Zinzi's POV
I woke up tired, my head pounding from last night's hangover. Dragging myself out of bed, I took a quick bath and threw on my gown. The smell of coffee felt like a lifesaver, so I made myself a cup and settled on the couch, charging my phone while catching up on my favorite series.
Somewhere between episodes, I dozed off, only to be woken up by my phone ringing. I groaned, wishing it was Lloyd telling me he was outside. Instead, it was Ntokozo.
"Hey, Zee, I'm coming over with my girlfriend and two friends. You cool with that?"
"Yeah, sure. Since I'm home alone, we might as well have a barbecue."
As soon as the call ended, I forced myself up and started cleaning the house. Two hours later, I was exhausted but at least the place looked presentable. After taking another bath, I was lotioning myself when my phone rang again—an unknown number this time.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's Malissa, Ntokozo's girlfriend."
"Oh, hey! What's up?"
"Ntokozo said I should check if we should bring meat or something?"
"We don't have beef in the house, so yeah, you guys should buy some. Oh, and bring snacks too."
"Got it, thanks!"
After the call, I put on black shorts and a long white t-shirt, tucking it in on one side while leaving the other loose. Slipping into my flip-flops, I headed to the kitchen to prepare a green salad and chakalaka. Just as I finished, my phone rang again—Ntokozo.
"Babes, come open for us. We're outside."
"On my way."
When I got outside, they had pulled up in two cars. As they stepped out, Tebogo, one of Ntokozo's friends, smirked at me.
"For a girl who doesn't party, you should be in bed nursing that hangover."
"Aish, bruh, I wish! I was still sleeping when Ntokozo called. Then I had to wake up and clean the house for my guests," I replied, rolling my eyes.
"You should have left with me last night. I would've made you breakfast in bed, hunny," Tebogo teased, making everyone laugh—except me.
"Tebogo, you're such a flirt. You want your psycho girlfriend to kill me?" I shot back, shaking my head.
"Zinzi, babe, forget him! Just come with me, and we'll gaze at the stars while planning our future babies," Kyle, the other friend, added dramatically.
I laughed. "Are you guys fine?"
Kyle grinned. "Babe, give me a chance to show you a better life. My mom would be pleased if I introduced you as my wife."
Ntokozo and Malissa were laughing while locked in each other's arms.
"Since you both seem to want me, what did you bring me?" I asked playfully.
"Babe, we brought food, and I got you some chocolate," Tebogo said, looking at me expectantly.
"Buying you anything wouldn't fully express my feelings, so I brought you my heart," Kyle added dramatically, making me burst into laughter.
"Shame, guys. Too bad I'm already taken," I dropped the bombshell, making them both groan in disappointment.
"Ah, you've found your lover," they both teased before we headed inside.
While the guys went outside to start the fire for the meat, Malissa and I stayed in the kitchen, setting up the rolls and condiments.
"So, how did you and Ntokozo meet?" she asked, curiosity lighting up her face.
I told her the story, and she laughed. "That sounds like him. He's so bubbly—that's why I fell for him." She blushed slightly.
"And you're beautiful. We should definitely hang out when my best friend comes back."
"Most definitely!"
Once we were done, we joined the guys outside. As they flipped the meat, I noticed something.
"Why didn't Tebogo bring his girlfriend?" I asked.
Kyle scoffed. "That girl is psycho. You won't believe what happened."
"Try me," I challenged.
Malissa giggled before explaining, "We were at a party, and I was sitting next to Tebogo. When his girlfriend arrived, she straight-up told me to find someone else to f** and leave her man alone. Before I could even explain, she was already on top of me, hitting the living daylights out of me! Tebogo had to pull her off, and she still had the audacity to tell him to find another bitch to f*** since, apparently, I already had!"*
I laughed. "Let me guess—she's still with him?"
"Unfortunately," Malissa sighed.
"I want to meet her. Maybe we'll click."
Everyone burst into laughter.
"Not with her. She'll think you're after Tebogo," Kyle warned.
"Shooo, no thanks. I'm good."
After eating outside, the guys wanted to swim, but the pool was dirty. Kyle offered to clean it another day.
"Let's just go inside and play some games," I suggested.
"As long as it involves kissing, I'm in," Tebogo grinned.
"Not my girlfriend, I'm sorry," Ntokozo shot back, making us laugh.
We split into teams—Lissa was with Ntokozo, so I was with Kyle. We played for hours, and Kyle and I ended up winning. By then, Tebogo was already tipsy, while Ntokozo was being all lovey-dovey with Malissa.
"Get a room, you guys!" I teased.
They laughed but didn't stop. Eventually, it got late, and they decided to leave. Lissa stayed behind to help me clean, then I was finally alone. Feeling bored, I went to the study room and started reading.
Lloyd's POV
Days turned into weeks, and Zee barely spoke to me. If our conversations weren't about Katie or Scott, she ignored my calls and left my texts unread. I was trying, but she didn't even notice.
Outside of Zee, business was thriving. We had a job tonight in Cape Town, so I called Nails to make sure everything was set.
"Eta boss, when are you pulling up?"
"Soon. Is everyone there?"
"Yeah, except Slecka. He's running late—says he's handling 'business.'"
I scoffed. "Slecka will never change. That money we made last week got him acting up. He practically lives in clubs now."
After the call, I dropped my stuff at home. Mom was making dinner.
"Evening, my queen," I greeted.
"Hey, my boy. How was work?"
"It was okay. How about yours?"
"Good. Now go freshen up and come eat."
After showering and changing into pajamas, I sat at the table.
"Lloyd, will Zee be here for my birthday?" Katie pouted.
"I want her here too! Maybe she'll take us out again!" Scott added.
Mom's sharp gaze landed on me. "Are you two fighting?"
"It's just long-distance, Mom," I lied.
"Then why did you even start a relationship if you weren't ready to put in the effort?"
She had a point, but still…
"If that's what it takes to fix things, maybe I should move closer," I muttered.
Mom smiled knowingly. "You've been glowing since you got with her. Fix it."
Later that night, I changed into all black and met up with the crew. The heist went smoothly, and within two hours, we had three new BMWs at the warehouse.
"Clean job, no trackers," Nails confirmed.
"Perfect. Find buyers ASAP," I ordered.
As the guys planned their celebrations, I couldn't help but think of Zee.
Would she ever forgive me?