Malice's POV
I get to see Zelda's bedroom in the daylight for the first time. It's like the princess chamber in a goddamn castle. Her bed is gigantic, big enough for eight people. Eight overweight people.
She has a bunch of plants, and a large desk with a million photos of her perfect life. Perfect friends. Perfect everything.
She also has her own bathroom and a walk-in closet that could fit a whole Gucci store and a Starbucks inside, and the wall opposite of the door is almost fully out of glass. A princess in a glass house, for everyone to admire. One crack and the whole thing might break.
I walk up to the window. You have the glowing pool and the huge backyard with a lit blue tennis court in the foreground, and a dreamy view of the city in the background. With the sunset bathing in the Pacific ocean, its red light mirrored by the skyscrapers, I stop to take in the pretty sight and almost forget that Zelda is freaking out about her dad right now.
"Do you think he saw?" She pants.
We just had to run from the kitchen to her bedroom without anyone noticing and now we're both catching our breaths.
"I doubt it," I say.
"Guess you'll be staying in my room tonight. The nurse is probably going to check the guest bedrooms from now on."
"Whatever," I shrug and plunge down on her bed, snacking on a biscuit. For the first time in days I don't feel like puking. I still feel like I'm experiencing withdrawal though and it sucks.
Zelda, still panting, sits down next to me. "Are you feeling any better?"
Why's she always so concerned about my well-being? "I'm fine, chill."
"Okay, just making sure."
"We're not friends," I snap and for some reason her face drops.
"I know."
"I don't even like you, okay? Just because you're helping me detox doesn't make us kindred spirits. You kidnapped me and threw away my stuff. Don't think I'm cool with that."
"I didn't think that."
"Yeah so don't act all worried about me now."
"But I am."
"Huh?" I sit up to see if she's for real right now. "Did you not hear anything I just said?"
"We don't have to be friends in order for me to care. I want you to get better, regardless of our relationship. Is that so hard to understand?"
"Yes," I say honestly. "After everything I've done to you and your friends, how don't you hate me?"
Zelda gives me a faint smile. "Who said I don't?"
A knock interrupts us. Our eyes dart toward the door. The handle moves, the lock clinks, my heart stops.
"Hide!" Zelda commands in a whisper.
I roll across the mattress to get to the other side of the bed and hide under it, but I'm not quick enough and the door opens before I'm out of sight. I drop to the floor in a loud thud, still committed to hiding.
"It's just Link," Zelda tells me with a relieved sigh.
I sit up and stretch my head up to look past the high bed frame. Link is standing in the door, greeting Zelda with a hug. As he's hugging her, his eyes land on me.
"You're still here," he says, sounding annoyed by my presence.
"You're back," I retort, mirroring his enthusiasm. "Gonna tell me to get out again?"
He doesn't laugh at my joke. "As long as Zelda's cool with you staying, then it's I won't say anything."
"Damn Zelly, you got your man whipped," I say, gaining nothing but angry glares from both of them. "Can't take a joke?"
Zelda ignores me and aims her attention at Link instead.
"So what did you and my father discuss?" She asks Link.
"I told him I've been staying here for the past week and apologized for getting into a fight."
Her jaw drops. "You told him about Karusa? What did he say?"
"To stay out of trouble and to see a doctor for my injuries."
"That's it?" Zelda asks and he nods. "He didn't get mad? Did he raise his voice?"
"Not really. Obviously he wasn't happy but he didn't yell. By the way, he thinks I've been sleeping in the guest bedroom," his eyes steal a fleeting glance at me. "He doesn't know that it was Malice."
Zelda sighs, "Good, I'm still not sure how to tell him that she's here."
"Oh, you decided to tell him?" Link asks.
"I can't just keep this from him," she says. "It's not a good idea. Just like you said earlier: sooner or later he'll find out and if I tell him, he might be willing to help."
I scoff, "Yeah right."
"We don't know until we try," Zelda defends.
Link steps closer to her, lowering his voice as if I'm not allowed to hear what's coming next. "Zelda, your dad told me I can't stay here because my connection to Karusa could compromise the lawsuit. How do you think he'll feel about Malice being here, someone who is Karusa's ally and Ganon's girlfriend?"
Zelda's hope visibly diminishes and I almost laugh out loud.
"He'll kick her out if he finds out," Link continues, showing way more empathy than me.
"Or maybe he'll call the cops," I say to them.
"I can't believe he's not letting you stay," Zelda tells Link in a despairing tone. "I'll talk to him. I'll convince him—"
"Zelda no," Link stops her from leaving the room. "It's okay."
"Link, you have nowhere else to go," Zelda whines.
"I can stay with Kafei for a few nights and start looking for an apartment."
"You don't have money for rent," Zelda says.
Confused, I cut in, "Aren't you rich? I thought you soccer players get paid a shit ton, especially since you were on Japan's national team."
Zelda shakes her head. "Link used to donate all his money,"
"Well that's just poor accounting," I laugh. "You didn't put any money aside?"
"I did, but it's just enough for my family in Japan," Link says. He sort of just disregards me and goes back to talking to Zelda as if I'm not here. "Don't worry about me, I'll figure it out."
