"Thank you for preparing and serving dinner," Father says to Link, then shoots me a not-so-subtle glare across the table. "I'm happy to see that everyone was able to be punctual this time."

He's still not over it? It's been weeks since I had to reschedule our dinner.

"I already apologized numerous times for being late that day, what more do you want from me?" I ask, genuinely curious about his answer.

"I would like for you to be on time," he says in a calm voice, taunting me with a grain of arrogance.

"I am, aren't I?"

"Today you are," he says in a dismissive tone.

"Don't act like you were always on time when we planned on having dinner together. I quite vividly remember a series of instances where I would sit by the table, waiting for you until the food turned cold. Some nights you forgot about me altogether. At least I have the decency to call and cancel and to apologize for it, unlike you."

"I was never late when dining with guests."

He is really testing me right now. I clench my jaw and swallow all the nasty words I would like to use in my next counter argument. "Fine, can we just enjoy the meal Link cooked for us without fighting?"

The shared discomfort when we shift our eyes toward Link, who is silently sitting next to me, is rising to a nearly palpable level. Father and I give him an apologetic look as I adjust the napkin on my lap and he picks up the silverware. Link returns an awkward smile, kindly pretending the past two minutes never happened.

"Thanks for cooking, Link," I mutter embarrassed.

Father's eyes widen upon taking the first bite, driving Link and me to exchange a look of anticipation. Once he has swallowed, he looks at Link, still holding surprise in his eyes.

"It's quite delectable," he praises him in awe.

"Thanks," Link tries to suppress his little smile of pride and relief. He's cute when he acts abashedly but I wish he didn't try to hide his smile all the time. He's allowed to feel good after receiving a compliment.

"It's really good," I agree with Father after taking a bite.

"Thanks. It's a common Japanese dish. Nothing too fancy. It's my mom's favorite so there's a good chance she'll make it for us."

"Speaking of which, are you all set for tomorrow's journey?" Father asks the two of us.

"I am." My short answer, unintentionally hands all the attention to Link.

Flustered, he scratches the back of his head and answers without looking back at Father. "I still have to pack."

"Pack? But your flight is departing in less than 24 hours," Father questions the poor, unorganized boy.

"Yeah, I know, I'll do it in the morning. I still got some clothes and other stuff at my parents' house, so I don't have to bring much."

No matter Link's reasoning, Father could never comprehend or excuse a lack of preparation. But instead of giving Link a hard time, he avoids an argument by simply raising his brows and answering with a very restrained, "Alright."

I'm glad he's trying to be polite. I didn't mean to get into an argument with him before dinner but he still manages to poke my temper sometimes. I think we are just too used to provoking and challenging each other and always assume the other one is out for blood. In those moments, we forget to put ourselves in each other's shoes. He has explained to me why he used to be gone all the time when I was younger, and I have explained to him why I didn't make it in time for our dinner a few weeks ago, yet we both hold grudges more often than not.

People tell me frequently how forgiving I am, and while that may be true to some extent, letting go is a whole other story. And that's something I'm not good at. I'm not under the misconception that I have to learn how to completely overlook every mistake anyone has ever made, but I do have to find a way to stop holding on to every bad thing in my life. Whether it's in the past or not. I have to be able to let things go.

Karusa is a good example... To forget what he did would be impossible and quite frankly a mistake in itself. Meeting him has taught me to say no. He also taught me that I have the right to feel comfortable with a man. And that I am the only one who should decide over my body.

Had I never met him, Father and I would likely still live in misery and perhaps Link and I would have moved quicker than I would have felt comfortable. Actually, it would probably be the opposite; had I never met Karusa, then Link and I would have never ended up dating in the first place.

My life is good now and I don't want to rid myself of the progress I've made despite all the pain Karusa has caused me. I am okay with that now, I have learned to pick myself back up when falling to the ground. But letting go and moving on... Well... That is something Karusa can't teach me.

Here I am contemplating the effects he had on my life when in truth, I'm just trying to come up with an answer as to why he would send me a message out of nowhere. Seriously... What was all that about? He can be so confusing sometimes!

First he tries to hook up immediately upon meeting me for the first time, then threatens to hit me with his bat after getting rejected, then, months later, follows me into the tunnels of the stadium and claims he wouldn't have hit me back then and that the only reason he got mad at me was because I slapped him. So he basically blamed me for his behavior...

No matter all the despicable things he did to me, or tried to do, the worst thing he ever did was to brag to Link about things that never even happened. It's his fault Link nearly died. And then—this one still confused me—at the Boar's baseball field when I talked to him privately, he suddenly acted like the victim.

