Chapter 16
Act II, Scene VIII: Padua Heights, Finsbury Park
Titan
W ith less than three weeks left until the wedding, I was meant to be focusing on spending time with Ted, checking in on how the inn renovations were going, and ensuring he was ready for the three-day long celebration of love, commitment, and tradition.
Instead, I focused on Kalina and all the fun celebrations we’d have together.
Last night was burned into my mind. I couldn’t sleep all night or focus during the day.
I had a taste, literally, and now I wanted more.
What about after the wedding? When we’d, presumably, spend more time together? Kalina was amazing and wonderful. She would meet someone—and even start a relationship—by the time the wedding rolled around.
Would I go back to my usual meetups—which had been on a bit of a hiatus this past week—and we’d go about our days as if nothing had happened?
But, how could I sit in the same room as her, and watch her with someone else, while thinking about the way she felt and the sounds she made?
All these thoughts had me staring at my blank screen for the last hour.
‘This is ridiculous,’ I said aloud. I pulled my phone from my pocket and sent Kalina a message.
Hey dimples, are we still on for tonight?
18:36
One time. We needed one time together and that would be it.
I shook my head at the nagging thoughts creeping in.
One time wouldn’t be enough.
She read the message almost immediately but didn’t reply.
I gave her a few minutes while I packed up and closed the studio. Nothing.
I called and she declined, but still no message.
Did she want me to show up unannounced again?
The thought that it was something that excited her, excited me.
If she wanted to play this game, I would take the bait.
But if something was wrong and this wasn’t a game, I could stop by her place on my way home—even though it wasn’t in the same direction—it would set my mind at ease.
I hopped on my bike and sped to Kalina’s house. She was usually home after six if there were no late events.
I rang the doorbell but there was no answer, so I tried her phone again. A faint ringing sound came from the other side.
I knocked on the door loudly. ‘Kalina, are you okay?’
A few seconds later the latch clicked and Kalina peeked out from behind the door, wrapped in a blanket.
‘Hey, is everything okay?’ My panic had already set in.
‘Yeah…’ came her soft reply.
‘Can I come in?’
‘Sure.’ She stepped aside and let me into the darkened house.
‘What’s going on?’
She looked like she was about to fall over and her eyes welled up. ‘Nothing.’
‘Kalina, you’re the worst liar in the world and you’re not even trying right now.’
Her lip trembled before a sob escaped her.
I stepped forward and wrapped her in my arms. She melted into the hug and nuzzled her face into my chest.
‘Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.’
‘It’s not you. I’m having a horrible day,’ she mumbled into the front of my jacket.
‘Do you want to talk about it?’
She shook her head.
I leaned back and gently lifted her chin until our gazes met. ‘You can tell me anything.’
I could see the wheels turning in her head. She hesitated and worried about my reaction.
‘I’m not leaving until I know you’re okay.’
She let out a long exhale. ‘I got my period and I wasn’t meant to for another three days. It’s a really bad first day, I’ll be okay. I need to get through my to-do list then I can rest. Don’t worry.’ She tried to smile but failed miserably as fresh tears sprung from her eyes.
‘What do you need to do?’
She shook her head. ‘It’s fine. I can do it.’
I levelled her with a stern look.
‘You don’t need to take care of me. I’ll be okay.’
‘I don’t need to, but I want to.’
She pulled the blanket around her tightly. ‘I’ve been doing this for over eighteen years.’
‘And now I’m here and you don’t need to do it alone.’ I stood my ground. ‘Can you let me take care of you?’
‘I can do it myself.’
She was so fucking stubborn. ‘I want to,’ I said again.
She groaned.
I kicked off my boots then bent down and scooped her into my arms. She protested briefly then rested her head against my chest. I walked into the bathroom and set her down on the edge of the bathtub. ‘Bath or shower?’
She shrugged.
‘Bath it is.’ I ran the bath and accidentally added too much bubble bath.
‘That’s way too much.’
‘You can be enveloped in them. I’ll be right back, okay?’
She nodded.
