Page 35 of Since You Stole My Heart

She pulled her hand free before he could continue and hurried into her room. The door shut behind her with a loud click.

Her knees gave way as she slid down to the floor, pulling them tightly against her chest. Even now, she could still feel the echo of his lips on hers, the firm grip of his hand at the back of her neck, and the way her pulse had spiralled wildly out of control in his arms.

Kashvi pressed her forehead to her knees, squeezing her eyes shut. She could not allow herself to want this, to want him more.

Friendship was safer than risking losing him entirely to a momentary weakness. At least that was something she could survive.

She vowed to bury the memory and lock it so deep within herself that it would never rise to the surface again.

But this time, what frightened her most was the thought that Swayam might not let her hide at all.

Chapter 7

The doorbell wouldn’t stop ringing, no matter how loudly Kashvi screamed at it in her mind.

Long and insistent, the sharp sound cut through the fragile silence of the apartment, pulling her out from under the cosy blanket she had curled into.

Kashvi groaned into the pillow. Her head throbbed faintly as she forced one eye open, squinting against the faint rays of sunlight streaming through the curtains. The bell rang again, longer this time, and her irritation flared.

She shoved the blanket away before pushing herself upright. Her hair fell around her face in tangled waves, and her limbs felt heavy as she dragged herself through the apartment towards the door.

She yanked it open and found Luv standing there, his grin widening at her scowl. ‘Well, hello, Sleeping Beauty.’

Kashvi glared at him, unimpressed by the amusement dancing in his eyes. ‘I’m going to kill you,’ she threatened calmly.

Luv leaned casually against the doorframe. ‘You really shouldn’t. I got you an amazing birthday gift. At least wait until I give it to you.’

‘It’s too early in the day to joke around, Luv,’ she warned him.

He glanced dramatically at his watch before looking back at her. ‘It’s four in the afternoon.’

She huffed. ‘I worked through the night and went to bed just two hours ago.’

He studied her with obvious delight. ‘Is that why you opened the door looking like a ghost?’

Kashvi wished she could shoot lasers out of her eyes.

‘Your wild hair is scary. I mean, I nearly screamed for a second,’ he added, straight-faced.

Her fingers tightened around the edge of the door as she smiled sweetly. ‘Then why don’t you get lost?’

Before he could answer, she pushed the door shut with a loud thud.

Outside, Luv burst into laughter. ‘So should I take away this biryani I brought?’

Her stomach betrayed her, grumbling traitorously. Kashvi opened the door again with an irritated groan. He stood there with two paper bags and a look of smug triumph.

‘I hate you,’ Kashvi muttered, stepping aside.

‘But you love biryani,’ he replied, brushing past her with a grin.

Luv headed towards the kitchen with the bags. Kashvi wandered through the living room and down the hallway to check if Swayam was in his room. The door was open, but his room was empty.

Her mind flitted back to their kiss last night. She should have felt relieved to avoid that conversation, but his absence unsettled her even more.

Kashvi headed to her bathroom and splashed water over her face. The chill chased away the lingering fog of sleep.

When she returned, Luv was pulling plates from a cabinet. Kashvi moved to the dining table and opened the food cartons, releasing the rich, spicy aroma of biryani into the room.