Page 217 of One Hellish Wedlock
“Reyansh, stop avoiding the topic,” Aanya snapped, crossing her arms as she sat facing him on the bed.
He lay beside her, shirtless and looking infuriatingly perfect, as if they hadn’t just spent the last few hours wrapped around each other.
“You’re leaving tomorrow,” he replied with a groan. “And we just made love. That’s more important than any topic right now.”
Tempting logic. But she wasn’t letting it slide.
“Please, baby,” she said, sitting up, folding her knees. “This will mess with my head if I don’t know. You still didn’t give me any details on what was Vicky doing in California? What happened with him? I need answers.”
Reyansh sighed, running a hand through his hair before pushing himself upright against the headboard.
“Okay. You want the truth, I’ll give it. But promise me… no freaking out.”
Her stomach dropped.
“Is theresomethingto freak out over?” she asked, voice tight.
“Depends,” he said darkly. “On how you take it. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over. He’s finished and so are his intentions. But I know you… and you won’t let it go so easily.”
“Then stop stalling and tell me what happened,” she demanded.
He hesitated. Then exhaled. “Vicky… was the same guy who used to bully you in college?”
Aanya nodded slowly, her eyes blinking rapidly like she was trying to force out the memories before they surfaced. He noticed the shift in her demeanour.
“Will you tell me what he did?” he asked gently, taking her hand.
She hesitated, then met his eyes. “I told you once that I have nightmares sometimes. But I never said who they were about or why. I didn’t think it mattered. I didn’t trust you enough then to believe it would make a difference.”
“You still think that way?” he asked.
“No,” she whispered. “It’s just... the memories are bitter. And I didn’t know how you’d take it.”
He pulled her closer. “We’ve come too far, Aanya, to judge each other now. Let it out.”
She drew a deep breath.
“Vicky was my senior in college. He used to rag girls—target the quiet ones. Most of us kept our heads down. But one day, he tried to harass a friend of mine. I couldn’t stay silent. I slapped him. Hard. In front of the entire college.”
Reyansh’s expression hardened.
“He was suspended for a week,” she continued. “I gave my statement to the principal, backed by other students who had suffered. He got off easy, honestly. A warning. That’s all.”
“And when he returned?” Reyansh asked, though he already knew the answer.
“He seemed calm. Too calm. We never interacted again after that, but I knew he hadn’t forgotten. His silence was his weapon. I never felt safe around him after that.”
She paused, her throat constricting.
“It was the last day of college. There was a farewell party…”
Her voice trailed off. Reyansh gently caressed her back.
“You don’t have to—”
“Iwantto,” she interrupted firmly, raising her chin.
He nodded letting her speak but never letting go of her hand.
