“What?”
“Nothing.” He turned his more disarming smile on her, clearly to distract her from whatever he was thinking. She didn’t push.
“Keep looking at me like that, and we’ll never order any food.” She leaned over to him.
“Food is overrated.” He reached for her and kissed her. This time she melted into him.
* * *
Roshan had had one-night stands, flings and a couple failed relationships. But he could not remember feeling this way before. He should be working, keeping up to date with research, checking in on his patients’ tests, but he wasn’t. For the first time ever, he simply lived in the moment.
He could not get enough of Nimita. And it wasn’t just the sex. It was her. Her smile. Her laughter. Her honesty. Her empathy. She was leaving the day after tomorrow, and the thought dug a pit in his stomach.
She had made it clear that this was just a fling, that she did not want anything more. He had thought he wanted the same. He was sure that had been his intention. Too late, he realized that he had caught feelings.
Rein it in,Vishal’s voice boomed in his head.She doesn’t want anything more than Hawaii.
It was amazing, really, how Vishal could annoy him without even being present.
They sat entwined with each other, as they read the book. They stopped every so often to talk theories or make out or have sex.
Roshan could not have had a more perfect day with a more perfect woman. He had to remind himself that this was a fling. But the more he reminded himself, the less he listened. The woman he was looking at did not mesh with the girl he’d known in high school. Truth was, he hadn’t taken the time to know her back then, focused only on the tutoring sessions and not the tutor. And the more he learned about this woman, the more he wanted to know.
They were lying in bed after making love, soft and sweet and slow this time. They were facing each other, legs entwined, the sheets soft and cool over them.
“What happened to your mom?” He knew he wasn’t supposed to ask—or even want to know, but he couldn’t help himself. He braced for her mouth to harden, for her eyes to get that vacant look in them and shut him out.
But none of that happened.
“She died in a car crash,” Nimita said softly. From her expression, she was possibly more surprised than Roshan at the words that left her mouth.
That was why.
He said nothing, even as his heart broke for her. He simply sat quietly and waited for her to speak.
“She was driving, and I was a passenger.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “I can still smell the car interior, my mom’s perfume.” She paused and met his eyes, as if drawing strength from him. “She was T-boned at a light. They told me she died right then. Quick and painless.” She furrowed her brow, her eyes filled with tears. “Like that was supposed to make me feel better.” When the first tear fell, she wiped it away, looking at the wetness on her fingers as if surprised. “I thought I was all done crying. Huh.” She wiped again. “I don’t remember much. I was stuck in the car for what felt like forever while they worked on extricating me. I wasn’t hurt badly. Broken arm. Bruises, scrapes. People were like ‘at least you only had minor injuries.’” She pursed her mouth. “Like losing your mother was a ‘minor injury.’”
He reached for her and pulled her close. She allowed it.
“I am so sorry that happened to you,” he said into her hair.
She was crying properly now. Pressing herself to him…like she needed him. He held her close and let her cry and said nothing else.
* * *
Part of her could not believe she was crying in Dave’s arms, but the bigger part of her didn’t care and felt safe and warm under his firm embrace. When she was done, she pulled back. There was more, but she couldn’t speak it into existence. “So now I always drive. I simply don’t trust anyone else.”
“Always?” Roshan asked.
“Always.”
“You get panic attacks if you don’t drive.” It was more of a knowing statement than a question.
She pressed her mouth tight and nodded.
“Yeah. I get that.”
“Do you?” He did not fail to surprise her.
