Zoey glanced at the wall clock before turning her attention back to Harriet, who was offering to wash the dishes. She scoffed; the kitchen sink felt unusually small with Harriet standing at it.
"Do you want to stay the night?" Zoey asked, walking closer and leaning against the countertop.
Harriet paused, looking at Zoey with a hint of surprise. "Am I hearing this right? You're asking me to stay the night?"
Zoey scoffed and shrugged. "Only if you want to."
"Well, I won't take 'no' for an answer, so that's a yes," Harriet replied, her happiness evident.
Zoey laughed softly, a sigh escaping her lips as she glanced down at her cartoon character slippers. "You know, with you around, this house somehow feels like home," she said, a smile creeping onto her face.
Harriet tilted her head, studying Zoey. "Do you want me to move in now?" she joked, but a part of her knew there was sincerity behind it.
"Not yet," Zoey replied. "At least not until I give you my answer." Answer? You're literally fucking together, and you still need to figure that out? she scolded herself. But fucking around and moving in together are two different things.
"Good point taken," Harriet said, turning on the faucet to rinse the dishes.
"I'm surprised you know how to do dishes without a dishwasher," Zoey remarked, amusement lacing her voice.
Harriet shrugged. "That's all thanks to my parents, I guess. They made sure we learned even the simplest household chores," she said, wiping her hands dry.
Zoey turned to look at Harriet, her curiosity piqued. "You know, I don't know if Riley ever mentioned it, but your hunch back then was spot on," she said, moving toward the living area as Harriet followed.
"What? That you know where Riley is?" Harriet chuckled, recalling their previous encounter.
Zoey glanced at her, laughing. "Yeah, that one," she said, sitting down and tapping the space beside her for Harriet to join. "Well, Riley came over that night, and I didn't know what to do when she called me, crying her heart out," she admitted, crossing her legs.
"It's not like I'm responsible for either of you, but hearing Riley cry made me want to help her. I know what it's like to feel alone. I thought she might end up hurting herself, so I told her to stay at my place." She looked at Harriet, gauging her reaction.
"Knowing how unstable Riley was at that time, I worried about what could happen. It felt so seriousâthen the next day, she told me she booked a flight to New York," Zoey chuckled, shaking her head. "I was like, is this how rich people move on? By going to another country? But who am I to judge? I fled my old life just to escape my own pain."
Harriet remained silent as she tried to process every word Zoey had just shared. She turned to look at her, gulping as she tilted her head, absorbing the weight of Zoey's experiences.
Zoey glanced at Harriet. "You don't have any reaction?" she scoffed.
Harriet sighed. "Well, at least Riley's safe and she's back now. Plus, she gave us her explanation, but I know she never revealed the whole story. Whatever it is, at least the issue with Sienna is resolved." She smiled at Zoey. "How about you? Does escaping your old life have anything to do with your ex?"
Zoey scoffed and leaned back against the couch, shutting her eyes for a moment. "Sort of. It's actually because of him and my sister, Ellie."
Harriet noticed the way Zoey gulped, clearly reluctant to delve into full details. "If you're not comfortable sharing, you can stopâ"
Zoey laughed and met her gaze. "It's not that, Harriet," she said, sitting up straight. "I buried it for so long, with no one to talk to." She offered a faint smile.
Harriet swallowed hard, searching Zoey's warm brown eyes. "Markus is my ex-fiancé, Harriet. Not just an ex; he was once my fiancé," Zoey said, laughing lightly as she shrugged. "He was my first boyfriend. We were together for about five years. Then he proposed. I said yes, but I didn't know how everything spiraled out of control. I didn't get the full storyâEllie, my older sister, ended up pregnant by Markus." Zoey's gaze was intense, locking onto Harriet's.
"What?" Harriet mumbled, disbelief evident in her voice.
"Funny, right?" Zoey shrugged, the bitterness creeping in. "My own sister and my fiancé, fooling around behind my back."
Harriet hitched her breath, glancing at her knuckles. Guess the punch wasn't enough, she thought to herself. "I never got to hear the complete story. I called off the engagement and ran away. I haven't been back to my grandparents' house since then," Zoey said, clearing her throat.
"I thought living alone wouldn't be enough; I wanted to die. That's why I have these scars etched on my skin." Zoey showed her wrist again. "I planned to end my life, but you know who saved me?" She turned to look at Harriet.
"Who?" Harriet asked, her heart racing.
Zoey tilted her head and smiled at her. "You don't remember at all?"
Harriet gulped. "What do youâ"
"It was you who saved me," Zoey said, chuckling lightly. "I was about to lose consciousness after I cut my wrist deep. I jumped into the river, making sure there would be no chance of saving me." She paused, touching her wrist softly. "But you came and jumped in after me. I can still vividly hear your voice. You even left some contact details for the nurse after I woke up," Zoey said, her laughter softening.
"Well, I guess it's all thanks to you that I'm still alive," Zoey said, beaming a genuine smile.
Harriet caught her breath and chuckled. "Well, I guess it's all thanks to you that I'm starting to feel alive again," she said, returning Zoey's smile.
Zoey nudged Harriet playfully. "What did I even do for you to feel so alive?" she asked, smiling.
"Thank you for being alive. You've given me a reason to live," Harriet replied, her fingers brushing against Zoey's cheeks.
Zoey gulped, sensing something different in Harriet's gaze. "Harriet..." she murmured, closing her eyes as Harriet leaned in to kiss her.
After a tender moment, Harriet pulled back from the kiss and wrapped her arms around Zoey in a warm embrace. "I'm here. I'll protect you. You don't have to feel alone or be alone anymore," she promised, rubbing Zoey's back gently. "I'll do everything I can to keep you safe," she whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Zoey's head.
Zoey chuckled softly as she hugged Harriet back, resting her face on Harriet's shoulder and savoring the gentle touch she received.
What did I do to deserve someone like her? Zoey thought to herself. If Harriet is truly the one, I don't care if she's a woman or whatever; if she's the one, please let her be mine for the rest of my life. She held onto the hope, feeling the warmth spread through her heart.