Chapter 19
19
I had a long, intense workout at my local gym.
Lifting the heavy weights and feeling the sweat bead on my skin had been the perfect escape. The rage and pain turned to exhaustion, then fizzled into something else. Something much easier to handle.
I sat in my car, wondering what to do next.
Abeo and Felicity were probably still at the ball; they’d been trying to get in touch with me for two hours now, but I’d put my phone on silent and ignored them. There wasn’t a single thing either of them could say to make me feel better right now.
I found myself thinking about Zara Khan again.
The way she’d spoken to me had been so refreshing. I had an inkling she’d know the right thing to say in this moment. Without thinking too much, I called her. The ringing went on and on. Just when I thought she wouldn’t pick up, she did. I froze, my head pounding with nerves in a way I wasn’t used to.
‘Hi. Calling to find out whether I managed to glue my shoe together?’
I chuckled. ‘How did you know it was me?’
‘I don’t usually have unknown numbers call me. In fact, I never really give my number to anyone.’
‘Well, I’m glad you gave it to me,’ I replied tentatively, stretching my fingers over the cool leather of my steering wheel.
‘And I guess I’ll know by the end of this convo whether I’m glad I gave it to you.’
‘So, I only get one convo for you to decide if I’m worth getting to know? What a way to put a guy under pressure.’
She paused for a moment. ‘Something tells me you know how to handle the pressure just fine.’
‘What are you up to?’ I asked, remembering her soft brown skin and kohl-smudged eyes. I wished I could see her right now.
‘Hiding in my room from everything and everyone.’
I laughed, loving her honesty and the fact that she wasn’t bothered with trying to appear cool and busy on a weekend. ‘I’m practically doing the same thing in my car right now.’
‘Oh really? I assumed you’d have something more exciting to do on a Saturday night.’
‘Don’t go making assumptions about me now. Didn’t you say people should get to know me themselves rather than assume they know me from whatever they see online?’
‘Wow. Already quoting me right back to myself? I feel like a wise old philosopher now.’
‘So how about it?’ I asked, heartbeat spiking. ‘Shall we get to know each other with no assumptions involved?’
She snorted a little. ‘Do you really think you can manage it?’
‘Why should it be any harder for me than it is for you?’
‘Because your London is very … inaccessible and exclusive. Snobby, to be blunt. And mine is open for anyone who wants to step into it.’
‘Even me?’
It seemed Zara was at a loss for words because the truth was that I couldn’t just go anywhere I wanted in our city, especially to the parts where she probably hung out; most places would require security and careful planning. She laughed nervously, as though acknowledging that.
‘OK, fine. I see what you mean. It’s not so simple. What if I introduce you to my world and you introduce me to yours? But we both swear not to be judgemental in any way at all.’
‘World?’ I asked curiously. ‘You make it seem like we’re from different planets. We live in the same city.’
‘But I doubt you’ve experienced much of my London. And I certainly haven’t set foot in yours.’
‘Let’s do it,’ I replied keenly.
Somehow, I knew that seeing her, being around her, would be the perfect distraction from the chaos of my life.
‘Why don’t you tell me the things you like doing and maybe I can plan a first date?’ she asked tentatively. ‘Oh … I didn’t mean date date. Unless of course it is. But it doesn’t have to be. I don’t know if –’
‘It’s a date,’ I said through a smile, finding her nervousness endearing. ‘Definitely a date.’
She cleared her throat. ‘OK, cool. Great. Nice. I mean … cool.’
We laughed at the same time, and I sensed a deeper crack form in the ice that was breaking between us.
I turned my car on and began to drive home, taking the long route as we continued our conversation. We spoke the entire journey, even as I walked up to my room and jumped into bed. There were no awkward or silent moments, and it almost felt like I’d known her for years. We stayed on the phone for many hours into the night. There was just so much to say and hear.
I wanted to know everything about Zara Khan.