Jesse & Joy—Echoes Of Love
Jasmine Thompson—Oasis
I hear his footsteps receding, each one echoing throughout the space as I stare at the painting he was standing in front of in shock.
His children's art show? He has kids here?
My heart won’t stop thumping like the beat of a drum, and I raise my hand as if holding my chest will stop it from beating its way out. I never expected him to be on the other end of those combat boots I saw disappearing up the stairs.
I was stopped by around six people before finally climbing the stairs and spotting him standing there, invading my privacy. I was about to give him what for until he turned around, his angry expression stopping me in my tracks.
Angry at me? I should be the one that’s angry at him, but I can’t deny that he looks even better than I remember; my memory did not do him justice.
The white t-shirt he was wearing was taut against his muscled chest, and the dark blue jeans left nothing to the imagination
clinging to his muscular thighs. He’s filled out a lot since I last saw him. He was always athletic, but now he’s all man instead of the twenty-two-year-old I once knew.
My legs wobble as I walk over toward the stool in front of the painting and sit down, staring at the floor, pulling in deep angry breaths. After ten years, after putting me through all of the pain, he has the audacity to turn up at my work without so much as a phone call. How dare he! And on tonight of all nights!
I’m angry, but most of all, I’m hurt that he walked out of here without so much as an explanation of why he left me all those years ago.
The voices from downstairs trickle into my mind like runny honey soothing my dark thoughts; I can’t slip back into that teenage frame of mind again. I stand and cover up the painting of the willow tree—our willow tree—determined to steady my shaking hands and get my emotions under control.
I smooth down the brightly colored poodle skirt I’m wearing and take one last deep breath, shaking my head and walking down the dark, wooden stairs and out into the back room, immediately being bombarded with kids all vying for my attention.
I nod my head and “ooh” and “aah” at everything they show me, but my heart isn’t in it. I scan the room and my gaze catches Tristan as he runs a hand down a pretty blond’s arm, squeezing her elbow and letting go. Is she his girlfriend? She smiles at him before letting herself be pulled away by Izzie as he walks off toward the doors. Izzie?
My head swirls and I stand staring for what feels like hours, hoping the empty space will bring me the answers I’m looking for, but of course it doesn’t. I turn and another familiar face catches my attention. I know the second he sees me because his face breaks out into a smile as big as the moon and he makes his way toward me, embracing me in his arms without a second thought.
“Harmony,” he whispers, and I stand stock still, not knowing what to do or say. He pulls back and squeezes my shoulders. “What are you doing here?”
“What—I—”
“Eddie!” a little voice shouts and I see Izzie pulling on Edward’s sleeve.
“Sweetie, go and find your nana. I’ll be there in a minute, I’m talking to… an old friend.”
“Miss J is your friend?” Izzie asks sweetly.
I clear my throat, not knowing what to say as Edward looks between us both. “She sure was.”
She giggles sweetly and skips off to her—Wait, what?
“Charlotte,” I breathe as I finally put two and two together.
Edward’s head snaps toward where my stare is concentrated and I watch as Izzie runs up to her and Clayton, telling her something excitedly as she waves her arms about in the air.
“So, you’re the infamous Miss J the kids are always talking about,” he says, snapping me out of my concentration.
“I don’t… Sorry, Ed. I—I’m so lost. Are Izzie and Clayton…”
“Tristan’s?” I nod my head, feeling like my life is about to spiral out of control even more with the words that I know are about to come out of his mouth. “Yeah, they’re great kids.” My stomach bottoms out at his confirmation and he steadies me by my arm. “Are you okay?”
I do a half-nod, half-headshake. “I had no idea so it’s a shock, but I’m okay.” I look into his worried, brown eyes. “Did he know about the studio being mine?”
He lets out a sad breath. “He wouldn’t have brought them here if he did, Harm.”
I nod. “I saw him.”
His eyes widen. “You did?”
“Yeah, he was upstairs… invading my personal space.”
He chuckles. “Sounds like him.” His gaze flits around the room. “I’m happy to see that you’re doing so well for yourself. When did you move back?” he asks, changing the conversation.
My head whips his way. “How did you know that I moved away?”
“Just because you thought he didn’t care, doesn’t mean he didn’t keep tabs on you for the first few years.”
