“Rebel,” Lyric screamed, her arms tangled in the tubes and wires as she fought to free herself.
“I’m no good for you,” Rebel said through his tears. With that, he headed out the door.
“Rebel! Rebel! Don’t do this to me! Rebel!” Lyric screeched. “Rebel! Rebel!” Lyric’s entire body shook.
Two nurses rushed into Lyric’s room just in time to find her frantically trying to unhook herself from all of the monitors and IV.
“Ms. Love, please. You will hurt yourself,” one nurse pleaded.
“Rebel,” Lyric sobbed. The nurse grabbed her right before she hit the floor. Lyric’s body went limp, and she sobbed.
“Rebel,” she muttered. “Please don’t leave me.”
Chapter 22
Harmony
“I promise it won’t be longer than a week,” Harmony said as she tossed the last of her clothes into her suitcase. Ron didn’t answer. He had his back to her, busy packing his own bag. Aubrey kicked her legs and cooed happily.
“I’m going to see to it that she gets out of the hospital and into some kind of program. You know?” Harmony called out to him. Ron grumbled and continued folding and packing.
“If I can just get her in somewhere good that specializes in young people, and if Melody will pay for it so that our options are not so limited, that would be ideal. You know in the world of rehabs, the more money or the better the medical coverage, the better the program. Lyric can’t do this without a strict rehab. Maybe someplace far away. I’m hoping that she can leave New York altogether. You know?” Harmony rambled, trying to ignore the thick tension stifling the air in the room.
Ron didn’t mumble, groan, or say anything this time. Harmony sighed. She threw the shirt she was holding into the bag without folding it, and turned around to face her husband. Ron kept busy, like he didn’t see her staring at him with her arms folded.
“Ron, please stop ignoring me,” Harmony said, flustered. “I need your support now more than ever. I’m under enough stress as it is.”
Ron stopped what he was doing, turned, and shot her a look. Harmony could see annoyance in every line of his creased forehead.
“What do you want me to say, Harmony? Huh?” Ron tilted his head. “You want me to say I’m looking forward to going home without you?” Ron asked. “You want me to tell you that I am not feeling anxious about taking care of Aubrey alone . . . babysitter or no babysitter? Is that what you want, Harmony? To lie and pretend that I’m okay when really I’m scared as shit?”
“I thought you said—”
“I did,” Ron said, cutting her off with his hands up. “I did say that it was okay for you to stay and handle your business here. And I meant it. I do want you to take care of your family and make sure they’re okay so that you can get back home. If that is what will make you happy, make us happy, then yes, I support it. But that doesn’t mean I don’t feel anything over leaving without you. I feel anxious and kind of abandoned and just plain alone right now. But that doesn’t mean I don’t support your decision. I am in my feelings. That’s all,” he explained, softening his tone at the end. “I think with everything that has been sprung on me, I’m entitled to be in my feelings about missing my wife.”
Harmony’s shoulders slumped with one part relief and one part sadness. She didn’t want to argue with Ron anymore, but she understood where he was coming from at the same time.
“I don’t know what other way to get this done so that I’ll be able to live with myself, Ron,” Harmony said. “I feel so torn. It certainly doesn’t mean that I don’t love you and Aubrey more than anything in this world. I just have to do this one thing. I have to do it for myself, but more so, for Lyric.”
Ron walked over to Harmony. She turned to meet him halfway. Harmony’s heart broke looking at how the edges of Ron’s mouth were sagging with sadness.
“It’s all good. I’m a big boy. I’ll handle things, just like I always have my entire life. I’ll get over it.”
“I promise, Ron. I’m going to take care of Lyric, the sale of Ava’s house, and those loose ends and then be back home in no time,” Harmony said, trying to convince herself more so than Ron.
“Shh. You don’t need to keep explaining and promising things.” Ron looked into her eyes. He moved her hair behind her ear and palmed the back of her head. He pulled her head into his, lowered his mouth over hers, and kissed her deeply.
Harmony fell into him, his love filling her up inside. It was the fuel she needed to keep on going, to keep on taking care of everyone else.
