"The city sky's feeling dark tonight. We're back to back with our heads down. Just look at me, give me more tonight. Just give me more of your love now. Let's set fire to the lonely night. You're beautiful when you look at me. Let's give love another life."

"Please? Mom..." I let out a frustrated sigh as I keep my eyes trained on the closed bathroom door. I wouldn't want Blaze to come out and hear me begging my mom like a poor puppy. I've been trying to be strong for us both. "I don't want to leave him..."

My mom still insists on taking me with her after the Music Club official concert this evening. No amount of pleadings or tears can move her stony heart. She is set on keeping us away from each other. If there isn't anything else I know about my mom, she can be quite cold when she doesn't get what she wants. And I know Mr. Blake is who she wants. I love her, but I love Blaze, too.

The door to the bathroom begins to squeak open, and I quickly end the phone call.

"I'll call you back later. Okay. See you at the concert." I hang up the phone as my eyes connect with Blaze's as he stands across the room.

He's shirtless, his chest still damp from his shower. He's wearing a pair of dark shorts on his waist, and his wet hair lies limp along his forehead. It makes my ordeal even more painful than it already is.

He smiles a fraction, wet lips curved only slightly, but I can see the sadness within his eyes. "What's up? Are you okay?"

I nod and put on a smile of my own. "Yes. Are you?"

"Are you really asking me that, green eyes?" He says and begins walking to his night unit. He starts putting in his gold earrings, sucking on his bottom lip as that usual habit of his. He's overthinking, isn't he? When he's through adorning his earlobes and wrist with jewelry, he steps back and sits next to me on the springy bed, smelling of body wash and deodorant and a smell that is only his.

"Aren't you going to get dressed?" I ask him softly, studying his side profile. His eyelashes look so much longer. "The concert is happening in a few hours?"

"Yeah..." He answers in a voice that's so unlike him before climbing up from the bed again and moving over to his drawer, tugging it open, and retrieving some suit of clothes.

"Blaze..." I say as I conjure up from the bed.

Blaze turns around while pushing a hand through his hair and places the clothes on the chair nearby.

"We're going to be okay, don't worry, alright?" I say, convincing myself more than him.

"I guess..." He offers me that unsure smile again and nods his head. I plod over to him and wrap my arms around his damp body, laying my head against his shirtless chest. He feels too good. Warm yet cold at the same time.

His heart is beating faster than I could ever imagined, and his worry is so palpable, I could cry a river again. "Really. We will be alright, okay?"

Blaze brings a hand up and trails his fingers through my hair. He rests his chin on the top of my head, kisses me there, and then mutters: "I love you."

The air stills and changes and I think the earth is no longer spinning on its axis.

It's not the first time he has said he loves me, but it still makes my heart beat in an unfamiliar way. Mainly because this time, he's said it with so much meaning, so much depth. My eyes burn, and I close them. Remember I said: he will say he loves me when he's ready? Well, he's ready now. Blaze Xander is finally ready for me.

And I've always been ready for him.

••

"Oh my God, I'm so excited. I have faith in you, Harmony, I know you'll make all of us proud..." Justine chirps, and I laugh as I peek out at the auditorium, packed with people, from behind the thick red curtains.

"Are you nervous?" She squeals, and I shake my head, because I really am not.

"Nope. I can do this." I breathe out. The evening is pretty, the auditorium designed to perfection, resembling a castle of some sort with the gold, red, and silver interior. I've practiced a lot. It took me some time to choose 'Run to You' by Lea Michelle as my opus. Though I don't know if I have a strong enough voice to pull it off the same way she did, I'll try. And if I suck, at least I'll have the backup singers to save me.

I'm more nervous about the fact that I may not see Blaze for a long time after this. I can't seem to remember how life was before I met him. No, I do remember how life was. It was boring, monotonous...but after I came to Homewood, though the experiences have been bittersweet, things have changed for the better. The good and bad experiences have made my life a little interesting.

