Sweet Harmony

by A. M. Evanston

  As she nodded, she spotted Jaiden curled up in a seat in the corner. She didn't see Daniel anywhere.

  "You still look pale." Her dad sighed, wringing his hands.

  "Well, having a crushed cranium does that to a person." She touched the top of her head. "Once this headache goes away, I'm throwing a party."

  Jaiden stood up too, chuckling weakly.

  "At least you're getting some of your sass back," Jaiden said.

  She didn't feel very sassy. More like, dumpy.

  "I guess." She shrugged. "Where's Daniel?"

  "He's in the cafeteria," Jaiden said. "I think he's on a quest to find that soup stuff you got him addicted to."

  "You mean ramen?" She raised an eyebrow.

  It was unlikely a hospital would have ramen. It was as healthy as cyanide.

  "Yeah." Jaiden nodded.

  With a sigh, she touched her cheek and hissed in pain when it lit on fire.

  "Gah!" she cried. "My face hurts."

  "Sweetie, that isn't surprising," her dad said quietly. "Have you, ugh, looked at your reflection since you woke up?"

  Uh-oh. She wasn't the vainest person in the world, but she didn't want to look like the Bride of Frankenstein either.

  "What's wrong with my face?" she asked.

  Her dad and Jaiden exchanged glances.

  "Nothing, really," Jaiden said quickly. "Dr. Weiss says that you'll look one hundred percent yourself again once the injuries heal."

  That wasn't the most comforting answer in the world. She had to know what she looked like. Before anybody could stop her, she jumped out of bed. Unfortunately, as much as she wanted to take off running, her legs weren't quite ready for it yet. The moment her feet hit the floor, her ankles seared and she crumbled like a tin can. Jaiden caught her mid-fall and yanked her into his arms. She stood, breathing heavy, nose to nose with the guy. He leaned in closer and she was too stunned to pull away. His fingers grazed her lower back in a manner too intimate to be considered just friendly.

  "Are you okay?" Jaiden asked in a hushed whisper.

  "Y-yeah."

  The door squeaked open. Daniel stepped inside carrying a tray of food. There were bags under his eyes and his face was pale.

  "This looks cozy," Daniel muttered, eyeballing her and Jaiden.

  "She fell into me," Jaiden said.

  "Yet you're still holding onto her," Daniel said. "She's my girlfriend, not yours."

  Her dad sucked in air.

  Jaiden's face contorted with anger. Being kidnapped by Nathan had distracted her from the war raging between Jaiden and Daniel, but that didn't mean it was over. Daniel placed his food tray on the chair and marched over to her. The guy pulled her out of Jaiden's arms and eased her back onto the bed.

  "Stay." Daniel poked her nose with his finger.

  "Hey." She sat up. "I'm not a dog."

  Ignoring her comment, Daniel shot Jaiden a dirty look. The guy echoed his expression and then muttered a swearword under his breath. Her dad scratched his head in confusion.

  "So you're dating my daughter." Her dad looked at Daniel. "That's news to me."

  "Yep." Daniel stretched out and yawned. "I have excellent credentials, so you should be pleased. My dad is the CEO and owner of Marino Technology Group.

  "Your dad is the CEO of Marino Technology Group?" Her dad's cheeks became blotchy and his eyes bugged out of his head.

  "My dad's company brings in over three hundred billion dollars a year." Daniel was smirking, obviously enjoying the reaction he was getting.

  "And you're dating my daughter?" Her dad glanced at her with insulting astonishment. "Are you sure you have the right girl?"

  Right now, she hated Daniel and her dad. Couldn't they see that Jaiden's face was losing color by the moment? On top of that, this was not helping her headache.

  "Yep, I'm dating Annamarie." Daniel chuckled. "She says she doesn't like me, but I know otherwise."

  The guy was so freaking pompous. She picked up her pillow and hurled it at his face. It hit him smack on the nose and messed up his perfect blond hair.

  "Annamarie, don't do that." Her dad quivered. "He's the heir to Marino Technology Group. Show a little respect."

  Shrugging it off, Daniel smoothed back his honeyed locks with a sweep of the hand.