I hate him so much..!

Still... a small, teeny tiny, microscopic part of me... actually pitied him.

After dessert, Father and I thank Link for dinner one more time and move our conversations to the living room. They do seem to be getting along very well now. I suppose they always have. More or less. Obviously they haven't exchanged BFF keychains but Father doesn't treat Link like the enemy, which is worth a lot, considering he used to treat his own daughter as such.

I know Father's opinion is very important to Link too, and while he may not think of Link as the son-in-law he had always hoped for, somehow Link manages to impress even the most judgemental man on this planet.

I smile at them, watching from the sidelines as they converse about the history of golf. I never thought it possible but they found a topic that is fascinating to them both.

Since Link has to get up early to finish packing, he decides to call it an early night. Having announced his departure, he wishes a good night to Father. He wants to say goodnight by the door but I insist on walking him back to his car.

The driveway is quiet and deserted, the air is warm, and a slim rim of the moon can be spotted above the crowns of the tall palm trees.

"That was a nice dinner," Link says with a satisfied smile on his face.

"You think?" I ask a little surprised.

"Yeah, don't you?"

"It wasn't bad. Apart from the argument. I'm sorry about that."

"It wasn't even a serious argument. And it was over pretty quickly so don't worry."

We stop at his car. Here comes my least favorite part of every day: saying goodbye to Link.

He leans his back against the side of the vehicle and pulls me closer by my hips.

"Excited for tomorrow?" He asks and I nod. "Yeah? How excited are you?"

"Very."

"Mhm. Me too. Can't wait to show you Japan."

"Me too," I give him my widest grin.

"Cutie."

He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and leans in for a kiss. Feeling a lack of privacy, I quickly end the kiss with a shy smile.

"Sorry," I giggle. "There are cameras everywhere and Cado is somewhere around here too, patrolling."

"All good. This time tomorrow we will have all the privacy we want."

"No, we'll be sitting in a plane full of people."

He gives his eyes a dramatic roll. "You know what I meant."

I kiss his cheek with that vast smile of mine. "Give it 48 hours," I giggle.

"What time do you want me to pick you up tomorrow?"

"I will pick you up."

"You sure? I don't mind driving."

"Just be ready to leave at 10 AM."

"Sounds good. One more kiss for the road?"

I hesitate to kiss him. Not because I don't want to, but because there is one more thing I have to do before we part for the night. I thought I should wait to tell him about Karusa's message until we are in Japan, far away from that sociopath, but I don't want it to ruin our trip. I'd rather get it over with now and leave those worries behind before boarding the plane.

"No kiss then?" Link chuckles. "Breaking my heart..."

My heart sinks as I prepare the words in my mind. "Before you leave, there is something I have to tell you."

"Don't like the sound of that. What's up?"

"It's not a big deal," I hope. I would make him promise not to act impulsively, like going on a murder mission, but the anticipation would only torture him and I don't think it's fair to make people promise things before giving them all the information.

I want to finally get this over with, so I tell him in one nervous breath. "Karusa texted me."

I study his face but a sudden pause leaves it unchanged. "What?"

I don't want to say it out loud again... I'm pretty sure he heard me.

"He texted me on Instagram..."

The shock is more than evident. His features darken as his brows dip.

"What did he say?"

"Just 'Hey'..."

"What?"

"Yeah... I don't know either," I shrug nervously.

"The fuck?" I don't like it when he swears but his reaction is valid. It still makes me so anxious to watch his mien change so quickly.

Eyes wide, mouth agape, and brows rigitdy drawn to each other, he shakes his head slightly.

"Seriously... What the hell?"

I can't tell if he's angry or hurt or just confused, and the uncertainty is making it difficult for me to form a sentence.

"Show me," he demands.

His harsh tone makes me shrink. "What?"

"Show me what he said!"

"He just said 'Hey'."

"Okay, well, show me."

Does he not believe me? What's going on? He is falling into that state of anger where his mind gets clouded. I don't want him to disappear, I don't want his anger to control him the way it does when he gets into fights. It scares me... The way his eyes turn empty...

"You want to look at my phone?" I whisper nervously.

I don't have the time or courage to even question the morals or accuse him of invading my privacy by giving such demands. I don't even wait for him to answer my question. I bring up my phone, unlock it, and open the chat for him immediately.

Link appears just as confused by Karusa's 'Hey' as me when I first saw it. Though his annoyance and anger seem to surpass any other emotion.

