36. Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Beau
I stood in the middle of Mira's small apartment, surveying the setup we'd thrown together in the last hour. Balloons hung from the ceiling—pastel shades, the kind Nova swore Mira liked, even though Mira wasn't one for this kind of thing. She hated a fuss, but Nova had insisted. The dining table had a plain vanilla cake in the center, white frosting, and nothing over the top. Katya had baked it, saying it was the least she could do after everything that had happened.
I wasn't much for decorations or parties, but this wasn't about me. It was about showing Mira we hadn't forgotten. That I remembered.
She hadn't had a birthday celebration for many years. Her parents had thrown parties when she was younger, but that was to show off their home and hospitality to the Indian community. This year, when she turned twenty-three, I wanted to give her a party with family and friends, those who loved and cared for her to be there with and for her.
The apartment wasn't big, but it was warm. Old brick walls, hardwood floors that creaked underfoot, and the soft scent of whatever candle she had burned the previous night still lingered in the air. We'd draped fairy lights around the apartment, and Mama had brought in a truckload of flowers to brighten every room.
Mama was now all in with Mira, regretting how she'd behaved. The Sens had tried to get in touch with her again, and she'd told them she'd rather see them dead than in her house, and if they dared to show up in front of her again, she warned them, she was a good shot. All true. My father had been a gun aficionado and had taught both Trevor and me to shoot and maintain guns responsibly. I still went to the range at times for fun, though it had been a while. Trevor, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with guns, especially as a schoolteacher who hated that his students and colleagues needed to do active shooter drills.
Pari sat on the couch, bouncing with excitement, clutching a small box wrapped in glittery paper. She was practically vibrating with joy, waiting for Mira to walk through that door so she could hand over her present to her Miramashi .
I wasn't as calm as I looked, which was fucking nuts. I managed big money deals, and here I was, sweating at a birthday party for a grown-up.
But this was crucial because it was yet another way for us all to show Mira how much we cherished her.
She hadn't told anyone it was her birthday. She'd been working, living her days as if it were just another date on the calendar. Nova knew since she was the office manager for Savannah Lace and had her employment papers, and I had a dossier on Mira that a PI had put together.
We decided to throw a surprise party, especially since Nova had a key to Mira's apartment, which used to be hers.
Mama was by the window, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She hadn't said much since we started setting up, but I could feel her guilt in every look she gave me, every shaky breath she took.
She had checked with me, and I'd agreed that giving Mira a Bodine heirloom as a birthday gift was the right thing to do, a way to make her feel like she was part of the family. But I'd warned her to keep it simple because Mira wasn't into the ostentatious. Mama had listened and had wrapped up a delicate tennis bracelet that she'd inherited from her mother-in-law and wanted to pass on to my future wife.
Whatever issues Mama had with Mira seemed to have disappeared. She'd resolved what was happening in her head, especially after she found out how she'd hurt Mira, who was the person who least deserved it.
"Looks like we're ready," Nova announced, straightening one last string of lights before glancing toward the door.
"Yeah." I nodded. When I'd told Gabe that I was going to set up for Mira's birthday party myself, he'd looked at me like I'd told him I was planning to wear a pink tutu and dance Swan Lake . I didn't blame him—this was exactly like me putting on a fucking pink ballerina dress and doing a pirouette.
This was not a Beau Bodine anyone would recognize—but then they'd never seen the Beau Bodine who was madly in love with a damaged woman, who he'd further hurt because he had his head way up his ass.
On top of the fact that Mira was so young—sure, she was more mature than most twenty-two-year-olds, but she was nearly eleven years younger than me. It was my job to let her grow into herself without my influence. As a possessive man who didn't want her out of my sight, this shit wasn't exactly easy.
"She's here," Katya announced as she was on watch, looking out of the window.
A few minutes later, we heard the key turn in the lock, and everyone fell silent. Pari giggled softly, her hands clasped in excitement.
The door creaked open, and Mira stepped inside, her expression blank at first—probably tired from work, expecting the same solitude she'd grown used to. But then her eyes landed on all of us, and I watched her freeze in the doorway, her entire body going rigid.
" Miramashi !" Pari squealed, running over and throwing her arms around Mira's legs. " Suppise !"
Mira blinked, her mouth slightly open, her eyes wide as she took in the sight of the room—decorated just for her. The cake, the Bengali food, the balloons, the fairy lights. The family she'd been trying to push away, standing there waiting for her, trying to make things right.
For a second, she looked like she might bolt. Her eyes flicked over to me. First, there was confusion and then followed her beautiful smile.
"Happy Birthday!" we all cried out.
"Thank you." She looked around in awe, her voice barely above a whisper. She dropped down to pick up Pari.
"Darlin'." I stepped forward, wrapping my arms around her, dropping a kiss on her mouth. "Happy Birthday."