  "I'm also the top student in my class," Daniel said, still smiling even as he clutched her pillow under his left arm. "I've also won several awards for my musical expertise on the violin. I've even done some modeling."

  The guy winked at her. While her dad looked like he was falling in love, she was growing irritated. And she wasn't the only one who was unhappy. Jaiden was so pale he could have been taken for dead.

  "That's just great." Her dad smiled. "Annamarie, you should have told me about this. Dating the CEO of Marino Technology Group is really something."

  "And you don't have to worry about my intentions, sir." Daniel was hamming it up. "I want to marry your daughter someday."

  She choked on spit. Marry? If any other teenaged boy had said this, her dad would have thought the guy was nuts. But Daniel was a dashing billionaire. What father didn't want to marry his problem child off to a guy like that?

  "Yeah, that's right," Jaiden muttered, his voice dark. "You have to have everything, don't you, Dan?"

  The atmosphere in the room grew as thick as custard. Even her dad stopped beaming. Now Daniel had done it. It was one thing to annoy her with his bragging, but it was another to start yet another fight with his best friend.

  "Jaiden." She grabbed the guy's arm.

  For a second, Jaiden just looked down at her hands with his eyes full of sadness. She felt so bad for him she could have died.

  "Please," she said. "You know Daniel. Don't be angry."

  Jaiden opened his mouth to respond, but the door squeaked open and somebody stepped inside. It was Gavin, holding a bouquet of fresh white lilies.

  "How is the patient doing?" Gavin asked, grinning.

  Nobody said anything.

  "What's wrong?" Gavin looked from Jaiden to Daniel and the smile slipped off his face.

  She covered her head with the blanket. She was too sick to deal with this now.

  "Thanks for the flowers, Gavin," she said. "But suddenly, I don't feel so good."

  ****

  Annamarie was tied to the chair, staring straight ahead. The smell of gasoline filled her nostrils, making her hair stand on end. Not again! she thought. She'd escaped the warehouse. Daniel had come to save her, hadn't he? She struggled against the ropes that bound her. Her head throbbed, reminding her of the blow she'd received. Somebody moved to her right and she screamed and went rigid. The figure stepped out of the darkness, holding an unlit match in his hand. It was Nathan.

  "No." She edged her chair away, her breathing heavy. "You're in jail."

  "You earned this," Nathan said, his eyes dark. "You came between two best friends. It's a crime against humanity, you repulsive witch."

  "I didn't mean to." Her heart was thundering. "I don't want them to split up. I'm trying to keep that from happening. Please."

  "You're selfish," Nathan said. "You stayed at the academy and now they don't talk anymore."

  "I'll go," she begged. "Just please put the match down."

  "It's already too late." Nathan struck the match and the flame glowed. "You deserve to burn."

  "No!" she screamed.

  The guy tossed the match onto her body. She was consumed by a wild inferno. She could smell sulfur and was overwhelmed by the glowing orange hands of flame.

  She awoke with a start, sweat running down her neck

  "No," she screamed. "I'm too young to die."

  Somebody hovered above her. She thrashed wildly, wanting to escape.

  "Annamarie!" The person touched her shoulder. "Sweetie, it's me. It's your dad."

  She blinked away the tears. Dad? It took her a moment for her eyes to adjust.

  "O-oh." Her bottom lip quivered. It really was her dad.

&nb
sp; "It was just a nightmare." He smoothed back the sweaty hair from her face. "You're in the hospital. You're fine."

  Even though she wasn't burning alive, her heart still thundered in her chest. What an awful nightmare. Her dad hugged her, something he so rarely did before it surprised her.

  "I've never seen you like this," her dad whispered in her hair. "What did that Nathan boy do to you?"

  It wasn't just Nathan. It was everything. She couldn't withstand the guilt of being the person causing a fight between two people she cared about. She wasn't like her mom who could tease men.

  "Dad, I want to go home right now," she said.

  Take me away before it's too late for Daniel and Jaiden.

  Her dad pulled away from her.

  "You want to go home? I'd planned on taking you back, but now that I see you've become so popular, I'd changed my mind." Her dad sighed. "What about your boyfriend? And that other friend of yours, Jaiden? He seems quite taken with you too."

