CHAPTER 19
WHAT'S LEFT, I'LL KEEP IT QUIET
The Graduation ceremony was huge enough for all Apollon citizens, but only the parents and related family members could come due to the trials of the reopened case of my mother and also the crime of murder. It was a closed ceremony but full of pride, ambition, and tenderness. Irin, my best friend, still had a smile on her face even though she was staggered and shocked at finding out that Vik is related by blood. Mrs. and Mr. Meride understood my father's intention, so they never hated him for dragging them to get involved with the case and the court. Mrs. Meride was fully sincere in helping and supporting me, and in her heart, she wanted to find justice for my mother, her best friend. Irin and I depart from each other after the time for us to go after our future, but we never are apart from our life. We always contacted each other, called almost every night, and sometimes we met face to face in her city, and sometimes she visited my place. My father promised his word that he would never leave me and be the father he wanted to be for the rest of his life—he retired, living by himself as fully the houseman. I even stayed far away from his location. He called me every night, switching up with Irin all the time. Moreover, he gave me the car as a gift, a car that I had taken care of for him. Vik was shocked—not different from Irin. He didn't have to do much or express his rage on his father or the world as if he knew he would be away from his family anyway after graduation. He might come back for his father and take over the Vanderbilt business. Believe it or not, Mr. Vanderbilt loves Vik very much even though he isn't related by blood, and I hope Vik knows that part. Tytas, he apologized to me and my father repeatedly for what his mother had done to our family and approached me one last time before the real separation. I can always feel his shame and love towards me from the start. He genuinely adores someone like me. All he has done for me it was unconditional love.
However, we have received love in different ways and through various actions. Some are good, some are better, some are bad, and some are worse; whatever they are, they come from love and obsession. But the only one that we can genuinely accept is the one we are also mad for.
If we're truly madly drawn to each other, and heaven or hell creates the fate for us to learn from one another and be with each other, whatever kind of service they provide, we accept everything. We could drown in the deep end and rise up to the horizon. It's the worst and best kind of love.
I folded the Apollon news; the final solution of my mother's case is whatever my father needs to be. The penalties of those who were involved would follow the power of their own ability, money, merit publicity, and whatever. I don't care if Emily is not sent to jail, but her name is already famous and talked of in the town; her reputation is already ruined. The money might flee her from the real penalty but never erase what she had done. She will stay with her guilt for the rest of her life even though she still keeps on denying it. But society does not let her have the same hierarchy for the rest of her life's distance.
And some stories that I didn't tell, some of the hidden truth, the dark deep end, have been engraved deeply inside my swarthiest bones and hiding someplace in my brain. And some finished part that I don't even know—that man took the reality away with him, and it's gone.
And I'll keep it quiet until death takes me away.
My eyes lock on the silver diamond eyes before me. I run to him and jump to hold him tight. "I miss you," I say,
"Marry me," he says,
"You can't keep saying that every time you pick me up," I say and chuckle,
He smiles and kisses my cheek, "I'll keep asking—until you say yes," he says, looking right into my eyes.
"You know that I love you, right?" I smile, "very much,"
"I can't wait anymore—" he says,
"Then what you're going to do?" I tease,
"Hmm, Zia—" he groans in his throat and locks me inside his arms, squeezing me, "You know me…I can't go anyway without you," he sighs, "I keep waiting," he says,
I smile and hold him back. "Ah—I can't breathe," I say lightly,
"Say yes," he says breathy, "say yes, then I'll let you go,"
"Heh, that's cheating," I chuckle, and he says nothing, holding me tight. "Tomorrow," I say,
"What?" he takes his body away a little and looks at me,
"Keep asking until I say yes," I say and touch his neck and hold him, "Be with me until I say yes—keep coming for me and let me see your face every day—until I say yes,"
He curls his lips and puts his lips on mine, pressing until his tongue comes inside, "Absolutely," he says as his air comes inside my mouth.
Hehe,
That's what we have, Zygmunt and I,
He's obsessed with me. I'm addicted to him. We're perfect for each other.