His admission feels like a cruel slap to the face. “Don’t. Don’t try and make out what he did to me to be anything other than what it was.” I shake my head to clear it of the warring thoughts. “None of that matters now anyway, I’m over it. I’ve moved on.”
His gaze flits between mine and he clears his throat awkwardly. “Right, well… I better get back to Charlotte and the kids. Take care of yourself, Harmony, it was great to see you again.”
I smile stiffly before stumbling back into someone and apologizing to them then walking over to my mom in a daze. I can’t believe he has kids, although, it’s not that hard to imagine since it has been ten years. I guess my mind isn’t processing it all very well.
“Mom, are you ready for the big reveal?” She nods once, looking at my flustered self through curious eyes. “Great.”
I walk over to the white curtained wall and turn around, facing everyone and raising my voice. “Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. I want to thank each and every one of you for coming here tonight and supporting ‘Willow Arts.’ It’s been an absolute pleasure to teach all of your children over the past six weeks, and I’m sure you’ve enjoyed viewing their artwork. What we have to show you next is why they’re all so excited.”
I look around the room, my gaze lingering on Charlotte—Tristan’s mom—seeing a soft smile on her face. Why is she smiling at me like that? It throws me off what I was doing, sending my head into a spin. It isn’t until Mom clears her throat that I snap back to reality and motion behind me.
“So, without further ado, their final pieces.”
I peel back the curtain from its Velcro and everyone claps and immediately swarms toward me to get a closer look. I start to feel overwhelmed quickly and my head swims as I squeeze my body through the growing crowd around me. Mom saves me by pulling on my hand and I end up at the other side, standing next to her.
She cocks a brow. “Are you okay?”
“A little hot, that’s all,” I reply, fanning my face and scanning the crowd.
I see Edward, Amelia, Izzie, Clayton, and Charlotte standing in front of the kids’ paintings.
Now it all makes sense, the man in the business suit is Tristan; their dad. It all hits me at once: the betrayal from him, the fact that he has kids, the agony of my own pain at the unfairness of it all.
“Harm?” I hear Mom faintly say, but I can’t quite grasp onto where from. It’s the last thing I hear before everything swirls into one big color mass and I feel myself fall.
I’m still in a state of shock as I make my way into the city. My body is going through the motions but my mind’s not really here, it’s in the past; memories invading it at an unwanted pace, but there isn’t a thing that I can do to stop them.
I know that Mom knew something was up when I told her and Amelia that I had to leave all of a sudden, but when I said I had to go into the office, Mom’s face completely cleared of any trepidation she showed.
Her eyes shined with knowledge, and if I was to guess, I’d say that she knew Harmony was at that studio too. Amelia said that if I wasn’t back in time that she would take the kids home and get them ready for bed. Truth be told, I didn’t know how long I was going to be in the city. From what Catiya said, I could be here a while.
My mind spins, not believing that I’ve been this close to Harmony for the last six weeks and I didn’t even know. She’s been spending time with Clay and Izzie, no doubt getting to know them and teaching them all that she can with me being none the wiser. Did she know who they were? You can’t not see me when you look into Clay’s eyes, she had to have known.
She was always so passionate about art; I used to wish I was that passionate about something, to pour my heart and soul into things the way that she did. I never found what my true passion was, at least, not until I left her under that willow tree without an explanation.
That’s when I realized that she was my passion; my everything, and I left her, breaking not only her heart but my own in the process.
It was for her own good, I tell myself, but in reality, I know now that I shouldn’t have done it.
I was protecting her from my father—from his threats—but I shouldn’t have walked away the way that I did. I should have been the man that I am now and stayed by her side through everything. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, unless it’s telling you that you made a mistake.
No, it wasn’t a mistake because I wouldn’t have Clay and Izzie if I hadn’t have walked away; but if I had have walked away then Natalia would still be alive. It’s all my fault, every single thing that’s happened in the last decade; it’s all on me.
The roads are near empty—much to my surprise—so I make it into the city in record time, double parking out in front of my office building and not caring if it means I get a parking ticket.
I open the car door and slide out, straightening my leather jacket and making my way across the sidewalk and inside.
Catiya waits by the entrance, a nervous look on her face and her body taut. She opens her mouth to say something but I cut her off.
