My smile grew wide. I nodded in excitement, looking up at him. “Promise?” I held out my pinky.
Zioh linked his finger with mine. “You know I never break a promise.” He locked our pinkies tight. “Especially if it’s you, Sophie.”
Our eyes held, warm smiles curving our lips.
This was only for us, from one heart to the other.
Then a loud crack overhead drew us back to the spectacle, and a wild shout from behind made us laugh.
Hundreds of fireworks exploded and thundered above us, painting the night in splendour. The air roared with cheers and chants from every direction—even from other yachts around us. But the loudest of all was the boy who bounded up beside Zioh.
Zeraiah leapt high, thrusting his Pepsi can into the air. “HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! HOOO HOOO!!”
It hit me—it was midnight. The year had turned.
Another year together.
And many more ahead.
I laughed as voices from the yacht beside us shouted back, making Tsabinu shake his head and pull his hood up.
“Happy New Year, handsome mate!” A girl hollered from the neighbouring yacht, and Tsabinu took a quick step back further into the shadows. I laughed; my twin brother seemed embarrassed by Zeraiah’s antics.
Meanwhile, Zioh grabbed his younger brother, trying to stop him from bouncing on the rail. But Zeraiah shoved him off and slung an arm tight around him instead. He yelled at the top of his lungs: “BE GOOD TO US PLEASE!”
We all laughed at his outburst, his voice building into louder roars. “WE’RE JUST TEENAGERS WHO WANNA ENJOY A FUCKING LIFE! DON’T BE HARD ON US, LIFE!”
I laughed again, then joined him, shouting at the sky. “2014! BE GOOD TO US!!!”
“YEAYYY!!!” This time, the cheer rose from us, arms around each other, leaping as fireworks blazed overhead.
I wanted this to last forever.
An hour later, while we were still laughing, eating, and enjoying ourselves on this grand yacht, everything changed.
The phone in Zioh’s hand rang, and when he answered, his face stiffened—drained of colour. Momentslater, one of Grandpa Ethan’s staff came rushing over, urgency etched across his face. He whispered something to Zioh and Zeraiah, and their expressions shattered.
Not only theirs. Tsabinu’s phone buzzed with a text, too. As he read it, his face went pale—and I, reading over his shoulder. The blood drained from my face.
Mbak Mayang:Mas Tsabinu, Mr Prabu has been taken to the hospital. He collapsed earlier this evening and hasn’t regained consciousness.
Just moments ago, we prayed with all our hearts.
52
Tshabina
I’d lost count of how many times I’d pressed the doorbell, yet the tenant inside still hadn’t opened the door. I knew that Chatterbox was a heavy sleeper, but this was ridiculous.
It had taken me quite an effort to convince Zioh to drop me off here instead of driving me all the way home. After almost half an hour of negotiations and coaxing, he finally agreed, though he hated every second of it—his face made that clear.
When I woke up this morning, my whole body felt warm, spotless, and fresh. I wasn’t sure if Zioh had slept at all, but the moment I opened my eyes, he was already sitting on one of the sofas in our room, offering me breakfast and handing me a change of clothes.
While we ate together, he busied himself massaging my ankle and thigh as I sipped the hot chocolate he’d given me.
Everything felt peaceful, as though it had calmed the storm we’d been weathering lately.
But as Zioh started to drive me home earlier, unease crept in. I hadn’t replied to a single message since last night, and by the time I woke up, my phone was full of missed calls from Tsabinu.