I want to enjoy the night, it's what everyone has been waiting for, but I'm worried about leaving Blaze. And when I finally see my mom, wearing her light green sequin dress, Eli in his black tuxedo, gripping her hand, my heart moves from its designated spot in my chest. To my surprise, though, Collum is behind her, sporting his light blue suit, his hair looking longer than I last recall. I haven't seen him in such a long time. I wish I could be more excited about our pending reunion, but I don't see any sign of Blaze. Justine had called me while I was getting ready with him, telling me to come and get dressed at her dorm. Blaze told me to go ahead, that he was going to head to my dorm to see if April was ready, but now I don't see any sign of my group of friends.

A call paired with a clap from Justine steals my attention and I turn away, swallowing my anxiety. She gathers up everyone for us to rehearse our roles again. A girl, I remember as Maryanne, who plays the guitar, smiles and says: "You look so pretty, Harmony..."

"Thanks..." I blush, looking down at my gown.

"Yeah, your dress is so fire," her friend, Laura, adds with a white-teeth grin, and it's a load of confidence boost.

April picked out this dress for me at the mall a day ago. Something tells me she didn't trust my fashion sense, and I can't be offended. It's long and silver with gold embezzlements across the bust and along the hem. Its cleavage is a little low, and I wonder if Mom will it make her duty all the more to pull me away from here because my boobs are slightly peeking up.

"Okay..." Justine smiles, looking among us. "I have faith in you guys. I know you'll make us proud!"

It's time for our performance and I can feel my heart hitting frantically against my chest. The backup singers and band go out first while Justine, who is the MC of the night, announces our music piece to the audience in a shaky voice I find really weird coming from her.

"And now, we'll have our official music club's performance! Please give us a round of applause. We promise not to disappoint!" She almost trips over a string of cord while lifting her turquoise dress to get off the stage quickly.

Amidst the cheers rumbling through the auditorium, my feet start drastically wobbling underneath me as I make my way onto the wide platform, trying not to twist my ankles in my silver heels. Instantly my eyes scour the many bodies sitting around. Blaze...

I see him in no time, sitting next to April and on the right side of James. April is sitting next to Tia and Yuna, and all I'm seeing is their rows of white, beaming teeth and their dolled-up appearances. Blaze isn't smiling, though. He looks so serious as he scours the stage, but his eyes tell me a million things. He's worrying about what'll happen after. But then slowly, when our gazes meet like magnets, his lips tip to the side ever so lightly, and my soul dissolves to nothing.

I flush pink, suddenly feeling shy. But his gaze of admiration is all the motivation I need.

I think about how proud my dad would've been if he was here tonight. He'd have been so happy to see that I am finally overcoming my fear of singing in front of people, and it's all thanks to Blaze.

I smile at him softly, the man who has my heart. He got all dressed up. The world knows that Blaze is not fond of dress clothes and shiny Oxford shoes. But here he is now, wearing formal attire just for me.

His stare stays locked onto mine, his dark-gelled hair lapping over his forehead—over his eyes, making them even more hypnotic. My stomach fills up with a swarm of butterflies as I return his piercing gaze.

Focus, Harmony, focus.

The auditorium is quiet; I'm sure if a pin should fall I'll hear it. Several eyes are trained on us, on me, the band, the backup singers—waiting to see, waiting to hear. Malcolm isn't here; he texted me Good luck and that he has to take care of his sister. At the mention of Maddie, I became a little uncomfortable, but I pushed it aside as it's not a sentiment to harbor before a performance.

So many people. So many eyes.

If it were some months ago I'd have probably freaked out, but tonight, I don't get the feeling of running away at all.

The lights above me glow on the long dress I'm wearing—glow so brightly it's almost blinding.

Breathing out quietly, I place my shaky fingers around the mic, and intaking a breath, I allow the words to flow from my mouth.

The city sky's feeling dark tonight

We're back to back with our heads down

Just look at me, give me more tonight

Just give me more of your love now

Let's set fire to the lonely night

You're beautiful when you look at me

Let's give love another life

He is beautiful when he looks at me. I see Blaze's shoulders relax, and he slides lower in his seat, his gaze solemn and focused on only me. I hope he knows that the string of words leaving my mouth is for him.

