Chapter 2
Harmony leaned back against the passenger seat while staring over at Nick, still trying to fully process the fact that he was sitting beside her instead of behind glass somewhere.
“You still looking at me like you seen a ghost,” Nick laughed.
“Because your ass supposed to still be locked up.” Harmony shook her head.
“Damn, I miss you too.”
“Awww, you know I ain’t mean it like that, baby.”
Truthfully, Harmony had been thrown off ever since the day he came home. When Lyric called with the news, she told Legend and Skyy that she had a family emergency and needed to leave. He drove her back to her car, and she went straight home.
When she got to the apartment and walked in, Nick was sitting on the couch just like Lyric said he would be, and it took her a second to adjust to seeing him there in real time instead of hearing his voice over the phone or seeing him through visits.
The next day, everything shifted again when she got the call that Lyric was in the hospital. Now, for the first time since all of that, they were actually sitting together in her car, catching up a little more.
“You know… I should just move in with you.” Harmony heard him say, snapping her out of her trance.
“No.”
“Damn, you ain’t even think about it,” Nick laughed.
“Because me and my sisters got one rule. No niggas.”
“No niggas?” he repeated.
“Yeah! The longest y’all can stay is two nights in a row, after that, the nigga got to go.”
“Well, how about we get us a crib together then?” Nick suggested.
“Eventually, but not right now. Me and my sisters are just getting settled, and with Lyric having twins, she needs me there more than ever.” She paused for a second, then added.
“And besides, you ain’t got a job and I don’t make shit working at that call center.”
“I still can’t believe Foot Locker fired you.”
“Me either.” She shook her head.
Harmony told Nick she worked overnight at a call center.
He didn’t need to know about the club, and she wasn’t ready to explain that part of her life anyway.
She missed him, but his coming home complicated things.
She was making too much money to walk away from the club life, and on top of that, there was still Legend.
She wasn’t ready to let him go either, even if she wasn’t fully sure what she was getting herself into.
Harmony hated lying to Nick, but it was easier that way, at least for the moment, even if she knew it probably wouldn’t stay that way forever. She would deal with it later when she found a better solution, something that didn’t have her juggling different versions of her life all at once.
“I’m not staying at my brother crib too long,” his voice cut through her thoughts again.
“Huh?”
“I already got some jobs lined up. I’m just trying to get back on my feet, the legal way, you feel me?”
Harmony looked over at him, and even though she didn’t say it out loud, she liked how hopeful he was.
Beating an attempted murder charge wasn’t something that happened every day.
And niggas definitely didn’t usually bounce back from it.
Which was why Harmony wondered if jail had changed him in ways she just hadn’t seen yet.
Because before he went in, Nick wasn’t just reckless, he was dangerous.
He always reacted first and asked questions last. There were times Harmony remembered where he would go from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye.
And she only prayed that the little time he did serve had calmed him down, at least, just a little.
Harmony’s thoughts were cut when her phone started ringing in her lap. She glanced down and saw Legend’s number scrolling across the screen. Without saying anything, she turned it face down and ignored it.
“Damn, that motherfucker been ringing all day.”
“It’s just Tiffany trying to make sure I’m picking her up.”
“Man, how my sister been doing?” Nick quizzed.
“She’s good.”
“That’s what’s up, but I’m gon’ head in the crib so you can go to work.”
They both got out of the car and switched sides. Before getting in, Harmony stepped over to Nick, wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him. After a moment, she pulled away and slid behind the wheel.
Nick headed toward the building while Harmony pulled off.
By the time she got home, she was already thinking about everything she needed to do.
She moved quickly once she got inside, grabbing her things and changing clothes without wasting any time.
A few minutes later, she was heading back out the door with her keys in hand.
The drive to Tiffany’s house wasn’t long. She pulled up, hit the horn once, and waited. A few seconds later, she came walking out and got in. The second she shut the door, she looked over at Harmony and smiled.
“Alright, bitch. Start talking.”
“About what?” Harmony laughed while pulling away from the curb.
“Everything… Lyric getting jumped, Nick being home, and whatever weird shit you got going on with Legend.”
“You thirsty.”
“As hell, now tell me.”
Harmony filled her in on most of it during the drive. She told her about Nick getting out early, how Lyric had been stuck in the hospital ever since the attack, and how things with Legend got messy after he randomly brought up wanting a poly relationship.
“A poly? What the fuck?” Tiffany stared at her.
“Exactly.”
“And Nick, what you gon do about my brother?”
“What you mean?”
“Who you gon’ cut off?”
“Neither.” Harmony shrugged.
“Girl.”
“What? Niggas do it all the time.”
“True dat…but be careful. You playing a dangerous game.”
Harmony knew she probably was, but at the moment, she honestly wasn’t ready to let either one of them go. With Nick, there was history, and she genuinely loved him. But then there was Legend, who had somehow come into her life out of nowhere and flipped everything upside down.
The thought stayed with her for most of the drive. By the time she pulled up to the club, she still had no idea what she was going to do about the situation.
Once inside, Harmony and Tiffany split off toward their usual areas. Harmony had barely set her bag down and started pulling things out when one of the security guards stepped into the doorway.
“Boss Man wanna see you right now.”
“Right now?” Harmony paused.
“Right now.” The guard nodded once.
Feeling curious, Harmony set everything back down and turned toward the door. As she walked through the hallway toward Legend’s office, she spotted Queen standing near the wall talking to another dancer. The second Queen peeped her, Queen’s eyes locked directly onto Harmony.
Harmony stared right back for a second before sticking her tongue out at her and continuing down the hallway.
A few seconds later, she stopped outside the office and knocked twice before she opened the door. Legend sat behind the desk, but the second she walked closer, he leaned back in his chair watching her with amusement in his eyes. Giving off her own evil grin, Harmony grabbed his face and kissed him.
“Damn! And to think I thought you was mad at me.”
“I told you I been dealing with family shit.”
“How that going? You need anything from me?” Legend asked.
Harmony was just about to answer when her phone started ringing in her hand. She stared down at the unknown number for a few seconds. Normally, she would have let it ring, but something told her to answer.
“Hello?” She pressed the phone to her ear.
“Harmony….”
The second she heard Melody’s voice, she knew something was wrong.
“Mel? Bitch, where you been? Why you ain’t been answering your phone? Who number you calling from now?”
The questions came out back-to-back, but nothing could have prepared Harmony for what she told her next.
“Sis, I’m locked up… and it ain’t looking too good…...”