Page 41 of The Sheikh's Fake Bride Scheme

CHAPTER 19

KAREEM

“It feels like forever since you and I last spoke,” Queen Rajiyah said. “You live right here in town, Kareem, and yet we never see you. Why is that?”

Kareem let out a sigh and looked out over the river. He was surprised that his mother had chosen this place when she had asked him to come for a walk with her today, but he was also grateful. He didn’t know if he would have had the strength to face it on his own. After all, this was the site of his kiss with Keira. Even now, being here, it was impossible not to think of her and of what they had shared — but he didn’t want to think about it. He wanted to put her from his mind and focus on the race, which was now only a week away.

“I’ve been busy,” he told his mother. “I’ve been caught up in preparations for the race. And besides, I don’t think Father wants to see me.”

“Your father is not the sole decision maker in this family,” the queen said firmly. “He may be the king, but when it comes to our children, I have always taken the more forceful hand.”

“Would you say so?” Kareem asked. “You know how Father has always been — determined to let me know what he thought of all of my choices, to make sure I was aware he didn’t approve of the way I live my life.”

“That’s right,” his mother agreed. “He doesn’t approve. But has he ever acted to stop you? He wants you to work in a tech-related job, and you’ve never shown any interest in that. He could have forced your hand by sending you to college or arranging a job for you, but he hasn’t done those things.”

“He will now,” Kareem said dully. “He told me himself that once the race is over, he expects me to settle down in a tech job. There won’t be anything I can do about that.”

“No, I’m afraid there won’t be now,” his mother agreed. “But at least he’s allowing the race to go ahead. That’s my doing, you know. He wanted to cancel it the moment he heard, but I convinced him that it should be allowed to go forward.”

“Oh,” Kareem said. “I hadn’t realized that.”

“Well, it’s the truth. So for you to stay away from home because you’re afraid your father doesn’t want to see you…”

“No, you’re right,” Kareem agreed. “I shouldn’t have done that, Mother. I should have come around sooner to see you. I’m sorry I didn’t do that.”

“You don’t need to apologize,” the queen said mildly. “Just don’t stay away like that again. You’re my child, Kareem. I will always want to see you, no matter what you might have done.”

“Do you also think it was a mistake for me to plan the race?”

His mother sighed. “The truth is, I don’t feel the same way your father does about that,” she said. “I don’t think there is anythingso bad about your passion for these races. I’m glad you have something you loved, Kareem, and I would want you to pursue that passion whenever you possibly can.”

“You do seem disappointed in me, though. I don’t think that’s only Father.”

“I wouldn’t have said disappointed.”

She was quiet. Eventually, Kareem prompted her, “What would you have said, if not that?”

“I’m hurt,” she said. “I’m hurt that you got married without telling me, Kareem. I’m hurt that you didn’t involve me in that.”

Kareem felt a sick stab of guilt. “You know why I didn’t discuss it with you,” he told her. “It wasn’t a real marriage. If it had been, things might have been different, but I always knew that it wasn’t going to last.”

“That’s what I told myself,” his mother said. “You know I was very hurt when you first brought Keira home after not being honest with me about your plans. I had always assumed that if you chose to marry, you would allow the family to share in your joy, and I was sure we must have done something to offend you if you’d decided otherwise. I felt awful about it.”

“I didn’t mean to make you feel that way, Mother. Truly.”

“As time went on, I came to realize that things weren’t as they seemed,” the queen said.

“You did?”

She laughed lightly. “You’re my son, Kareem. I know you very well. Better than you give me credit for. I could see the way you were with her. At first, it was as if you hardly knew her.”

“I hardly did,” Kareem admitted. “But I never thought anyone would be able to recognize that.”

“Most people wouldn’t have. You two did a good job presenting yourselves as what you claimed to be. I think I was the only one who realized early on that something wasn’t right. Your father was shocked when he discovered who she truly was. He would never have known, I think. But I wasn’t surprised to learn the truth. I had suspected there was something I didn’t know about your situation almost from the very start.”

“I suppose I should have known that you would put it together,” Kareem said. “Mothers always seem to know these things.”

She laughed. “There is some truth to that.”

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