Chapter 11: London's Call

"Is this seat taken?"

Harmony looked up to find Mara standing in front of her,as she was waiting for Jeremy to come pick her up for school, Mara was fresh from her morning run, somehow managing to look effortlessly elegant even in workout clothes.

"Jeremy's running late," Harmony explained. "Board meeting."

"Thats perfect then, I can sit here, just until he shows." Mara slid into the seat without waiting for an answer, something she'd done since they were kids. "Besides, I wanted to talk to you about something."

There was an unusual hesitancy in Mara's voice that made Harmony look closer. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just... You know Alex pretty well now, right? Through Jeremy and your lecturers together?"

"I suppose. We see each other around campus sometimes." Harmony studied her sister's face. "Why?"

A faint blush colored Mara's cheeks – something Harmony hadn't seen since high school. "He's... different, isn't he? From the guys around here.

Understanding dawned. "Mara Carson, do you have a crush on Alex?"

"Shh!" Mara glanced around frantically. "It's not... I just think he's interesting, that's all. He doesn't look at me like I'm just another pretty face.

"That's just Alex," Harmony said gently. "He's thoughtful with everyone."

Something flickered in Mara's eyes – disappointment, maybe? "Right. Of course." She stirred her coffee absently. "It's probably nothing. I mean, he probably sees me as Jeremy's girlfriend's sister and nothing more."

Before Harmony could respond, her phone buzzed with a message from Jeremy: "Call running long. Save me."

"Trouble in paradise?" Mara asked, noticing her frown.

"Just business stuff. His mother's being... difficult."

"Must be hard, dating someone from that world. All those expectations, that legacy."

"Jeremy doesn't care about any of that."

"Everyone cares about legacy, sis." Mara's voice was soft, almost sad. "Even you. Perfect grades, law school dreams, the golden future..." She stopped, seeming to catch herself. "Sorry, I didn't mean..."

"Hey." Harmony reached across the table, squeezing her sister's hand.

Mara's smile didn't quite reach her eyes. She pulled her hand back gently. "So, about Alex... would you maybe just... I don't know, see if he ever mentions me?"

"Of course,"Harmony said warmly "Though you know, you could just talk to him yourself."

"Maybe." Mara stood gracefully.

Jeremy rushed in, looking slightly harried but brightening at the sight of Harmony. He stopped short seeing Mara.

"Sorry I'm late, love. Mother was... Oh, good morning, Mara."

"Don't mind me," Mara said. "Just stealing your coffee and your girlfriend for a sisterly chat. She's all yours now." She squeezed Harmony's shoulder as she passed – a gesture from childhood that suddenly felt weighted with something more.

Once Mara left, Jeremy took her hand, his thumb tracing gentle circles on her palm. His expression grew serious. "There's something I need to tell you."

"The conference call?"

"Unfortunately I will have to return to London next week. The Harrison merger..." he trailed off, running his free hand through his hair. "I tried to push back, but..."

"Hey," Harmony squeezed his hand. "It's okay. We knew you'd have to go back eventually."

"Come stay with me." The words rushed out. "At my hotel apartment, until I leave. I know it's only been a few days since we met in person, but I can't bear the thought of wasting a single moment we have left."

Harmony's breath caught. Part of her thrilled at the invitation, but another part – the part that still sometimes woke up reaching for a leg that wasn't there – hesitated.

"Jeremy, I..."

"We don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with my love," he added quickly, reading her expression. "I just want to be with you. Wake up seeing your face, make you coffee, watch you study with that adorable crease between your eyebrows."

"I do not have a crease," she protested automatically, making him laugh.

"You absolutely do. Right here." He leaned across the table, gently touching the spot between her eyes. "It's one of the many things I love about you."

Harmony caught his hand, pressing a kiss to his palm. "What about your work calls? The time difference..."

"I'll manage. Please, love. Let me have this week with you, before London tries to pull me back into their world."

Looking into his eyes, Harmony felt her insecurities wavering. He knew about her leg, had seen her vulnerability, and was still here, still looking at her like she hung the moon.

"Okay," she whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She smiled, feeling brave. "But you should know, I take forever in the bathroom in the mornings."

"I can live with that." His smile was radiant.

Jeremy stood, pulling her up with him. "Come on. Let me walk you to your Constitutional Law class, then I'll handle things with the hotel. And Harmony?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for trusting me. With everything."

She stretched up to kiss him softly. "Thank you for making it easy."

As Jeremy left, Harmony checked her phone and smiled at a text from Alex: "Running late, save me a seat?" She nodded to herself, scanning the lecture hall for an empty spot.

Just then, Harmony's coursemates, Jane and Emily walked in spotting Harmony , for a moment, they just stared, their expressions unreadable. Harmony's heart sank, remembering how she'd withdrawn from them after the accident.

The three had met in their law school study group,Jane and Emily had been the first to reach out, to invite Harmony to coffee and study sessions, and slowly, Harmony had begun to open up. But after the accident, Harmony had retreated, struggling to cope with her new reality.

Now, as Harmony approached them, she felt a mix of emotions: guilt, anxiety, and a deep longing to reconnect. "Hey, guys. Long time no talk."

Jane and Emily exchanged a look, their faces softening slightly. "Hey," Jane said, her voice guarded.

Harmony launched into an apology, explaining how she'd been struggling mentally and hadn't known how to reach out. "I'm so sorry I pushed you guys away. I felt like we were finally becoming real friends, and then...I don't know, I just shut down."

Emily's expression softened. "We felt like we'd lost you, Harm. You were just starting to open up to us, and then...nothing."

Jane nodded. "We didn't know what to do. We thought maybe you didn't want to be friends with us anymore."

Harmony's eyes welled up with tears. "No, guys, it was never that. I'm so sorry."

The girls embraced her, the tension melting away. "We're here for you, Harm," Emily whispered. "We always were."