"I know they say we're broken, holding on to a love like this. Well if we're broken, I don't wanna be fixed. And my heart is open knowing that you are worth the risk. Well if we're broken, I don't wanna be fixed."— Sam Tsui.

••

The hospital is a familiar place for me.

I would often come here to treat the bruises caused by my late psychotic mother. That's when they were too severe to be dressed by a household first aid kit. And whenever the doctors would ask my father how I sustained the injuries, he would come up with some dumb, illogical explanation. Falling off a swing, running and toppling over—as if that would suffice a wide split in a child's head.

It was either the doctors were dumb or lazy to not have realized how absolutely silly his reports were, or the law and care systems were—still are— just plain incompetent. Either way, these factors aided in my final hypothesis that humanity is fake, disloyal, and unjust. The bad prosper while the good wither away with no justice or equity from the godforsaken people put in positions to 'protect.' This world is fucked up, the people inside it are fucked up, and I am just lucky I can't feel shit for anyone.

Except for Harmony Skye. The only girl who stays on my mind even after my 'incubation' period is long gone. Even after she had found out what my first motives were, and even when she laid beneath me, willingly wanting us to have sex. I am still here, and I never knew I'd stay for so long.

I am sitting outside the hospital room for quite a while now, watching as nurses and doctors travel back and forth and unintentionally inhaling the scent of rubbing alcohol and cleaning chemicals—a familiar mixture of smells that I have grown accustomed to. My palms are clammy as I slide them against each other, anxiously waiting to hear the reports on her.

She needs to be okay, or my existence will officially become futile.

My metallic ringtone echoes throughout the corridor, snapping a few inquisitive heads in my direction. I ease up off my rear to slide the phone from the pocket of my jeans, frowning when I see my sperm donor's name on the caller ID. Blowing out an exhale, I reluctantly press the green icon.

"Yes, Blake."

"Blaze, it's Sunday; do you want me to pick you up for dinner?"

I scratch my forehead, glad that I have a valid excuse not to see his face today. "I can't. Harmony is sick; I am at Huston's Hospital."

"Harmony is sick? Oh my God, what happened?"

"She has a fever. I am waiting for reports."

Instantly, the door to her room slides open, and the doctor with thin grey streaks lining his hair steps out.

"I'll call you back," I say, standing to my feet eagerly. I try to get a glimpse at her over his shoulders, but he is already closing the door behind him.

"It's just a fever; she will be fine. I gave her some medication." The man who looks to be in his early fifties assures me with a small smile. I read his name tag and see that his name is Doctor Pete—not that I even care.

"What's your relation to her?" He enquires as he removes a blue book from the curve of his arm and begins to jot something down.

Truthfully, I don't know what our relationship is at this moment. It is complicated, especially since she left my room so angry last night. I am trying not to get too excited about the fact that she spoke to me in her ill state because she may get mad at me once she regains her good health.

"She's just my classmate." The words sound nothing short of a lie as they fall off my lips, and it seems Pete is of the same belief since he's now smiling while raising a silver brow. Eyes still trained on his book.

"Is that so? Okay, you sure care a lot about her. Do you have a number for one of her guardians?"

"I would have to get it."

"Good, please call them and let them know that we will discharge her at four today."

"Okay, I will."

He looks up and bows his head in respect before walking away. He sure is one hell of a nosy old man. As he disappears down the hallway, I open the door and make my way inside the room, quietly closing it after me.

She's lying sound asleep on her back, the bed seeming a tad too huge for her as her breathing fills the quiet room. My entire body exhales in relief at the sight of my only antidote. She makes me feel alive. It took me quite a while to realize this, but my body automatically slackens whenever she is around.

Redeeming her cell from my front pocket, I venture to locate her mom's number. Luckily there is no code or passwords on her cellphone, and I am not surprised at this. It's not like she's the type to save nude pictures and stuff like that.

I scroll through her contact list but stop when my eyes pick out my name among the rest.

❤

The heart emoji next to my name glows brightly, and my mouth twitches in a smile as I shut my eyes for a second.

Phew. This feels good.

I rub my lips, fighting off the grin that's only getting wider. I stare at my name for a while longer, my heart unknowingly swelling in my chest for something as simple as a red symbol.