"I'll talk to my Father," Zelda says.
"Your dad has done enough," Link counters. "He offered that I can stay here for the night."
"He did?"
"Yes. And we'll figure out the rest later," he assures her.
Zelda nods but she's clearly worried. "I suppose it's fine for tonight. Father will think that the guest bedroom will be occupied by you, when it's really Malice who'll be sleeping there." She turns to address me directly, "That means you can leave the window open for now but you must keep the door closed."
"Fine," I say.
"Just don't arouse any suspicion," Zelda adds. "Don't make any noise, don't show your face."
"Yeah yeah, Uncle Vernon, I'll be in my bedroom, making no noise and pretending I'm not there," I quote Harry Potter tonelessly. "Awe Zelly! Does that mean we're not sleeping together anymore?"
"You guys slept together?" Link asks baffled.
"Yup, one bed, one blanket. Does that make you jealous?" I laugh and watch as he turns crimson. "You totally missed out on some hot action last night," I tease him some more.
"Oh shut up," Zelda rolls her eyes at me. "We only shared the bed so I could make sure my staff didn't hear you sleep talking or begging for more pills."
I want to counter but heavy footsteps approach Zelda's room, instantly silencing the three of us as if it was a gunman scouting the hallway. An abrupt knock on the door startles Zelda like gunfire.
"Zelda?" her pop's voice sounds from the other side of the door.
She quickly gestures for me to hide again and since I'm conveniently sitting on the floor already, I just lay down flat, hiding behind her bed.
"Yes?" Zelda answers to her father.
"May I come in?" He asks.
Zelda hesitates, which is stupid because the only option is to say yes right now. Saying no would be suspicious and hesitating is even more suspicious.
I'm unable to see the door but I hear how it opens. I wonder if Zelda let him in or if he let himself in.
"I am leaving shortly," the old man says. "I will be back in a few hours."
"Good luck," Zelda says.
"I already talked to Link. He may stay the night."
"Thanks again," Link says.
"I expect the door to the guestroom to remain open all night," he says to them. I sigh and roll my eyes. Looks like I'm not staying in the guestroom tonight. Shit, does that mean I have to go back to the streets?
"But Father," Zelda tries to fight him but he's quick to cut her off.
"No debate," he says. "Look at it as your punishment for keeping secrets from me again."
"But Father, you're depriving Link of his privacy. He should be allowed to keep the door shut. I promise you we won't sleep in the same room."
Her father sighs so loud that I can hear it from the other side of the room. "You're right," he says. "Link may keep the door shut."
"Thank you," Zelda says.
"But you will keep your door open instead," her dad adds.
"What?" Zelda gasps.
"That way I will know you're staying in your bed all night."
"I already promised you we would sleep separately. Do you not trust my word?"
"Your word?" he scoffs. "Maybe once you stop lying to me I will trust your word. Until then, your door stays open."
"Father–"
"I want to hear no more of it tonight!" he asserts firmly, addressing Zelda with authority. "You two have caused enough trouble, you don't get to have a preference in this. My roof, my rules. Either your door remains open, or Link is welcome to find accommodations elsewhere for the night. This is my final decision." There's a short pause and a sigh. "I must leave now; I'm already running late due to the disruptions you both have caused."
Link and Zelda remain silent, then the door closes again. I stay hidden for a few more seconds just to make sure the dude is gone.
"Now what?" Zelda asks.
I sit up to check if the coast is clear. No sign of the old man.
"Well we can't share your bedroom, that's for sure," Link says.
Zelda paces back and forth. "And I can't sleep in the guest bedroom with Malice because he wants to check in on me during the night and I would have to leave my door open."
"Guess I'll spend the night at Kafei's," Link suggests.
Both of them ponder, staring at the floor with heavy frowns weighing on their lips. They probably forgot I'm still here. I clear my throat, drawing their eyes on me.
"Or," I say, "Zelda could stay in her room with the door open and Link and I share the guest bedroom."
"No way!" Zelda snaps. "You're not sharing a bed with Link!"
Gosh she's so impulsive. "Chill the fuck out, I'm not trying to sleep with him. But it's our only option really."
"We have plenty of other options," Zelda argues.
"Your dad wants you to keep your door open," I say. "Which means he'll expect to see you sleeping in your own bed. Alone. He also expects Link to sleep in the guest bedroom, but the door will be closed. Link and I will share the room so your dad won't find out I'm here. This way Link has a place to crash tonight and I have a babysitter who'll keep me from sleep talking or begging for more pills. Now tell me, are any of your options better than this?"
Zelda doesn't have a counter argument. She just glares at me. I smirk victoriously.
"Someone should definitely keep an eye on her at night," Link says.
"You're seriously supporting her idea?" Zelda asks shocked.
"What choice do we have? You can't sleep with Malice, and you can't sleep with me. Malice shouldn't sleep alone, so I should–"
"Sleep with her?" Zelda huffs.
"It's just for one night," Link says. "You trust me?"
"Of course I trust you, Link." Zelda takes his hands. "It's her I don't trust."
I smirk amused, "Come on Zelly! It's just for one night."