Page 3 of Broken Harmony (Heartbreak Melody #2)

“We better get going, don’t want to miss your flight!” my dad, Calvin, calls from downstairs.

“Coming!” I call back, letting out a small huff as I take a look around my room. Everything here will stay the same; meanwhile, I’ll be gone, starting over new... hopefully.

It’s a contest, and there’s no way of knowing if I’ll even win. The best I can hope for is a fun summer with good memories.

Yeah, okay. How the fuck is that going to happen when it hurts to breathe? Any time I let my mind wander, all I can think of is her.

It’s been a week since everything went down with Lulu, and I’m still a wreck. My parents keep trying to hype up my summer with my uncle, but what do they expect? For me to just forget that I lost my best friend, the girl I’ve been in love with for years?

Yes, I’m going to go and I’m going to try my hardest to win. I didn’t put all this work into my music and enter this competition for nothing.

Still, I know anytime I let things go quiet, I’ll hear her voice. Her laugh. Her fucking moans as my tongue slipped past her lips and—

“Alisha!” Mom calls up. “Let’s go.”

“Fuck,” I mutter, shaking my head, snapping myself out of my thoughts. I don’t need to go there. Not again.

Tell that to yourself when you're alone at night with your hand between your thighs, thinking of her.

I’m so fucked up.

Looking at my phone, I curse when I see the time. Quickly, I shove the rest of my things into my bag and throw it over my shoulder.

I’m about to leave when I pause, looking down at my nightstand at the photo of Lulu and me. We’re all big smiles, wild hair, and our arms wrapped around each other. Fuck, what I’d give to go back to that day.

Swallowing hard, I turn my attention away from the photo, hand itching to grab and shove it into my bag. I won’t, because it’s bad enough I see her gorgeous face every time I look at my lock screen. Rolling over and waking up to that photo every morning doesn’t sound like a healthy way to cope.

Making sure I have everything I need, I do one last check around my room before heading downstairs.

“Alright, I’m ready.”

“My baby!” Mom rushes over to me, wrapping me up in a tight hug.

“It’s only for the summer.” I laugh, hugging her back.

“I know,” she sniffs. “But if you win, it’s going to be longer.”

After finding out Lulu wasn’t coming with me to California, I told myself that if I didn’t win the competition, I’d be coming back home.

While being a singer has always been a dream of mine, if it’s not in the cards for me, there’s no reason for me to start over in California.

Originally, if I didn’t win, I planned on staying because Lulu would be going to a university nearby.

Now she’s not.

“Got everything?” my dad, Ryder, asks.

“Yup. I think so.”

After I say goodbye to my mom and the other dads, my dad, Ryder, drops me off at the airport.

As I get in line to pick up my boarding pass, the nerves hit me hard. This is really happening. I look around. I’m really going to California... alone.

Swallowing back the tears, my eyes drop to the pink and black bracelet with the little mic charm around my wrist. The one Lulu made me. I only take it off to shower, or when I swim. Otherwise, it stays firmly on my wrist. I like to call it my good luck charm. Let’s hope that's still the case.

***

The plane ride was fine. I was seated next to someone who didn’t try to chat my ear off, so that was nice. I was able to listen to my music and wallow in my misery in peace.

Once I grab my bags from baggage claim, I head towards the exit and pause.

A big smile stretches across my face when I see a tall man with dark, shaggy brown hair holding up a sign that says Alisha Williams, next big star.

Shaking my head, I rush over to my uncle, Chase. “Could you be any more of a dork?” I laugh, grabbing at the sign.

“I could,” he chuckles. “Want me to try?” he asks, holding it higher out of my reach.

“Still a pain in the ass, I see,” I huff, shooting him a glare.

He grins wide. “It’s all part of my charm, darling niece.”

“You're lucky you're my favorite uncle.” I can’t help but smile and give him a hug.

“I’m your only uncle,” he chuckles, hugging me back.

“Ah, no, you're not. I have like five on my dad’s side.”

He waves me off. “It’s the mom’s side that counts.” He winks.

“You're insufferable,” I grumble, heading towards the exit.

“Ahh. Love you too, babe,” he says in amusement, catching up with me.

My Uncle Chase is my mom’s younger brother. At only twenty-six, Chase Thornton is one of the youngest, richest male Omega producers, owning his own record label. He’s made a name for himself in this world, inspiring me to do the same.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay with me?” my uncle asks, pulling up to a hotel. “I mean, this place is nice—I made sure all the contestants were taken care of—but wouldn’t you want to stay in an actual home? I have more than enough room.”

