"Strong hands, thick skin, and an open heart. You saw through the pain, saw through the mask. You never gave up on me." —Sia.

••

Morning comes, and my eyes flutter open to find Blaze sleeping soundly next to me. He's on his back; his hair thrashed over his eyes and his pink lips slightly parted.

It is such a beautiful sight, and I can't stop my lips from stretching in appreciation.

Last night feels as though it was only a dream, but the slight discomfort between my thighs reminds me that it did happen. It was the most breathtaking experience of my entire life, and I would do anything to relive all the endearment I felt in that very moment.

I contemplate waking him up, but I decide to let him sleep some more. He is probably really tired after last night, and it's just 5:50 am. We have an English class together at eight, so a few more minutes of sleep won't make us tardy.

I climb off the bed and mince my way to the bathroom. It's a lucky thing my mom packed my toothbrush, and I still find it odd that she would leave me here for the night. I have never seen my mom trusts someone the way she does Mr. Blake in a long time.

I clean my teeth then get dressed in some fresh clothes. I walk delicately out of the room, careful not to wake Blaze, who has now shifted onto his stomach in deep sleep.

I can hear movements in the kitchen downstairs, and the delicious aroma of bacon fills my nostrils.

Mr. Blake seems to have woken up quite early to make breakfast. I figure I could help him out since it isn't in my nature to sit around lazily at someone's home.

I strut down the stairs, and at the sound of my light footsteps, he whirls around from the stove and offers me a pleasant smile.

"Good morning."

I smile. "Good morning; can I be of any help?"

"Nah." He fans me off with a fork. "I am almost through anyway; please have a seat."

He switches the stove off, and I grab a seat at the kitchen's island, tapping my nails against the tilted table while idly glancing around the home. This place is always kept meticulously clean.

"So, did you sleep well?" He asks while placing a perfectly toasted bread on a glass plate.

I smile. "Yeah...I did."

Recalling last night, I struggle to keep my face from blushing. I can still feel Blaze's arms around me and his kiss on my lips. The ache between my legs has now subsided, but I am feeling a little different down there. It's this feeling like a part of me was given to someone—to Blaze.

"Ah, I can tell. Too bad I barely got any because of you and Blaze and the noise you guys kept up." He turns around to place the plate in front of me, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Oh God, is he saying he heard us last night?

I clear my throat, feigning confusion. "S-sorry?"

He chuckles. "I have been on the earth long enough to know what a rattling headboard sounds like."

Jesus. Embarrassment is an understatement right now.

What if he tells my mom? They seem like pretty good friends. I can tell they communicate without my knowledge, and I have no idea the kind of information they exchange. I feel panic setting in. My mother would murder me if she should ever find out that I had sex.

I place my face in my hands. "Please don't tell my mom," I whisper, and he chuckles.

"Why would I? If I do that, then she won't let you come back here, and I think Blaze could use your company twice in a while. Just don't tell her I allowed you to sleep in his room; she may not like that."

"Yeah, she won't..." I grit my teeth. "But the guest rooms weren't available, so it was unavoidable..."

Mr. Blakes chuckles softly, shaking his head. "The guest rooms were pretty fine..."

I narrow my eyes, staring slack-jawed at him. "They were?"

He scratches his temple. "Uh, yeah...I apologize for lying, but I figured you guys needed time to patch up. I saw the awkward silence between you both at the dinner table last night. I could sense things weren't right, so I thought maybe you two being alone could straighten things out."

Okay, that's the coolest Dad-thing I have ever seen. It's a pity Blaze is unable to realize how awesome his father is. I hope one day he does.

My spaced-out expression and widely opened mouth cause him to shift guiltily. "Um, I know I shouldn't have done that but I need you around my son. When you're around him, he's different." He smiles a little as if a special memory of Blaze is flashing across his mind.

"I like who is when he's with you, and I love the fact that he shares stuff with you...things he wouldn't share with me, and that's okay. You can keep his head steady, and that's all I want as a father for my son. Which is why I asked you to stay last night. Blaze is only alive when you're around him."

I smile. Knowing I am of such importance in Blaze's life is a great feeling.

"I am glad you feel that way," I say. "It feels good to know that I can offer him that comfort."

He smiles, but his eyes tell his deep concern for his son. He cares for Blaze even though his Sociopathy makes him lack empathy for him. I can't imagine how painful that must be for Mr. Blake.

"What is for breakfast?" Blaze's voice bounces off the walls as he strolls into the room, and Mr. Blake ends our conversation as he moves back to the stove to get Blaze's share of food.

"Good morning," he whispers against my earlobe, and I chuckle at the ticklish feeling it gives.

"Good morning." I blush, and he places a quick kiss on my lips before his father turns around.

His mouth smells minty and fresh; I can tell he just brushed his teeth.

He crashes beside me with a sigh. "What are you eating?" His hand reaches out to grab my fork, but his father slaps his knuckle away.

"Eat your own food."

I smile as he places Blaze's breakfast in front of him before he sits a plate down for himself and joins us to eat.

We have our food in silence for a little while. Blaze's palm is resting on my bare leg, revealed from my shorts, under the darkness of the table. The action is enough to ignite fresh desire, but I keep my composure and focus on my meal.

But then his warm hand begins to roam higher up my inner thigh. I jerk at the feel of it, and Mr. Blake lifts his eyes to us.

"Everything alright?" He worries.

I nod. "Mm."

He diverts his attention, and I look over at Blaze questioningly. He doesn't meet my eyes and only softly smiles as he continues to eat his food.

Slowly, his fingers begin to trail on the curve of my thigh, where my leg meets my womanhood, and I hold my breath as he slips a finger under the side of my panties.