“Why are you here on a Saturday?” I ask, shaking my head at her. She’s always at the office, no matter how many times I tell her that she shouldn’t be working on a weekend, she still comes in to make sure she’s ahead for the next week. Not that I really care, it’s not like she gets paid any extra for being here, only I’m thankful now that she is because otherwise I wouldn’t have known about this meeting otherwise.
“I was preparing for next week,” she whispers, walking by my side toward the elevator.
I jab the button with my pointer finger, clenching my jaw and gritting my teeth as I think about what is no doubt happening up there in my boardroom. I’ll rip the board to pieces, digging up any and all the dirt that I can to end them for trying to go against me.
After several tense seconds, the door slides open and we both step inside, neither of us saying a word as it climbs to the top floor. The doors slide open again with a whoosh, revealing an empty floor. You’d think that nobody was up here if it wasn’t for the voices coming from the boardroom. One voice in particular has me taking a calming breath before stepping forward and pushing my shoulders back, heading for the room full of underhanded traitors.
“Sorry I’m late,” I announce once I’ve opened the door. They all turn to face me, varying degrees of shock and confusion on their faces.
They didn’t expect me to turn up, that’s for sure.
I close the door slowly once Catiya has stepped inside, taking measured steps to the head of the table where Pete is standing; he’s been after my position since my father handed the company over to me.
He’s tried to shoot me down with every single thing that I’ve suggested to improve the whole company, not that I’ve taken a single thing he’s said seriously, and I can’t say that I’m surprised by this at all. I knew this was coming, I could see it happening from a mile away.
I take my leather jacket off slowly, placing it down on the table and sitting in my chair, steepling my fingers in front of me on the light wooden table and motioning for him to continue. When he doesn’t, I narrow my eyes at him. “Carry on.”
They’re all silent for several seconds before Pete’s gaze flits from Catiya then down to me, sneering, “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I shouldn’t?” I ask, raising a brow at him and lifting my lips into a smirk. “You see that name there?” I tilt my head to the screen that displays the company logo. “The name that is on the front of this building? That’s mine.” I wave my arm, signaling the room and the whole building. “This? All of this is mine,” I growl.
I stand up, slowly, stretching to my full height of over six feet and looking down at him.
“You want this company that bad, Pete?”
“I… Yes… no… I mean.” He clears his throat. “You’ve been embezzling money, just like your father.”
I stare him down for several seconds before throwing my head back and laughing. “Really?” I look around at all of the men sitting around the table, keeping eye contact with each and every one of them for several seconds, showing them that I’m nothing but honest. “And you have the proof to back up your accusation?” I ask calmly, too calmly. I know he doesn’t have shit.
“Well…” He stammers over his words, pulling at the collar of his shirt. “I don’t—”
Everyone starts talking all at once, chairs being scraped against the floor as they stand up, preparing to leave.
They’ve seen through his whole facade, through all of the lies and I barely said two words.
“Wait.” I hold my hand up, stalling them. “Before you leave, I think we need to take a vote…” I turn my gaze to Pete’s, smiling menacingly. “Those in favor of Pete staying on the board, raise your hands.” No one moves a muscle and I smirk. “Those opposing him...” I’m rewarded with every single hand being raised in the air and a grin takes over my face as they all file out, leaving Pete and me alone in the boardroom.
“You underestimated me and showed your hand before you were ready to strike.” I pick my jacket up off the table, pushing my arms through it and stepping toward him. “You should’ve known not to take me on, Pete. You will always lose.” I let that sink in before I thunder, “Get the fuck out of my building!”
He jumps at the loudness of my voice and grabs his jacket, his parting words, “This isn’t over,” echoing around us.
The hell it isn’t. I’ll make sure that he never works a day in his life again, at least not in this city.
Particles of light dot my eyes as I open them, seeing everyone crowding around me with my mom kneeling by my side.
“Harmony? Are you okay, sweetheart?” she asks, a worried expression marring her face.
“What—What happened?” I croak.
“You fainted, hon. Let’s sit you up slowly.”
She shoos everyone back to give me some space then helps me to sit up. I give all the worried children a small smile to reassure them that I’m okay, and I see them visibly relax at the sight of it.