“Thank you,” Harmony whispered as their faces moved apart. She meant it. It had been a rough couple of weeks for both of them, but Ron’s support at that moment made her happy and relieved.
“Anything for you.” He stood up straight and looked across the hotel room. “Now let’s go before me and the little lady get stuck in all sorts of rush hour traffic on the turnpike.”
“Yes. Yes,” Harmony acquiesced, although her heart was breaking to have to let them go.
* * *
Harmony put her small bag down next to her while she stood at the hotel’s front desk to check out. Ron had gone to load the baby and the bags into the car. Harmony was speaking to the front desk clerk when out of her peripheral vision, she saw Ron rushing toward her. Harmony turned and noticed the panicked looked on his face.
“Ron?” Harmony didn’t get a chance to say anything else.
“Hey. Hold Aubrey. I forgot something upstairs,” Ron huffed.
Taken aback, Harmony’s face crinkled.
Oh . . . um . . . okay,” she stammered, caught off guard as he dumped the baby in her arms and took off toward the elevators.
“Ron,” Harmony called after him. He turned and looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes bugged out. “What the hell did you forget that has you going so crazy?”
Ron’s back went stiff, and he struggled to ease the tension in his face. “It’s just my phone charger. No big deal.”
Harmony’s gut clenched. Something about Ron’s behavior nagged her. He had gone from complete panic to trying to convince her that it was no big deal. Harmony wasn’t buying it.
“Ma’am, I’ll be right back. Can you watch my bags, please? We forgot something upstairs in the room,” Harmony said to the front desk clerk. The woman nodded and smiled.
Harmony bounced Aubrey on her hip as she waited for the elevator. When the elevator doors opened, Harmony rushed forward so fast that she ran straight into someone.
“Oh, sorry,” Harmony apologized, catching glares from the elevator occupants trying to get out.
“Supposed to let people off first,” one man grumbled.
Once inside, Harmony stabbed the fourth floor button repeatedly. Sweat burned the pits of her arms, and her stomach did flips as she watched the little red numbers over the doors change. She tapped her foot. It seemed like it was taking a lifetime.
When the elevator dinged open, Harmony ran out. Aubrey giggled like she did when Harmony played the bouncy game with her.
Harmony made it to the room door. Her hands shook so badly and she was so winded that she fumbled with the key card until it dropped.
“Dammit.”
Harmony struggled to bend down with the weight of the baby making her feel like she would tip over. Skillfully using the tips of her fingers, Harmony picked up the key card. She stood up, blew out a long breath, and swiped the card against the electronic door lock. The little light on the door turned green, and Harmony heard the lock click. Harmony took a deep breath and stepped into the room. A hot feeling came over her body when she didn’t see Ron inside. It was fear, sheer terror, she was feeling.
Harmony’s instinct told her not to call out to Ron. As she moved, her breath came out rough and fast. Her nerves were on edge so bad that she had to take each step carefully to keep her legs from giving out.
Harmony approached the bathroom door. It was the only place Ron could be. She found the door closed but for a tiny crack.
Harmony stood back, trying to see through the small sliver. The sound she heard next told her that Ron was in there. Harmony jumped when she heard the snorting again. Harmony held her breath. She craned her neck, and there he was, bent over the sink, snorting something.
Harmony became so weak she almost dropped the baby. Aubrey giggled. Harmony’s heart seized, and her hand flew up to the baby’s mouth.
“Harm?” Ron shouted from the bathroom.
Harmony jumped, her knees knocking together. She could hear him fumbling around. It sounded like glass shattered, and then there was bumping, frantic moving. Ron was trying to clean up his mess—literally.
“Harm, is that you?”
Harmony could hear him sniffling. She could only imagine how frenzied and crazy he looked trying to get his nose clean. Harmony whirled around, not sure what to do next. Her heart ached so badly that she felt like it would explode. Her temples throbbed. In that moment, everything became different. Harmony felt like she’d been pushed out of an airplane and she was freefalling to her death.
