Finding Harmony by Leona Norwell Read Free Book Online

child.
     
    “Leo!”
     
    “What?”
     
    “I’m trying to sleep”.
     
    I poke my head out from underneath the covers, faking an exaggerated frown.
     
    “But its Christmas Eve, Santa’s nearly here!”
     
    “You know what? You’re worse than a child”.
     
    He simply smirks back at me as though it was a compliment and then scoops me up into his arms, bed sheets and all.
     
    “C’mon, I’ve got something to show you”.
     
    Still clutching me and the mass of white sheets in his hands, he lifts me off the bed and carries me out of the bedroom and over to the balcony doors.
     
    “What? We’re not going outside, Leo, its freezing and you’re not even wearing any clothes!”
     
    “Aww so what?”
     
    He gently kicks the doors open and whisks me out on to the biting cold balcony.
     
    I go to start complaining but the sight from out here leaves me speechless.
     
    “Now would you look at that, beautiful isn’t it?”
     
    The whole city is covered in pure white snow. It really was beautiful. There was something so magical about this setting; it was a scene that belonged in the movies, or at least in one of those snow globes. And on Christmas Eve as well, it was perfect, absolutely perfect.
     
    We stand out there for a while longer, gawking at the beauty of the pure New York snow until eventually we have to come rushing back inside to sit by the fire through fear of catching frost bite.
     
    We spend Christmas Eve morning the way I think everyone should spend it. Instead of rushing around the shops for last minute gifts we lay by the fire and watch all the good old movies on TV.
     
    Leo’s sitting on the floor propped up against the sofa with one arm casually draped around my shoulders. We’re both still in our underwear, only the soft blanket around us and the gentle fire keeping us warm.
     
    I’m not really paying attention to the film we’re watching, I’m too intoxicated by Leo's sweet yet musky scent and the oaky smell from the burning fire. I was genuinely happy. An emotion I hadn’t felt in a long time.
     
    “Oh, I meant to tell you, I got talking to your neighbor yesterday, Freddy Frett, him and his brother just got back from Germany, didn’t sound like they had anything spectacular planned for Christmas so I invited them around for a few drinks this evening, I hope you don’t mind?”
     
    “Huh?”
     
    Please let him be joking, just the four of us in one room together, that would be major awkward.
     
    “Well, Freddy was at your birthday party and we got talking, he’s a really cool guy, I mean I heard his brother’s a bit messed up but how bad could he be?”
     
    I was trying as hard as I could to keep my emotions under wraps but something on my face must have given me away. Leo’s eyes narrow in to that annoying questioning look, indicating he knows something’s up.
     
    “Have you hung out with them before?”
     
    “Well um… yeah sort of…”
     
    He raises his eyebrow and I cave in. I can’t lie to him; I think it’s about time he knew the relationship between me and my neighbors.
     
    “Well, you see it’s a funny story really, I’m sure you’ll laugh, eh me and Trey used to date… haha”.
     
    I couldn’t control the nervous laughter. Leo’s eyebrows pull up and he looks in a state of complete shock. Oh God, I should’ve kept my mouth shut.
     
    “You… you used to date Trey Frett?”
     
    “Yeah, I mean it was a long time ag-”
     
    “Why didn’t you say anything?”
     
    “Because I didn’t want to make a fuss over it, it’s not a big deal”.
     
    “If it’s not a big deal, Harmony, then why didn’t you tell me?”
     
    My delay to answer him seems to confirm to some silent question he had and he gets up and makes his way to the bedroom.
     
    I follow him nervously, his voice was so calm. I wasn’t entirely sure how he was reacting. He hasn’t said anything else; instead he goes around the bedroom putting things into a bag before