  "I still want to go." She grabbed the hem of his shirt. "Let's disappear. They remind me too much of what happened."

  It was a lie. Daniel reminded her of nothing but safety.

  "Don't you want to at least say goodbye to them?" her dad asked.

  "I don't even want to tell them I'm going," she said.

  She didn't know what she looked like at that moment, but even her stoic, strong-willed dad looked like his heart was breaking.

  "If that's what you really want," her dad whispered.

  "It is." She nodded.

  "I'll book a flight for us in a few days. I don't want to move you before I talk to the doctor," he said. "I'll get a private physician back home. I'll find a good psychiatrist too. Whatever it takes."

  "Okay." She nodded, her breathing heavy as her heart cracked. "Thank you, Dad."

  Her dad grunted and hugged her so hard her ribs ached. It was so unlike him—but then again, she wasn't being much like herself either.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Two days later, Annamarie stared out the window, mulling over her thoughts. Tomorrow was the day she went home. She couldn't believe that she wouldn't be in New York City anymore. The city had grown on her—as had a couple of guys. She groaned.

  "That's a pretty disappointed groan for somebody whose doctor says is making a great recovery," Daniel said from behind her, making her jump.

  She whirled around and saw the guy standing in the threshold.

  "You're a half an hour early," she said.

  "I rushed out of school," Daniel said. "After all, it isn't every day that you ask to see me. Normally, I have to force myself on you."

  She forced a smile on her face. "It's just that there are always all these people around when we meet. I thought it would be better if the two of us were on our own for a little while."

  This would be the perfect opportunity for her to see him one last time. She'd even sent her dad away.

  "You really must have suffered brain damage," Daniel said. "What's up with you? You don't normally say stuff like that."

  "What?" She cocked her head. "Don't like it?"

  "No, I like it." Daniel rubbed the back of his neck. "It's a nice change from being nagged."

  She suddenly had the urge to throw a punch. After all, she wouldn't have the opportunity to hassle him after today.

  "Watch your words," she warned him. "My face is damaged, but my fists aren't."

  "Your wrists are," he said. "You can't punch me."

  Good point. Her wrist wounds were still in a lot of agony. Stupid injuries. Why did both her head and wrists suffer? Thinking and punching pretty much made up her whole life.

  "I could still throw a pillow at you," she muttered.

  "We had such a good start and now you're being all cranky again," he said.

  "I'm not cranky," she said.

  "You're always cranky." He grinned. "You have permanent PMS."

  Last day together or not, he was dead. She didn't care about her head or her wrists. She marched over to Daniel and punched him in the arm. Her wrist wound burned worse than she expected.

  "Ouch," she said.

  "Don't do that." He grabbed her arm and examined the white bandage wrapped around her wrist. "Geez. Look what you've done."

  Blood oozed through the white cloth.

  "Why did you have to make a comment like that?" she asked. "If Dr. Weiss asks why I'm bleeding, I'm telling her it was your fault."

  "You'd better not." He scowled at her.

  "Or what? You'll whine at me?" She pulled her arm away.

  "I could do a lot worse than that," he said.

  "What, will you throw a punch?" She glowered at him. "Fight me. I dare you."

  "Unbelievable." He rolled his eyes. "You're face looks like an eggplant and you're still asking me to fight you."

  "It's because you're such a jerk." She poked him in the chest.

  "I know." He grinned. "But I'm a jerk who knows your weakness."

  What weakness? He wasn't going to poke her in the cheek, was he? That would really hurt.

  "I don't know what you're talking about." She had to fight the urge to punch him again, even with her hurt wrist.

  "This weakness."

  Daniel pressed his lips against her own while cupping her face. It surprised her so much that she froze. His mouth lacked its usual hard passion, but her face was so injured it would have hurt if he'd kissed her with the usual intensity. When he pulled back, she was stammering and blushing.

  "See?" Daniel grinned triumphantly. "Every time I kiss you, you go red and lose your ability to talk. It's your weakness."

  "Shut up," she muttered, unable to look him in the eye. "I thought I looked like an eggplant. Why would you kiss an eggplant?"