A mental tape of vivid memories flows through my head, and I am sent right back to the first moment we met until now. Until this moment. Blaze really is my first and last love.

Cause you'll be safe in these arms of mine

Just call my name on the edge of the night

And I'll run to you, I'll run to you

I would run to you

I would run to you, If you want me to

Just give me some kind of reason

I'll take the pain, take it all away

Give it some kind of meaning

Let's let go, let it be the start

You know I'm feeling the same thing

Let's let go of our broken hearts

Cause you'll be safe in these arms of mine

Just call my name on the edge of the night

And I'll run to you, I'll run to you

My heart feels like it'll burst open.

Blaze's eyes are glassy. I can see them from where I stand. It makes my heart swell to know that he's no longer hiding his emotions from me, that he's boldly displaying such raw feelings. He loves me just as much as I love him...

••

Theysay it isn't manly to cry. That men shouldn't show their feelings. But I can't help the discomfort in my eyes as Harmony sings. She is beautiful in her sparkling silver dress, her hair up-done. She's an angel—the one sent to rescue me.

I twist my lips, jerk my thighs, her figure becoming blurrier and blurrier as I keep my eyes on her and only her. I feel as though my soul is leaving my body and levitating into thin air.

I rub my forefinger against my thumb, tap my fingers on my knees. I'm unsettled. Tears sting my eyes. Emotions I've never felt before are raging through my body. I-I don't know how to handle them at all.

••

I close my eyes tightly, and the auditorium is soundless as my voice drops to a calm whisper.

Even if it's gonna break me, love

Gonna make my way to you

Anyway it's gonna take me, love

I run to you

I run to you

Run, run

Cause you'll be safe in these arms of mine

Just call my name on the edge of the night

And I'll run to you

I'll run to you

Even if it's gonna break me, love

I run to you

The song isn't over. But I truly can't withhold how I feel any longer. The emotions I'm experiencing are foreign and overwhelming. I love Blaze Xander, from deep, deep within my heart, and I don't want to lose him. I don't want to leave him behind. No one, on this earth or above, can ever come between us.

Then the world disappears, and it's just him and me. My body moves on its own accord, and before I know it, I'm making my way through the aisle. Blaze stands from his chair quickly, like he knows I'm coming to him. The closer I get, the more I see the tears sparkling under his eyes. I can't breathe; I just want to hold him. My body is on autopilot as I step over the center steps and throw myself into his open arms. Blaze holds me tightly, despite the eyes trained on us and the faces of endearment and admiration coming from the audience. It's no secret who I just sang my heart out for. He presses his face into my hair, and he sniffs.

"I love you," he says, and my heart bursts into a million glowing pieces. "I love you so much, baby..."

I hug him firmer, tears sliding down my cheeks and wetting his perfumed jacket. "I love you more. I love you so much, Blaze..."

We hold each other tightly, like we want to melt into one being. I can hear the backup singers still singing the ending chorus, but I can't feel anything around me. Anything but Blaze and his warm chest, and his safe arms, and the fact that he's kissing me on the side of my head repeatedly, telling me how much he loves me.

I'm not leaving.

I don't care what my mother thinks anymore. I won't leave him. Mom will have to drag me out of here. She'll have to rip me away from him.

And as I look over his shoulders, sniffling like a kid holding tight to the last candy remaining, I find the eyes of my mom.

She looks a bit sad, her lips pulling at the corner tightly.

I close my eyes, not wanting anything or anyone to distract me from this moment. Because right here, right now, I can feel Blaze's heart finally beating for me.

••

"I won't lie, I did shed some tears there..." April says as we all stand in the spacious lobby after the concert.

I laugh. "Thanks...I'm happy you guys liked it."

"Like? Like is an understatement. I love it!" Yuna grins. "And that emotional scene at the end? Phew! You two are the hottest couple around campus now, don't forget that."

