And then I remember that we’re not heading to Nashville just yet.
We still have to stop at my place. And I haven’t even told my parents where I’m going yet.
When we pull up in front of our house, there’s a cop car parked outside, which sets my heart burning.
As soon as Zach kills the motor in my driveway, my stepmom, dad, and a cop all come out onto the porch.
“That’s him right there, Officer!” my stepmom says, pointing at Zach.
My heart wrenches, and I grip Zach’s biceps as we walk toward them.
“Dear God, honey!” my dad shouts, running toward me. “We were worried sick! Where have you been all night?!”
“I stayed at Zach’s place. We had dinner and had had a few drinks, then I was too tired to come back.”
“You don’t think to text us your whereabouts?” my dad fires out. “For goodness sake, Harmony Lane! We were up all night! We were ready to file a missing person report!”
“Well, don’t,” I seethe. “Because I’m fine. Obviously. Never better.”
Yes, I could have texted him, and I suppose there was some unconscious rebellion in not letting him know my whereabouts. But going straight to the cops seems like a bit of an overreaction.
My dad shoots a look of death at Zach, and we stop in our tracks on the pathway to the house. The late morning sun heats us up, and my skin tingles with a combination of guilt and anger. We stand like that for what seems like minutes—but is probably just seconds—none of us saying anything.
“Zach is under arrest,” my stepmom barks as she comes down the steps.
I laugh. “Is this a joke? Please tell me this is a practical joke, and that Ashton Kutcher’s about to show up.”
My stepmom puts her hand on my dad’s shoulder and shakes her head vigorously.
“We told you not to hang out with him,” she screeches. “And you disobeyed our orders.”
“You can talk to me,” Zach growls. “I’m right here, you know.”
My stepmom purses her lips and then jerks her head around. “Officer Hanks! Arrest this man!”
I recognize him as the same officer who was at the party. Walking slowly toward us down the stairs, Officer Hanks assesses the situation.
“Who I date is none of your business, Lisa,” I say. “Dad, please. Why are you acting so unreasonable?”
Over his shoulder, I see my little sister’s head pop into the corner of the window as she watches the drama unfold.
“I’d be reasonable if you were dating a suitable man, Harmony. This guy is garbage.”
I see Zach’s muscles clench, and my stomach turns.
“Dad, you can’t just say that!”
“Where are you even going? Are you moving in with him?”
“We’re going to Nashville.”
My dad’s eyes widen and he crosses his arms. “With him? Like hell you are.”
“You know what? This doesn’t matter anyway. Excuse me.”
I slice my way through my parents and head inside.
“That’s right, Harmony,” my stepmom says. “Back inside. You’re done with him. Done with this dirtbag!”
My heart pounds, but I don’t turn around yet.
Trying to hold back my tears, I run up to my room. I grab my backpack and stuff into it my phone charger, headphones, music notebook, and a few spare changes of clothes to last me until we get to Nashville and I can go shopping.
“Where are you packing for?” my little sister asks, appearing in my door. I can’t stop the waterworks when I see her standing there with her little teddy bear. She’s too old for it, and she only grabs him when things are tense in the house.
Throwing on my backpack, I lean down and hug her.
“I love you, Janie. But I have to go, for now. If you ever need anything, just text me. Okay?”
Pulling back, my heart hurts when I see how sad her face is.
“Where are you going?” she asks.
“I just have to go to Nashville for a little while,” I say.
“Why?”
“Because sometimes you have to follow your dreams,” I say, taking a big breath. “And sometimes, tomorrow is today.”
I hug her one more time, and then I kiss her on the cheek before I bound down the stairs. I glance through the window. Outside, I see that Zach is standing with his arms folded, seeming oddly relaxed as my dad talks sternly to him.
Heading through the main hallway, I close my eyes for a moment.
Am I seriously doing this? Leaving Blackwell and going to Nashville again—for what? For a teenager’s dream?
I listen to my heart beat.
Yes, that’s right. I have a silly dream and a silly genie who says he can grant my wishes.
Let’s do this.
When I open my eyes, my heart drops, and my stepmom is right in front of me, staring me dead in the eye with her hands on her hips.
I freeze, staring at her, and matching her body language.
“Harmony Lane.” My stepmom says my name like it’s a magical spell that will freeze me in place.
And it does, the skin on the back of my neck tingling.
“Lisa,” I reply, matching the vitriol in her voice.
My whole body stiffens as I brace myself for her verbal assault.
“Where are you going?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I know you think I’m a monster for not letting you go with him. But you can’t go with that man out there. He’s a beast, and you’ll regret it forever.”
I grind my teeth, feeling my blood boil.
She continues: “Before I dated your father, I was with someone like him.”
“You don’t even know him,” I answer, seething.
“Maybe not. But I know his type. And I know what he did. Maybe he hasn’t told you what he did yet, so I’ll tell you. He assaulted that poor old man—”
“Zach did tell me,” I interject, stepping forward. “He told me everything from his side of the story.”
She scoffs. “And you’re okay with dating a man who tries to rob restaurants and beats up old men?”
“It’s not the prettiest moment of his life. But everyone makes mistakes.” I swallow my nerves and make my move to walk past her.
She swerves to the side so I can’t go out the door.
“Please, Lisa, excuse me.”
Expecting another rant from her, a chill runs through me when I see her wiping away tears. “You can’t go. You think it’s hot and fun now, but you’ll regret it. I know you will. Because I do. I wished I had never dated the man before your father. He was bad news—I could feel it in my gut from the beginning. I’m begging you—don’t go. Don’t make the same mistake I did.”
Gripping her wrist, I brush her arm away from me and step past her.
“I’m not you,” I retort. “Let me live my own life and make my own mistakes.”
Her face hardens. “Fine. Not like you haven’t made one mistake in Nashville already. Why not two?”
I heave a deep breath and turn back to her.
“I might have only known Zach for a week. But at least I know he won’t leave my guitar out in the rain.”
Shaking her head, she starts to walk toward me, but I bust out of the door.