Chapter 18.


    Hit.


    It was almost a year ago. Summer was gone and so were my chances of getting tanned. I''d juste


    back from another failed interview at apany.


    Hit.


    The living room was dimly-lit but I knew Tony was home as I could see his shoes outside. I craved ice


    cream at that moment because it was literally the only thing that kept me happy.


    Hit.


    I heard the bedroom door open behind me as I got the tub of vani ice cream from the refrigerator. I


    don''t know why I didn''t turn on the lights but, I swear to God, I should''ve.


    Hit. Hit.


    I felt someone''s presence behind me and knew it was Tony. It wasn''t like anyone else lived with us. The


    only thing I needed to do at that moment was rx and talk to someone but, when I turned around to


    face him in the dimly-lit room...


    Hit. Hit. Hit.


    My jaw fell to the ground and so did my ice cream when he-


    "That''s enough."


    Maverick''s voice jolts me from my thoughts, and I identally let the punchbag swing back and hit me.


    I stumble to the ground.


    "You really showed that bag who''s boss!" He whistles as he examines the already-worn leather. The


    bag is sagging slightly from my punches. "How did that feel?"


    To be honest, it felt good. It was an eye-opener.


    I didn''t even realize that I was still mad, until now. I thought I''d got over it for the time being... At least


    until I see Tony and break down again.


    I feel alive for the first time in weeks, as though a burden has been lifted from my shoulders. The new


    emotions bubbling inside me can''t be put into words, so I start to chuckle.


    And then it turns to full-blownughter.


    "Did you see what I did there?" I bounce up from the floor in excitement. "I went full-on Taekwondo on


    that thing... I beat that little shit up and buried it under the name of April. I need something more real to


    pounce on, something more human. I want to rip out someone''s guts-"


    "Hey, take it easy there, baby tiger." Maverick cuts me off with a chuckle of his own. "You seem fine


    with being fierce and knocking someone''s brain out. So what''s really your problem?"


    I swipe my hair off my face and put my aching palms on my hips. Some of the excitement inside me


    dies a little. "I- I don''t know. I''m just not good enough. It''s not like I can talk to anyone about my


    problems. Why would they even listen to me?"


    I''m trying to control the rapid rising and falling of my chest, but I''m panting so hard that it''s impossible.


    "What are you talking about?" asks Maverick, frowning slightly. "They have every reason to listen to


    you."


    Do they?


    I only remember being pushed around all my life. Not once did anyone bother to care about how I feel


    or what I had to say.


    I raise my eyes to look up at Maverick and see his lips pressed in a thin line. Although his eyes are as


    warm as summer.


    "Come back here tomorrow at the same time. We''re working on a new aspect." He says suddenly and


    turns around to leave.


    I blink. He''s leaving already?


    "What new aspect?" I call after him and, without even looking back, he replies:


    "Your self-esteem."


    ~~~~~~


    We had leftover pizza and ketchup for breakfast.


    Maverick didn''t realise we''d run out of food and all the stores were closed because it''s a Sunday.


    I didn''t mind, though. If the stores had been open, I would''ve had to make breakfast and then, when my


    I''m sitting on my bed, Indian style, scrolling through my emails when I hear voices outside the house.


    At first, I try to ignore it, but the noise gets louder and louder until it sounds like an argument. So I do


    what any other human with nothing else to do will do.


    I sneak out of my room to eavesdrop.


    It''s not exactly eavesdropping, though. Even if I''d stayed in my room, their voices would''ve been


    audible, but I just want to have a clear view of the people themselves.


    One of the voices, no doubt, belongs to Maverick and the other one''s so feminine and tiny that I''m half


    worried that her voice is going to break.


    I reach the mini living room and shift the window blinds open just a little bit. I don''t want to be too


    obvious.


    "You have a girl living in your house, for God''s sake! What do you want me to think?" The female voice


    speaks and I shift a little bit to have a clearer picture of her face.


    I met her before at the hospital. She''s the one who looked at me like dirt before disappearing into a


    corner with Maverick, after iming they had an emergency.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    "Think whatever you want!" snaps Maverick and I lean forwards to see him too. His face is bright red


    and angry. "Who I have at my house is none of your business. So stop acting like you care and move


    on with your life!"


    "You think I care?" She bursts into hystericalughter as if mocking him, but then calms down enough


    to say, "I actually do care about you, you know, and you just hurt my feelings. We are made for each


    other, M."


    He snorts. "If you were ''made'' for me, you would never have left in the first ce. But thanks for


    leaving, anyway." His voice drips with coldness.


