. Is he trying to indirectly tell me that?

"Yeah." I nod my head. "I would still want us to be friends. It doesn't matter."

His eyes resume their serene shade, and he stares at me for a while, taking in every inch and crevice of my face.

I shift my weight insecurely. "Why'd you ask?"

His lips curve up. "Just saying. If I were, maybe you would be scared and run away."

He begins walking again but he doesn't take my hand this time and I am secretly disappointed. Timidly, I reach out to grab his, but he raises it to ruffle his hair obliviously, so I return my hand to my side, running it along my dress instead.

We are back at the car and I get in next to him as he starts the engine up. The machine roars to life once again as we propel out of the area.

The journey to school has begun really quiet and I glance over at him, watching as he keeps his focus on the road, his head slightly slanted as he seems to be thinking hard on something. When I look away, he begins to speak.

"What you heard this morning...can you pretend you didn't hear it?"

I know he's referring to the discussion with his dad and so I nod my head instantly, respecting his wishes. "Yeah, of course. I wasn't supposed to hear it anyway."

He doesn't say anything else and just reaches over to his radio and turns it on. A soft soulful music flows throughout the car as I pull my gaze back to the window.

I feel really bad that we have to leave already. I am already becoming addicted to being around him.

"Well," he begins in a higher tone and I look at him to hear what he has to say. "Since you don't have any more classes and it is almost 3, why don't we do something really nice?"

"What's that?"

He shakes his head, focusing on the road in front of him. "I am not telling you because you may not want to do it."

I frown, crossing my arms against my chest. "Not fair."

He glances over at me then laughs throatily. "Stop, you look way too cute doing that and I promised not to kiss you today. You might just make me have to." His eyes meet mine again and I look away flustered, the butterflies resuming their conference in my stomach.

He titters knowingly. "Anyway, are you in?"

"Give me a hint?"

His grin is wider now. "It involves the tongue and the mouth and can make us both feel good."

My eyes grow wide, and he smirks. "What do you say we engage in that act, green eyes?"

••

"And here we are!"

He grips my shoulders while gently nudging me in front of a glass door. Steering his head around to catch sight of my face, his lips break into a smile. "Time to use your tongue and your mouth."

I am confused until I read the words that stand in bold letters on the transparent door.

"Music Club: Music is the way to the Heart."

My eyes open wide and I gesture to walk off when he chuckles, pulling me back to him. "Harmony."

"I am not joining the Music club, Blaze." I frown as he turns me around to face him.

He sighs, placing his palms on my shoulders and leaning over to me, crouching so we are height to height. "Your voice is too amazing for you to keep it all to yourself. It just isn't fair."

I blush at his compliment, but I am not able to sing in front of people and he knows this.

I sigh, shaking my head helplessly. "I can't."

"You can."

"I can't, Blaze."

"You can, Harmony."

I blow my cheeks out, and he smiles. "I am going to sit in there with you alright? I promise I won't leave your side and I may even join too if you want me to."

I smile a little. "Are you musically talented?"

He pretends to be hurt, pressing his palm against his chest and causing me to giggle. "Didn't you hear me earlier in my car? I have a voice similar to The Weeknd's and Ed Sheeran all in one."

I start laughing because we both know how awful he is at singing.

"Are you making fun of my ability?" He quips, and I smile, shaking my head.

"Great, because I think I have good talent." He bites his lip and mine spread wider.

"Alright, can you come with me then?"

He nods. "Yeah, of course. I'll come with you every meet if that makes you feel a little better."

I beam. He can be really sweet when he wants to be.

"Okay...you promised."

"Yeah and although I suck at keeping promises..." He stares into my eyes, causing me to brighten under his scrutiny, "I will this time." He grips my hand in his as he pushes the glass door open.

We step inside and all heads turn to look at us. The rows of chairs I saw last time at the corner of the room are now occupied by college students, and a slim-thick brunette is standing at the front of the room, holding sheets of papers in her hands.

I immediately want to run and hide, and regardless of the fact that the air conditioner in the room is chillingly cold, I can feel my palms becoming severely clammy. All these eyes make me so anxious. I should just leave. I try to remove my hand from Blaze's but he's holding it so tight that I am unable to escape. I look up at him pleadingly, but his lips just drag in a dimpled smile.

