“Okay,” I murmured. “I’ll do it.”
“Good luck,” Enzo said, clapping his hands together.
I glared at him.
“What? Now?”
“There’s no time like the present!” Lilian sang behind her son.
“Yeah only the present is Christmas day. I shouldn’t bother him on Christmas day.”
“Honey,” Enzo said.
“Hm?”
“Yes, you can. Besides, he’s Muslim anyway so he won’t care. And even if he wasn’t, what better gift for Christmas than being told you’re loved?”
“Oh, it’s the best,” Carson said, and I turned to my brother.
Enzo had told him he loved him last Christmas too. And look at them now. Engaged to be married.
“Right. I need to do this,” I said. “I need to do this now.”
30.Samir
“Oh, honey. Please eat something,” Zay said and I turned my head in her direction but didn’t look her in the eyes.
“I’ve eaten,” I mumbled.
“You barely touched your roasted lamb or your cauliflower soup. At least have some qumbe. You love qumbe.”
I sighed and stared at the coconut cake balls piled up in the smallest plate in my kitchen and groaned.
“Not hungry,” I said, surprising even myself.
Alina sat down next to me and tapped my knee.
“You have to move on, sweetie. It’s been a week,” she said.
“I don’t want to move on,” I groaned. “I want to know what I did wrong.”
“Maybe it’s nothing,” Zainab said.
“A lot of guys are only after sex and once they get it, they’re out the door. Maybe that’s what happened here,” Alina suggested.
I shook my head.
“It couldn’t be. You don’t go out on a gazillion dates, spend time with his daughter, and go away for a weekend just for a night in the sack.”
Zainab shrugged.
“You said it yourself. He’s spent however long grieving and depressed. Maybe that was what all he wanted but didn’t know it until he got it.”
“Or maybe he realized he’s not as bi as he thought he was,” Alina added, and I leaned forward to bury my head in my hands.
“You’re not helping,” I growled.
I knew that wasn’t it. I didn’t know what it was, but Cole wasn’t like that. He couldn’t be. I might not have known him for long, but I could tell he was different.
