love beyond the realms

CHAPTER 6

Val sat at the small desk in Zee's office. The book was open in front of her. But she was not reading. She was looking at Zee.

He stood by the office window. His back was turned to her. His shoulders were stiff. He had not moved for almost ten minutes.

Val's heart felt heavy. She did not like it when Zee was angry. Yes, he shouted. Yes, he was strict. But the silence was worse. The silence felt like a door slamming in her face.

She took a deep breath.

"Zee," she said softly.

He did not turn around.

"Zee," she said again, louder this time. "I am sorry for what I did. Can you please forgive me?"

Silence.

Val stood up from her chair. She walked a few steps toward him. She stopped when she was a few feet away.

"It's just that I was so exhausted," Val continued. "That's why I couldn't resist Dylan's offer. And for saying today instead of tomorrow... I am sorry. I should have waited. I should have asked you first."

Zee said nothing.

Val wrung her hands together. She was getting frustrated. Why would he not answer her? Why would he not even look at her?

"I promise I will be more respectful," Val said, her voice rising with hope. "If you go easy on me on those books. By the way, I am still a beginner. I need more time. I need more patience."

She took another step closer.

"I promise if you don't shout again, I will do everything you say. I will take my medicine. I will read all those books. I will not ask to go to the washroom every time you make me read."

She paused. Her next words came out in a rush.

"And I will not spill coffee on you on purpose just so that you can go to the washroom and I can rest for a few minutes."

The room went very quiet.

Zee turned around slowly. His eyes were wide. His face was red.

"So the coffee you poured on me was intentional?" Zee shouted.

Val flinched and took a step back. "Please don't shout!"

"You spilled hot coffee on my shirt! On purpose!" Zee yelled. He pointed at his chest like the stain was still there. "I had to change my clothes! I lost twenty minutes of work!"

"I won't have done that if you gave me a break at least to relax," Val said, crossing her arms. "It's not entirely my fault."

"Not your fault?" Zee laughed. It was not a happy laugh. It was a cold, angry laugh. "Whose fault is it then? Mine?"

"Yes," Val said. "If you let me rest for five minutes every hour, I would not need to pour coffee on you."

Zee stared at her. His mouth opened. Then closed. Then opened again. No words came out.

Val almost smiled. She had never seen Zee speechless before.

Zee turned back to the window. He took a deep breath. When he spoke again, his voice was calmer. But still cold.

"Mom was very furious with you when I told her you went out with a boy," Zee said.

Val's eyes widened. "Zee, you are lying."

Zee turned around. "Excuse me?"

"I called Mom," Val said. "I told her immediately after I left the office with Dylan. She was okay with it. She even told me to have fun." Val put her hands on her hips. "She called me later. She told me you called asking about me. You wanted to put me in trouble. You wanted Mom to scold me. But when you called, she already knew where I was. So you were furious."

Zee's jaw dropped.

"You called Mom?" he asked.

"Yes," Val said. "I am not stupid, Zee. I may be new to this world. But I know when someone is trying to trap me."

Zee looked away. His ears turned red.

"You are so annoying," he muttered.

Val smiled. A real smile this time. "Thank you."

"That was not a compliment," Zee said.

"I am taking it as one anyway."

Zee shook his head. He walked to his desk and picked up his briefcase. "Pack your things. Let's go home. The day is over."

Val almost jumped with joy. She ran to the shelf and packed up all her books. She gathered Zee's documents and placed them neatly in the shelf. She did everything quickly, happily.

The day was over. She was going home.

---

In the car, Val sat in the back seat. Zee sat in the front, next to the driver. The car moved through the streets of Cuba. The sun was setting. Orange and pink light filled the sky.

Val watched the colors change. It was beautiful. She had never seen sunsets as a ghost. The ghost realm had only purple lights. No sun. No sky. No colors like this.

She looked at Zee. He was looking at his phone. His face was still hard.

Val wanted to talk. She did not like the silence.

"What do you think we are going to eat for dinner tonight, Zee?" she asked.

Zee did not respond. He kept looking at his phone.

"Maybe Mom will make soup," Val continued. "I like soup. Do you like soup, Zee?"

Nothing.

"Or maybe she will make rice. Rice is good. I like rice too. I like everything, actually. Human food is all delicious."

Silence.

Val sighed. She leaned her head against the window. The glass was cool on her cheek.

"I am just trying to talk to you," she said quietly. "You do not have to be mean."

Zee did not look up. But his hand tightened on his phone.

The rest of the ride was quiet.

---

When they got home, Zee walked out of the car quickly. He did not wait for Val. He walked into the house and straight up the stairs.

Val followed slowly. She heard his bedroom door close. Then she heard the sound of water running. He was taking a shower.

Val walked into the living room. Helen was sitting on the couch. She was reading a magazine.

"Welcome home, dear," Helen said. Then she looked at Val's face. Her smile faded. "Are you two fighting again?"

Val sat down next to Helen. She put her head on Helen's shoulder. "He refuses to talk to me. Since the whole way home. I don't know what I did again."

Helen put down her magazine. She wrapped an arm around Val. "Oh, sweetheart. Zee has always been like this."

"Always?" Val asked.

Helen nodded. "Zee has been cold and serious since he was a child. He was a genius in his class. He skipped so many grades. He was always the youngest student. Always the smartest. But also always the loneliest."

Val looked up at Helen. "Lonely?"

"He never had many friends," Helen said softly. "He did not know how to play like other children. He was always reading. Always studying. Always working. He has been too serious with life and his career since childhood."

Val thought about this. She imagined a little boy with dark hair and serious eyes. Sitting alone while other children ran and played. It made her chest hurt.

"Try to understand him, dear," Helen said. "He is not mean because he wants to be. He is mean because he does not know any other way."