When I return my eyes to the female dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a furry blue sweater, I get the impression that she's familiar with him since her hazel eyes are narrowed while she peers at him. And then she shifts her attention to me and she suddenly seems...pissed? Then Blaze speaks, confirming that he does in fact know her.

"Hi, Justine." His smile has now morphed into a cocky one, his head tilting slightly to the side. "We are here for the music meeting."

She swallows thickly, nodding to the chairs. "Okay, thanks for coming."

Everyone claps and Blaze takes me with him over to two chairs at the back. I sigh in content at his choice of seating. I prefer sitting at the back where it would be easier to hide from any form of participation.

Plopping down on his chair, he props his feet up on an empty one in front of him as he reclines back comfortably, cricking his neck. A guy sitting in front of us looks down at his Nike sneakers disapprovingly, and Blaze gives the lad a silent glare to which he quickly looks ahead timidly, pressing his lips together.

"You alright?" Blaze looks over at me, and I smile softly.

"I guess."

"You'll be fine." He chuckles lightly, then eases up to rummage through his pocket. He pulls out a sealed chocolate bar, and the wrapper makes loud ruffling noises as he rips it easily with his teeth.

I spot Malcolm at the left corner of the front row, holding a flute in his hand. I smile widely and offer him an excited wave. He returns one but his zeal doesn't match mine as he looks over at Blaze, his face suddenly set into a stoned expression.

Okay, what is everyone's problem today?

Blaze chews quietly, his eyes spotting Malcolm's glare before his lips pull in a smile. "Oh. Your boyfriend is here."

"No, he's not my boyfriend." I shake my head quickly, and he laughs, taking a bite of out his chocolate.

"Oh. Is that so."

I notice a 'No Eating' sign above his head, written in bold red letters on a white sheet of paper. "I don't think we are allowed to eat in here, Blaze."

He shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly. "Justine knows I don't stick to the rules." He looks up and I do too, noticing that she's watching us from over the papers she's holding.

"Want a bite?"

I pull my eyes to him and he's extending the chocolate bar toward my lips. I shake my head sheepishly and he frowns.

"Come on. It's just chocolate." He salivates his lips as his eyes dip to mine. "If you don't take a bite, I might just kiss you, so you have no choice but to taste it anyway."

The kid in front of us looks around inquisitively and my face flushes in embarrassment. I decide to take the offer to avoid him being any more sexual.

I reach over and enclose my mouth around it, taking a small bite and quietly chewing it around.

He smiles. "Good girl."

I redden even more if that's even possible. He raises his pinky finger to get rid of a piece of crumb on my cheek and my body melts under his touch.

"Uhm excuse me? Newcomer?"

I look up to see Justine ogling us, her arms tightly folded across her bust, still clutching the papers in one.

"Can you do something for us? We normally don't allow anyone to join our club unless they have talent."

I swallow. Is she talking to me? I really can't and won't sing in front of anyone.

Blaze finishes his chocolate and dusts his fingers together, standing up abruptly. "Okay, I wouldn't mind blessing you all with my lovely voice."

"Not you, Blaze," she says. "I meant the girl you came in with."

Oh.

I run my palms along my legs while everyone shifts their attention to me, waiting for me to 'reveal my talent.'

I know I shouldn't have come here. I am not able to do this.

"Okay." I breathe, slowly standing to my feet. And as I am about to move off, Blaze grips my hand, causing me to look down at him with fear-filled eyes.

"I know I said that I wanted you to face your fears. But if you don't want to do it then it's alright, yeah? We can leave right now."

I smile a little, shaking my head. "I'll try. If I mess up, then we can leave and never come back here."

His mouth quirks up. "Don't worry. You'll kill it."

I smile worriedly. "I hope."

I turn away and continue my journey to the front of the room while heads move to watch my every step. I stand up anxiously, fiddling with the end of my dress while I glance around at the many staring faces. I am about to have a panic attack.

How can I sing in front of all these people?