I crack an egg, and half the shell ends up in the pan.
“Damn it.” I try fishing the pieces out with a spoon, but the yolk is already spreading unevenly. Then I pop the bread in the toaster—easy enough, right? Except I get distracted trying to flip the now very questionable egg, and when I turn back, smoke is rising from the toaster.
Sana’s hand flies to her mouth, her eyes wide with barely contained laughter.
“Uh…” I pull out the toast. It’s burnt black.
With a dramatic sigh, I plate everything and slide it in front of her. “Bon appétit, princess.”
She stares at the half-cooked, slightly raw egg and the charcoal toast, then back at me.
Her lips twitch. And then she loses it.
Laughter spills out of her, her entire body shaking as she holds her stomach. “Oh my God, Aditya!” she gasps between giggles. “This is so much worse than I imagined!”
I cross my arms, pretending to be offended. “It’s not that bad.”
She wipes her eyes, still laughing. “Bad? This isn’t breakfast—it’s a public safety hazard!”
I place my hands on my heart. “Ouch, that’s just mean.”
Still giggling, she slides off the counter and wraps her arms around my neck. “But ten out of ten for the effort,” she says, pressing a soft kiss to my jaw.
I tighten my grip around her waist. “You do realise this means I’m never cooking again, right?”
She grins. “Yeah… we’ll work on that.”
Still wrapped in my arms, Sana tilts her head up at me. “So… can I take your offer and just order food instead?”
I huff out a laugh and press a kiss to her nose. “Smart choice,” I murmur, pulling out my phone and placing the order. Once it’s done, I place my phone on the counter and glance at her. “Till the food gets here, what do you want to do?”
She doesn’t even hesitate. “Movie.”
I grin. “Movie it is.”
Before she can take a step, I scoop her up into my arms. She squeals in surprise, clutching onto me as I walk into the living room and settle us onto the couch.
Reaching for the remote, I barely get my fingers on it before she snatches it away, holding it to her chest with a triumphant grin. “I’m choosing, Mister.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Is this torture Aditya day?”
“Something like that,” she smirks, scrolling through the options before stopping at a classic chick flick, her grin widening.
I let out a mock sigh but don’t argue. Instead, I wrap my arms around her, my hands absentmindedly tracing her skin as she settles against me, her head resting on my shoulder. The movie starts playing, and even though I couldn’t care less about it, I find myself completely lost—not in the film, but in her.
There’s something about her that reaches deep into my soul, stirring something raw and undeniable. I don’t want bits and pieces of this. I want everything with her—no half-measures, no compromises. And I’ll be damned if I settle for anything less.
Chapter 31
Sana
An hour has slipped by since we hit the road, both of us trapped in our own thoughts. I gaze out the window, my fingers trembling as I absentmindedly chew on my nails, an old habit I thought I’d left behind. But right now, I need something—anything—to distract me.
I close my eyes. I said yes to Aditya, to us, to this love, but saying yes was the easy part. Now, as we inch closer to my home, the weight of that choice crashes over me, overwhelming me.
His parents don’t want this marriage. My mother is convinced that letting go of Aditya is the only way to avoid pain. No one believes in us. No one thinks what we have is enough.
Except him… and me.
