Chapter 20

Ziya

The first thing she had done when I was back, was taking me to the doctor for another check-up. As if I hadn’t had those in the hospital and on the ship already. To please her, I agreed to her wishes. Of course, I did. The doctor had said that my body was in great condition, apart from the many mosquito bites. She was happy again.

Sniff your hair. Hold you close. Damn, please call me, Zi. I need to hear your voice.

“You’re not getting my phone, Ma,” I answered.

“Did you just receive another interview offer?” she asked, looking displeased. “They should leave you alone.”

Since I came back, there were a lot of journalists, YouTube vloggers, talk show hosts, and more people that wanted to know everything about what had happened on the island. I’ve been offered crazy amounts of money to sit with them for an interview, but I had refused every single one of their offers because Max and I had agreed that we wanted to keep our adventure to ourselves. And although I would probably agree to certain offered numbers if it was up to me, I refused them anyway because I knew Max didn’t want it.

As if Max wasn’t Mister Perfect before, I now had one other thing to add to his Mr. Perfect list: he wasn’t greedy for money, power, or attention. A good quality if you asked me.

“I was reading Max’s messages,” I answered.

Please call me soon, babe

“Again?” my sister asked, walking into the room with tea for all of us.

“Yeah… I miss him,” I admitted.

I wanted to call him, but these two were keeping me busy all day long. Max had called me four times already, but I didn’t want to pick up to avoid my mother and sister rolling their eyes again. I’m going to call him back after I manage to work these two out of the door. The sooner the better.

“Don’t you think it’s time to go on with life? He’s nineteen,” Betty said as she sat next to me. My sister was nowhere near the hopeless romantic girl I could be. She was very down to earth. She simply couldn’t understand how I had fallen head over heels with the younger. “You were stranded together. He was there for you when you needed him, but now real life begins again, Zi. He’s still in school. He lives a few hours away. You have your own company and your whole life here, while he has it there. And he’s living in a whole other moment in his life than you are. You’re almost Eight years older than him. You—”

“Jesus, woman! Are you done already?” I snapped.

“What?” she asked, innocently.

“I don’t need to hear the same bullshit every time again,” I replied.

“Betty, leave your sister alone,” Mom said. “And, Ziya... You don’t know how it has been for us… We’re just worried about you,” she whispered, eyes glazing up again.

I sighed. “I do know, mom. You missed me, you thought you’d lost me. And what you had to go through was so very awful. But Betty said it herself, life goes on. And you both need to give me some air to breathe. You’ve been here with me every single day since I’ve returned, from morning to evening. And if dad is done with work, you make him sit here too, while the man just wants to watch his sports. I’m here, I’m alive. And… I just want some me time.”

“Fine, fine,” Betty said. “Let’s finish our tea and then we will go.”

“Thanks, Bet.”

As soon as they were done, Betty stood up. I followed her and hugged Betty first, then Mom. I gave her a big one.

“I’m sorry for what I said about Max,” Betty said softly.

“I know you don’t mean things in a bitchy way,” I replied. Or maybe she did, but I knew she said them because she was worried for me. “When he’s here for a visit, I’ll let you guys meet him.”

“Okay. Let me know what color toy car I should buy for him as a welcome in the family present. Red or blue? I don’t know what the kids like these days.” Betty chuckled at her own joke. I stomped on her toe, making her whine. Serves her right.

“He’s an adult,” I said in my defense.

“Fuck. I think you just broke my fucking foot, Zi.”

“Oh, you two…” Mom started crying again. Tears of joy this time.

Twenty minutes later, I finally had the house to myself again. As soon as I closed the door in Betty’s face, I rushed over to my phone and searched for Max’s number.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” I cried out when my battery went dead just as I wanted to call him. “Jesus!”

Of course, it took me another three freakin minutes to find a charger. I’d forgotten I took it with me to the bedroom yesterday. When it was charged a bit and ready to call, someone interrupted me once more. The doorbell rang.

“Oh, come on!” I cried out, stomping to the door.

As I opened it, I got the shock of a lifetime. It was my douchebag ex-boyfriend, Henry, who stood in front of my door.

“Hey, Ziiii. You’re alive, baby! Oh my God, you have no idea h-how hard it was without you by my side. I can’t believe you’re still here, baby. I-I need another chance. Please, Zi, I went crazy thinking you might be d-dead.” He hiccupped.

“Are you fucking drunk?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

He ran his hands through his long dark brown curls, shaking his head. “Uh- M-maybe a l-little. But I meant every word I just said.”

Henry barged inside, pushing me to the side. “Hey!” I shouted, closing the door to keep the noise down. I didn’t want to bother the neighbors with this shit. “You need to leave,” I then hissed. “Right now!”

“Why?” he asked, almost crying. Ugh, what a fake. “Don’t you want me back?”

“No. I don’t want you back, Henry.”

“Huh?”

“A month ago, I probably would have taken you back because I was a stupid idiot back then, but I’m in love with someone else now. So, please leave.”

“Ugh.” He scoffed. “Tell me you’re n-not talking about that little boy they say was with you.”

I sighed. That little boy was more adult and man than Henry would ever be, but I didn’t want to have a discussion with my ex right now. I just wanted him to get the fuck out of my house.

“Leave, Henry!” I shrieked.

“Oh-kay, okay, jeez,” he replied, holding his hands up in defense. “I’ll go. But... fuck, I think I need to puke or something. Bring me a glass of water, babe.”

“God damn it.” I stomped to the kitchen to fill him a glass of water. “When you’ve finished this glass you need to leave!”

I heard him mumble something back, thinking he was talking to me. However, as I walked back into the living room, I came to know he wasn’t talking to me at all. He was talking on my phone.

“...!”

“Well, MAX, Ziya can’t talk to you now, cause she’s with me—”

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