Page 36 of Born in Sin

“Until now,” Cara added, watching him.

“Until now,” he confirmed.

Kabir’s gaze swung between their faces, a strange expression on his face. But he said nothing, only getting to his feet and holding out a hand for Cara. She took it, rising to stand beside him.

“We should go,” Kabir said, putting a hand to Cara’s lower back and gently guiding her to the door. “We’ll be in touch for next steps.”

“A chat group for easy coordination?” Ishaan suggested, hopefully.

A collective groan went up amongst the group, but Virat had to admit that it was a good idea.

“I’ll set it up,” Ishaan said cheerfully, ignoring the disgruntled expressions on everyone else’s face. “The Clean Angels for a group name?”

Amidst the laughter and jeers that broke out, Virat stepped up to Cara, stopping behind her.

“Cara,” he murmured.

She stiffened, her head turning slightly to the side, giving him a view of her perfect profile.

“Could I speak to you please? Alone?”

She turned slowly, those beautiful eyes trained on his face, her expression giving nothing away.

Beside her, Kabir murmured, “Car?”

She patted his arm with one hand. “I’m okay,” she told him, still looking at Virat. “I’ve got this. Where do you want to talk?”

Virat gestured towards the balcony, but she shook her head.

“That is not private.” With a toss of her hair, she marched away from the group and towards the door that led to his study. She walked through the door, holding it open and looking at him. “Are you coming?”

Ignoring the wide-eyed looks from his friends and Cara’s fucking boyfriend, Virat followed. He would always follow her, to the ends of the earth and beyond.

Virat stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him, shutting the rest of the world out. And then there was just the two of them.

Celi and him. Like it had always been. Like it would never be again.

Crestwood

Celina lay on her back, grass poking through the thin cotton of her t-shirt. Beside her Virat sat, his knees bent, arms resting on them. He’d shot up in height over the last year and had gone from being Celina’s height to this tall, gangly boy with a mop of thick hair that permanently looked like it needed a haircut. She wanted to run her fingers through that hair. Celina clenched her hand into the dirt and looked away.

Virat tipped his head back, looking to the stars, his normally serious face looking relaxed and peaceful. She unclenched her hand and reached for his, tangling her dirty fingers with his clean ones. Virat’s fingers unfurled for hers, tightening around them, not caring about the mud and grass she was tracking all over him.

He turned on his side, stretching out beside her, his head resting on one hand as he looked at her, a faint smile on his face.

“Hey,” she said, a big, loopy smile on hers.

“Hey,” he murmured, his voice making her feel warm and gooey inside. Behind them the building that housed the science laboratories rose, a wall that kept them hidden from nosy, prying eyes.

“Vir,” she said softly, worried about ruining the moment but knowing she had to ask the question that was wearing a path in her brain. “My mother doesn’t want me to talk to you.”

She regretted the words the minute they left her mouth. Virat’s smile disappeared as he flopped on to his back on the ground.

“So,” he said, his voice so quiet she had to strain to hear the words. “Are you going to stop talking to me then?”

She saw the tremor in his fingers, the way he pressed them into his side and reached for them, squeezing tight with her own hand.

“Would I be here if I was going to?” she asked with a smile. “I’ll always be here. With you.”

---