Etching Our Way (Broken Tracks 1)

She chuckles. “Do you want some help?”

As she asks, I find my way out of the dress and pop my head out of the curtain, hiding the rest of my body. “I’m free now, thanks, but could you ring this up and I’ll be out in a minute.” She nods and I hand the dress over to her . “Oh, and do you have any of those long gloves and a tiara?”

“Sure, what color gloves?”

I shrug. “It honestly doesn’t matter, I’m going to a six-year-old’s birthday party and this is at her request.”

She chuckles. “Gotcha. I’ll go and find your accessories.”

I smile wide at her and close the curtain fully, pulling on my summer dress and scooping my hair back into a messy bun. Placing my sunglasses on the top of my head, I walk out of the fitting room and over to the counter.

“I picked white gloves and this tiara,” the shop assistant says, holding up the items and showing me.

I nod. “Perfect, thank you.”

I pay up and walk out into the sunshine, flipping my sunglasses down to cover my eyes as I pull out my cellphone and reply to Tristan.

HARMONY: Well, then I’ll get blue. ;) :P And that princess sounds stupid.

I giggle to myself before looking up and seeing the one—or two—people I really could do without seeing. Why is he here? Although, it’s not that unusual considering his parents still live in the area, but I haven’t seen or heard from him since the night he turned up at my studio. I guess seeing me with Tristan was enough to warn him off, or maybe it was the fact that I told him I’d call the cops if I ever saw him again?

They haven’t seen me yet so I could hide, but I don’t. I won’t let them dictate how I act, so I straighten my shoulders and continue walking with my head up, pretending that I haven’t seen them.

“Harmony?” Dammit.

I try to act surprised as my eyes meet his. “Oh, Gerry.”

My gaze flits over to the girl I unashamedly nearly mauled when she was sitting at my dining table in her underwear, but instead of feeling rage like I did back then, I feel… nothing. And it makes me smile.

He settles his confused gaze on my happy expression and clears his throat. “How have you been?”

My cellphone pings in my hand and I grin as Tristan’s name flashes across the screen. “You know, I’ve been really good.” I gesture toward the girl. “Are you… together now?”

She has the sense to look down at the ground and he stammers out, “I… I…”

“Gerry, it’s okay, we’re not together anymore.”

He sighs. “Yes. This is Maria.”

Her head snaps up at the sound of her name and she gives me a hesitant, small wave. “Hi.”

The bitter feeling I once felt rolls through me for a split second before it gives way for a bigger, more powerful emotion: acceptance.

“Hi, Maria.” I face Gerry again and he gives me a thankful smile, showing me the man that he once was before he turned resentful.

“I… I’ve been meaning to call and apologize for how I acted a few weeks ago.” He grabs the back of his neck, obviously uncomfortable. “I shouldn’t have turned up at your studio the way that I did. What you do with your life now is none of my business.”

I nod but don’t acknowledge his apology any more than that. “You’re happy?” I ask him.

He looks over my shoulder before looking me in the eyes and saying, “I am.”

“I’m glad that you’re happy with your decisions,” I reply.

He hesitates before saying, “And you? You’re looking... happier.”

I nod, smiling down at my phone again. “Very.” A wave of closure crashes down over me and I know it’s time to leave instead of dragging this out. “I have somewhere that I need to be, but take care, Gerry.” I finish my sentence by looking up at him and smiling. “It was surprisingly cathartic seeing you again.”

His face falls for a split second before he regains his composure. “Yeah, you too, Harmony. And for what it’s worth? I am sorry about how things turned out.”