Page 22 of Broken Harmony (Heartbreak Melody #2)

Three Years Later

––––––––

“Freedom!” I cheer, throwing my arms over my head with a laugh as we make our way towards the green room.

“You act like we’re being forced to do this.” Ryker laughs, and my smile drops just a little bit. “Shit, sorry. I didn’t think...”

“It’s okay.” I shoot him a grin as I spin around to face the guys. “You’re right. We’re not being forced to do this.” Anymore. “But we did just finish a tour and I’m excited to take a little break, do something different. Try a few things.” I shrug.

I’ve been dabbling in more acting over the past few years, taking on smaller roles when I have the time. I like it. I like picking what I can do.

After everything with Julia, my life has changed a lot. But I’d like to think for the better.

Once Nate joined the team, we took a small break from everything to re-group and see what the best direction to go was.

I got myself into therapy, something I’ve found very helpful. My therapist helped me see that I was a victim, and just because I don’t like to play one, to let what happened control my life more than it already had, doesn’t mean I should dismiss what happened to me.

Working through it has been good. I feel freer, happier, and healthier.

Medication helps too. My depression is a lot more manageable now that I don’t have someone pushing me to be a puppet to do their bidding.

As for what’s happened with Julia? Well, her trial made national news. A trial that’s been ongoing for years. Turns out, her manipulation was something she didn’t just use in her work life, but in her personal life too.

Every time a new victim was brought to light, it made me sick to my stomach.

There are so many people she has abused since becoming an Alpha.

She was someone who was given a power, and once she realized she had the ability to use it against somebody, she abused it and became high off the control it gave her.

It wasn’t just clients she abused. It stemmed from people she went to school with, her teachers, to even her own poor mother. No one was safe.

She’s sick and cruel, and I wonder just how much worse it could have gotten.

If she was attracted to me, could she have used her control to take what she wanted? Because there were a few people she did that to. Making me even more disgusted by the whole thing.

It’s over now, thankfully, the very long three-year court case is coming to an end soon.

And while I haven’t been involved in it, other than to speak my piece and share my story, I’m glad it’s over.

She’s looking at life in prison, and boy, do I hope she gets slapped with that sentence.

“Don’t get too excited,” Nate says, popping my little happy bubble. Turning around, I find him and Liam standing there, side by side.

My stomach does this little swoop in part arousal and part fucking heartbreak.

“Don’t mellow my vibe.” I glare at my manager. And he gives me this playful smirk that always does things to my chest.

“I’m not trying to, Kitty Cat.” He winks. “Just reminding you we have one more thing to do tomorrow before you can truly relax.”

“Don’t remind me,” I grumble, throwing open the green room door. “It’s like anytime something good happens in my life, that bitch pops up in some way.”

“You don’t have to go,” Liam grunts, standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. How can he look so good just existing? It shouldn't be allowed.

“I know,” I say softly. “But I want to. I want to say my piece. She took my voice away. This is me taking it back.”

His lips lift into a smile. “I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks.” I wink.

Things between Liam and me are in this odd place.

After a few months of having another guard as my personal bodyguard, I decided I needed Liam back.

It was stupid of me to think time would help me heal or help me get over him, because this is me we’re talking about. It’s been what, years, and I’m still unhealthily obsessed with Lulu. What makes me think I’d get over Liam when I see him every day?

Ever since my first heat, the past three fucking years have been backhanded flirting, very obvious jealousy on both ends, and sexual tension you can drown in.

Still, nothing has been done about it.

He hasn’t tried to go looking for his one and only, and I’ve been too busy with work to care about starting a pack.

The guys have been talking about maybe looking for an Omega of their own, but they want to wait a few more years before taking that step.

Nate... he’s been the addition to our little fucked up shit show of a family that I didn’t know we needed.

He’s hands down amazing at his job. Everything we do is agreed upon as a team beforehand. If we’re not all on board, it doesn’t happen.

He’s been doing more and more solo stuff for me, booking me auditions and ad campaigns as I allow myself to branch out again. It’s the same way things are handled with the band. If I don’t agree, it doesn’t happen.

