Zayn didn’t slow down just because Tina was struggling to keep up. For the next hour or so, he stuck to his own pace, walking his usual route.
Tina, though, was struggling. After over an hour of following him, she finally made it back to her place, her legs aching like they had been through a marathon. "Ugh, okay, exercise is good and all," she groaned, sinking her feet into the hot water, rubbing her sore legs and stomach. "But this is a bit much, isn’t it?" She sighed, thinking to herself, "If I quit now, he will just think I’m all talk. Like, I’m not actually serious about this."
She paused, wiping away an imaginary tear. "I brought this on myself. I chose the male lead, so even if I’m crying, I have to keep chasing him." Just then, Maria’s message popped up: [Tina, I’m finishing my advanced studies tomorrow and will be back in Rosemont City in the evening.] Tina’s face lit up. [That’s awesome! I can’t wait!]
Maria: [How about dinner tomorrow night? My family is hardly ever home lately, so there will only four people, maybe. It’s gonna be chill.]
In Maria’s mind, Tina was a bit of a homebody. Since it was her first time coming over, she figured Tina would feel more comfortable with just a few people around.
Tina quickly typed back. [Sounds perfect, I will be there.]
She giggled to herself after sending the message.
When Maria got back, Tina would have her support to get closer to the Carter family-and to Zayn. It was a solid plan.
In a great mood, Tina wrote over seven thousand words that night before heading to bed feeling satisfied.
The next morning, Zayn stepped outside and spotted Tina waiting for him, dressed in casual clothes with a little waist bag slung around.
"Morning, Zayn!" she called out, waving at him with a grin. "I am here to join you for your morning walk."
Zayn just shrugged. "If you think you can keep up, go ahead."
And with that, he set off down the forest path at his usual pace.
Tina clenched her fists, thinking, "Alright, I’m prepared for this. I had a huge glass of orange juice, a full bowl of oatmeal, fresh bread, and even packed roasted chicken wings, chocolate, and a thermos of milk. There’s no way I can’t keep up!" But it turned out she had really overestimated herself.
An hour later, she had finished all her snacks, and Zayn was still way ahead.
She was so angry at herself and scowled at his back. Zayn hasn’t even slowed down to let her catch my breath.
"Oh, you’d love it if I gave up now, wouldn’t you?" she grumbled under her breath. "It’s just a lap around the lake and the neighborhood. I’m not gonna die.
"I’ve survived worse! Back in the day, I would walk miles to save on bus fare just to buy groceries. If I could do it then, I can do this now!"
She stretched her legs and shook out her muscles before perking up and jogging again.
Two minutes later, she finally caught up to Zayn, panting as she pulled out her phone, turned the volume up, and began playing the audiobook.
"Victor Dean hates being called Victor," the narrator’s voice filled the silence. "As a kid, he even ran away and changed his name so many times, but in the end, Jessica’s tears always brought him back.
"Jessica, by the way, is his mom,"
the narrator went on. "A total beauty queen who doesn’t seem to age, è with tears that could rival any soap opera star. Even Victor can’t say a word after a look from his dad and a single tear from her.
"Thirteen runaway attempts later-and just as many tear-filled scenes he finally dropped the idea of changing his name."
Zayn slowed down, giving Tina an annoyed look. "Do you have to torture me with this?"
Tina flashed him a big grin. "Torture? No way. I’m just sharing an amazing story with you. This is peak enjoyment! A scenic walk, fresh air, and a good book in the background-what’s not to love?"
"I can think of a few things," Zayn said, and, with a quick glance, he sped up.
"Hey! Slow down! He’s trying to kill me again." Tina huffed, scrambling to keep up. Soon enough, though, she lost sight of him completely. Zayn became a tiny dot in the distance-a dot she couldn’t hope to catch up with. Exhausted, she dropped onto the ground to catch her breath. After a long break, she dragged herself along the path Zayn had taken, finally making it back to her place after wandering for over an hour.
Passing by the Carter family’s villa on her way, she looked right into the surveillance camera, hands on her hips. "Think you’ve left me in the dust? Just wait-I’ll be knocking at your door tonight, so don’t think you’ve seen the last of me!"
At six in the evening, after getting ready, Tina received a text from Maria with a line of smiling emojis. [I am home and dinner’s ready. Come on over!]
Without missing a beat, Tina darted out the door, running the short distance to the Carter family’s villa.
Maria, dressed in her own jewelry designs, was waiting at the entrance. When she spotted Tina, she blushed and greeted her, a bit flustered. "Tina, please... please, come in!"
This was Maria’s first time inviting a friend over to her place.
And even though she and Tina had been chatting non-stop on iMessage, this was only the second time they were meeting in person. Maria couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. However, Tina-who called herself a homebody, seemed perfectly at ease. Smiling, she waved. "Maria! Long time no see. You look amazing!"
Maria blushed, replying, "Thank you, thank you! You’re looking beautiful too. And kind of... cute."
Tina laughed, giving her a thumbs-up before rubbing her stomach. "Good eye! You can spot my cute side. Honestly, I’ve been living alone and eating takeout most days, so it’s an honor to be here tonight. I even skipped lunch to save room. Hope you don’t mind."
"Mind? Not at all!" Maria shook her head. "In fact, the more you eat, the better. It’s a point of pride for my family-so eat up!"
Of course, Maria thought to herself, tonight’s "home-cooked" meal was technically takeout from the Carter’s Restaurant. Everything came in thermal containers to keep it fresh for an hour, but it still tasted great. Tina gave her another thumbs-up. "Your family definitely has the right attitude toward food. I’m in."
Maria chuckled and opened the door. "Welcome to the pavilion! My two sisters and I live here. And those two," she gestured, "are Harry and Hommy, our smart surveillance birds. They can talk."
As if cued, Harry immediately raised a wing. "Hey, gorgeous. Evening."
Hommy, meanwhile, turned away with a mutter, "No handsome man. No handsome man here."
Maria sighed. ’Can’t they act a little classier when we have a guest?’