Harmony
R u awake?
I stare at the message from Carisse like it’s got the damn plague. She missed called me like fifty fuckin’ times last night. Thank God my iPhone was on silent. Some serious shit must’ve gone down, and I would bet money on it being things with her and Davonyé.
She called me cryin’ on Saturday talkin’ about she thought Davonyé was gonna break up with her. I tried to sympathise, but that’s not my kinda thing. I’m a realist and I’m blunt with it. It was hard for me to do that shit, too, especially cuz I been knowing that Davonyé leaving her was just a matter of time.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Carisse, and she’s a cool girl, but it’s not her in particular that makes me wanna chill with her. For some reason, I feel as if I’m waiting for something to happen. Like I feel some kinda connection to her, but not in an attraction way, more in a way that I need her for something.
Shit is odd.
My phone starts vibrating on the island and my stomach twists in knots. It puts me straight off my bowl of Honey Comb.
“You gonna get that?” Dad asks, peering over to my iPhone.
I sigh. Nooooo... “Yeah.” I pick up the phone. “Hey, Carisse. I’m so—”
“Harmony!” She cries. “I been calling you all night! Davonyé broke up with me! He's seeing someone else!”
So he actually did it. Shit… “Damn, girl. I'm so sorry. Calm down, okay? What happened?”
She sniffs loudly. “We got back from Ontario last night and he said he don’t love me anymore.”
“Wow, that’s...” Shit, he ain't playin’ is he?
“I don't know what to do,” she gushes. “I don't wanna stay here on my own. Everything here reminds me of him. My mom and brother are coming down today. I wanted to know if I could come over to yours until they arrive.”
I feel my parents’ eyes on me and know they’re listening to this shit. “You not goin’ classes?”
“I can’t.”
Ugh... “I...”
“Please?” She starts crying again. “I'm sorry, I just really need a friend right now.”
Fuck sake. This is gonna be so damn uncomfortable. “Course, I'll go into school after they get here.”
“Thank you! I'm just getting an Uber now. I'll be there in about an hour.”
“Alright. See you when you get here,” I say, trying to sound enthusiastic.
I put my phone down and sigh; fuckin’ great. I look up to mom and dad giving me the evil eye.
“You skippin’ school now?” Mom asks, unimpressed as fuck.
“No, it's just… complicated. Ugh.” I groan.
“Well? You better talk, and it best be good otherwise your ass is going to school,” dad snaps.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath before looking up at them again. “Davonyé broke up with Carisse.”
“We heard that bit,” dad says. “What's that got to do with you? That ain’t your man.”
“It ain't, but our family is the reason why they broke up.”
“Our family?” mom asks, not understanding.
“Yeah. Davonyé is Ariella's mate.”
“Ohhhh…” they both say.
I smile weakly. “Yeah. Ariella ain't told me much about what's been going on with them, but I know they've spent time alone together…” I tell them about the party and the way they were with each other. “…It was pretty intense.”
“The connection between mates always is,” dad says. “Poor Ariella. She must be hurting a lot over this. I don’t think there is anything worse than seeing your mate with someone else.”
“No wonder she was quiet at her party. She must have wanted him there so badly. I can’t imagine what she’s going through. And to think, all that on top of her change, too,” mom adds, and dad agrees.
I listen to them talking about the situation and begin to realise how much Ella’s been going through these last few months. Knowing your mate is with someone else and then having your change close, too. I’ve seriously been a shit friend to her, and I really need to apologise properly.
“So,” dad says, looking back to me. “Carisse, I’m assuming, doesn’t know?”
“Nah, and she’s distraught. You know how much she loves Davonyé from how much she goes on about him when she’s here, and you heard the conversation just now. I can go into school this afternoon. I’ll make up the classes.”
“You’re right in the middle of this, sweetie,” mom says. “And I don’t like it. Family first.”
“I know, mom. Don’t worry. My loyalty is with Ella. I won’t get involved with all that.”
“Good,” they both say.
I try calling Ariella, but her cell goes straight to voicemail. “Ariella’s phone is still off.”
“Clarence has her camped out training,” mom says. “Abriya's been going back and forth, but apparently Ariella's picking it up just as quickly as she did so she should be back soon.”
“That's if Clarence don't try keep her there,” dad says and shakes his head. “He’ll be loving all this time with her.”
“Yeah, that’s true” mom says, but then she suddenly looks sad. “But you all need to go to Alaska this week.”
“You think Uncle Clarence will let Ariella go, too?” I ask them.
Dad shrugs. “I dunno. He should, but that’s up to him.”
I nod and then leave them in the kitchen to go to my room. I’m envious; I can’t wait to be able to go on ware business. All that fighting and shit is thrilling. But I still have one more year to go.
Ugh.
***
Carisse gets here just after nine. Her eyes are red raw, she looks exhausted, and I can’t even imagine how bad her hair looks under that floral headscarf she’s rockin’. I make her a neat whiskey and then we sit in my bedroom. She's quiet while she sips her drink on the couch by the window, so I sit on my bed and scroll through my messages from Demus. He never did come to the hotel when I asked him, and now he wanna act all thirsty. The guy is weird.
“I just don't get it, Harm’,” Carisse suddenly says. “We were so good together. We barely argued, he treated me good, and the sex was out of this world. I just don't get it.”
