04: I Let This Happen

In the car on the way to Zola's place, Harper was still agitated by the chaplain. "What the fuck?! Why was that Bible-thumper so obsessed with us?"

"Harper, it's her job. She was just checking in on us and probably everyone else in the ER tonight." Zola stared out the window. "She was nice to me."

"Oh . She was hitting on you."

"You're delusional. She was . She wasn't flirting with me. What do you care anyway?"

"I . Jesus. Could we do this?"

"You're right, we do this too much." Zola sighed in defeat and sadness.

Harper rolled her eyes and the women rode in silence to the Austonian.

The Austonian, the tallest building in downtown Austin, was coveted by most everyone in the area. Condos there started at $1.5 million and Zola's residence was on the 46th floor, almost 3000 sq. feet, with double master suites and northwest views. Purchased for just under $5 million, it was a drop in the bucket for the Basilio Estate.

"Good Morning, Miss Basilio," the frontdesk man welcomed the women after they were buzzed in past security. "We have been in touch with Mr. Basilio. Your access codes and locks will be changed for you by tomorrow end of the business day."

Zola nodded, still being led by Harper. "Jesus, Zo! What the fuck?!"

Zola mumbled under her breath, "I'll explain when we get upstairs."

----

As soon as Harper and Zola crossed the threshold into the luxury condo, Harper broke contact and created space. "I'm going to shower. This whole night has been a colossal shit-show."

Zola wanted to point out that it was due in no small part to Harper's choices, but she just didn't have the energy for a fight and she knew that she wasn't an angel either. Zola dropped into the massive sofa that dominated the main living area. She passed out from exhaustion and her last thoughts were of the only shining light of the night, Chaplain Sims.

----

Cora finished out her shift in the ER, and for the most part, it was a quiet night. As one of a half dozen chaplains at Seton, she was the youngest at 27 and also a Secular Humanist specializing in Engaged Buddhism. She earned degrees in Religious Studies from Wake Forest and Masters in Sociology focusing on religion from University of Texas.

Cora sat in the staff lounge, finishing up the shift report and reviewing her notes on Zola Basilio and Harper Embry. She sighed in resignation, knowing that they would not see each other in any setting other than the ER, and that was not a desirable outcome.

----

"I'm , Sweetie." Harper looked across the kitchen island at Zola who was staring into a coffee cup. Their morning had just begun at 2:00pm. "Zola?" She moved to Zola, gently brushing her hair back behind her ear. "You're so beautiful, I'm sorry, Zo."

Zola sighed. She was feeling better now that she had some sleep and a shower, but her heart ached. "Harper?" Zola lifted her eyes and searched Harper's wonderful emerald eyes, "Do you me? Do you for me?"

"Zola, what's wrong? I told you I'm sorry." Harper kissed Zola softly at first and then with increasing passion and urgency.

Zola pulled back roughly. "No. Don't."

"What?!"

"You do that. I don't want to have sex with you right now. I want you to about me. Love me enough to stop partying until neither of us have any control."

"Zola! You clubbing. Don't make me out to be the party girl here!"

"I to love it. I'm done. , I've told you again and again. You don't . You have sex. And I let you. Please, Harper, I don't want this anymore."

"So what?! You want to sit at home and crochet?! Why don't you date my Grammie?!"

"I just can't do this anymore. ? Do you love me enough to be okay with that?"

"So, because you don't want to go out, I can't go out?"

"'No.' You don't." Zola's voice was soft and resigned but she wasn't surprised. "You don't love me. I've asked you twice now." Harper grimaced in response. "It's okay, Harp. I care about you. I want you to slow down and be more careful, but, I don't think I've loved you for a long time." Zola winced at the realization. Harper just stared, stunned.

"You know I'm right. We partied our way through college and then when we're 'together,' we're in the party and sex phase again. Have we ever done anything else together?"

"Zola?! Are you breaking up with me?" Harper smirked. "?"

", for the time, Harper." There was a finality in Zola's voice that Harper had never heard before. "I don't like myself anymore." Zola's voice cracked with emotion. "I think you might be a big part of the reason why."

"You fucking ." Harper stepped back. "This is not all on . You're blaming for your problems?!"

"No, you're right, it's my fault. this happen. I still care about you, I just don't think I can be around you. You're not good for me right now. I have no control around you. I've lost myself, you have a power over me, it's not healthy. I'm sorry, Harper." ". You are But you're right about one thing, this is ." ----

Zola spent the next few days isolated in her condo. The only social interaction she had was with her personal trainer whom she saw five times a week. He was a bit of a tyrant in Zola's opinion, but she needed physical activity and the extra push. By the time Dominic came to visit, Zola's body was beginning to look more like that of a healthy young woman.

"Zola." Dominic stepped into the apartment and hugged his younger sister fiercely. Dominic was taller, and at 30, an older version of Zola. Both the siblings could easily be describe as beautiful and cosmopolitan.

The two moved to the sofa and looked out over the sparkling lights of Austin. As Dominic spoke with Zola, the two easily slipped in and out of Italian and English.

"Zola, what happened?" Dom's tone washed with both frustration and concern.

"I'm so sorry, Dom. I just let myself fall back into the same old shit with Harper. I thought she cared about me a little more than the party, but I was wrong."

"Zola, you've been down this road before with Harper."

"I know. It's different this time."

Dominic smirked and gave Zola an "I'll believe it when I see it" look. "Have you spoken to Papa lately?"

"Honestly, I don't even know where he is. New York? Rimini?"

"Zo, he's back here for a bit in Barton Hills. He's thinking about selling the winter home."

"?!" Zola grew up between Austin and New York but had always favored Austin. In fairness, she liked being a bigger fish in a smaller pond in Austin. But her love of Austin was a love she had also shared with her mother.

"Zola, he's getting older, he never loved Austin as much as you or mom." Zola cringed at the memory of her mother's sudden death three years ago from a massive aneurysm. Dominic saw the pain flash in Zola's eyes. "Between New York and Rimini, he has all he can handle. I'm settled in New York with Marie and Matteo. You're the last of the Austin Basilio."

"Oh." Zola's heart broke just a little at the thought of her father no longer calling Austin his home.

"What will you do now? Are you ready to get involved? You're 25. Is it time to grow up?"

"Dom, I love it here in Austin. It's home to me."

"Well, you have to find something. Please don't be

"What does that mean?!"

"You know very well. Spoiled rotten, living without purpose. You don't ever to work, but you should."

"What am I supposed to do? I'm not good at . I'm not like you. Papa has groomed you from the beginning."

"You did well at Parsons. You have an eye for fashion and certainly for ." Dom sighed. "We can teach you the rest. Just think about it. Okay?"

"Okay." Zola grinned at her big brother. "Now tell me about my beautiful (nephew) Matteo!"

Dominic and Zola spent the evening catching up on family and business, but mostly family. They ordered in food, drank wine, and Zola sustained mild ribbing from Dominic. Dominic shared pictures of his family and Zola rolled with laughter as he described potty training.

"I miss Matteo. I need to come up for a visit."

"Yes. You do, Zo. Matteo must have stepped in radioactive material. You won't believe how much he's grown and changed in just the months since Christmas."

Zola sighed and looked out over the city.

"I know you love it here, Zo. But you're alone now. Dad and I are in New York. You could move too."

"Dom, I'll come visit soon. Maybe I'll come up in a couple of days. Just let me get some traction here first."