Page 69 of Right Where I Belong
Sabrina choked on her sip of wine. “Not sure how well that will go. She already doesn’t like me.”
He flicked her nose. “She doesn’t know you well enough. Once she does, she will adore you. Honestly, I’d love to tell her right away. But she’s in New York right now, and I don’t want to tell her on the phone.”
Sabrina nodded, looking at their joined hands. “Are we really doing this?”
God, they had too many battles ahead of them—their friends, his mom, her mother-in-law, and Ahaan. Although seeing her son with Aditya tonight gave her some confidence that they might just get along fine.
“Yes, we are. We have a few weeks before you have to return to Singapore. I want to spend all that time with Ahaan and you. I want him to know me better.”
She nodded. “I’d like that,” she said before sudden panic assailed her. “What about our friends? I’ll have to tell Aisha and Diya.”
“And I’ll have to tell their men, and Keya and Raashi. All of them,” he winked at her. “You and I are going to create quite a scandal, beautiful.”
“Oh no!” She groaned.
“Oh, yes,” he said, tugging a strand of her hair. “We are going to be bloody good together. Let’s tell them on my mother’s birthday. They’ll all be attending. That gives me some time to have you to myself before our friends get in the way.”
She sighed. “Can we not hide some more?”
“I won’t hide you from the world,” he replied. “I want everyone to know you’re mine and I’m yours. But wait… Won’t your mother-in-law tell Aisha about me coming for dinner?”
“Since you’re the first male friend of mine to ever drop in home for dinner, she’s definitely going to suspect something more is going on between us. But she doesn’t talk much to Aisha. Their relationship, as I’m sure you know, is still very strained. And telling her about you means giving you importance in my life. I seriously doubt she’d do that. I’ll have to talk to her eventually about us. She’s difficult, but I do adore her. She’s the only mother figure I’ve had in life.”
Aditya stared at her for a moment. “About that… Don’t you think you need to talk to me about your past? Your childhood? Your own family? I mean, I’m sure there is a reason you don’t talk about that part of your life. But I’d like to know everything about you.”
At her silence, he said, “Don’t you trust me?”
Her heartbeat escalated. God, her past. When she was with him, it was so easy to forget about her past and the crime she’d committed. Her hand shook. Fuck, how had she agreed to be with him so easily?
Aditya pulled her to his chest, holding her close. “Stop. Stop thinking whatever it is that you are. I won’t let you back out of this. You and I are meant to be. And if even thinking about your past makes you second-guess your decision to be with me, then I don’t want to know about it. You’re perfect for me as you are now. And that’s enough.”
She inhaled his scent, wrapping her arms around him. Her past mistakes were why she hadn’t wanted something permanent with him, but when he was near like this, the past suddenly didn’t matter. Only he did. He made her feel safe, like he would stand in front of her and fight her battles for her if she let him.
However, she needed to tell him about the past. It wasn’t fair to him to not know. He mattered more than any other person. Aditya kissed her forehead. Fear assailed her. What if everything changed once she told him? Would he understand why she’d done what she had?
Her heart thudded. This right now was perfect. She’d tell him about her past, but later. Not now. Soon, though.
Right now, she wanted to revel in him and the happiness he brought into her world.
22
Sabrina didn’t remember being so happy ever. It had been two weeks since Aditya had showed up at her door. Since then, they had made it a point to meet daily. He’d either drop by at her office or pick her up from work and drive her home or to the event she was catering at, or they’d go out for coffee. He’d come home for dinner several times, and he’d insisted on meeting Ahaan daily. She was happy to see her son slowly getting used to Aditya. Ahaan often asked about him, and the last time, he was waiting eagerly for him to come home for dinner. Even Maya was happy to see Aditya. She kept going to him for pets and scratches.
Her mother-in-law, however, wore her disapproval on her face each time he was home, and ensured she remained in her room when he visited. Yet, to Sabrina’s surprise, she’d never once confronted her, never once asked what Aditya meant to her, or why he was suddenly around so often. She chose silence instead, ignoring him completely, as though pretending he didn’t exist would make him vanish. Sabrina let it be, for now. She wasn’t going to let anything mar her joy.
She pushed her hair behind her shoulder. She’d taken to wearing it down more often. Even her attire had changed. Gone were the nondescript clothes she’d buried herself in for years. She’d gone back to dressing like she used to in Singapore—stylish cuts, colors that suited her, clothes that celebrated her body instead of hiding it. Being with Aditya had changed her. She felt it in her stride, in the way she carried herself. More confident, more certain of her place in the world. More certain ofherself.
She smiled, looking out the window of Aditya’s Range Rover. They were just returning from a theme park, and Ahaan hadn’t stopped talking since they’d left from there. It had been her son’s idea. He’d suggested it last night when Aditya was over for dinner, and Aditya had happily agreed to this plan. And the three of them had had a wonderful time together. She had loved every minute of seeing Ahaan and Aditya together. Aditya had sat through every ride with her son, matching his thrill-seeking energy, encouraging him, and laughing with him. They were still discussing all the rides in detail, which ones they liked the best and which ones were below standard.
Aditya stopped the car below her building and turned to Ahaan. “So, Ahaan, today was so much fun. Next time, shall we do a water park?”
The car suddenly went silent. She looked back to see her lively son gaze quietly out the window.
Aditya frowned. “What’s wrong? You don’t like water parks?”
“I’m scared…” Ahaan whispered, finally meeting Aditya’s eyes.
“Scared?” Aditya asked gently. “Why?”