    The woman res at him. "This isn''t over. I will be back. I won''t stop until I im what''s rightfully mine."


    "Yeah whatever. Fuck off my property."


    I see her eyes ze with anger before she storms in the opposite direction, her red hair swinging


    sideways.


    I flinch when she ms the gate loudly, then let out a breath that I didn''t know I was holding.


    "You cane out now," I hear Maverick say.


    I''ve been caught. Shit.


    I''m going to remind myselfter to Google ''How to get out of awkward situations.'' I definitely need


    some tips.


    I slowly creak open the door to see Maverick already sitting on the fourth front step, which is covered in


    snow. I reluctantly take a seat beside him and bite my lip nervously.


    "J- just so you know, I- I wasn''t eavesdropping." That''s not exactly a lie.


    He stays silent and he looks like he''s too lost in his own thoughts to tell how badly I want to get out of


    here.


    Then he speaks.


    "Here''s the funny story of why I wanted to be a doctor." He nces at my bewildered expression.


    "Oh, and you can calm down. Stop acting like I''m going to bite your head off, because I''m not."


    I wince. Oops. He saw that?


    "My mum used to cry a lot when I was a kid. She''d read me bedtime stories and when she thought I


    was asleep, she would put a hand over her mouth and cry, trying not to wake me."


    He takes a breath and continues. "I didn''t know what was going on with her, but I wanted to help. I


    turned six and made up my mind that I wanted to help people like Mom. People who are hurt inside,


    people with broken hearts. I was thinking that maybe there was a way of stitching up hearts when


    they''re broken... just like you can stitch up a kid''s knee."


    I''mpletely transfixed, watching him speak.


    "Eleven yearster, I realized that''s not what being a doctor is all about. I realised it when I was forced


    to watch a birthing video in my senior year of high school." Maverick smiles dryly to himself. "Let''s just


    say I didn''t function well for a week after I saw that video."


    I smile too. "We all believed crazy things when we were kids. I can still remember the time I freaked out


    after swallowing an apple seed."


    One of his eyebrows shoots up in a questioning manner. "Why?"


    "I believed a tree would grow inside me, that there was a seed nted in my belly."


    He throws back his head to give a heartyugh. The sound warms me from the inside and melts the icy


    air. "Now that''s one fucked-up theory."


    "Yeah," I say, still smiling. "But, hey, let me know if you do manage to find the cure for a broken heart. I


    really need a dose of that medicine..." I look over at him and remember the way the red-headed nurse


    stormed out. My heartbeat quickens. "And... maybe you do too?"


    Maverick sighs heavily and taps his foot on the step. "Yeah, maybe I do." He watches me adjust my


    sses for a while before pointing at them. "How long have you been wearing those?"


    "Fifteen years. I got diagnosed with Astigmatism when I was ten," I shrug it off like it''s nothing.


    "So you mean, if it falls off, your sight goespletely nk?" he asks and I give him an ''are-you-


    kidding-me'' look.


    "What?" he says defensively. "There''s a big difference between being a medical doctor and being an


    optician. I''m not very familiar with sses."


    "Well, my sight doesn''t exactly go nk. It just bes blurry."


    "So that''s why," he says to himself and nods slowly, as if realising something.


    I stare at him. "That''s why what?"


    "Nothing."


    "My gut tells me you''re lying." I narrow my eyes at him behind my sses.


    "I wouldn''t trust your gut so much. Women jump into conclusions like it''s an Olympic sport."


    I roll my eyes and stare into the night, keeping my eyes on the fireflies surrounding the fountain. The


    sky, too, is beautiful and clear, showcasing so many bright stars...


    "Do you know what they say about the stars?" I ask suddenly and look over at him.


    "No?"


    "Me neither."


    Heughs softly before telling me all he knows about the stars. It turns out that he knows loads about


    the universe.


    We talk about almost everything and I find out that, after he watched that birthing video, he changed his


    mind about bing a doctor and joined a boy band. His Dad didn''t approve of it, though, and broke


    his guitar.


    I also find out that he was a travelling doctor, that he''s been to sixteen different countries. He''s


    multilingual and can even converse in Sign Language for the deaf.


    Puppies are his weak spot and he''s extremely allergic to cats. He loves children and would like to


    adopt four of them from different races when he''s married.


    He loves animation, too, and his favorite cartoon is Shrek. Donkey is his favorite character because he


    reminds him of Callum, his stepbrother.


    By the time we''re finished, I''m amazed.


    When Jim brought up the idea of me staying with his tenant for a period of time, I thought this was


    going to be the worst time of my life.


    But I don''t think I''ve ever been more wrong.