Chapter 24
Lies will bite you in the ass. That’s a little nugget of wisdom for ya. -Reina
Reina
I’m literally sweating as I trail behind Brian into our house. He comes to a standstill in the foyer.
“Shit, Reina, this is a literal palace. I always call you princess, but I didn’t know you grew up in a freakin’ castle. This place is crazy.” His voice is so full of awe and wander that I glance around me again, trying to see everything through his eyes.
I knew that he and Sophie grew up without much, in a tiny trailer, in a not-so-great part of town, but I guess the difference in our backgrounds never truly hit me until now. This is what I grew up in. To him, it looks like a palace. To me, it seems like a prison, because I’ve never been able to be me in this place. I’ve always had to be careful not to spill, and careful not to be too messy. No art supplies. No trinkets. There’s none of my personality here. Unlike college, where my side of the room is an unholy mess. I’ve never analyzed myself before, but I would guess that my upbringing and my need to rebel probably has something to do with my unorganized ways.
I touch Brian’s shoulder and he turns. “It’s just a place, Brian, and I bet it didn’t have half the love that your trailer had. Except for Nani, everything here has always been cold. Sometimes palaces hide ugly things.”
His face softens and he touches the side of my face. “I’m sorry, Reina. Of course, surroundings aren’t everything.”
I take a deep breath. “Promise me you won’t hate me after today.”
He pulls back in surprise. “Why would I hate you?”
I chuckle nervously. “Obviously, you haven’t been to a large Indian function before. You’re about to be bombarded.” And hopefully no one mentions anything that I don’t want you to hear.
I take his hand. “Let me start you with the easiest people first.”
I proceed to steer Brian towards the quietest of the aunties, Riya Auntie. She barely asks anything at all but nods politely when Brian introduces himself and gives me a small hug.
It’s not long before he’s surrounded though. I try to stay close, but my mother keeps needing ‘help’ and distracting me. I want to know exactly what these family members are telling him, so I try to catch snippets of conversation.
I shake my head when I hear my Anika Auntie starts asking him minute details about his deployment. He manages the conversation well, evading everything except generalities about life overseas. I step back, with my hands behind my back, watching him work the women. He seems to be handling himself well. And damn he looks good while doing it.
“Who’s the hottie?” a familiar voice whispers in my ear.
“Amit!” I turn around and throw my arms around my best friend’s neck. I bury my head in his shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
He pats my back lightly and then pulls away. “Hey, hey, what’s wrong with my bestie?” He indicates Brian with a nod of his head, “Is the hottie giving you trouble? What’s he doing here anyway?”
“He decided to surprise me.” I twist my hands together. “I’m scared shitless one of my meddling relatives is going to say something they shouldn’t. And I’m also scared my mom may murder Brian.” I cock my head to indicate where my mother stands in a corner clearly glaring at Brian. I’m thinking she probably didn’t buy the routine about me giving him something from Sophie. My mother is like a human lie detector. I’m sure she knows what’s up.
“You still didn’t tell your mom about him?” Amit asks in a loud voice. I clamp my hand over his mouth.
“Hush it, will you?” I glance over at Brian and see him sending us a murderous look, or more specifically Amit. Shit. I take my hand away from Amit’s mouth.
“I haven’t told her yet, but I will. I promise.” And I will, just as soon as we make it through this ordeal.
Amit shakes his head. “Your soldier may murder me before then,” he mutters. “You should have told him what your mother thinks about us. And we should tell everyone the truth. It’s not our fault they’ve made assumptions about what our relationship is.” He crosses his arms and sends me a withering look. “I’m not afraid anymore, Reina. I can do this.”
My heart skips a beat. The image of Amit’s beaten body flashes through my mind. I’m not ready.
“We’ll tell everyone soon. Just help me get through today,” I beg.
He opens his mouth and then closes it. I can tell he wants to say no. His shoulders finally drop, and he nods. “Okay, fine. Just for today.”