  "Didn't I tell you?" He elbowed her playfully. "Eggplant is one of my favorite foods."

  "You…you…" Her nostrils flared and she kicked him in the knee.

  "Ouch!" He hopped around, clutched his leg. "You're so much trouble."

  "Hmph." She sat down on the bed and glared at him.

  As she watched him hop around the room, the irritation faded. She pressed her hand to her mouth and thought, At least I had one last kiss. Finally, Daniel stopped hopping.

  "I can't believe you kicked me," he said.

  "I can't believe you said I look like an eggplant." She said the words, but her heart wasn't in it.

  Daniel groaned and sat next to her on the bed.

  "I'm going to have a bruise tomorrow," he said.

  "Yep."

  "We'll match because we're both bruised," he said. "It's like wearing identical t-shirts only better."

  Even she had to laugh.

  "Wow," she said. "A couple with bruises. Real romantic."

  "Ah-hah!" Daniel pointed at her triumphantly. "You didn't deny it."

  "What?" she asked.

  "That we're a couple," he said smugly.

  She watched him, wondering what he'd say when he came to her room tomorrow afternoon and found out she'd disappeared. Probably he'd flip a table over or something. Even though she had to leave him, she didn't want him to think she'd done it because she couldn't stand him. She knew they fought a lot, but still…

  "Daniel, I'm going to say something that will surprise you," she said slowly. "If you tease me about it, I'll toss you out the window."

  "What is it?" Daniel stopped smirking.

  Gosh, why was talking about her feelings so hard? It wasn't like she was spilling some world changing secret. Get on with it! she thought, her heart pounding in her chest.

  "Imightlikeyou," she said so quickly the words blurred together.

  "Huh?" Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Is this a game or something?"

  "I…I…" Her fists balled. "I like you, okay?"

  Daniel's mouth fell open. Immediately, she regretted saying anything. She was such a dope.

  "I was just kidding." She let out a nervous laugh.

  "Don't do that." Daniel wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Don't pass
something like this off as a joke."

  She buried her face in her hands because she was certain she was as red as a ripe tomato.

  "This is embarrassing," she muttered.

  "Why?" Daniel squeezed her tighter. "I don't think so."

  "It just is." She shrugged.

  At least the fact he wasn't smirking took the edge off her discomfort.

  "Well, thank you for telling me," Daniel said. "It was nice hearing the words. I mean, I already knew, but—"

  She jabbed him in the ribcage with her elbow.

  "Ouch!" Daniel yelped.

  "Daniel, one of these days…" One of these days she'd what? She was leaving tomorrow.

  The thought immediately sapped all of her energy. She couldn't even threaten Daniel.

  "You'll what?" Daniel asked.

  She didn't say anything.

  The glimmer disappeared from Daniel's eyes.

  "Are you sure you're okay?" Daniel asked. "You were fine for a second there, but now you're in your own world again. Are you thinking about Nathan or something?"

  "My head hurts. That's my problem." Unfortunately, her heart ached a lot worse.

  His jaw clenched.

  "Come on," he said, laying down on the bed and trying to pull her down with him.

  "What are you doing?" She squirmed, trying to escape his grip.

  "Trying to get you to rest, you idiot," he said. "What do you think I'm doing? I'm not a creeper. I'm not going to do anything weird."

  She felt bad for struggling. The two of them had laid side by side in bed many times and Daniel had always behaved like a perfect gentleman—well, besides the heckling and everything. With a sigh, she lay down and placed her head on his chest. Once again, she heard his heart thundering. It was the most beautiful sound in the world. She couldn't believe this was the last time she'd get to hear it.

  As she sighed, Daniel laid a kiss on her forehead and gently stroked her back.

  "Don't worry," he said. "Your headache will go away soon."

  "Yeah…"

  Unfortunately, she had a feeling her heartache wouldn't.

  ****

  As Annamarie sat on the bed, tracing the spot where Daniel had laid, the door to the room opened. Her dad walked in with a fat black bag. It was her suitcase, she realized, recognizing the karate sticker she'd stuck to the front of it.