I shake my head. “I told you, I don’t want any special treatment. As far as this competition is concerned, you don’t know me. We’re not family. I am not your niece.” I give him a pointed look. “No nepotism, no favoritism. Got it?”

“I got it.” He holds up his hands, a smile playing on his lips. “But it’s not like you need it. Ally, you’re amazing all on your own. You got here based on your pure talent with no help from me.”

It’s true. At least I hope it is. I didn’t tell anyone when I entered the competition because I didn’t want anything to influence my participation.

It wasn’t until my uncle called my mom, letting her know I made it to the final ten, that she and my dads found out.

He had no idea and was thrilled when the results came up in passing during a business meeting.

He had no clue up until that point, since another department and producer are in charge of the competition. .

“Thanks,” I sigh, looking out the front window and up at the massive hotel. “Well, I guess I better get in there.”

“You know I don’t like the idea of you being here all on your own.” He frowns. “You're only seventeen.”

“I’ll be eighteen in September,” I point out. “I’ll be fine, okay?”

“Promise me you will text or call me if you need anything. And use my car service if you're going to leave the hotel outside of anything competition related,” he says with a tone that demands no argument.

“I promise.” I hold up my pinky and grin.

He smiles back, hooking his pinky with mine. “Pinky promise,” he says.

“Pinky promise.”

It’s not like there’s going to be a lot of downtime to go out and explore anyways.

The whole summer is planned out, with every minute accounted for until the end of the competition. Most of my free time will be writing music, in the recording studio, or sleeping. If I want to win this, I have to take it seriously.

After this weekend, all my time will be spent doing everything I can to win.

As much as a part of me wants to go back home after all this is done because Lulu is there, a bigger part of me knows giving up my dream for someone I can’t have, at least not right now, would be a big mistake.

If the universe is going to grace me with this chance, I’m going to prove to everyone I deserve it.

Once I get checked in, I head up to my room to get settled.

“Holy shit,” I murmur, eyes wide as I look around the room. Fucking Uncle Chase. I know there’s no way all the other people in the competition have a room like this.

While I don’t think this is the penthouse suite or anything, it’s pretty damn close. The place is huge. It has its own living room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom with a king-size bed.

And a fucking jacuzzi tub.

Shaking my head, I grab my phone and text my uncle.

Me: I thought I said no favoritism.

Chase: Whatever do you mean?

Me: The room????

Chase: What about it?

Me: You're telling me that everyone else has a room this size?

Chase: ...Well, no. But only because this was the only room left. I’m sorry, but I’d rather give it to you than one of the others. Sorry, not sorry.

Me: You suck. :P

Chase: Love you too! Enjoy, have fun, and anything you want, just add it to my tab.

Me: You have a tab here?

Chase: Seeing how I own the hotel, I guess it’s not really a tab. It’s a free-for-all for me. And now for you.

My eyes widen.

Me: SINCE WHEN DID YOU BUY A HOTEL?????

Chase: Ahh, like a year ago. Doesn’t matter. Enjoy. And if I were showing you favoritism, I’d have given you the penthouse. Which is still an option if you want it.

Me: I can’t even with you right now.

Chase: Love you too. Be good. Have fun. But not too much fun. I’ll be watching!

I sigh as I sit heavily on the couch. Looking around, I can’t help but smile. This is real. I’m really here.

Then a wave of sorrow hits me, and my smile falls.

I'm here, but without her.

My eyes drop to the bracelet. “We were supposed to do this together,” I murmur, rubbing my finger along the little mic. My chest hurts and my eyes sting. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and shake my head.

“Nope, not going to let my shitty mood get me down. I’m in LA. I’m in a contest that could give me everything I could ever dream of. I’m going to enjoy it.”

After getting settled in, I decide to head down to the lobby and see if there's a place to eat around here.

The receptionist points me where I need to go, and I sigh in relief when I read the little menu on a stand outside the entrance. Lots of things I’d eat. If anything, it all looks amazing, and I’m going to end up leaving this hotel ten pounds heavier.

But hey, if the food is good, it’s easy to win over my heart.

“Hi.” I smile at the hostess. “For one, please.”

“For sure.” She smiles, looking down at her tablet. “Unfortunately, we don’t have any tables available. It would be about a forty-minute wait.” Slight disappointment hits me. “But we do have some space at the bar if you're okay eating there.”

“Oh.” I blink. “I’m not twenty-one.”