“I imagine it isn’t, but I didn’t plan on getting married now.”
“No, but I’m thirty-five years old. At some point, it had to happen.”
She fastens her seatbelt and looks out the window. “Zoe said she would help me if I decided I didn’t want to get married.”
“Look at me, Madeline. This isn’t a casual conversation you can escape if you’re bored. It’s about our future.”
“I’m not bored; I’m scared. I didn’t have any plans to get married now, and I don’t know anything about your culture.”
I intertwine our hands. I decide to hold back for now since she looks overwhelmed. “One thing at a time. Let’s enjoy our day in Ibiza tomorrow. Sun and sea. Lots of sex. I’ll ask Adil to schedule an appointment with a trusted obstetrician when we get back to England. The same one who took care of my sister when she came to London during her first pregnancy.”
“Are your sisters married? I thought they were younger.”
“They are younger, but women in my country marry early. All three of them are mothers already.”
“You said you’d ask Adil to find a doctor. What will he think of that? After all, he’s your advisor.”
“Above all, he’s a good friend, like family to me. He won’t judge you—don’t worry about that. In fact, he’s been insisting that I get married.”
“Even if it’s to someone from a different religion? Even though I have no idea what’s expected of me?”
“We can adjust, Madeline. If we’re expecting a child, don’t you think that will be much more important than our differences?”
“You sound very calm for a self-confessed bachelor.”
“Because I believe in destiny. Everything happens when it’s meant to happen.”
“Even a loveless marriage? An unexpected baby?”
“Even that.”
She rests her head on my shoulder, and I send a text to the driver, who was outside with the bodyguards, to come and take us to my home.
Minutes later, I hear her steady breathing, and I know she’s fallen asleep.
Madeline is nervous about the changes that may happen in the near future. What she doesn’t know is that I already have everything planned out. I am not an ordinary man, and I can’t act like one. If the pregnancy is confirmed, the transition in our lives will happen much faster than she imagines.
Chapter 29
Ibiza
“Jesus, I’m not an envious person, but that backdrop behind you is drool-worthy,” Zoe says.
We’re on a video call. Kamal stepped inside to make some phone calls, and I decided to go to his house’s pool to have a bit more privacy with my cousin. His residence is literally by the sea, with a fantastic view of the Mediterranean.
“Coming from the woman who owns an island in Greece,” I say, laughing.
“Yeah, that place is paradise, isn’t it?”
“I’ve only been there once, but yes, it’s a piece of heaven.”
“You seem calmer, Maddie. Does that mean things got better?”
“I think so. I mean, yesterday Kamal said that regardless of whether I’m pregnant or not, he wants a relationship. That’s a start, considering his past with ex-girlfriends and the one-month deadline he gave them.”
“True. You did well not to give in, Madeline. Never underestimate yourself for anyone.”
“I’m still scared, though.”
