Page 139 of To Tango, with Desire

“Big deal?” Nasrin’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t think this is God’s punishment? You wanted to kill your own baby and now God did this to you. This is what you get for wanting an abortion. You don’t deserve to be a mother.”

I swallowed my anger, gripping the sides of my phone.

“Well then, that’s convenient that I won’t be, isn’t it?”

“Don’t look so happy. Wait until your husband leaves you for another woman. When he wakes up one day and realizes he wants a child. An heir. You’ll be too old and too damaged to give him one and then you’ll be sorry.”

“Okay, Mom, is that all? Because I have to get back to work.”

“Work.” She gesticulated, the phone wobbling in her hand. “When you gonna wake up, Amira?”

“I’m allowed to make my own decisions based on what I want. I’m sorry if that goes against what you want, but I can’t change that. I won’t.”

“Then don’t. But don’t come crying to me when your marriage falls apart. I’m done with this conversation.”

She hung up the phone, and I couldn’t do more than stare at the screen.

I ignored the texts from Sahar. I didn’t have any energy left to talk about this. I felt hot and yet shivery at the same time. I didn’t want to think about the hateful words, the fearmongering.

If Zane wasn’t happy in this marriage, then so be it. But I sure as hell wouldn’t let my mother’s nasty words come between us. Mom was wrong. I wasn’t scared that Zane would leave me. We enjoyed each other in ways I hadn’t thought possible.

No, I wasn’t scared he would find another wife.

I was terrified that he couldn’t love the one he had.

THIRTY-FIVE

ZANE

“Idon’t even know if Kade will be home.”

“Call him.”

With a sigh, I did. Turning to Amira, I wiggled my phone. “See? No answer. It’s been like this since I got back. Some of his friends said he fled the country.”

“That’s a rumor.”

“Well, I’ve been in contact with all the rehab facilities he’s used in the past and then some, and he’s not been admitted anywhere.”

“They probably can’t tell you that information.”

I bit back my frustration. “I’ve checked all the places he’s lived and nothing. I haven’t seen any signs of him.”

“Well, it doesn’t hurt to try.”

I reached across to kiss the back of her hand. “Anything for you.”

And I meant it. I’d had the vasectomy procedure as soon as Amira had been well enough. It hadn’t taken long for me to recover, either. By the end of the second week, I’d been back to lifting weights and having sex. I felt good. Lighter in spirit. But I wouldn’t know if I was fully sterile until the twelve-week mark. Until then, I was doing everything to make sure we used protection.

To keep Amira safe.

“You said we’re not far from there, so let’s go and see. Then we can head home.”

I could have deflected. I could have brushed off her request, but something was changing, evolving between us. I didn’t want to push those feelings aside anymore. Ever since the pregnancy loss, I’d been waiting for the right moment to tell her how I felt. I wanted to be honest with her, to take things to the next level in our relationship.

But would she?

“Let’s go then.”