Page 33 of Right Where I Belong
Sabrina exhaled a sigh of relief. Shauna wasn’t going to probe, nor was she inviting Sabrina to do the same. It felt oddly comforting to know that they each could keep their secret of the night to themselves. No questions. No explanations. Just quiet understanding.
Shauna wasn’t exactly an old friend. She didn’t know the weight Sabrina carried, the past she tiptoed around, or the carefully constructed rules she lived by. But in this moment—two women sneaking out of hotel rooms, heels in hand and hearts still racing—Shauna was just the friend Sabrina needed. Not one who judged. But one who understood.
And damn, it felt so good to not be alone in this madness.
10
The sheets beside him were cold. Aditya sat on the edge of the bed, his elbows resting on his knees, staring at the empty space where Sabrina had been just some time ago. He didn’t even know when she had left. He’d woken up to an empty bed. The dent in the pillow and the faint trace of her soft floral scent on the sheets had told him that the previous night hadn’t been a dream. It had been real.
Sabrina had been here.
Theyhad happened.
And now… she was gone.
He raked a hand through his already-mussed hair and exhaled a sharp breath.
So this is what it feels like.
To wake up alone. To be the one left behind. In the past, it was usually him walking away. No awkward morning-afters. No expectations. No lingering feelings. He’d always been clear about that.
But this… this was different. Because she wasn’t justanywoman. She was Sabrina. He’d known her for years. And last night had changed everything. He could no longer merelyassociate her as Aisha’s sister-in-law. From now on, he would always remember her soft sighs, her fierce kisses, and the way she’d screamed in his arms. He’d always remember the touch and taste of her. She’d trusted him enough to fall apart in his arms, several times. She’d looked at him like she saw somethingmore.
And now, she was gone. He didn’t even know where she was staying. With a groan, he stood up and reached for the shirt he’d tossed onto the floor last night. That’s when he saw it. Her underwear. Torn. Left behind.
He froze.
More memories slammed into him. Her gasping beneath him, her eyes fluttering shut, the way she’d arched into his touch like she couldn’t get close enough, the feel of her nails digging into his shoulders, the way she’d called him Adi…
His chest tightened. Something had shifted last night. He could feel it like a hum in his blood, a weight in his gut. It hadn’t just been sex. Not with her. It had been more. And now, he couldn’t get her out of his head.
He had to find her. No matter what it took. No matter how many awkward conversations or favors he had to pull with their friends. Hehadto see her again. Talk to her. Understand why she left. And maybe, just maybe, figure out what the hell had started between them. His fingers clenched around the scrap of black fabric.
He’d been the one with the walls, the lack of emotion, the distance. That’s what had caused Kanika to walk away from him. She’d told him he didn’t know how to let someone in, and that she was done chasing a man who kept shutting her out and not giving her a chance. And damn it, she’d been right.
But now? Now,hewas going to be the one chasing. And he wasn’t planning to stop. He had to find her. Had to look into her eyes and see if what he’d felt last night still lingered inthe morning light. Had to know if it was just the electricity of the night and the wildness of the moment, or something more. Because no matter how he tried, he couldn’t get Sabrina off his mind. For the first time, a woman had thoroughly caught his attention.
Her laugh.
Her body.
Her quiet strength.
The way she’d looked at him, like hemattered. He needed to know if she felt it too, or if it was wishful thinking on his part. He had to, and he would, find her. He’d ask the questions and he’d get the answers.
Two hours later,Aditya sat at a corner table in the hotel’s lounge, coffee in hand, his thoughts far from the poached eggs on his plate. He hadn’t touched his food. His appetite had vanished with her.
He’d considered calling Sabrina. It would’ve been easy. She was a member of their common friends’ group chat, so he had access to her number. But somehow, calling or texting her didn’t feel right. It felt impersonal. Too safe. And instinctively, he knew, he didn’t want to play it safe with her. He needed to see her. To look into her eyes and hear whatever she had to say and whatever she didn’t want to say. Because he had questions. He wanted to know why she’d left without a word. Why hadn’t she even left him a note? Why had last night hit him harder than anything in a long, long time? More than that, he needed to understand what the hell had changed insidehim.
Because something had. Last night had been too real to forget. He wanted to know if she was feeling even afraction ofwhat he was. And if she was, then maybe he wasn’t insane for needing to see her again.
He had to find her.
“Morning,” Akash’s voice cut through his thoughts.
He slid into the seat across from Aditya, sunglasses perched on his head, hair slightly ruffled, his expression glazed.
“Are you leaving?” Aditya asked, finally noticing the small trolley beside him. “But we just got here yesterday. Aren’t you supposed to stay the week?”
