Chapter 22
Fia
Helena unpacked their suitcase in the second guest room, and I tiptoed around the house, smiling awkwardly when we crossed paths. The dogs and I waited patiently for the rain to subside so we could go on our walk.
“Have you had any lunch?” Helena asked me when she’d finished and got herself a coffee. She favoured Portuguese over Hungarian. “We can see what Zolt has in.”
I joined her, and we rifled through the cupboards. I didn’t answer, in case I told her the only snack I’d had that day was her son. Why did those thoughts keep invading my mind?
“Scones?” she laughed, examining them carefully.
He was too damn cute.
Then again, they may not be for me. He loved them so much, he’d probably bought them for himself.
“They’re mine,” I said around my smile. “But we can have them as a sweet treat.”
She shook her head. “Oh no, you have them later. I was thinking more along the lines of a pasta salad.”
We made lunch as she told me stories about Zolt.
He always used to copy his older brother cooking, but couldn’t be trusted when he somehow managed to set fire to his plastic kitchen set.
His dad had howled the house down and sent him outside to play on his bike.
She spoke of Zolt’s dad easily, laughing at how Zolt often ended up telling his dad how to ride a bike.
Her voice was light with pride.
Zolt’s dad had passed when he was seven years old. She’d been without her first husband for nearly twenty years.
“Zolt was so worried his life was over,” she said, hunting for some sweetcorn in her bowl as we ate at the table.
“After the accident, he thought he would never race again, and it nearly killed him. When MotoBike said no, he became so depressed. But at StormSprint, he’s the happiest he’s ever been. ”
My laughter vibrated with guilt. I wasn’t modest in thinking I had a little to do with that. And she didn’t — couldn’t — know it.
I grinned into my bowl. “He’s still a grumpy git.”
She nodded. “Oh, yeah, I don’t envy you having to work with him. There’s a lot of pressure, what with his grandad. Benedek always wants his brother to be the best. It’s sweet how he supports him. He was Zolt’s absolute rock after the accident.”
Did Helena think he was completely recovered? Did she know he was taking experimental measures?
“And Benedek never raced?”
She breathed in deeply and pushed back her half-finished bowl. “He tried. He wasn’t as fast as his brother. Then his epilepsy got in the way.”
I blinked hard. I’d had no idea.
“He’s accepted it. But I think that makes Zoltán feel even more of a need to prove he’s his grandfather’s grandson. The Farkas name needs to ride the track.”
Silence settled over us, and she tried to speak and then thought better of it. I wasn’t going to press, especially when her question could be, “Are you sleeping with my son?” and I would simply roll over and die.
Eventually, she mustered the courage. “And your family?” she asked hesitantly.
“My dad was a racer —” I realised too late what I’d said.
But I wasn’t about to lie. Cris Bacque might not be my biological father, but he was there when the biological one wasn’t.
“After, he was the director of Ciclati for nearly fifteen years. My mum—” I stopped again.
I hated that we were fighting. Kind of. We still spoke every day, but there was this awkward undertone…
a silence where neither of us said what we needed to.
“She looks after my two younger brothers.”
“And you’re all close?”
“Really close,” I told her, stabbing my pasta. “My sister and I are best friends.”
She smiled. “I’m glad. It must be weird adding two more brothers to the mix… and a step-mum.”
I cringed, hoping my smile looked real despite the overdone way I tugged at the corners of my lips. “It’s nice that Imre’s found people he cares about.”
It wasn’t meant to come out bitter, but she dropped her hand on top of mine, her diamond engagement ring glinting. “He cares about you. He just doesn’t know how to show it. Not after all this time.”
But that wasn’t my fault. He’d left me. I wasn’t about to feel bad.
“Well, we’re seeing a lot more of each other now, aren’t we?”
She nodded and retrieved her hand. “It will all work out, I’m sure of it.”
Imre was still so distant. I didn’t know what Zolt had said to him at the restaurant a few weeks ago, but he’d hardly approached me since. I enjoyed the company of Zolt and his mother, but Imre? Not so much.
Because I still didn’t know what that company was like.
I finished my food and placed our bowls in the dishwasher as Helena put the leftovers in Tupperware, then the fridge.
My phone chimed.
ZOLTáN: Sorry, this is taking longer than I hoped. We’ll be done in an hour or so, then they just need the night for the house to dry out. On the positive side, it’s stopped raining!
I looked out the window and heaved a sigh of relief before calling the dogs. Zolt’s house never felt small or claustrophobic, but I needed to get out and away from any further conversation about Imre.
