Page 41 of A Home for Harmony (Blossoms #16)

MY COMPLETE SUPPORT

“ W hat the fuck is wrong with you?!” Micah shouted when Harmony opened the door to him five hours later.

The startled look on her face said he overstepped, but that wasn’t his concern.

The fact the woman he loved put herself out there and all but taunted the person frightening her, making her a bigger target and scaring his daughter in the process, was enough to have him racing over to make sure no one was holding her at gunpoint.

“Nice to see you too,” she said. “But if you’re going to talk to me like that, you can leave.” She crossed her arms and had the most serious expression he’d ever witnessed.

Erica showed up behind her sister and mimicked it. “I second that. Though Harmony scared me earlier and I didn’t want to help her, she has my complete support now. This is our house. Badge or not, you’re not stepping foot in it with that tone of voice.”

He took a deep breath. “I’m not apologizing for being upset. I shouldn’t have shouted and sworn at you though.”

“No,” Harmony said. “You shouldn’t have. You can come in if you’re going to have a mature conversation with me; otherwise go back to work and cool off.”

He moved past the two sisters. “We’ve got to talk about this. I don’t know why you did it and didn’t tell me, but you could have made yourself a bigger target for this person.”

“No,” she said. “I didn’t. I know who it is. I’m not in any danger and feel like a complete idiot for overreacting about this. For letting it control me for so long because I let other people’s influences get in my head.”

“Who is it?” he asked. “Are you positive?”

He’d been trying to figure it out but was getting nowhere. There were too many accounts of people who’d sent messages or emails to Harmony. None that he could track, nor could he officially ask it to be done without opening a case file, which was a problem when no threatening language was used.

“Ninety-nine percent positive. I think by tonight the person will make themselves known. How did you even find out about this video?”

“Scarlet,” he said. “You know she follows you. She watched it in study hall and called me. She’s scared.”

“I didn’t mean to scare her. I wanted it out there that it’s not okay to do this. I didn’t call anyone out.”

She hadn’t. He had to admit it was done well from what he’d heard through his daughter’s phone as she played it.

It was almost professional, and since Erica helped, it made him think her older sister played a part in covering their asses.

It was shot too far away from Harmony to have been holding the phone too.

“Tell me what is going on,” he said. “I need to know so I can be on top of it.”

“Micah. I don’t need you to be on top of this. You’re not my parent. You don’t have to take care of things for me. I’ve got it handled.”

He ground his teeth. “If you had it handled, you wouldn’t have been so scared and come to me. Don’t turn this around that I’m trying to be something that you don’t want.”

Her lips twisted in frustration. “Fine. I was scared and went to you. You calmed me and made me think logically. So much so that I was looking for signs and clues myself and found them.”

“And you’re going to tell me what you found exactly,” he said. “I’ll determine if it makes sense.”

“Don’t get on your high horse with me. I mean it.

I’m not Scarlet. I’m an adult. I’ve gotten enough lectures in my life over my choices and behavior and I will not tolerate it from the man I love.

I did nothing wrong. I know you don’t like my career choices, but this is something that could happen to anyone.

Chances are, it would have happened regardless of the size of my following now that I know who it is. ”

“Who is it?” he asked. “And show me the proof of how you came to this conclusion.”

Her toe was tapping as she hesitated.

“Come to my office.”

“Do you want me to go with you?” Erica asked. He’d thought Erica had gone back into her office, but when he turned his head, realized she’d been standing in the doorway watching them.

“No,” he said.

“I’ll answer my sister in my house.” He held her stare. If she was afraid to be alone with him, it was just one more mistake he’d made today. “We’re fine, Erica. Thank you.”

Erica went to her office and the two of them climbed the stairs.

“I want to see this video,” he said. “I don’t follow you and couldn’t access it. Scarlet called and played it so I could hear it.”

“If you followed me, then you’d see it,” she said.

“I don’t need to be on social media.” He didn’t want to get sucked down that rabbit hole. He trusted his daughter enough to not see it all. He thought he trusted Harmony, but after this stunt he was reserving judgment.

“That’s your loss,” she said. “It’s not all bad, but you can’t get it out of your head.

The same as other people. I’m not blaming you, don’t think that, but I’ve prided myself on being genuine and I’ve realized that others have made me doubt and judge when something was uncomfortable rather than approach it the way I should have.

I would have discovered this wasn’t a big deal and maybe who it was a long time ago. ”

He wasn’t so sure of that but wasn’t about to voice it either. She didn’t blame him now, but she might hold it against him if he insulted her.

She pulled up the video on her computer and played it for him.

He’d only seen a screenshot of her with her back to the lake, standing on the dock.

“Hello everyone. I’ve got a serious announcement I’d like to make that we all need to hear.

And if you don’t think you need it, then take it as a reminder that what you say, do, or post on social media has consequences.

It has results you might not see or expect.

For the past two years, I’ve been getting upsetting and often disturbing messages and emails from someone I don’t know.

I’d block them, they’d come back as a different user.

There were no threats of physical harm, but rather threats to my peace of mind making me doubt my actions, which we all know can be much worse.

Sometimes when you post a comment or email, you think you’re flattering or complimenting someone, but there are lines and boundaries that get crossed.

Gifts, whether electronically or physically sent, are some things you should stop and think about.

You should know one hundred percent that what you’re doing or saying gives the correct message.

And never do it anonymously, because, let’s be honest, anything anonymous isn’t flattering.

People are going to hate in this world and people are going to love.