Mira's eyes darted around the room, her gaze landing on each of us—Nova, Roxy, Katya, Mama, and finally back to Pari, who was grinning from ear to ear. It was like she didn't know how to process any of it, like the idea of someone doing something for her, just because she mattered, was foreign.
"I-I didn't tell anyone," she said, her voice shaky.
"You didn't have to." Nova walked to the door to throw it wide open. As soon as she did, in walked Nina, Stella, Luna, Aurora, Rachel, and Zahra.
They squealed, "Happy Birthday."
Pari squirmed away, Mira was pulled out of my arms, and everyone took turns hugging her. Presents were put aside on the coffee table, champagne was poured, Mira was toasted—and all that was just in the first fifteen minutes.
"From me." Pari handed Mira her present, one she'd wrapped herself.
Mira opened the gift, and her smile brightened the whole fucking apartment—and me, all the way to my soul. Pari had made a painting of a family—we were all stick figures, but it was the three of us and Ghoshu, obviously. Roxy had it framed. In pink crayon, she'd managed to write, with my guidance: Happy Birthday, Mashi.
There was another knock on the door, and Mira looked at me quizzically. "The men," I explained.
Gabe, Noah, Anson, and Diego walked in.
There were more hugs and more love pouring out of everyone for Mira. My chest expanded as I saw the look of utter bafflement on her face.
Roxy came up to her, and they embraced each other, tears in their eyes. "I missed you, girl," Roxy announced emotionally.
"I'm so sorry," Mira replied.
Roxy pulled away. "No apologies needed. We're family. Got it?"
Mira sniffled and nodded.
People filled their plates with fragrant heaps of Bengali dishes—steaming shorshe bata maach , fish simmered in mustard sauce, fluffy mounds of basmati rice, and crisp, golden beguni , eggplant fritters fried to perfection. The scent of mangsho jhol , a slow-cooked mutton curry, mingled with the sweetness of mishti doi , a creamy, caramelized yogurt dessert waiting on the side table. Laughter filled the room as everyone reached for luchi , the puffed fried bread, to scoop up chholar dal , lentils, and aalur dom , a slightly sweet potato curry, while the delicate scent of cardamom and cloves hung in the air.
"Where did the food come from?" Mira asked me as we stood away from the others, champagne glasses in hand.
"I found a Bengali Auntie in Pooler…well, my EA did, and she catered."
Mira laughed as if unable to contain the joy inside her. "You did this all for me?"
"Nah, for someone else who's a Bengali and has a birthday today," I joked.
She turned to me and flung her arms around me. "No one has ever done anything like this for me," she whispered, holding me close.
Fucking hell! Finally, I had a win.
The party was in full swing. The food had been put away, and the cake had been cut. Pari had eaten the first slice and was now having a sugar rush, dancing around the room and playing with the helium-filled balloons.
"She's going to be overtired," Mira said to me.
She hadn't left my side, and it wasn't because I didn't let her—she just hadn't. It felt so damned awesome to be in her good books again.
Mama came up to us. This was the first time Mira, and she had seen each other face to face since…well since Mira had left us. I knew Mama had talked to Mira on the phone—but my girl was, with good reason, still wary of my mother.
I was about to leave so she and Mama could talk, but Mira held on to my hand, so I stayed. She didn't feel safe alone with my mother—well, that was a hole Donna Bodine would have to dig herself out of.
"I'm so sorry, Mira," Mama whispered, her voice cracking. "I've been so unfair to you. I let my anger…my issues…. I let them blind me to what you were going through. I took it out on you, and that wasn't right. You didn't deserve that."
Mama handed her a jewelry box. "This is…was my mother-in-law's and was passed on to me. This is given to the wife of the oldest Bodine. It's yours."
Mira didn't take the jewelry box; just stared at it.
I let go of her hand and opened the box, pulling out the delicate bracelet. "Hold out your wrist, darlin'."
It wasn't a diamond ring, but it was close . One day, when she was ready, I'd give her that, too.
Mira shook her head and held her hand stiffly by her side.
"Darlin', this belongs to you," I said firmly.
"But…we're…Beau, we're not—"
" Yet ." I picked up her wrist, wrapped the bracelet around it, and closed the hook. "We will be. I have faith in us."
"And what if… that doesn't happen?"
I cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, it's gonna happen," I informed her arrogantly.
She rolled her eyes. It was exactly the levity needed in what was an emotional moment.
Mira looked at the bracelet, then touched it with trembling fingers. Her shoulders sagged just a little, and then, as if she made a momentous decision, she looked at Mama.
"Thank you, Donna." My girl had a big fucking heart. She wrapped her arms around my mother and hugged her.
"Oh, my. Thank you, sweet girl. Thank you so much for forgiving me." Mama brushed her tears away when she stepped away. She looked at me pointedly. "I don't know how you'll do this, Beauregard, but you make this girl my daughter-in-law, and soon."