Gathering my head, I proceed with my search until I find her mother's number. I tap dial and press it to my ear. She picks up after just one ring, and I am speechless. My dad picks up after two rings, sometimes five. But I don't call him often anyway.

"Harmony, baby." Her voice comes streaming through the phone line. "How are you, sweetie?"

I clear my throat awkwardly. I haven't spoken to a mother in ten years. Although Liz was not a mother figure to me. She was always distant and unresponsive, so maybe I have never spoken to a mother in all my years of existence.

"It's not Harmony; It's Blaze. Mr. Blake's son..."

"Oh, hi dear, your dad invited me over for dinner next weekend..." She says something else, but it misses my perception because I am now shutting my eyes and cursing a long stretch of profanities in my head.

Why does he have to get involved in all the areas of my life? I have finally found an escape route from my bloody past and he wants in on it when all he does is reminds me of my abusive childhood.

"Where's Harmony, though?" She sounds anxious, and I can tell she loves her daughter a great deal. My mother didn't love me this way.

"She's at the Hospital—"

"What?!" She shrieks in the phone, and I shift my ear away for a short second. "Oh my God...Oh my God..."

"It's okay. It's just a fever."

"Oh, Jesus! Which hospital is it? I am coming right now."

"Huston's Hospital."

"Okay, thank you, dear, oh Lord!" She hangs up, and I hope she travels here safely because she sounds like she's close to getting heart failure at that rate.

A small groan from Harmony steals my attention. She's finally waking up, and I walk over to her side as she tries to sit upright in the bed, grimacing while holding her forehead. She looks undeniably cute in my T-shirt, and it wakes the sleeping monster in my pants.

Jesus. The girl is sick for fuck's sake, Blaze. Keep your genital in check.

"Are you okay?" I sit on the chair stationed at her bedside. She nods her head weakly then brings her eyes to look at me. She stares at me for a while, seeming utterly confused just before her focus slumps to her attire.

"It's my T-shirt," I tell her.

"Oh, sorry..." She curves her fingers under the hem to take it off, but I gently rest my hand over hers.

"No, don't. Keep it on."

Her face flushes at the contact, and it is a satisfying sight to see. She still gets red at my touch; I thought I had probably lost her for good.

"How do you feel?" I press my hand against her forehead, sighing when I discover that her fever has dissipated. "Your fever has gone down after he gave you medicine... I was worried about you."

"Thanks for helping me," she mumbles. "I want to call my mom; do you see my cell?" She glances around the room, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear so that it won't hinder her search.

I extend the phone to her. "Here, I already called her."

She looks at me, and she seems surprised as she takes it from my grasp. "You called her?"

"Yeah. She almost had a heart attack. I told her you'd be fine."

"She must be worried sick." She sighs, chewing on her lip.

A noise from her cell pulls my attention.

"It must be her." She hastily swipes the screen, and I catch a glimpse of the text that came in.

My jaw clenches so hard that my temples almost burst.

The hell's this asshole's problem?

Harmony's shoulders tense as she stares down at the message, probably having no idea of how to react with me sitting here.

"Don't fucking answer," I order.

She looks over at me, and I grab the phone from her and throw it onto the table. It's probably broken, but I don't give a fuck as I grip her shoulders and prod her against the bed.

She looks up at me with slightly wide eyes as my torso hovers above her. My eyes bore deeply into hers, and I sight the agitation unveiling in them.

"You're no-one else's but mine Harmony. You can't leave me."

••

Some people would think I am the perfect definition of stupid, while half of the remnant people would think I am too easy because no matter what Blaze Xander does to me, I always find myself still being utterly consumed by him. I can't be away from him, no matter how hard I try to.

He's a drug, my own personal drug, and he has no idea how much he has my entire essence in the palm of his hand.

It's not safe; I know that, but I have no control when it comes to him.

Perhaps it is the fact that I have come to understand his Sociopathy, and I know it's not an excuse for him to hurt me, but I can't stay mad at him knowing he has a mental disorder that surely affects his behavior. I am disappointed in myself for getting mad at him last night, but it's hard to accept him touching or even being near to other girls. I am becoming such a needy and clingy person. I know it's not healthy, but I wish I could do something about it.