“Harm?” Ron emerged from the bathroom, a tiny dot of white powder still rimming his right nostril.
Harmony’s eyes were stretched as wide as they would go. She moved backward like a killer from a horror movie was coming toward her.
“Harm, wait,” Ron said, his left hand out in front of him. “Let me just tell you what happened.” His eyes were watery. His brow was wet with sweat.
Harmony had seen him in this condition before. She knew what it meant. Harmony stumbled backward into the desk. Her baby laughed joyfully again, oblivious to the doom and gloom Harmony felt.
“Just hear me out, Harm.”
Harmony opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. She couldn’t find the words. She couldn’t cry. She couldn’t yell. She couldn’t do anything. The devastation she felt was like nothing she had ever experienced in her life. Harmony felt like she was standing in quicksand. No matter what she was going to die—either trying to escape it or by drowning in it. There were no wins in this situation.
“I got it under control, Harm,” Ron said. “I’m telling you. I was a little stressed out with everything that was going on with us, but I know once things are back to normal with us, I can stop.”
Now Ron was blaming her for his relapse. How dare he? Harmony turned swiftly and bolted for the door.
Ron raced around her and blocked her from leaving. Harmony tried to go around him, but he shifted sideways to stop her.
“Da-da,” Aubrey cooed, stretching her chubby arms toward Ron. It was the first time she’d said the word. Harmony felt a sharp pain in her stomach. Her daughter would grow up just like she did—fatherless.
“Harmony, just listen to me. I promise. I can handle it. I swear it won’t be like before,” Ron begged. “It’s not like you didn’t drive me to this.”
In a knee-jerk reaction, Harmony reached up and slapped him across the face with every ounce of strength she had in her body. Aubrey started crying. Ron stumbled sideways from the impact. Without a word, Harmony yanked opened the door and stormed out, her screaming baby in tow.
“Harmony, wait!” Ron called after her. “Just give me a minute to talk to you.”
Harmony didn’t bother to turn around. Her legs felt lead-pipe heavy, but she forged forward as fast as she could.
“Harmony,” he called after her again.
Harmony didn’t hear his footsteps behind her or sense his presence. She knew that Ron wouldn’t chase her. Harmony was well aware that so long as there was even a tiny bit of drugs left in that hotel room, they would be more important to him than anything else—even her.
Chapter 23
Melody
“Mel,” Gary called out, just above a whisper, as she shook Melody’s shoulder. Melody moaned, lifted her hand, and swatted at him.
“Mel, you can’t stay in this godforsaken, dark-ass room for another day,” Gary said in his best parental tone. “You have to get up now. I know you’re hurting, boo, but this is definitely not helping.”
Melody buried her face further into the pillow. She had been hiding from the world since Sly broke the news to her. He was going to be a father, but she was not going to be the mother of his child. Just thinking about it again made Melody’s stomach swirl.
“Okay, what about just sitting up? Washing your face? Getting some sun?” Gary made his way over to the large bay of windows in her bedroom and yanked her room-darkening curtains apart. Melody groaned louder.
“Mm-hmm. I hear all of that, but as your self-appointed get-yo’-life coach, I will not let you lay here rotting away. Besides, I spoke to Lyric and she’s being released today. They’re expecting you at the hospital for the big release.” He walked over to the bed and yanked the thick, pure white down comforter off of Melody’s body.
“Gary, please don’t get cursed out,” Melody croaked, her voice hoarse and gruff from all of the crying and screaming she’d done over the past three days.
Gary sat down on the edge of her bed and sighed. “Mel, I have all the respect in the world for you, but the only way to show the world that this thing with Sly is not going to destroy you is to bounce back. Get outside. Let those nuisance-ass paparazzi snap some pictures of you looking fantabulous. C’mon, you don’t have to be a PR expert to know what you have to do to keep yourself from being embarrassed. We have to act like this shit doesn’t faze miss Melody-fucking-Love, hunty,” Gary said with feeling. He snapped his fingers and drew an S in the air with his hands to drive his point home.
