Kamila took another spoonful of ice cream. “You sure you don’t want any of this? It’s working wonders.”
Jana frowned. “Maybe later.”
“Why are you having the baby?”
Asha glared at Kamila for asking such a personal question. But what Asha didn’t get was that this was Jana. They may not have ever been friends, but they weren’t strangers, either.
Jana rubbed her belly. “I’m having her because I want her. Kamila, you ever feel like people only see you as one thing?” She looked at the ceiling a moment. “That you aren’t allowed to be anyone other than what they expect you to be?Jana Suleiman can’t be an unwed mother! Unthinkable!”
Boy, did Kamila ever understand that. Too well. But she had no idea that Jana ever felt stifled by her image of perfection.
“But to have a child just to rebel against their expectations?”
Jana shrugged. “She’s mine. I get to raise this person. To nurture and shape her and help her be whoever she wants to be. I’m having her because I want her, not because it’s expected of me.”
“You’re raising her alone?”
“I was planning to. But it’s only fair to give Anil a chance to be a parent. We’ll see. But I’m also getting my custody arrangements and child support sorted out, too. Rohan’s been a big help with legal advice.”
Kamila couldn’t help it—she yelped. Darcy, concerned her owner might be in distress, was at Kamila’s feet immediately. “Oh my god,that’swhy you’ve been meeting with Rohan!” She looked at Asha. “Asha, Rohan knew! That’s why Jana was in his condo! That’s why he was so concerned about her!”
Jana raised one brow. “Um, yeah. He’s the only person in Toronto I told until yesterday. I needed him to help me find a family-law lawyer and…Wait—did you think there was something going on between me and Rohan? Holy shit, I think I figured out who you’re heartbroken over. It’s Rohan, isn’t it?”
Kamila frowned, picking up Darcy and hugging her. “No comment.”
“It is!” Jana smiled widely. “Finally! You’re in love with Rohan! You don’t have to worry there. Rohan and I are just friends. I’ve known him forever.”
“I’ve known all of you forever,” Kamila said.
Nicole put her hand up. “Not us…we’re new here. But please carry on. This is better than a Bollywood drama.”
“I did once wonder if we could be more, though,” Jana said. “I mean, Rohan is such a great guy—handsome, kind, really quite annoyingly perfect.”
“You are way more annoying with your perfection,” Kamila said.
“Thank you,” Jana said. “Anyway, a while ago I thought maybe I should, you know, see if there was anything there…Then I realized he would never look at me the way he looked at you, and I didn’t want to put myself through that.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kamila said.
“Oh, come on, Kamila. Don’t give me that fake modesty. I see right through it all. Anyone could see, even when we were kids, that he was completely fascinated with you. But since I got back to Toronto? It’s so obvious he has it really bad. He’sobsessedwith you.”
That was impossible. It just wasn’t true. “Did he tell you that?” Kamila asked.
“No, but I can tell. He cares about you a lot.”
“That’s what I’ve been telling her,” Asha said.
Kamila shook her head. “Well, if Rohan freaking Nasser cares about me so much, then why the heck has he been keeping something huge from me? Something that directly affects me and my life. Why wouldn’t he have faith in my ability to know what I want?”
“Wow, you almost swore there, Kamila Hussein. Seems you have it bad, too,” Jana said smugly. Kamila remembered why she’d never liked this woman.
Kamila crossed her arms on her chest. “Everyone sees me as a flighty, frivolous, superficial pixie. I work my butt off at Emerald and in my volunteer jobs, and everyone assumes I’d rather be dressing up my dog. I can care about pretty clothes and designer furnitureandabout my clients. I thought Rohan understood that. I thought Dad did, too, but they wouldn’t have done this if they had.”
“What exactly did they do?” Jana asked.
Should she tell Jana Suleiman about her troubles? About her insecurities, about her family’s betrayal? This was her nemesis, right?
But whatever was in this ice cream took away her filter. She told Jana everything.
