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Chapter Fifty-Two
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Aslan
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(Moon in Lithuanian: Menulis)
10:00 A.M.
CHRISTMAS.
The day that all carols and department stores tried to convince mankind was the greatest day on earth.
It started off well enough.
I helped Jack prepare the lobster that his friend down the street had caught and given as a Christmas present. Neri helped her mother bake a thousand different desserts and the tree that Anna had put up two weeks ago, glittered with garish rainbow lights and silver tinsel that shed all over the tiles.
A small pile of presents waited underneath on a red velvet cloth.
The ring I planned on giving Neri sat on top of the box of craft beer I’d bought Jack and the latest book on underwater photography for Anna.
The morning we spent outside, eating the prawn cocktail that Anna said was traditional on Christmas morning. Jack cracked open a beer at ten o’clock, and pushed one into my hand, despite me trying to refuse.
The Christmas cheer had well and truly infected both the Taylors, and I grinned into my prawn cocktail as the sun shone and the temperature made all of us sweat in our shorts and tropical-coloured shirts. Jack had bought all four of us the ugliest, brightest shirts from some reject store, claiming this was now our Christmas uniform.
Back home in Turkey, I’d be bundled in jackets and scarfs, gathered around the fire with my family to ward off the chill, waiting for New Years to celebrate with friends. Christmas wasn’t really done back home, and it’d taken time to get used to the huge production it was here.
What would Melike make of it?
Stop. Don’t go there.
Wrenching my thoughts from my constantly haunting ghosts, I returned to hotter climes and forced myself to enjoy the day. I did my best to stay present and not fear what would happen once we all sat down for our big meal and opened our gifts.
The Taylors liked to wait until the evening for present giving.
I had no idea why, and the waiting made me insane.
Seven or so more hours before Jack and Anna found out.
Seven or so more hours that ought to be easy to endure, but somehow became the most excruciating.
Once we’d finished food course number one, Neri cleared the dishes, and Jack dragged me into his office to offer my opinion on the latest echolocation equipment that he was thinking of upgrading to on The Fluke. The entire time he pointed out the pros and cons, my ears stayed perked for sounds of Neri and her mother in the kitchen, longing to hear Neri’s laughter.
Three days since I’d had her on her knees in my room.
Three days since I’d given her what she needed.
Three days since I’d seen the relaxed and confident version of the girl I’d kill for.
Even though it took everything I had not to go into her room and sink inside her, I’d meant what I said. I was done enabling her.
She needed to face it. Accept it. Deal with it. And move on.
I was aware I was a fucking hypocrite for forcing her to do the very thing I was incapable of doing, but...I’d lived the path she was travelling down, and I would do whatever it took to stop her before it was too late.
“So what do you think?” Jack asked. “Worth the investment?”