I blush as Tia reaches out and wraps her arms around me in a hug. The affection catches me off-guard, it catches everyone off-guard, and I am left wondering if I've missed something. Maybe she knows I'm leaving? That tonight my mom is going to rip me away from my newfound friends and my first ever boyfriend? If I could relive the experiences of Homewood again, I would. Well...except for what Kite and Maddie did to me.

"My cousin is such an idiot. For doing what he did to you." Speaking of which. "I'm sorry, Harmony. On his behalf, I am..." Tia whispers solemnly.

I smile a little and wrap my arms around her in a bid to reciprocate the affection. "It's okay. At least I've learned from it..."

"You should've reported him. Send his ass to freaking jail."

I try to laugh. "Yeah...he's already bedridden because of it, though..."

"Kite is a frigging idiot. Always has been..." Yuna lets out a sigh. "Because who in their right mind would team up with a mentally ill person? Was he that desperate?"

I purse my lips as Tia moves away again, and my gaze trails over to where Blaze is talking with James at the corner of the hall. I find that he's already looking at me, but as soon as our eyes connect, he looks back to James, nodding his head.

"Harmony..." I look behind me to see Collum.

"Hey!" I grin as I jump into his arms. April raises her eyebrows with a bent mouth, and Yuna and Tia are exchanging smutty glances. As if I'll be here flirting with another guy when my boyfriend is just a few steps away. It's already so bad that Blaze and I are dreading being away from each other.

"Hey guys, this is Collum, my friend from back home. Collum, these are my friends: April, Yuna, and Tia."

"Oh, hi..." April stretches out her perfectly painted fingers. "Nice to meet you."

Collum takes her hand in hers, all the while smiling and nodding to Tia and Yuna.

"Very handsome..." Yuna smiles, using her hand to push her hair from her face.

"Handsome is correct," Tia adds.

Ah, he has a girlfriend, girls...

"Excuse me, I want you to meet Blaze, Collum." I take his hand excitedly. "I'll be back, guys!" I say to my friends from over my shoulders, and their flirty eyes are locked on Collum's back.

Blaze is currently standing with his hands in his pockets, pretending as though he doesn't see us coming over. But I know he's been watching us. I can't stop the new set of butterflies that form in my stomach when I near his figure. He really looks nice in his black jacket, black pants, black undershirt. He's not wearing a tie, though, but he shorts of absolutely nothing.

"Blaze!" I smile, and he looks around like; oh, hey, baby, but I know he's been watching this whole time. It warms my neck when our gazes connect. When I come to a stop in front of him, I can't feel my feet or my face or the beat of my heart. "This is Collum, Collum this is Blaze, my boyfriend."

James smile wide for whatever reason there is, biting his bottom lip in a bid to hide it.

"Hi," Blaze nods to Collum, eyes taking in every small detail about my friend, and Collum gives him his signature polite smile, stretching out his hand toward him.

Blaze stares at the hand. He's not used to this form of greeting, but he takes it anyway, surprising me. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too..." Collum's grin is genuine. "I'll need you to take care of her, okay?"

"There's nothing to worry about." Blaze answers, and a deep coat of red spreads across my face. "She's okay with me..."

"I can see that she is." Collum smiles then looks at me.

Blaze meets my eyes and continues to stare at me with that intense emotion I know all too well.

"Blaze. Harmony." I look around at the sounds of our names. Mr. Blake and my mom. My heart moves in my chest at the thought of not seeing Blaze for a long time after tonight. But I've made it up in my mind. I'm not leaving him. I'll never leave him.

"So, Collum. You met my friends yet?" James asks, and without saying another word, he presses his hand in the middle of my friend's back and leads him away.

"Harmony, can I speak with you?" Mom asks, and my blood freezes over.

"Harmony!" Eli grins from next to her, at her hips.

"Hey, Eli!" I reach down and ruffle his hair.

"You look pretty!"

I chuckle. "Thank you, El..."

"I have to get back, you know I have work..." Mom says, and I take too much note of the first I, though I know it means nothing.