Zenon's Game Chapter 334

"I've been thinking," Zenon suggested, glancing at me to see my reaction, "Since my dad knows your dad, should we ask him to set up a meeting?"

"No," I replied, shutting that idea down.

Zenon looked straight ahead as he processed my response. "Aren't you curious?"

"Sure," I replied. After everything I've gone through this year, I realized that I didn't need to lean on the memory of my dad to feel love. So I said, "I want to know where my dad is and what he's up to. Does he have a new family? Has he told them about me? I want to know if he regrets what he did, but deep down, I know he doesn't."

A bird squawked in a bush next to me and I bumped into Zenon as I tried to get away from it.

After a second, we continued walking and I continued speaking, "Your dad spoke to him recently and he still didn't show up to see us. So no, I don't want to meet a man who doesn't want to meet me. I need to focus on me and the person I need to become. But one day I will find him. I'll wait until I'm successful, so I can show him how much I don't need him anymore. Maybe then he'll regret leaving us."

Zenon didn't say anything, but he reached out and took my hand in his. He laced his fingers between mine.

"I don't know what it's like to grow up without a father. But I do know that you'll have your own family one day and you'll be more of a parent than he ever was," Zenon spoke sincerely, "You don't need to prove anything to him."

I nodded and squeezed his hand, feeling grateful to have his support. He really believed in me.

"In six months, you'll be so far away," I said, not liking the thought of our future. It was the looming inevitable that we would have to part ways. "University of Kentucky is so far from here."

"We'll find a way, Candy," he replied, "I've never been in a long-distance relationship before. I guess this open communication topic will become a bigger theme for us."

"We've gotten better at it, haven't we?" I asked, ignoring how he forgot to mention Axel's pill bottle to me before I found it.

"I think so?" he asked, looking at me with a crooked smile, "Will you tell me everything that goes on here after I'm gone?"

"Sure," I smiled back, swinging our intertwined arm casually.

"You'll tell me if Axel and Cynthia hook up?"

I gasped, "You told me there was no chance!"

Zenon smirked, "I'm starting to reconsider that."

I slapped his arm playfully, wishing he would tell me what made him change his mind.

"You'll tell me if the old lady attacks you again? And most importantly," Zenon said, stopping in the middle of the path to look me in the eye, "Will you tell me your darkest moments? When you're scared and insecure?"

I gazed up at him, feeling his arms slide over my jacket.

"Yes," I lied.

I've learnt that there are highs and lows to every relationship. I've learnt that honesty is important, but to what extent? Zenon has no idea how broken I am. The darkest side of me is dark and it's getting darker. I wanted to hide that from him. Love is not unconditional. Everyone has a limit.

"Good," he smiled.

I gazed up at his flawless features and his face that was looking so earnestly at me.

"I'm sorry. Everything was fine before I came along," he whispered, confessing his guilt for bringing the blackmailer to my doorstep.

I rejected that apology, "You have no idea how wrong you are. Zenon, my life was not fine before you. You gave me more than anyone can take away."

He kissed my cold lips and said, "I know this trip doesn't solve our problems, but I wanted a free moment for us. I feel like time is flying faster than we can keep up."

I nodded and he leaned his forehead against mine. It feels like just yesterday we were camp counselors, being thrown together in the unlikeliest of situations.

"This trip may not solve all our problems," I agreed, "But it puts things in perspective."

I held onto him. The forest was a cocoon around us, almost protecting us from the outside world. In here, we were just two people – with short lives compared to the nature around us. This place will be here long after we will.

But this moment is one I'll never forget.

The End.