"Wait, what the actual fuck, Zelda? He sent this message last month," his eyes look up from the screen, only to glare at me. "You're telling me now?"

"Can you blame me? I received the message the same night we were arguing about Pik. We were already fighting and after you said all the things about worrying for my safety, I just didn't think it was the right time to tell you about this."

"You should've just told me!"

"Why are you getting angry at me!?"

"I fucking hate Karusa!" Link scoffs.

"Okay, please stop with the vulgar langua—"

"Karusa and Ganon pretty much ruined my life! Ganon destroyed my career and Karusa did stuff that's even worse. I have every right to be pissed that he's trying to talk to you after what he did at the stadium last year!"

"Okay," I nod disarmed. I don't know what else to say. I don't want him to yell at me... It's making my legs weak.

"Why'd you hide this from me?"

"I didn't hide it! I just didn't know what to do about it."

"I'll tell you what to do about it." Without the slightest hesitation, Link's thumb hits the 'block' button and confirms his actions with another tap. The chat disappears and so does Karusa's profile. "Done."

"Right..."

He offers me my phone and I take it back while keeping my eyes on the ground.

"Has he done anything else?" Link asks, not hiding his anger.

"What do you mean?"

"Has he tried texting you somewhere else or talked to you in person or anything?"

"How would he--no of course not."

"I'm just making sure."

"I haven't seen or spoken to him ever since that night on the field."

"What night? What?" My stomach flips. "What night Zelda?"

I never told Link about that day... He doesn't know about me visiting the Boar's frat party, visiting Lorule's campus late at night, talking to Karusa on the bleachers, or breaking into Ganon's house. There is a reason why I never told him. He doesn't need to know about any of this.

"Zelda," Link presses impatiently.

I suck in a nervous breath. "While you were in the hospital, Impa and I went to Lorule to vandalize their baseball field. It was stupid and childish... Karusa caught us but didn't really do anything about it. I talked to him--"

"No way he didn't do anything about it! He's probably texting you to tell you he's gonna tell on you--Did you say you talked to him?"

"Very briefly. Impa and I left right after."

"You talked to him?" He can't believe his own ears. Or he is hoping for the slight chance that I'm messing with him. "About what? Why would you do that? Why would you go there?"

"I felt like I was dying inside, Link!" My composure has left! I can't keep back anymore! I had reasons--good reasons--and it's not fair to put me on trial here. 

I take a deep breath.

Yelling isn't the answer. If you want somebody to listen, yelling is the first thing that will make them turn away.

Keep it together, Zelda, my subconscious tells me. I'm getting too emotional again... Trying to stay calm, I swallow and steady my quaking chest. Thankfully he is waiting for me to explain myself rather than hurling more words at me.

"You were in the hospital, nobody knew if you were going to live and then the school had the audacity to suspend you, meanwhile Karusa got off easy! I couldn't contain my anger when I saw his sorry face! Looking at him made me act heedlessly! I asked him if he felt regret, or if he knew that what he did was wrong. I was trying to find out if he is a sociopath. I was curious, okay? That's it. I was curious to know what makes his brain different from mine. Why he can act without remorse. How his hands can purposefully hurt another human being. But he disregarded all my questions and seemed convinced that he was the victim in all of this. So I left."

"Did he do anything? To you? Anything at all?"

"No."

"He didn't touch you? Or threatened you?"

I shake my head, hoping it will calm him. "He hardly even looked at me."

"Don't defend him..."

"How am I defending him!?"

"He's sick in his head."

"I never denied that. I'm agreeing with that! And you knew that if you were listening to me!"

"Just don't talk to him again. And tell me if he ever tries texting you again. That bastard will only try hurting you more and if he does, I'll kill him."

"Link..."

"Say you understand. You'll tell me if he tries shit again."

"Sure..."

"I mean it."

My brows crease. I already said okay, why can't he just accept that? "I'll tell you if he ever reaches out again," I nod. I feel like a soldier taking orders. This doesn't feel like a relationship and it's raising a couple of red flags.

I do understand where Link's anger comes from though. I'm just scared that he is directing it at me... At first I thought he was only mad at Karusa but now I'm not so sure anymore.

Did I do something wrong? It was my right to hide the message... I didn't even hide it, I just waited for the right moment to show it to him. And I did. I was the one to bring it up, it's not like he found it by snooping through my phone.

"What do you think were his intentions?" I murmur.

"Don't know and don't care. But I swear to God if he gets anywhere near you, he's dead."

Is he being serious? That's the second time he has made death threats tonight. After what happened last time he can't possibly think violence is the answer.