Thankfully, while there’s this attraction between us, other than the playful banter, nothing has been pushed. So, while I do like the guy, and he sure is pretty on the eyes, I’m not head over heels in love with him.

I take that as a win, right?

Not really, when I still have a stupid crush on the guy. It’s just a little one. Nothing to worry about. Kind of like the one I had on him as a kid. Only this time, I know not to think anything more of it.

Still, why couldn’t I just be fully gay, so that way, I’m not tempted to fall for every man who comes into my life?

Although I’d say I’m doing great with the whole being friends only with the guys thing. Even though we live so closely together and our lives are crazy intertwined, we haven’t crossed that line. And I know with everything in me, we never will.

“Alright, big guy,” I sigh dramatically, flopping down on the couch. “Carry me home.”

“Really?” Liam grumbles, walking over to me. “You had to make this harder than it needs to be.”

I move my hand that’s draped over my face and peek up at him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He tries to hide his smile, but I see it. “Come on,” he mutters, leaning down to scoop me up into his arms. “Let’s get you to bed.”

“Oh, my!” I gasp, placing my hand over my heart. “Why, sir, I’m not that kind of lady.”

He snorts, shaking his head. “Enough.”

“Never.” I grin.

Yeah, like I said, things between Liam and me are weird as hell. But I sort of love it.

We’ve gone from this push and pull of will-they-won’t-they to being best friends. Not like the friendship I have with the guys, but something more intense. It’s like we’re together but have none of the benefits. We don’t kiss, we don’t fuck, nothing like that.

But sometimes, there are cuddles. And god, I live for those times.

The way we are around one another makes me feel safe.

Happy. My therapist hates it, says it’s a very unhealthy way of coping, and I should put up boundaries, but I like to remind her I’m already fucked up enough, we should work on one thing at a time.

Can’t the woman just let me have something nice?

Ugh.

I’m a lot more exhausted than I thought I was, because by the time we get to the bus, I’m pretty much passed out in Liam’s arms.

I’m still kinda awake as he places me on the bed and helps strip me down to my underwear. I should let him know I’m awake and do this myself, but I don’t.

Sometimes, I need this. The care of an Alpha. I’m a twenty-four-year-old Omega who hardly ever gets the care of an Alpha that I so desperately crave.

It can get so bad to the point I become clingy with the guys. Thankfully, they don’t seem to mind, giving me snuggles whenever I need them.

Once he dresses me in my sleepwear, he leaves the room. But not the bus. I can hear him talking to Nate, and I strain to listen.

“How is she?” Nate asks.

“Sleeping,” Liam sighs.

“How are you?” Nate asks, his voice taking a softer tone.

At this point, my life has become a telenovela.

Because not only am I still hung up over my childhood best friend, in love with my bodyguard who wants me too, but refuses to go there, but I also have the hots for my manager.

And said bodyguard and manager are having a secret relationship.

Yup.

Ask me how I know? Don’t worry, I’ll tell you.

I stumbled upon them fucking in a janitor’s closet. Yeah, that sure was something to listen to. Did I get turned on and wish I was in there with them? Wouldn’t you like to know.

Normally, when it comes to anyone so much as looking at Liam in an ‘I want to fuck you kind of way’, I get jealous and want to claw their eyes out.

With Nate, I don’t feel like that. I like that Liam has someone on his side. Someone he can trust and be with in an intimate way. Sometimes I wonder if I were a Beta, would things between us be different?

“I’m worried. Ally has worked so hard to get to where she is now, I don’t want one visit with that witch to ruin it all,” Liam growls.

“We’re going to have to make sure it doesn't. Let Ally know she’s not alone. She has us. And we’d never let her get hurt again.”

Tears sting the back of my eyes, and I have to close them to keep from crying.

It’s moments like this that I ache to be with them, to be their Omega. To be part of their little pack they have going on.

Then I remember I’m not that Omega for them. I’m not his scent match and never will be.

Only thing is, what if there isn’t a scent match for Liam? What if there isn’t a scent match for me?

There have been thousands of people we’ve come in contact with over the years, and not one of them has been it.