He's staring at me expectantly as if he's waiting for a response to his declaration. His icy eyes that feel as though a whole new world lives within them pierce through mine. My delayed answer impels him to speak again.

"I didn't sleep with Amber; believe me, I didn't. I couldn't do it because I kept thinking about you. And I know you didn't kiss Kite willingly. I am sorry for yelling at you and for saying all the things I did. I regret them."

My heart softens at his tender apology, and I bite my lip, looking down from him and to the small space between us.

I don't know what to say.

"But... you deactivated the contract Blaze... you said I shouldn't be tied to you and that—"

He fiercely presses his lips against mine, silencing my speech and catching me off guard. I raise my hand to his arm, but he grips it and presses it above my head, gaining full dominance as his mouth moves against mine.

Slowly, my eyes close as I surrender myself to him completely. He cups my cheek and slips his warm tongue inside my mouth, but instantly the most embarrassing thought comes to mind and I pull away abruptly.

His pink lips jut at the sudden breaking of the kiss, and his brows knit into a worried frown. "What's wrong?"

"I..." I am panting for air while he's breathing quite steadily, after such a heated session. "I... I didn't brush my teeth."

He stares at me in disbelief as silence sweeps over the atmosphere. And then he begins to laugh, throwing his head back as the deep, beautiful sound takes control of the room. I smile softly at the melodic symphony.

"Are you serious?"

My cheeks heat in embarrassment. "Yes...we can't kiss right now..."

He bites his lip and brings his face close to mine. "I really don't care about that, Harmony..."

He gestures to kiss me again, and I press my palm against his chest to ward him off. He frowns as I slip effortlessly from beneath him.

I begin to get off the bed, and he sits down at the edge and pulls me onto his lap in a swift.

I gasp. "Blaze, you can't—!"

"Shh; it's a hospital, green eyes."

My back is pressed against his chest while I battle to keep my breathing regulated. The bulge inside his jeans is so evident—this is dangerous.

I stiffen when I feel his lips against my neck. "Are you still down with the fever?"

I close my eyes at the delightful feel of his mouth moving against my skin.

"I-I feel a little better..."

"Good. Because seeing you in my T-shirt is turning me on, Harmony..."

His hand is on my right thigh, my skin exposed from my denim shorts, and he's trailing his way up, the ring on his pinky finger feeling cool against my heated skin.

His other hand snakes around my stomach, gripping me to his body and keeping me there. The necklace decorating his neck brushes against my nape, and his soft strands of hair caress the bottom of my cheek, feeling more like expensive silk.

"You're sweating so hard..."

I am aware. I am very much aware. I can feel the moisture gathering on the bridge of my nose.

"Is it because of the fever?... or is it because of me?"

I swallow the ball in my throat as I squeeze my legs together. His naughty whispers in my ear are alighting the fire that hides deep within me. Far deep—somewhere only he manages to reach.

The hand that is trailing on my skin finds the zipper of my shorts, but he just encloses his fingers around it.

"Can I touch you?" He asks softly.

I nod my head, and he pulls it down slowly. The room is so quiet that the only sound is that of the zipper's vibration as it becomes undone.

My heart is now flipping in my chest as he slips his hand in my shorts, but immediately the door to the room opens.

"Blaze... Jesus—heavens!"

I hop from Blaze's lap at the presence of his father who has now swung his back to us. God.

Apart from that time at the bonfire night when I stormed off crying, I have never been this embarrassed in my eighteen years of existence.

"It-it's not what it looks like," I try to say quickly, and Blaze rolls his eyes, obviously not caring that he had just been caught with his hand in my shorts.

"You should knock, Blake." Is all he says, and his father whirls to us with a lighthearted smile, causing my shoulders to relax in relief.

He fans us off as he walks over, his lips still set in its simper. "I didn't see anything. What exactly were you guys doing? I didn't catch on to it."

I am sure he did.

Blaze rolls his eyes once again, and I smile weakly. If it were my mom who came through that door, she would throw a fit or probably become the next one hospitalized.

Despite everything that Blaze told me about his dad, including his affairs and how he didn't report his abuse, I can't fully hate the man. I am mad that he made his son undergo such turmoil, and I hope he has paid for his negligence, but I can see where he's trying to make it better with Blaze.

Maybe he's not the only one who knows that what's broken can always be mended.