Melody parted a weak smile. It was the first time she felt anything other than grief in days. “You’re right.” Melody sat up.
“Oh God.” Gary frowned. “I ain’t never seen that hair in such a mess. Girl, you look like the bride of Frankenstein mixed with Marge Simpson and Lady Gaga on steroids,” he joked.
Melody smiled again. “Why the hell can I picture all of those mixed together?” Melody chuckled, kicking Gary in the leg playfully.
“There’s my abusive BFF. Kick me, hit me, spit at me—whatever you want to do to let me know you’re back.” Gary laughed.
“Okay. Call the style team. I’m going to get up and get out. I’ll make a show out of picking Lyric up. She’ll love the attention anyway,” Melody said.
She was ready to go back to her façade of a perfect life. She was ready to go back to evil Melody, because being soft and having those sentimental moments had gotten her just where Ava always told her it would—hurt and alone.
* * *
“Melody, is it true your sister almost died from a drug overdose?”
“Melody, are the rumors about Sly and Terikka true?”
“Melody, is Sly having a baby with your nemesis? Did you think it would be you?”
Melody almost paused her steps when the question about Sly and Terikka hit her ears.
“Don’t you dare feed into it,” Gary warned, trying to shield Melody from the cameras. Although he had called the paparazzi himself, he had to play it off.
“Melody! Melody! It’s me.”
Melody paused. Her entire body stiffened and a cold chill shot down her back. Gary pushed her down into the waiting car.
“Unh-uh. What the hell you want, Floyd Mayweather? I heard about you,” Gary shouted, pointing an accusing finger in Ron’s direction. Melody’s security was ready to pounce.
“Let him in,” Melody yelled to Gary from the car.
“What? After what he did?” Gary’s eyebrows shot up into arches.
“Gary, I said let him in,” Melody demanded.
Ron fought his way through the crowd of cameramen. Gary folded his arms across his chest and snaked his neck at Ron. “You’re lucky I’m feeling like a lady today,” Gary gritted.
Ron slid into the backseat of Melody’s car. “Thank you,” he huffed.
“Driver. Move the car,” Melody said, tapping the back of the driver’s headrest. As the car pulled out, Gary banged the side, and Melody’s security team could be
seen scrambling to their vehicles.
“Just drive,” Melody commanded. She needed to get away from the prying eyes of the cameras. Melody turned her attention back to Ron.
“What do you want? To come and tell me how terrible I am again, or to try to choke the life out of me again?”
For some reason, this time Melody wasn’t scared or worried about Ron getting violent with her. There was something in his eyes that was kind of sad.
“Look. I’m sorry about that. I was out of my mind,” Ron said.
“I didn’t put the drugs in your jacket,” Melody lied. “It must’ve happened in the bar when you were too drunk to notice.”
Ron seemed to contemplate what she was saying. “It doesn’t matter now. I’ve lost Harmony forever.” His voice waivered.
Melody whipped her head around so she could look at him. “What are you talking about? What do you mean you’ve lost—”
Before Melody could finish, Ron lurched over and put his mouth on top of hers. Melody tried to moan, but Ron’s tongue was in her mouth before she could get the sound out. Her mind went blank, and her body tingled in places she hadn’t felt in a long time, even with Sly. Ron had her pushed against the car door. His hands moved over her body.
“Wait,” Melody whispered over his lips.
She tried to push him away, but he was determined. Ron ran his tongue down her neck. Melody tried to push him away again, this time her force weaker than the last.
“I need you,” Ron said, panting. “I need you now. This is what you wanted, right?” His hands worked feverishly at the buttons of her jeans.
Melody’s mind swirled. Harmony. Sly. Lyric. Aubrey. She thought about all of them.
Ron had her pants off. The motion of the car, his muscular arms, and the possibilities all made her dizzy. Melody was battling the devil and the angel on her shoulders.
He is your sister’s husband, Melody. He doesn’t belong to you.
Your sisters have their bond and they never included you. Who cares how they feel?
1 Night Stand Page 20