What if we’re just not meant to have one? Scent matches are more on the rare side. Not everyone is meant to have one. And millions of people go their whole lives without ever finding them, and they live long, happy lives.

Is Liam really going to let the trauma from his past potentially keep him from being happy and having the life he really wants deep down?

Liam is mine. I don’t care what anyone says. I don’t care that he might have some Omega out there with his name on them.

He is my Alpha. My heart. My fucking soul.

Yeah, I’m not too sure if therapy is helping me in all aspects of my life.

But maybe there’s just some parts of life you're not meant to fix.

***

“I’m gonna puke,” I breathe out as we sit and wait for the guards to bring Julia down to the visiting area.

“You're going to be fine.” Nate smiles, giving my knee a squeeze. “If it becomes too much, just let us know.”

This morning, the judge officially sentenced Julia to life in prison without parole.

Knowing she’s going to be locked up for life makes me so damn happy.

Seeing her walk out there in an orange prison uniform looking like she hasn’t slept in years is the cherry on top.

Now she knows how I fucking felt.

When she sees me, her face pales. Yeah bitch. Be afraid.

The guards forced her to sit in the seat in front of me. Plexiglass with a few little holes drilled into it separates us.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, voice sounding tired and defeated.

I know it sounds stupid, but just seeing her like this has me feeling a million times better. I’ve spent hours thinking of what I wanted to say to her, to tell her how much she hurt me, how what she did to me was wrong, and she had no right.

But the facts are, she knew all of that. And she doesn’t care. No matter how much I share with her that she hurt me, she won’t care. If she did, she wouldn’t have done what she did.

She doesn’t deserve to have that power over me anymore.

“I’ll make this quick,” I say, a feeling of acceptance settling over me.

“First, I want you to know, you didn’t win.

” I smile. “All that power you had over me was for nothing. Because I’m out here, living the best life I could have ever asked for.

I’m thriving. The band is better than ever.

I’m taking on more jobs, making a difference in the world.

Have all the money I could ask for.” I give her a smug grin, loving how pissed off she’s getting.

“And you? You get to rot away behind these four walls.

All the hard work fucking with people's lives was for nothing.

Because that's what you ended up with. Nothing.

No power. No money. You are a nobody, Julia.

And that's all you will be remembered as. Ha.” I laugh, shaking my head.

“No. You won’t even be remembered at all.

Because you're not worth the space in anyone's mind.

How's it feel to be in your late twenties with your life already over?” I ask, cocking my head to the side.

“You are what you are because of me!” she shouts, making the guards step forward. “You’d have nothing if it wasn’t for everything I’ve done for you.”

“No,” I growl, getting to my feet and leaning over.

“I have what I have because of me . Your demands, your manipulations didn’t give me the voice to sing, or the talent to dance.

That was me. All fucking me. You only used the talent that was already there for your advantage.

And guess what? It’s been years since you’ve had any control over me, and I’ve not been doing a single thing of the kind of shit you forced me to do, and I’m bigger and better than ever, baby.

And you can’t take credit for any of that.

See this guy to my left? He’s my manager.

He’s done a million times better job than you ever have.

And guess what? He’s never had to fucking force me to do any of it.

I’m done with you, Julia. I’ve said my piece.

When I walk away from here today, I won’t think of you again.

You will be nothing to me. To the world. Goodbye, Julia. May you rot in hell.”

Turning around on my heel, I stride out of the room with my head held high, Liam and Nate right behind me.

When the warm summer air hits me, I breathe in, feeling the weight of the world being lifted off my shoulders.

“How do you feel?” Liam asks, placing his hand on my lower back. I try not to shiver in pleasure at his touch.

“Like I can breathe again,” I whisper up at him.

“Good,” he murmurs, kissing the top of my head. “I’m glad.”

“What do we do now?” Nate asks.

“Whatever the fuck I want.” I grin, laughing. “I’m free, baby! I’m fucking free.”

And for the first time in a very long time, in a way, I really feel that way.

There might be a lot of things going on in my life that will never be solved, never be put to rest or satisfied, but at last, one demon has been brought down. And for that, I’ll sleep a lot better.