Ugh. And you never will. “I dunno what to tell you, but sometimes shit just happens, Carisse. It don't mean it’s your fault, and maybe he was being honest when he said it wasn't you. I mean, if he wants to be a fuckboy then it’s better he left you instead of doing that shit behind your back and making you look a fool. Let the other woman deal with that shit.”
“But he ain't like that,” she says desperately. “All this shit is so out of character for him. He treated me like a queen, seriously, you don't understand how fucked up this all is. He literally begged me to be with him when we first got together.”
I don't wanna hear all this drama. “Have you spoke to him since?”
“No, I think he's blocked me. My calls go straight to voicemail and I ain't got any replies to my messages either. I just need to know what I did wrong,” she cries. “I need to know why he’s doing this.”
“And this is exactly why I don't do relationships,” I mutter. Shit is long as hell. Just fuck and move on. Simple as that.
She blows her nose loudly into some crumpled-up paper towels. “I'm sorry, I don't mean to go on and on. I just...” She starts to cry again. “I'm sorry.”
I suddenly feel guilty about not being more sympathetic. “Hey, it's okay.” I move to sit beside her. “You ain't gotta apologise, alright? You're heartbroken and I get that. I just don't know how I can help you.”
“We gotta find out who it is, Harmony. He fucking stuck up for her when I called her a hoe and everything. It sounded like he really likes her.”
Loves. He loves her.
“Did he tell you who he’s seeing?” I ask while trying not to be so interested.
She shakes her head vehemently. “No. He wouldn’t say who it was.”
Good, but then, I didn’t think he’d out Ella like that. His protective instinct over her is probably in full force right about now. “Look, I don't wanna be harsh, Carisse, but you need to just focus on school. We got exams coming up and we can't be spending time on hunting down some girl that we don’t even know. Do you really want a man who can just get up and leave you for someone else when he said he loved you a day ago?”
“No but…” She huffs and then shakes her head. “I think it might be your cousin.”
The fuck? “What? Ariella?”
“Yeah. She was always staring at him, like some freak.”
I recoil from her. “Hey, less of the freak, alright?” I warn, feeling defensive and offended that she’d say that about Ella. “That's my family you’re talkin’ about now.”
“I’m sorry, but she’s always looking at him.”
“She ain't even been at school, Carisse, so when would he have seen her, huh? That shit don't add up.”
“I just feel it,” she says just before her cell rings. “Hello?” she answers. I hear a woman talking. “Yeah, I'll come out now.” She hangs up. “They're here.”
I feel relieved as hell. She’s lucky I didn’t slap her ass. I mean, she’s cool and shit, but she can’t talk about my family like that. Maybe I’m gonna have to cut ties with her, no matter how much I feel like I need to keep her around.
“Are you going back to Ontario with them?” I ask as we get downstairs.
“No. My brother works from home and said he’ll rent a place down here so I can stay with him until I find somewhere else to live. I want him to beat Davonyé's ass anyways.”
I try not to snort. Good luck with that.
I carry one of her bags outside just as a blacked-out Mercedes pulls up at the bottom of the steps. An older woman gets out and after seeing Carisse, they run to hug each other. I stand like a spare part while Carisse starts gushing to her mom about Davonyé, but then the driver door opens and out steps her brother.
Oh, fuck! I was not expecting that...
Her brother looks nothing like Carisse, and I internally question if they’re even related by blood. He’s tall, athletically built, and has the most edible caramel skin I’ve ever seen in my damned life. He’s dressed in an expensive looking suit with a loosened tie, and the white of his shirt makes his skin just pop. His hair is dark, short but wavy, not curly, which makes me curious about his ancestry. And even though he clearly looks a little dishevelled, I still find him fine as hell.
He looks at his mom and sister first, then his eyes find mine and I feel like someone just punched me straight in my face. I swear my body is screaming in all the right and wrong places. He narrows his inquisitive eyes at me while he walks over to hug his sister. I try not to blush, but I can feel my body bursting into flames. Lawwwwd... I can smell him, even from here, and it makes my pussy clench in need.
“Mom, Jaheim, this is my friend, Harmony. Harmony, this is my brother and my mom, Evette,” Carisse introduces us.
I just nod until I can rip my eyes away from the hazel orbs that belong to her brother. “Nice to meet you, both.”
“Thank you for looking out for Carisse, Harmony,” Evette says, smiling warmly. “We appreciate it.”
“Yeah,” Jaheim says, offering a hand to me. I shake it but feel a buzz of something when our hands touch. Wow. What the fuck was that?
“Uh, it was nothing,” I say, quickly pulling my hand away.
Is this why I've felt such a strong connection to Carisse? Because her brother is my...
My thoughts are broken when Carisse lifts her bag off my shoulder. “Thank you for listening,” she says, hugging me.
“Yeah, sure,” I answer, still feeling dazed. “I'll see you at school, yeah?”
“Yeah.” She smiles sadly and then I watch them walking over to the car.
Jaheim looks back at me before he gets inside, and I can tell by the look on his face that he’s feeling something, too.
I wave them off but then try desperately to gather my scattered thoughts. This situation could not be any more fucked up. How can I cut Carisse off now? If anything, I need to keep her closer.
I wish I could speak to Ella. I go back inside the house to text her.
Davonyé broke up with Carisse. Said he don't love her no more. He stuck up for the other woman 2. Just thought you should know. P.S. I really need to see you!!! Message me when you get home.
I just hope she masters that ware shit ASAP and brings her ass back home.