“Sorry, kids, Miss J got too hot,” I say with a little chuckle, but inside, I’m dying looking into Clayton’s gray eyes that are exactly like Tristan’s. How I never noticed it before, I don’t know.
“Why don’t you go home? I can handle the cleanup.”
“Seriously, I’m fine. I was—”
“You fainted; you are not fine. You need rest,” she replies, giving me “the mom stare.”
“I’ll take her,” a voice says and I look at an outstretched hand before looking up into Edward’s eyes.
“I’m sorry, but who are you?” Mom asks.
“An old friend,” I interrupt before Mom starts questioning him. “Fine, you can take me home.”
I take his hand so he can pull me up and Mom narrows her eyes at us.
“You call me when you get home,” she says, eyeing Edward suspiciously. “And leave your car keys on your desk.”
I quickly wave over my shoulder to everyone, trying to keep my eyes away from Charlotte and the kids. I don’t think I can cope seeing them again right now, this interaction with Edward is weird enough.
I unlock my office and grab my purse, leaving my car keys on the desk and shutting the door on the way back out. We walk to the front door and he opens it for me, taking my arm to keep me upright even though I insist that I’m fine.
We walk down the cobblestone path and he guides me to an unfamiliar car.
“New car?” I ask.
He chuckles. “It is, but this isn’t the car I normally drive around in, this is my personal car.”
I blush, of course he doesn’t drive around in the car he drives Tristan in all of the time. I sigh as he opens the door to the passenger seat for me. “You can get in you know, I won’t bite.”
I chuckle and climb into the car being gently guided by him, feeling weird being in the front with him instead of in the back like all those years ago.
He climbs into the driver’s seat and clears his throat. “I know tonight must’ve been a lot to—”
“I was hot,” I interrupt him.
He sighs. “You don’t have to pretend with me, Harmony. I was there too.”
My eyes flutter closed at the memory.
“Harmony?” I look up in despair at the familiar voice, but my eyes flit back down to the ground, not wanting him to see me like this. “Harmony, sweetheart...” He kneels beside me and pulls me into his chest. “What happened?”
“Why are you here?” I bite out.
“Trist—”
“Don’t mention his name!” I shriek, halfway through a sob.
“Alright, Harm,” he murmurs, rocking me back and forth for a minute before scooping me up into his arms.
I fist his suit jacket in my hands. “Why has he done this to me?”
He places me in the back seat of his car. “Let’s get you home. I’m sure things will be okay tomorrow.”
“I was hot,” I repeat with less force, not believing my own words so I know that he won’t either.
We reach the tunnel and he clears his throat. “Where to?”
“Oh, Mom’s house,” I answer him, looking out of the window.
“Your mom’s?” he asks, although I can hear the silent question behind it.
“It’s temporary,” I state.
He nods once, not asking the questions I know that he wants to.
We spend the rest of the journey in silence until he pulls up to the house and jumps out of the car, running around and opening my door—like he used to.
“Thank you,” I say, smiling up at him.
He dips his head. “You’re very welcome. I… It’s not my place to say, but… he could really use a friend.”
I wince. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
“Of course not,” he waves his hand. “Forget I said anything.” He picks up my hand and places a soft kiss on the top of my knuckles. “Take care, Harmony.”
As soon as I’ve slid into my car, I close my eyes, leaning my head back on the headrest and taking a deep breath. When I woke up this morning, I never would have guessed what was going to happen today.
I never thought I’d see Harmony ever again, let alone today. For the first month after I left her, I had Edward check on her every morning. Then for a couple of years after, I kept tabs on her, having regular updates.
But when Clay was born, I decided I had to stop living in the past, to be in the here and now and concentrate on my family. I stopped getting people to check up on her, needing to forget about that part of my past.
It wasn’t until she graduated that I found out that she was moving away, but as soon as Edward muttered the words, “Harmony” and “moving,” I shot him down, not trusting myself to think about her when I was trying to make things work at home.
Things were good between Natalia and me at that stage in our lives; we had a family and were determined to be the parents that our own weren’t. To be there for our children: to attend everything we needed to, to read to them each night before tucking them into bed and giving them a kiss on the top of their head, letting them know that they’re loved more than anything in the world.
