Chapter 6 #5
Standing, she twirled so that she and her sister were now face-to-face.
Harmonie tilted her cup to her lips, and Harbor shook her head.
Looking her sister up and down, disappointment dwelled behind her espresso eyes.
Over the years, they’d been close, but Harmonie either made fun of her sister or pretended that she was better than her because she was popular, and everyone thought that Harbor was unique because she was so smart.
They weren’t as nice about it as I was, calling her weird and a nerd.
I never had to worry about Harbor like I did Harmonie, so when she was taken, that shifted a part of me as a father.
I had failed her, yet somehow she still pushed forward.
“Harmonie, why did you even come? What could we possibly have to talk about?” Harbor queried, tucking both arms across her chest.
“I thought we were family. And you would be surprised by what we have in common now,” she insinuated snootily.
This shit was about to go left if she was going where I thought it was.
“You thought wrong. We may share a bloodline, but we haven’t been family for a while now. You come parading around here like something is owed to you, but it’s not.”
“You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you?” Harmonie’s dark eyes lowered into tiny slits as her jaw locked resentfully at her sister. “You are just like Halo. Selfish as fuck. And look at you, snagged yourself a nigga with some paper, and now can’t nobody tell you shit, right?”
Clearly whatever was in her cup was giving her the courage to speak so freely.
She boldly got in her sister’s face while a few bystanders, including Frequency and their friends took notice.
“Oh, but I know you, dear sister. Better than you think I do,” Harmonie whispered that last part, and Harbor snickered to herself.
“You are really pathetic,” she declared.
“Me, pathetic!” Harmonie argued. “What about you! You think this nigga actually gives a fuck about you? You have no idea, baby sister. Nobody cares about you. The only thing you had going for you was being a virgin, and now look at you,” she huffed, a cold glare stabbing her sister.
“Baby mama number two, no ring, but you get all the perks, so that’s a plus, right?
” The smug grin that captured Harmonie’s face must’ve set something off inside of Harbor.
Her hand swung swiftly, connecting with Harmonie’s cheek with a loud smack that echoed on the terrace. A few gasps came from people, and I shot to my feet as Harmonie tried to come for Harbor. Frequency got to them before I could, stepping between them like a referee.
“Get her the hell out of here!” Harbor ordered.
“You bitch!” Harmonie lunged, but Frequency and his boy Ledge were there.
Ledge’s arm went around her waist, tugging her away from Harbor while Free stared her down. I couldn’t see his face, but it must have been a menacing stare because it backed her down.
“Harbor, I’m sorry. I should have left her home.” I apologized.
“Always the one trying to make things better for her,” Harmonie mocked angrily while Ledge pulled her toward the door.
“And you’re always the one fucking up!” I barked. “Let’s go.”
She fought and wrestled herself out of Ledge’s hold and mugged him up and down before she cut her eyes toward Free and Harbor. He stood protectively in front of her, blocking Harmonie’s access.
“No! I don’t want to go with you! Go to hell!
I want to leave. I’ll call my own ride!” She dug her phone out of her crossbody bag.
“I’m sure ya boy Lock would love to know what you’re up to, playing house with a man that allegedly abducted you.
He and I have gotten pretty close since you’ve been gone.
” Harmonie continued to provoke her sister, trying her best to get some kind of reaction from her.
Harbor snatched up the closest object near her, which just so happened to be one of the glass bowls with Ivy’s picture inside it.
She moved fast, snatching the photo out and hurling it across the patio with the arm of a pitcher. Her aim was a little off, so Harmonie was able to dodge it before it shattered at her feet. Glass nicked her ankles, and screams belted from her.
“Get that bitch out of here!” Harbor barked, aiming a finger toward the door.
Ledge nudged my other daughter along, even though she was yelling obscenities and doing her best to get at Harbor before she left.
The crowd was awestruck, as if a movie played out before them.
The woman that I assumed was possibly Ivy’s mother seemed pretty satisfied with the turn of events.
She sipped from her cup, one arm tucked across her chest as she propped up the other one in front of her.
She guzzled her drink and continued to stew in silent bliss at Harbor’s misery.
Harbor buried her face in her hands and trembled as Frequency stepped into her personal space.
“Hey.” His voice brought her eyes up.
Both of his hands gripped her wrists, bringing both of her arms to her side.
He kept a firm hold on her, and I immediately saw the shift of the energy flowing through her.
He whispered something in her ear before his lips graced her forehead.
Harbor collected herself before bringing her eyes up into his.
She nodded without a word and swiped her hands down her shorts.
“Thank you everyone for coming. What’s a birthday party without a little family dysfunction.” She burst into awkward laughter, and eventually, a few of the guests did too. “Please enjoy yourselves. I am going to check on the smaller children.”