It’s human nature. What we all need to focus on is doing what we love and harming no one in the process.

Intentionally or unintentionally. Please do me a favor and take a moment the next time you send a message or post a response, and ask yourself, how would I feel if this was being sent to me?

It’s a simple question with a complex answer.

Be kind to yourself and each other. That’s my message on this beautiful day that I hope you’ll take to heart. ”

“You don’t look upset in the video,” he said.

“I wasn’t at that point,” she said. “I’d calmed down. Erica and I scripted what I was going to say as best as we could. It appears more of a PSA and not necessarily about me, but it had to be done.”

He could see over fifty thousand reactions to the video and more coming as he stood next to her. Messages were popping up at the same time.

As his eyes scanned them, they were all positive. Some people saying it was happening to them also.

“Show me who the person is,” he said. “Don’t make me ask again.”

She reached forward and started to angrily type into her computer, then pulled up a video screenshot that she’d circled of a shelf with other small random items. “What do you see? The three emoji signature, right?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Close enough.”

“That’s right,” she said. “It’s too much of a coincidence, if you ask me.”

“How did you find that?”

“I’m working with this client.”

“What!? For how long?”

“There you go again, getting pissed. You know, Micah, I expected you to be more in control.”

He ground his teeth. “You don’t get it.”

“Yes,” she said. “I do get it. You’re worried and want to protect me.

I don’t need it. The messages haven’t come in a long time; the flowers were the last thing.

I realized that whenever I met with Danielle—that’s her name—when we were talking and working together, she was getting attention from me.

She was acting differently in person than who I knew her to be.

She didn’t need to send messages then because she got what she was hoping for.

You made me realize it wasn’t a guy. You had me looking at it logically.

From that point on, I was more focused about it. ”

“How do you know this woman?” he asked. “Someone you met online? A stranger you opened yourself up to and got close?”

“I hear the condemnation in your voice and I’m over it. I’m tired of justifying my job to people. I’ve taken all the precautions I could and this would have still happened. Do you want to know why? Because I was with Danielle on New Year’s Eve in New York.”

His jaw opened, his face filled with heat. “Tell me you’re joking.”

“No, I’m not. Danielle and I worked together at my last job.

She’d hang out with me and my friend Lizzie.

She always tagged along. I had no reason to think anything bad or wrong other than she’s quiet and not very confident in herself.

But again, as I said, on these one-on-one calls, I’m seeing someone else and should have realized it.

Thinking back, when we worked together, I wasn’t getting the messages until toward the end before I left.

When I was distancing myself from everyone knowing I was going to leave. ”

“You were overly friendly with her,” he said. “You led her on.”

“Is that what you think of me?” she asked. There were tears in her eyes. “That I’m a fake and lead people on?”

Yep, the words slipped without thought. “That isn’t what I meant.”

“But it’s what you said. What I’ve heard my whole life.

I am who I am. I’m happy this way. I can’t and won’t pretend to be someone I’m not.

Even when I enjoy what I do, I have to tell myself everyone in my life hates it or is worried and I need to figure out a way to move away from it.

It skewed the way I approached this too. ”

“So you don’t want to stop being an influencer?” This was news to him.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I enjoy influencing people’s lives positive ly. There isn’t anything wrong with that. I’m not saying I’m doing it for money. That isn’t it. I like just being me and putting that out there and maybe bringing some joy to someone else that might be missing it in their life.”

“Like Danielle, who now is stalking you.”

“I want you to leave,” Harmony said. “You’re not in a good frame of mind to talk about this.

You told me to be honest with my mother about how I was feeling and I’m doing the same with you.

I love you and love that you want to protect me.

But you’re insulting my intelligence like so many others have done.

You’re diminishing my self-worth in my career because it’s not something you’d do or care for rather than opening your mind like you said you were.

I’m tired of being shoved into a box and told everything I do is wrong or silly or meaningless and I’ll be damned if I’ll let the man I love make me feel like a failure. ”

“I don’t want you to feel that way,” he said.

“I’m sorry,” she said, crying. “Please go for now.”

Micah turned and left because he had no other choice when Erica showed up in the doorway. He should have known Harmony would get that support. Support she always said she didn’t have, but she was wrong.

He went home after that. Scarlet would be there, as school got out about thirty minutes ago.

“Is Harmony okay?” Scarlet asked, rushing to his side.

“She’s fine,” he said.

“But you’re not,” Scarlet said, stepping back. “Did you fight?”

“I don’t want to get into it.”

The last thing he wanted to do was admit to his daughter he might have lost the best thing that happened to him.

The word failure knocked some sense into him.

The one thing he didn’t want to do in another relationship. Or make someone else feel.

Yet he did without knowing.

“Did you lecture her and make her feel as if it was her fault?” His daughter’s hands were on her hips as she glared at him.

“It doesn’t concern you,” he said. “I’m going to change.”

“Dad! Talk to me. I’m not a child. I love Harmony, and if you made a mistake, then you should own it.

That is what you always tell me. She’s fantastic at what she does.

She’s not like other people online. Everything she does and says is positive.

Even today, that was a horrible thing happening to her and though she wasn’t her normal peppy self, she’s always upbeat.

She was composed enough that people listened.

You should see the support and responses she’s getting. ”

“I saw them,” he said.

“Make it right, Dad. Because I’m positive you messed up. That’s when you want to avoid talking about it.”

His daughter turned and stomped away from him.

Guess all the women in his life were putting him in his place.