Chapter 15 #2
When I asked how his mum reacted to the crash and if she was there a lot, he started to scrub our breakfast plates harder, glaring at them. All he said was, “She was always there. It’s how she and Imre met. In the hospital. Sorry to bring him up.”
But his voice was tighter than usual, and I didn’t pry anymore.
Instead, we took the dogs for a walk into the forest surrounding his house and spoke about everything that wasn’t racing.
The forest was quiet. Light dappled on the dry floor. We were protected from the world by a bright green canopy, keeping all our problems out and all of our secrets in.
If I kissed him here — if I told him how I felt — maybe we could bathe in our happiness and leave our relationship glowing amongst the trees in the golden sunlight.
But if I kissed him, there was a likelihood I wouldn’t stop.
He led the conversation, asking me about university and my family — strictly following rule number one, though, not mentioning Imre — and asking for every little detail.
Who were your best friends at university?
Do you still talk? Who did you live with?
What were your professors like? How was your hospital placement?
But they weren’t interview-style. They flowed. He listened.
And it felt like a date.
Nothing around Zolt could ever be simple because, against my better judgment, he looked like that, he cared like he loved me, and he respected every rule I’d given him.
Well, I assumed he hadn’t broken rule two last night alone in his bedroom.
He lifted a branch above my head for me to walk under and picked a tired Bodri up under one arm. “He’s getting old,” he told me. “In dog years, he’s in his 80s.”
“So, really, I’m his granddaughter, not his mother?”
He laughed and lifted Bodri in front of his face. Bodri licked his cheeks. “What do you think, Bodz?”
Bodri didn’t answer, just continued to kiss his dad.
Like I wanted. I looked at my trainers, trying not to trip on any twisted roots.
“Dogs are forever toddlers,” he said. “So, sorry, you have parental duties for life. The youngest of our pack is six months old.”
My phone chimed, and I jumped, worried it would be Everly, ready to question me on spending the week with Imre. God, I hated lying to people.
But it was Livie.
“Hello?”
“Hey, girly!” Livie said. “You’re with Imre, aren’t you?”
I looked around for an answer. “Er, not right this second, I’m not.”
“Well, I was wondering if you’d seen Zolt while with him? His brother said he couldn’t get through to him.”
It would be one thing if it were in a brotherly way, but if Livie was calling, Benedek’s communication wasn’t brotherly, but managerly.
“Is Zolt there?”
He was standing right in front of me, patting a little old dog, looking like a Hungarian god in the forest.
“I’ve seen him,” I told her.
“Okay, good, because this also involves you. Don’t know if you’ve seen the socials, but they’ve gone crazy with conspiracies over Zoltán’s crash. And Nix’s bloody commentary didn’t help. You’re translating his medical report, right?”
My fingers felt numb, the phone a dead weight in my palm. I nodded as if she could see me.
“Fia?”
“Oh, yeah. I’m hard at work on it this week. I plan to have it done before Dad’s party.”
She breathed in deeply. “Okay, well… I was thinking of outsourcing someone? Maybe they could help, or… if you’re with your father, you probably don’t want to spend your week doing—”
“What?”
She started to speak again, but I couldn’t hear her. The blood was draining from my face, and I rested against a tree as Zolt put down Bodri and came to my side, concern etched across every inch of his face.
Livie didn’t think I was up to it.
Just three days ago, she’d said I was capable. Today, she was trying to give my work to someone else before I even missed the deadline.
“It’s a lot for you to have to do,” Livie was saying. “And you’ve got a lot going on and… and we’re after Zolt’s permission to publish parts of his medical records to stop the bloody media onslaught.”
The tree was taking all of my weight. All I could feel was it digging into my back and the cool, empty air on my skin.
“I’m capable.”
“I’m not saying you aren’t,” she said, voice firm. “But we’re now in a bit of a rush to get this all dealt with before next week’s race and—”
“It will be done.”
Livie was quiet as my heart beat in my ears. Zolt brushed back my hair, careful not to touch my skin.
“Okay,” she said. “I didn’t want to take this from you, Fia. I just wanted to make sure you could enjoy your week off, too. Though it makes sense that you know everything for the press statement we’ll make next week.”
“Is it that bad?”
“It’s everywhere,” she sighed. “Every app. Every journalist is hounding our team. Yvette is forwarding every email she’s had from the press, and right now we’re up to 46.”
“Fuck,” I whispered.
“Yeah, so if you could ask Zoltán to contact me, or more ideally, explain to him what I need, that would be great.”
“Okay. One second.”
I put her on hold and turned to him.
He looked down at me, that concerned expression still on his face. He offered me a weak smile. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I said. I could lick my wounds another time. “Apparently, the world is worrying over your health. Livie wants to ask if we can publish some of your medical records when I’ve translated them.”
“Right…” He breathed in deeply. “Everything?”
“A few things?”
He nodded. “Not about my mental health. Physical is fine.”
Because he wasn’t willing to face it.
‘Without racing, I don’t feel alive.’
My stomach dropped recalling his words. “Of course.”
I told Livie, who was surprised but appreciative, and then I tried to enjoy the rest of our walk.
“So, it’s going to be a lot more work and less play from now on?”
I nodded. “We’ll need to finish my notes today, and I’ll type them up tomorrow.”
“I have two questions and a request.”
We stopped, and the dogs around us started to trudge back into our vicinity.
“Can you read in the car?”
My eyes narrowed. “Yes…”
“What about six hours today and six hours tomorrow? In the car.”
My eyes became slits.
“And when we get back, we can talk about it as much as you need. But no talking tomorrow unless we’re in the car. I’ll do anything you want. Answer any question about any topic if you give me tomorrow.”
His eyes were intense on mine, patient and hopeful.
And I no longer had it in me to say no.
“We’ll have internet connection,” he promised. “And the roads are smooth.”
My hand pressed into his chest. “Wait, what am I agreeing to here?”
“We’re going on holiday,” he said. “Our two-day trip is long overdue. I can try and squeeze it all into one day.”
“Zolt,” I went to argue, voice soft.
“Fia,” he said. “Please don’t turn me down. This is the public date you wanted, but I promise you no one will know who we are.”
Where on earth were we going?
“Pack. It’s a long drive. Grab the sweets I left you so we can have a nibble on the way.”