I was handed the company not long after Clay was born, and although I knew it was going to be hard to earn everyone’s trust after what my father did, I was determined. With Natalia by my side, I knew that I could do it.
Then Izzie was born and we lost her. With that, I was suddenly thrust into being a single parent, something that I never for a million years thought would happen.
I spiraled and lost complete control over my life; living day to day, not caring about anything or anyone but the kids.
With everything that was going on and feeling like I was alone, I reached out to Edward and asked him to check on Harmony again. The thought of seeing her face after all this time was the only thing that grounded me at that time.
My head told me to leave it well enough alone, to let her get on with her life, but my heart was begging me to go to her, to ask for her forgiveness and to go back in time.
But one look down at Clay’s three-year-old face and a look at Izzie’s eyes—the same blue as Natalia’s—had me snapping back to the man that I had become. The one who was trying to protect Harmony and be the father that mine wasn’t.
When Edward came back with that envelope full of information, I knew that I couldn’t open it, but that didn’t mean that I threw it away. It still sits in the locked, bottom drawer of my desk to this day.
My hands grip the steering wheel harder at that thought. Why did I keep it? Why didn’t I throw it away and be done with it?
From that day on, I decided to be the best father that I could be, even if it meant sacrificing my happiness. Clay and Izzie were more important to me than anyone else; most of all me.
Shaking the past from my head, I turn the key in the ignition, bringing the engine roaring to life as I head back to the studio. There’s no way that I’m sending the kids back here next week; I won’t let them be a pawn in this game she’s clearly playing.
It takes me about twenty minutes to get there and when I do, I find a spot a couple of cars down from the studio. I start to open my door but two figures have me stopping in my tracks.
I watch as a man and woman walk down the cobblestone path, the moonlight illuminating them as they get closer. My jaw clenches as I see Edward with his arm wrapped around Harmony’s shoulders.
Why is he helping her?
My eyes widen as I realize he probably knew she was back. Has he been talking to her all this time? Working with her so that she can do whatever the hell it is she’s doing here?
They stop before they get to a car a couple of spaces ahead of me and my gaze flits over her auburn hair that is pulled up into a ponytail with a slight wave to it. I can almost feel the softness, imagining the way that it would feel as I run my fingers through it. I can almost smell the honey and almond scent that would wrap around us with the movement.
I smack my palm off the steering wheel, hating where my thoughts immediately go.
My eyes narrow into slits and my hands clench into fists as I watch Edward take her arm to help her get into his car. He’s a traitor; a traitor who I’ve treated like family.
I don’t move, not when they’ve driven off, and not when people start to spill out of the studio.
It’s not until I see Clay and Izzie with my mom and Amelia that my body finally gives in and I push open the door, sliding out and catching Izzie as she runs at me.
“You missed it, Daddy!”
I open my mouth to apologize when Clay pipes up. “We should ask Miss J if you can see everything next week at watching week.” He pushes his glasses up his nose and I smile, trying to cover the anger that is consuming my whole body right now.
I want to blurt out that they won’t be coming back next week; there’ll be no watching week because they’ll never be near her again.
“Maybe,” I manage to get out as I strap Izzie in her seat before Mom slides in between her and Clay.
“Son—”
I interrupt Mom, knowing what she’s about to say. “Not now,” I tell her, my voice leaving no room for argument.
She flits her eyes between mine and relents. “Okay.”
“Where’s Edward?” I look behind me as if I’m expecting him to appear at any second, only I know that he’s not going to.
“He… erm,” she stutters. “He had something to take care of, he’ll pick me up from your place later.”
I nod, knowing she’s withholding information from me before slamming the door shut and climbing into the driver’s seat, catching Amelia’s gaze in the passenger seat as I pull out of the spot I’m parked in. I can see the questions in her eyes but I’m not willing to answer them, at least not yet anyway.
Over the years Amelia has become my confidant, and I know I can talk to her about anything: she knows about Harmony, although not everything, but enough to know that Harmony being back will affect me, but she doesn’t know how much.
“You okay?” she whispers.
“I’m fine,” I grind out, the silence in the car deafening.
She nods her head but doesn’t say anything else as I blow out a breath and look back out of the window wondering what I’m going to do.
Life just got a hell of a lot messier.