Page 99 of Not the Plan

She shrugged. “That’s exactly why she is. I don’t have the right to decide not to talk to her. I need to take a break from her, but…”

“But?”

“The last time I tried to cut contact she wore me down. Calls, emails, family members harassing me, asking how I dared be so ungrateful and cut my mother out of my life.”

“There’s no shame in protecting yourself from a toxic person, even if it is your mother.” He rubbed her shoulder. “And now you’ve got two people in your corner to help you push back. Can you turn off your phone?”

She shook her head. “Been keeping tabs on RJ. Don’t want to miss it if he calls.”

He caught himself tapping his foot, wanting to help but not cross any lines. “I could screen the calls if you’d like? Put it on silent in my pocket and if it buzzes, I’ll check to see if it’s RJ so you can take it?” The siren started yet again, and she immediately rejected the call, put it on silent and handed it to him.

“Thank you, Karim,” she said.

He pulled her closer and stroked his chin across the crown of her head.

“It’s my pleasure, Isadora.”

—

Early Sunday, Karim went to reception to check out while Isadora chatted with Brad as he loaded their bags into the trunk. Karim needed to take care of one final detail before she caught on.

“What’s my half of the damage?” she asked, arriving before he was ready.

He looked past her, toward the car. “I think Brad just dropped your bag.”

She checked but turned back to Karim as he signed the bottom of a page and passed it to the man behind the desk.

“What was that?” she asked.

“What was what?” He accepted a folded piece of paper in return, nodded his thanks, and slid his wallet into his jacket, taking Isadora’s hand.

“Karim,” she said, letting him pull her toward the exit.

“Yes?”

“You did not just pay for the entire weekend.”

“I didn’t. You paid for the plane tickets.”

“Uh, technically, I did not. I bought them, and you already paid me back for yours. I thought we agreed to split the expenses for this little adventure fifty-fifty.”

They’d reached the car, and Brad closed the door behind them.

“Actually,” he said, buckling himself in, “you suggested splitting everything and I said, ‘That’s a good idea.’ At no point did I agree to do it.”

She squinted at him, her arms crossed.

Please Isa, I can’t let you pay for a romantic weekend I planned.

“Okay, fine, Mr. Lawyer-man. You’re right. You did not explicitly agree. But I’d feel like I was taking advantage if I didn’t cover half of the cost.”

He thumbed his chin, searching for a way to explain that wouldn’t anger her.

“No, Isadora. I can’t. You’re my girlfriend, right? We’re together now?”

“Yes.”

“Then please, don’t press me on this,” he said.

---