At first, I was nervous to walk them by myself, but they stayed within my eyesight like they did when I was with Zolt, and Vincent brought me the stick to throw. I snapped a picture of his patient face, wagging tail, and the stick in my hand to send to his dad, proving I was the equally fun parent.
I could see myself here. Six months ago, I wouldn’t have considered living in Hungary. Now, I couldn’t imagine this not being my temporary home.
It was at least partly due to the company.
On the walk back, I checked the plants to find the tomatoes had grown since we’d been gone!
They were green, but they’d soon accompany my salad in a few weeks.
I snapped a selfie with them to show my boyfriend and eyed the clouds suspiciously.
If I wanted to plant the cucumbers, now would be the best time.
So I got to work on my little vegetable garden, planting and pruning, and getting covered in dirt. When I was done, I looked up to see Zolt leaning against one of the stone pillars, watching me.
“Uh oh,” I said, brushing the soil off my thighs before checking we were alone. “This is one of your kinks. Dirt.”
His laughter rolled like the earlier thunder, and he clutched his knees. “Why do you think I had the herb garden made for you?” He came down the steps, keeping a few steps back. A safe distance.
“We brought pizza,” he said. “And we’re sharing your favourite.”
“You hate pineapple,” I laughed and gestured for him to tug me up. I wanted to accidentally fall into his big, strong chest. But he helped me too politely, too respectfully. “You said it’s an abomination on a pizza.”
“It is abhorrent,” he said, then lowered his voice. “But it means I get to share something with you. And I get to sit by you.”
I looked at the wet grass, trying to hide my grin.
“You okay?”
“I want to tell them,” I said, eyes darting to the glass walls of his living room and kitchen. I wished we were having this conversation anywhere else. “But I’m scared. We’re so happy and… I don’t want to burst this bubble.”
He inched forward, and I inched back.
His hand dropped to his side. “Then we won’t burst the bubble just yet. But if you decide any time is the right time, go for it, and I’ll follow your lead.”
Imre put a film on while we ate. It was black and white, that was all I remembered.
Because Zolt’s knee was warm, pressed into my thigh as he chomped on his pizza. You wouldn’t think for a second that he didn’t like it, the way he went at it.
They spoke of the championship, the leak, the press, and then… his mother asked it.
“So, this romantic connection, huh?” she asked, eyebrows high, voice teasing. “Is that why I never see you anymore?”
I put down the slice of pizza I’d been nibbling for the last twenty minutes.
He said he’d let me lead. I couldn’t lead.
“You know how it is, mother,” he said, waving a lazy hand and taking a bite of his remaining crust. “The women just can’t resist.”
“You said a special woman. And it was serious enough to ask me that question.”
He shrugged, his arm draped across the back of the sofa behind me.
What question?
My neck hurt from how stiffly I looked from Helena to Zolt and back.
“Is it Nora?” Imre asked with a curled lip, pausing the film. He’d always been a stickler for actually watching the film. No interruptions.
“No, it’s not Nora,” Zolt laughed, and his smile remained.
We avoided eye contact.
“Do you know who it is, Fia? Do you work together?” his mother pressed.
“I have my suspicions,” I managed to say, and nearly high-fived my pizza with how proud I was. I managed to sound as cool as the cucumbers that were hopefully growing outside.
Helena scowled. “I want to meet her. Especially if you’re as serious about her as you say.”
“In time,” Zolt said and pressed his knee further into me.
But I was up. I couldn’t do this.
“I’ve got bad cramps,” I blurted as if I were confident enough to announce such a thing. “Think I’m going to head to bed. Zolt, we need an early morning to go through those remaining questions.”
He nodded, looking down at the leftover pizza I handed him. I had no doubts he’d polish my slice off.
That had been the plan, right? Early night.
But as I got to the top of the stairs, I heard Helena squeal in excitement and the film resumed.
Twenty minutes later, when I was tucked up in bed, scrolling on my phone, it sounded like the whole house had gone to bed, but the film music carried up the landing.
ZOLTáN: Are you okay? Was the pizza not good?
FIA: It was good. I just couldn’t be there anymore.
ZOLTáN: Imre’s still downstairs, watching another. Shall I get you a glass of water? It would be a good excuse to come and cuddle you.
That was a risk I didn’t know I could take.
FIA: I’m okay. Are they really going to be gone tomorrow? If not, I’m going to book a flight home.
I swiped off onto Google to get the flights up, but his reply was so fast, I didn’t even write down the airport name.