Deadly Secrets

Chapter 52: The Kiss

Zara tossed and turned all night, her mind too cluttered with fervent thoughts of what was to come. She woke up bright and early the following morning nonetheless, ticking off the checklist of things she had to do before Max came by and picked her up.

She worked through her schoolwork at breakneck speed, her focus on its completion, with not even the voices being able to stand in her way. In only a handful of hours, she managed to finish all the overdue homework and even start her Biology assignment. Zara then left for the hospital with a sense of accomplishment, with not even her grandfather's cynicism being able to dampen her good mood. It took a while for her to get there, because it was a public holiday, but she made it eventually.

As she sat beside his bed, nodding absentmindedly at his never-ending soliloquy, she found a newfound emotional detachment to his complaints. The big reveal, or confession, had placed a spotlight on their dysfunctional relationship. Instead of bringing them closer together as a family, it increased the divide between them, evaporating any trust they might have had in one another.

Zara tried to empathise with him, to try and understand his struggles, but failed each and every time. She couldn't feel sympathy for someone who found no fault in lying to her, in hiding things from her. It was almost as if she was the parent, the adult.

She worked her ass off, putting her life on the line constantly to secure a stable lifestyle, while her infantilised grandfather went and carelessly involved himself in matters that did not concern him. Zara took two steps forwards and he took one backwards. Over the following days, she would find herself visiting him because it was her duty as his granddaughter to keep him company, not because of anything else.

"He's not a fit parent for you!"

Saffron was absolutely, 300% right about Simon. 

Zara felt stupid for ever thinking the contrary.

She swept her negativity under a rug back at her house, where Max picked her up. Together, they then walked down Madison Avenue, steaming cappuccino in hand. Zara brought it up to her nose, breathing in the rich scent of freshly ground coffee that softened the hard lines of her frozen face. They had stopped at a local café, and even though it was already two in the afternoon, it's never too late to have caffeine pumping through your veins. It kept her eyes open, considering that she hadn't been able to close them the whole night.

"Where exactly are we going?" Zara asked, her legs aching as she tried to keep up with Max's long strides. She made sure to remain as close to him as possible, as his height allowed him to effortlessly manoeuvre through the thick crowd without breaking a sweat.

Zara couldn't help but gawk at every famous clothing store they passed by: Chanel, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, those were all brands which she knew by name but had never even dreamed of standing in their proximity. She preferred to keep her feet firmly on the ground, and avoid having unrealistic dreams.

"Here," Max said after a brief pause, and grabbed her hand to pull her away from the mob and into a boutique. Scalding coffee nearly spilling onto her hand, she hardly registered what he had said that she found herself in a vast, open space, with floors so polished you could see your reflection, and lights so bright it was like being in a dentist's office.

Recovering from the shock, she noticed that there were barely any clothes visible, never mind customers. They would be the only ones in the store, if it weren't for those who worked there. Even in the void, Zara could feel herself being watched, her every move scrutinised. Her mere presence seemed to taint the perfection that was the venue. A chill crawled up her spine.

"Hello, may I help you?" Came a perky voice behind them. Almost jumping out of her skin, Zara turned around and the girl she could've sworn had been on the other side of the store now stood in front of her.