Val nodded slowly. "I will try, Mom."

---

Dinner time came. The whole family sat around the big table. Mark at the head. Helen next to him. The twins on one side. Zee on the other side. Val sat next to Zee.

The table was full of food. Shrimp. Rice. Vegetables. Bread. A big bowl of soup in the middle.

Val picked up her fork. She looked at Zee. He was cutting his shrimp into small pieces. His face was blank.

Val took a breath.

"Should I offer you some shrimp?" Val asked. She held up the plate of shrimp. "You like shrimp, right?"

Zee did not respond. He did not look at her. He just kept cutting his food.

The twins stopped eating. They looked at Zee. Then they looked at Val.

"Is Zee ignoring you?" Leo asked.

"Yes," Val said quietly.

"Why?" Liam asked.

"Because he is angry," Val said.

"Why is he angry?" Leo asked.

"Because I went to lunch with his friend Dylan," Val said.

The twins looked at each other. Then they both started giggling.

"Zee has a girlfriend!" Leo sang.

"Zee has a girlfriend!" Liam sang.

"Stop it," Zee said. His voice was sharp. But he still did not look up.

The twins giggled harder.

Helen put her hand over her mouth. She was trying not to laugh. Mark cleared his throat and looked down at his plate.

Val tried again. "Zee, please. Just say something. Anything."

Zee put down his fork. He stood up. "I am finished."

He picked up his plate and walked to the kitchen. Then he walked up the stairs. His bedroom door closed.

The table was quiet.

Val felt tears burning in her eyes. She blinked them back.

"Don't worry, Val," Liam said. "He will forget about it tomorrow."

"Yeah," Leo added. "Zee never stays angry for long."

Val tried to smile. But the smile did not reach her eyes.

---

That night, Val could not sleep.

She lay in her bed. The room was dark. The house was quiet. But her mind was loud.

She kept thinking about Zee. About his cold voice. About his empty eyes. About the way he had walked away from the table.

Why do I care so much? she asked herself. He is just a boy. A mean boy who shouts at me and makes me read boring books.

But she knew it was not just that.

Zee had saved her. He had found her on the road, naked and cold, and he had wrapped his coat around her. He had brought her to his home. His family had taken her in. They had given her clothes and food and a bed.

And Zee... Zee had carried her to her room when she fell asleep on the couch. She remembered that. She had been half asleep, but she remembered his arms around her. She remembered being lifted off the couch. She remembered the soft way he had laid her on the bed.

He was not all cold. There was warmth underneath. He just did not show it.

Val sat up in bed. She looked at the window. The moon was full and bright. It reminded her of something. Something from before. Something from the ghost realm.

She thought of Elara. Her sister. Her brave, kind sister who had helped her escape.

"I will miss you, but you must be free."

Val touched her chest. Her heart was beating.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"I will come back for you, Elara," Val whispered. "I promise."

She lay back down. She pulled the blanket up to her chin.

Tomorrow, she would try again. Tomorrow, she would find a way to break through Zee's cold wall.

She closed her eyes.

---

The next morning, Val woke up early. She got dressed quickly. She brushed her hair and her teeth. Then she walked downstairs.

Helen was in the kitchen. She was making breakfast. The smell of eggs and toast filled the air.

"Good morning, Mom," Val said.

"Good morning, dear," Helen said. "Did you sleep well?"

"Not really," Val admitted.

Helen smiled sadly. "Give him time."

Zee came down the stairs. He was dressed in a dark suit. His hair was combed back. He looked handsome. But his face was still hard.

He walked into the kitchen. He poured himself a cup of coffee. He did not look at Val.

"Good morning, Zee," Val said.

Nothing.

Helen frowned. "Zee, say good morning to your sister."

Zee looked up. His eyes moved to Val. They stayed on her for a moment. Then he looked away.

"Good morning," he said. His voice was flat. Empty.

Then he walked out the door. The car pulled away.

Val stood at the window. She watched the car disappear down the road.

"He said it," Val said. "But it did not mean anything."

"It is a start," Helen said. "Zee does not say anything he does not mean. If he said good morning, he meant good morning. Even if it did not sound like it."

Val nodded slowly. She hoped Helen was right.

---

Later that day, Val sat in Zee's office again. The book was open in front of her. But she was not reading. She was watching Zee.

He worked at his desk. He signed papers. He made phone calls. He typed on his computer. He did not look at her even once.

Val tapped her fingers on the desk. Tap. Tap. Tap.

Zee did not react.

She sighed loudly. Sigh.

Zee kept working.

She cleared her throat. Ahem.

Nothing.

"Zee," Val finally said.

He stopped typing. But he did not look up.

"I am sorry," Val said. "I mean it. I am really sorry. I should not have gone with Dylan without asking you. I should not have spilled coffee on you. I should not have said all those things."

Zee was very still.

"I know you are angry," Val continued. "And you have the right to be angry. But please... please stop ignoring me. The silence is worse than the shouting."

Zee put down his pen. He leaned back in his chair. He looked at the ceiling.

Then he turned his head. He looked at Val.

For the first time since yesterday, he really looked at her. His eyes were not cold. They were tired.

"You spilled coffee on me," he said.

"Yes," Val said.

"You went out with a boy I do not trust."

"Yes."

"You called me a liar."

"Yes."

Zee sighed. "That is three things."

Val nodded. "I am sorry for all three."

Zee was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "I will stop ignoring you."

Val's heart jumped. "Really?"

"Really." Zee picked up his pen. "But you will read four extra chapters today. As punishment."

Val's face fell. "Four?"

"Four," Zee said. "And no complaining."

Val opened her book. She wanted to argue. But she did not. She just started reading.

It was not fair. But at least he was talking to her again.

At least the silence was broken.

---

End of Chapter 6