With that, Mama walked up to Pari, who was being held by Nova.
"That happened?" Mira looked at me, puzzled.
"Sure did, darlin'."
Mira swallowed hard. She looked overwhelmed—like she didn't know what to do with all the emotion suddenly being thrown her way. I could see it in her eyes, the battle between letting herself feel it and wanting to retreat into the numbness she'd lived in since that awful night when she was too weak to fight her pain.
"I…I'd like to come over to your place tomorrow."
It was the weekend, and for the past two weeks, she hadn't followed through on her suggestion to spend them with us. So, I was glad to see she was finally getting with the program. Soon enough, I'd have her living with us full-time. If nothing else, I was a persistent sumbitch.
"Good."
"But…I won't stay the night."
"Why? What do you think will happen at night?" I smirked.
She flushed. "You know." She turned away from me.
"You think I'll get into bed with you?" I put my arms around her, resting my hands on her stomach, her back against my chest, my mouth close to her ear. "I want to, Mira. I want to taste you, make you come. I want to spread your thighs and lick your pussy, soft and slow. Would you like that?"
Her breathing was already a little ragged but then so was mine. I was arousing her, yes, but I was excited as well. My cock was hard as it rested against her pert ass.
"I'll make you come so hard and so often that you'll beg me to leave you alone." I licked her ear. She shivered and moaned softly.
"There are people here," she said weakly.
"Then, when you're so tired that you can barely move, I'll get you on your hands and knees and take you from behind." I moved my hips against hers, and she leaned back into me.
"Right," she managed to squeak out. "That…that's why I'll come back here to sleep."
I laughed, a rich laugh—one I hadn't been familiar with for fucking months.
"Mira, you know we're going to end up wrapped in each other eventually, don't you?"
"Yeah." She turned in my arms and slid her hands around my neck. "I need some more time. Sex clouds the mind, and I need a clear head."
"There's no rush, darlin'." My cock wanted to smack me upside the head. "Baby steps, right?"
Mira's eyes met mine. "Yeah, Beau," she agreed quietly. "Baby steps."
As the evening went on, we laughed, we ate cake, and everyone handed her thoughtful presents—small, meaningful things that showed we were paying attention. Katya gave her a set of hand-carved wooden spoons, knowing how much Mira loved to cook. Nova handed her a beautifully bound journal, something for Mira to write her recipes in.
Roxy and I had gotten her a high-end chef's knife set and an apprenticeship with Chef Gervais, a Michelin-starred chef who owned an eponymous restaurant in downtown Savannah.
"What?" she was flabbergasted.
"He's a friend," I told her. "You can apprentice with him on the weekends and holidays."
"And…he agreed? Chef Gervais agreed?"
"Of course, he agreed," Roxy quipped.
"I…I…." She swallowed and looked round the room. "This is a BFD."
"It certainly is," I agreed.
Everyone nodded but I didn't think they got it.
"Chef takes on very few apprentices and the ones he does usually end up with their own restaurants," Gabe explained. "He has a place at the Rhodes Hotel, so I know him well."
Mira squealed with delight and hugged Pari and me, and I felt the world right around me. Yeah, I was getting my girl back.
As the night wound down and everyone began to leave, Pari hugged Mira one last time, her little arms wrapped tight around her neck. "See you tomorrow, Miramashi ," she whispered.
Mira kissed her forehead, a smile tugging at her lips. "I'll be there, my Shona ."
Roxy took Pari home, and I lingered as everyone else filed out.
Nova and the others had cleaned up so Mira wouldn't have to—which she appreciated very much.
I watched her as she stood by the window, the soft glow of the fairy lights casting a warm glow over her. She looked...different. Lighter.
I stepped closer, my heart in my mouth. "Thank you for letting us do this," I said softly.
She turned to me, her eyes meeting mine. For a long moment, she didn't say anything. She finally spoke, her voice tight, "I love you, Beau."
I knew that. I'd always known that. I'd known that when I'd put her things in a garbage bag. I'd known that when I kicked her out of my and Pari's lives.
The guilt I felt was massive, and some days, I drowned in it, afraid that I didn't deserve Mira. But I couldn't live without her, so it wasn't like it was an option to even try.
"Someday, darlin', I hope you'll forgive me, but I gotta say that I'll never be able to forgive myself."
Mira traced my lips with her fingers. "We'll learn to forgive ourselves. I'm also struggling with guilt, Beau. For leaving Pari. For…letting my parents…you know?"
"Yeah. I know." I couldn't stop looking at my woman. I wanted her so fucking badly.
"Now, get out of my apartment, because I know that look in your eyes."
"What look?" I teased.
We were laughing when I left her apartment. It was the best I'd felt in a very long time.