But tonight I’m going to pretend tomorrow never comes.
And who knows? Maybe Harmony will show up at Malek’s OC.
Chapter 5
Harmony
“Why’d you guys have to be such dicks to Zach?” I say as I ride in the middle back seat of Sebastian’s Range Rover, Brett and Rose on either side of me.
“That guy is bad news,” Cole says.
Sebastian interjects, “He used to work for me. He wasn’t so bad, but anyone who gets convicted like he did?”
“What did he do exactly?” I ask.
Cole and Sebastian glance at each other. “We should let him tell his story.”
“Didn’t he beat some guy up?” Brett cuts in.
“I heard it was just like . . . fraud or something. Blue-collar crime,” she says.
“How does everyone know about this guy besides me?!” I exclaim.
“I’m pretty sure a lot of this happened when you were still in Nashville,” Rose says.
I nod, but I’m still a little surprised I haven’t heard about him, since gossip travels fast in Blackwell.
“He’s just—” Cole hesitates. I can tell he’s holding something back. “You shouldn’t be messing with guys like that. You’re a great girl, Harmony. You can do so much better.”
“Oh, so what are you, my dating advisor now?”
Rose ribs me. “Cole’s just mad because his sister hooked up with his best friend, Mason.”
Cole raises a finger and turns back to me. “Look. This isn’t about me. Zach is shady. He hangs around with the wrong crowd. We’re looking out for you, Harm.”
I scoff. “We’re going to a party at Malek’s tonight, and you’re telling me he’s the one hanging with the wrong crowd?”
Sebastian takes over. “You’re right. Kind of. But it’s sort of a high school reunion here tonight.”
I cross my arms and twist my expression, flitting my eyes around the car at everyone. “I know you all want the best for me, but you are all starting to act like my stepmother, who also chided me for getting a ride home from Zach last week. He’s a good guy.”
“You spend one night with him and you know he’s a good guy?” Cole fires back. “I don’t think so.”
“Oh, listen!” Brett says. “It’s that cover song you played tonight.”
Cole turns up the radio, and sure enough, it’s “Tomorrow Never Comes,” sung by my ex-boyfriend Roddy and freaking Francine. Great. It’s like the song is following me around.
My heart drops down to my feet as my friends bob their heads innocently along to the song, all except for Rose, who is the only one I told the full truth to about the song and my breakup.
Even in the dim light, I can see how the color has been flushed out of Rose’s cheeks. She pushes up her glasses and clears her throat. “You know, I actually don’t like this version of the song,” she says. “Can you change it?”
Cole squints as he glances back at her.
“Really? I thought this was your favorite song.”
“Only when Harmony sings it.”
Cole shrugs and changes the station. I feel the remnants of anger still bubbling up inside me.
Happens every time I hear those two singing that damn song.
A few minutes later, we pull up in front of Malek’s house.
Jerry Malek is from the rich part of town—which doesn’t take up a lot of real estate in Blackwell. It’s basically two blocks long and mostly includes the houses of professors, a few city professionals, and businesspeople—and then Jerry Malek.
His house has been in the family for generations—way back when, they were one of the big names around town. Now, though, Jerry is known for the extravagant parties he throws when his parents—both truck drivers—are out of town. He’s been throwing them since high school, and it’s a come one, come all situation. He even invites the cops, which is a big help when he wants them to look the other way for noise complaints and illicit activity.
Everyone goes to Malek’s Open Crib parties. Good kids, bad kids, and all in between.
I leave my guitar in Sebastian’s car and we walk inside, where country pop is blasting.
Some guys are playing beer pong in the kitchen, and a number of people are in the pool out back.
Rose offers me a beer, which I take. Then I head outside by myself to get some air.
The raucousness of the party reflects the heat of high summer. Someone yells “Cannonball!” and then jumps off the diving board. I swear, there are kids who’ve barely graduated college up until, well, older than our group. People who are still trying to relive those glory days.
And then I see Zach.
Just looking at the man causes my heart to hammer.
He sits on a brick ledge twelve feet up, overlooking the party. In his hand is a rocks glass filled with a brown liquid.
He’s wearing sunglasses, as dark as it is, and I wonder why. I still feel bad about how he got dismissed from our group back at The Hungry Burger. I understand Cole’s and Sebastian’s protective instincts, though, especially as I stare at Zach from across the pool.
He looks exactly like the guy you’d tell your sister or girlfriend to stay away from.
Zach sits shirtless, his tattoos in full view, covering his muscled body. They’re tribal, covering most of an arm and his chest. His jaw is clenched, and he looks to be in some serious thought.
I hear the water splash at my feet, and I see Rose’s former college roommate, Liz, get out of the water.
She grins as she wraps a towel around her body and stands next to me.
She follows my line of vision to Zach and looks back at me.
“Don’t,” she says, squeezing the water out from her hair.
“Don’t what?” I retort.
She rolls her eyes. “Just whatever you’re thinking about Zach, don’t do it.”
I swallow a lump in my throat. “Excuse me?”
She shakes her head and sighs. “You seem like a nice girl. He’s not . . . nice.” She puts a hand on my arm. “Is he one of the hottest guys here? Yes. But he’ll break your heart. That’s what he does.”
“How do you know? Did you—”
“Date? No. We didn’t.”
I squint. “Why are you being so weird?”
“You’re a nice girl, Harmony.” She touches my arm. I get the bad kind of chills the way she emphasizes the word nice. “You are a sweetie pie, actually. I just wouldn’t want you hurt. That’s all. Anyway, I’m going inside. You need another drink?”
I shake my head. “I’m fine.”
She leaves, and my heart flutters. I try to calm it down, but it’s no use.
Somewhere deep inside me, I want a piece of him. Or something. I just want to get to know him.
But it’d be too awkward if I just walked up and told him the truth.
How I’d been thinking about that ride home on his bike all week. The note he left me felt like it was a live organism in my room, trying to break out. How it took all of the self-control I had not to open the note. How I’d been hoping all week he’d come to my show. Semi-wishing Sebastian wouldn’t be able to give me a ride so that Zach could give me a ride home again and maybe we could get some more alone time.