Bile rose in my throat.
Sebastian must’ve come to the same realization because his eyes widened. “Shit.” His face was stricken with panic. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t—”
“I’m on the pill,” I said. “It wasn’t—we both forgot. It wasn’t just you.” My voice sounded far away. I was numb.
Our lack of protection wasn’t what freaked me out the most. What freaked me out the most was the fact that I’dneverforgotten about protection, but tonight, it hadn’t even crossed my mind. Itwas incredibly reckless, and I was not a reckless person. My life was built around plans, rules, and routines, but with one kiss, Sebastian made me forget one of mybiggestrules. If he could do that in a few hours, what could he do if I let him in further?
His expression was guarded. He’d fixed his clothes, but his hair was a mess from my hands, and I was mortified to see the beginnings of a hickey blossoming on his neck. “Maya…”
“We should leave before someone finds us.” My pulse hammered in my throat as I picked up my dupatta with a shaking hand. “I—I need to go.”
I didn’t know what else to say, so I did the only thing a girl could do after sleeping with her lifelong rival.
I fled.
CHAPTER 25
Sebastian
THE FINAL DAY OF RADHIKA’S WEDDING FESTIVITIESdawned clear and bright. A gentle breeze ruffled my hair as I walked to the lake where the other guests were already gathered. It was a noticeably smaller crowd than on previous days.
Last night’s reception was the last grand event. Most people had already left or were leaving today. However, family and close friends were invited to stay for a more casual, intimate day of games and activities.
The first item on the itinerary was a boat ride around the hotel’s biggest lake. The man-made behemoth was big enough to accommodate dozens of boats at once, and guests were assigned a number corresponding with their boat group.
I searched the lakeside until I found Maya. She was standing with her sisters and their significant others. Like everyone else, she was dressed far more casually today in linen pants and a cotton top. She laughed at something Neha’s husband said, and my chest constricted.
I wanted to see her smile at me like that again. I wanted… fuck, I wantedeverythingabout her again.
“Sir, you’re in boat number six.” The activity organizer handed me a card with a big red six printed on it.
I took it with a distracted thanks.
Maya hadn’t noticed me yet. It was almost infuriating, the way I was so attuned to her presence when she wasn’t to mine. She was fresh-faced and glowing while I was exhausted after a sleepless night. I’d tossed and turned until the early hours of morning, my mind teeming with memories of our time together.
Her cries of pleasure, the way she’d tasted… and the panicked look on her face when she realized we hadn’t used protection. I was still kicking myself for that massive oversight, but I was almost certain that wasn’t why Maya had fled after, especially since she was on birth control.
No, I knew her well enough to guess what she’d been feeling in that exact moment—shock that we’d slept together, horror over our recklessness, fear over what it meant for our relationship going forward.
She’d been scared, so she ran.
Once upon a time, I would’ve let her, but I was done pretending.
Some people waited their whole lives to experience something that inevitably turned out to be a disappointment. I’d waited my whole life to kiss Maya, and it’d shattered every expectation I’d ever had. It’d stolen my reason, my control, my fuckingsanity, and I’d be damned if I let her go without a fight.
“Actually…” I faced the organizer again and put on a charming smile. “Can you tell me which boat Maya Singh is in? I’d like to be in that one instead.”
“I’m sorry, sir. Boat number two is reserved for extended family only.”
“I am extended family.”
He gave me a dubious look.
“If you don’t believe me, I have some friends who can testifyto that.” I pulled out my wallet and slipped a thick wad of rupees into his hand.
Five minutes later, I joined Maya’s group with a number two card in hand. Neha and her husband had split off to their own group, leaving behind Priya, her fiancé Ben, and a guy I didn’t recognize.
“Hi, everyone,” I said easily. “I hope you all got some good rest last night.”
