Zenon's Game Chapter 224

I increased the pace of my mini speech, "I was wrong to blame you, but let's pause for a second to wonder why. You and your brother came into the store acting very rude. You've continually undermined me and my relationship. You've humiliated and threatened me for months. You may be innocent of this, but you're guilty of a whole lot more."

And that's all I have to say.

I liked how no one said anything. People started to move around. There was an awkwardness in the air, naturally, but no one wanted to be arbitrator. No one wanted to cast their judgement and I appreciated that.

"What's your brother's number?" Zenon asked Bianca, "I want to speak with him."

I should've seen that coming.

The boys continued to hang out downstairs, but the rest of us started to get ready for New Year's Eve. It was early evening and we wanted to spend extra time preparing for tonight.

I knew exactly which dress I was going to wear; one that Nicole had lent me.

"What color's your dress?" Cynthia's asked me, swinging the door to her bedroom open, "We can match your make up to the whole look."

"Thank you! I-" I paused when I saw Zenon turn the corner of the hallway.

He looked like a handsome statue sometimes, I swear. I mouthed at him, All ok?

He nodded, but I could tell he wanted to talk.

I told Cynthia I would be back in a second and walked towards him. He was still in his gray sweatpants and I wondered what he would be wearing in a few hours.

"I spoke to Bianca's brother," Zenon said, his blue eyes gazing into mine, "He didn't know you were my girlfriend. He's going to call the store and retract his complaint."

"Thank you, but I think the damage is done," I said, rubbing his arm so he could see that I was genuinely grateful. "It's hard to rehire someone after you fire them."

"Hey," Zenon said, brushing his finger against my chin, "Whatever she's done, we can undo. I haven't forgotten about the bloody jersey. We're going to solve that one too. Whatever comes at us, we'll take it on."

I smiled and tried to avoid my smile from turning into a goofy grin. He said we.

Does he know how long I've waited for anyone to say those words to me? Does he know how crazy it is that they're coming from him? When we first met, I had wrongly judged him to be self-oriented and self-obsessed. He's shown me more compassion than my own sibling.

"But tonight is new year's," Zenon said, "And I don't know what you usually do, but I like to forget who I am and where I'm staying."

"I'll write the address on your hand," I joked, pulling the zipper of his hoodie up and down. I liked being this close to his torso while I played with the zipper.

Cynthia's room was flooded with clothes. It was like her suitcase had exploded and I tried not to step on the carnage. The hangers and shelves in the wardrobe were empty.

She was sitting on her bed with her laptop in front of her.

"This trip has been incredible so far," she said, showing me the photos she'd taken.

I hadn't realized, but Cynthia's been setting up photoshoots all over Bryce's villa. Some posed, others candid.

"I like that one," I pointed to one of her and Axel in the pool.

She showed me that same photo in three different filters.

"I keep asking myself why he's so fun?" she sighed, "Usually, guys like him are the brooding types, but he makes laughter a medicine."

"You know what I've always wondered?" I confessed, "It's embarrassing to say..."

"Go ahead," Cynthia urged me, flicking through some of the other photos while I spoke.

"Zenon works out everyday because he's trying to become a professional athlete," I said, "But Axel looks like that, just because."

"Yeah. It's hot," Cynthia said, looking away from her laptop, "I think tonight could be the night I tell him."

"You're going to make the move?" I asked, getting super excited.

"I'm not going to wait twenty years for this guy to kiss me," she answered, getting up, "I may need you to be my wing-woman. Oh, before I forget, you asked me to bring you something for Zenon, remember? It's there."

She pointed at the plastic bag resting near a standing lamp. She had already mentioned it to me already at the airport. Before I forgot again, I picked it up and thanked her.

I'd wanted to surprise Zenon with something tonight.

"Your boyfriend has got it going on," Cynthia replied, waving a blush brush at me, "I know you don't like me saying this, but you must be nervous about tonight. I bet he's wild in bed, and we know you've made him wait."

I get so awkward when she talks about him like that.

Zenon's so well known at school, people talk about him like he's public property – they're always describing him in such a physical way. How can everyone else know intimate details?

"Is it what you expected?" she asked me, "Dating Zenon? I bet he's a lot to handle."

I repeated her question in my mind, wondering what the answer was.

"Maybe I fantasized it a bit," I said, "Before we started dating, I had a crush on him. I imagined us mostly making out, a little bit of drama, a lot of partying. And that's nothing like how we are."

I'm just being honest. In my fantasies, I imagined a picture-perfect relationship with Zenon. And that picture didn't even include a real me.

Or a real him.

"But," I said, "I think reality can be better than a fantasy. You can appreciate the highs when you've experienced the lows."