I take a small step away and lower my head, hesitant to say what's going through my mind right now. "You are scaring me," I admit with caution.

I think scaring me in any way is one of Link's greatest fears. He has always made it a priority to make sure I feel comfortable and safe around him. That's why my words change his stance and facial expression so drastically... I don't mean to hurt him, I just want to be honest with him.

I look up at him; he is frowning. No longer are his eyes burning with rage, no, now he just looks hurt.

"You're scared of me?"

"I'm not afraid of you. I'm afraid for you. I just don't want you to get hurt. That terrifies me."

"I get that." He pulls me into a tight hug. "Sorry. I just don't want him anywhere near you."

"Trust me, neither do I."

"That asshole should share a prison cell with Ganon."

"I agree."

"...I really don't like you being scared."

"I'm fine now."

"I will protect you. Always."

"That doesn't comfort me..."

"What? I mean it in a good way."

"If your idea of protection is to get into fights, then I don't want you to protect me."

"I won't get into any more fights..."

"Promise?"

After a short pause, he slowly answers with, "No. I can't promise that, sorry. If I really have to get into a fight with someone to protect you, I will. But I'll try not to unless it's absolutely necessary. Is that good enough of a promise?"

"But... I don't ever want to see you get hurt again..."

"Well I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I can take the physical pain. What's much worse is the heartache I feel every time I think of losing you."

"What happened in February will never happen again."

"Why did you have to get into a fight that day?" I whimper.

"I don't know."

"I know Karusa provoked you with some really abominable lies, but you didn't believe him, did you?"

"I don't remember that day at all. I don't know what the hell I was thinking. I know you were on my mind that day but I don't remember the exact thoughts I had."

"But if Karusa came up to you now and told you something happened between us, you wouldn't believe him, right?"

"If he came up to me right now he'd wake up in the hospital."

"And you in jail."

"Good. Put me in a cell with Ganon."

"Link, stop! Don't you dare get in another fight with him over fictitious stories. It's not worth getting hurt and possibly arrested."

"Absolutely worth it."

"Stop it! Please just stop!" I cry out in frustration and hit my flat hands against his chest. I'm so tired of having this conversation over and over again! "I can't lose you again!"

His eyes study mine in the faint luster of the planted lights that illuminate the arraying palm trees paralleling the driveway. I lean my head against his collarbone and sigh. His hand rubs my back. Everything just became silent so quickly.

"Sorry," he whispers.

"Don't apologize. I just want you to understand that it's far more painful for me to see you get hurt than to deal with Karusa's actions and comments."

"Okay. I'm sorry."

"I don't want to make you feel bad. I really just want you to understand where I'm coming from."

"I do understand. But you also have to understand that it's really painful for me too."

"What is?"

"What he did to you! I am sorry for getting angry about the text but try to understand where I'm coming from. Karusa ruined my life, he tried ruining yours too and... just everything about him is disgusting! I don't want him texting you. I don't even want him thinking about you! And it's not just about what Ganon and Karusa are saying to me, it's the fact that I know that it's not all made up!"

"What?! No! I never—"

"You didn't, I know that, but they did do that kind of stuff. Even if they didn't do all the things to you that they said they did, they probably do that stuff to other girls. And just the thought of Karusa or Ganon or any one of those assholes touching you makes me so fucking sick. Like... I can't even put it in words. I don't think you understand how bad that feels."

"I didn't want him to touch me... I tried fighting it..."

"No—God, I know, I'm not blaming you," he defends in a worried whisper.

"Right. I know. Sorry..."

"Okay, let's just stop apologizing or talking about it. Ganon's locked up, Karusa is blocked. Not much more we can do right now so... let's just try to move on."

Move on... Easier said than done.

"Okay," I mutter against his shoulder.

He holds me for another minute, stroking my back in a calming rhythm. I didn't expect to get into a fight over this but at least it ended on a somewhat good note. We really just care about each other. We are not fighting against each other, we are fighting for each other.

"Are we okay?" I whisper.

"Of course... I didn't mean to get mad at you. Sorry."

"I'm glad we talked about it. I understand why you got angry."

"Thanks." He rubs my back one more time in the way that is telling me that he's about to let go of me. "Alright, I should get going now."

"Drive carefully," I bid.

"I will." Our hug loosens and a soft smile is waiting for my eyes. "Kiss?"

I can't help but smile in return. He finally gets the kiss he has been waiting for and drives off shortly after.

I'm glad I brought up Karusa before going to Japan. This way we will be far away from all our problems and won't have to deal with any of it until we return to the States. 

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