I blow my cheeks out. What on earth is wrong with him?

When his digit finally comes in contact with my bare opening, I grip the fork tighter, becoming almost breathless. I squirm unnoticeably and clench my thighs together. Trapping him in.

I look over at him, and a pinkness is now spreading across his cheek. However, he still doesn't make eye-contact.

He rubs me up and down. Slowly, tortuously, and my eyes squint from the unfathomable pleasure.

The sound of Mr. Blake's ringtone frightens me, and he quickly reaches for the cellphone from his trousers. Blaze doesn't stop his ministrations despite this and takes the distraction as a way to speed up his finger.

A smile forms on his father's lips as he gazes at the caller ID, then he clears his throat and presses the cell to his ear.

"Hello, Haylee."

I glance up at my mother's name, and Blaze's finger stills inside my shorts as he gives his father a strange look.

"She's eating. Yeah, she's fine," he continues. "Okay...yeah, I will take them to school soon, okay." Then he laughs, and I see Blaze rolls his eyes and throws his fork down, seeming pissed.

"You okay?" My eyes narrow at him, but he just nods and looks away. Retracting his hand from me.

Okay, he is not okay. I know him by now to know when something is annoying him, but I should probably just give him his time to deal with his internal conflict.

"Yeah, okay. Sure, I'll call you back later." Mr. Blake finishes the talk with my mom, then smiles at me. "That was your mother."

"What was she saying?"

He chuckles. "She was wondering why you aren't at school yet."

"Oh!" I smile. "I should go get ready then. Thanks for the food, Mr. Xander."

"Don't mention it, dear."

I hop off the stool and quickly make my way back to the staircase.

••

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Blake hisses. "Is the food salty or something?"

I lean back with crossed arms, my annoyed expression unchanging. "You know damn well why I am looking at you like this. What's up with you and Harmony's mom?"

He rolls his eyes. "There is nothing up with us; she's just a friend. Am I not allowed to have a friend, Blaze?"

"Yeah, but that smile on your face when you talk to her is not of a man looking for friendship. You better not fool around with her."

"Don't be smutty, Blaze."

"Smutty?" I scoff. "You can't control your hormones far worse than a fifteen-year-old boy, so I have all the right to think 'smutty' Blake. I wonder how you managed to mold yourself inside the mind of a strict mother and lure her into leaving her daughter here for the night. A woman will only do that if she's comfortable with you. Do you guys meet often?"

He frowns and gets up from the table. "I don't need to answer that."

"Answer the question, Blake,"

He whirls to me and sighs. "Yeah, we meet a lot, but it's not what you think. She lost her husband, and I lost my wife, so we just talk about the challenges we face, that's all. I wouldn't do that. I know how you feel about Harmony, and I love to see you both, so I wouldn't do anything to break that up, Blaze."

I narrow my eyes at him, and he frowns. "God, you know how to ruin a good morning."

I clench my jaw as I glare at him. "I hope you keep your word, Blake."

He blows his cheeks out while I get off the stool and make my way to the staircase.

I know him more than he knows himself. He's much more of a womanizer than I was. It was what destroyed our family, and I won't allow him to destroy the only happiness I have left.

••

The door to the room opens, and I spin around to see Blaze strolling in. His face appears upset, but upon seeing the smile I am wearing, he wipes the infuriation from his face quickly. However, my curiosity still piques because he has been looking mad ever since his father's cell rang.

"Are you okay? Is something bothering you?"

He shakes his head. "No, I am fine. It's just my dad."

"What did he do?"

He shrugs and shakes his head. "Nothing, don't mind that. I don't want to talk about negative stuff right now."

I smile a little. "Okay, let's not then. I am glad you came up; I need help with my dress. Could you zip me up?" I spin around so that my back is facing him, and he steps up to me from behind.

"I have so many summer dresses; I don't know why my mom loves buying me these." I chuckle, but Blaze doesn't say anything to my irrelevant chatter.

I feel his presence as he comes closer, and instead of pulling up my zipper, his warm hand slips into my summer dress from the open space at the back and roams its way along my waistline.

I suck in a breath. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"Shh..." He presses his lips against my earlobe, and I close my eyes as my breathing becomes unsettled.

His wondering hand begins to slide inside my underwear, and I clutch his wrist quickly. "Blaze..."

"Don't talk, Harmony," he whispers. I recoil my hold and screw my eyes even tighter.

"Are you okay now? From what happened last night?"

I nod. "Yeah, it's not that bad..."

"Good..." Without a heads up, he inserts his forefinger inside me. I squirm, my knees give way and I almost fall, but he circles an arm around me to keep me steady.

"Be careful."

"Your father..." I take a deep breath. "I-is right downstairs."

"I really don't give a fuck," he mutters, and I feel him add another finger. The feeling of being expanded comes back, and I gasp and grip his arm as he strokes me repeatedly.

He isn't as gentle as he was last night. His pace is rough and dominant, and I try to keep myself from falling against him.

The pleasure rises to a swift acme in no time, and I claw at his arms as my eyes squint from the intense sensation spreading inside of me. My muscles tighten as the orgasm surges through me, and I bite down on my lower lip to keep the noise inside.

When I am finally back to earth, my knees are weak, and I am struggling to keep on my feet.

He smiles against my ear as his fingers grip the zipper and pull it up. "You're probably going to need another shower."

I bring worn eyes to look at him, and he smirks as he moves away, making his way toward the door. "Don't stay too long, or you'll need two showers."

My cheeks are the color of tomatoes as he steps out of the room. Next time, I probably should avoid asking him to pull my zipper up.

Or maybe not?

~

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