In her bedroom, her sheets were balled up on the floor. I’d come back for those. I shook off my heavy jacket and left it on the seat before I grabbed her dressing gown and the largest, fluffiest towel I could find.
I put them on the rail in the bathroom and lit a few of her candles.
‘Have you taken something for the pain?’
‘No.’
‘Kalina.’ I kept my tone neutral.
‘I’d need to eat, and I couldn’t really move.’ She started crying.
I rubbed small circles on her back. ‘Sorry. I can leave if you want to be alone? I won’t push it.’
‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘You’re being so nice to me, and I like having you around.’ She swiped at her face with the sleeve of her hoodie.
I crouched down in front of her ‘You really think I’m the worst person in the world?’
‘I don't mean it in that way,’ she said.
I smiled, and tried putting her at ease. ‘You get comfortable. I’ll be in the kitchen.’
‘Could you…never mind.’ She shook her head.
‘Ask me. I’ll make it happen.’
She fidgeted with her sleeve and refused to look at me. ‘Could you sit with me?’
‘Is that what you want?’
She nodded.
‘Then of course I’ll do it.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Give me a few minutes, okay?’ I walked out, leaving the door slightly ajar, before collecting the crumpled pile of sheets on the floor.
A toss in the washing machine with some hydrogen peroxide—which I was not at all surprised Kalina had on hand—and I was back in her bedroom with a fresh set of sheets.
One of the things I enjoyed was the fact that all the items in the house were exactly where I would’ve put them. Kalina was as logical and methodical in her spaces as I was.
Her scent was embedded in the comforter, and I had to push myself to focus on the task at hand.
Three weeks.
Her bed was made, food ordered, and I had one more task before I’d join her. I scrolled down my contact list and dialled the number I’d been looking for.
‘Titan,’ Kalina’s grandmother said.
‘Aditi, how are you?’
‘Keeping out of trouble. What about you, beta?’
‘Barely.’ I leaned against the kitchen counter.
‘That’s good.’
I pictured her smile.
‘Are you well though?’
‘Okay, you know, the usual aches and pains.’
I straightened. ‘Usual?’
‘Nothing to worry about. I’m on my way to ninety, it comes with the territory. To what do I owe the pleasure?’
‘I need your chai recipe please.’
Her husky laugh filled my earpiece. ‘Is this for my Gulab?’
I had yet to add Aditi’s adorable nickname for Kalina to my repertoire.
‘Yes.’
‘Good. Are you taking care of her?’
‘Of course.’
‘Excellent. Let me find my glasses…’
I listened to the rustling on the other end before she returned, read off the ingredients—with very little specification as to the amounts—then recited the method by heart.
Somehow it tasted the same every single time I’d had it. It was like magic.
‘Have a good evening, Aditi.’
‘You too. Send my love to my baby.’
We hung up and I peeked down the passage to check before I prepared all the ingredients and thankfully Kalina had everything on hand.
I added a little extra ginger to the recipe and let it simmer on the stovetop.
I knocked on the door and waited for her reply.
‘Come in.’
I stepped into the steamed-up space to find her immersed beneath the mountain of bubbles. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun, and her cheeks were flushed pink.
‘Are you okay?’ I took a step inside. ‘You look a little out of it.’
‘Yes, this is me when I’m relaxed.’ She laughed.
‘Good.’
‘This is the perfect temperature.’ She slunk a little lower down.
‘I had a feeling you’d like it close to the flames of hell. Glad to know I was right.’
‘It’s like getting a new layer of skin.’
I laughed and took a tentative step closer. ‘You could exfoliate.’
‘I do.’
There was a small pause as she swirled some bubbles around.
I sat and rested my back against the side of the tub. ‘Do you want to tell me about the rest of your day?’
‘It was horrible. I think I freaked out the operations team. I should probably let them know I’m okay.’
‘Good idea. You freaked me out too.’
‘Sorry…’
‘Don’t be. I’m glad you’re okay.’
She waited a beat and swirled some bubbles into a pile above her. ‘Sorry we didn’t…you know. Tonight.’
‘Believe it or not, I’m not here for the sex…mostly.’
She laughed.
‘Although, it’s a really great incentive to this deal. I was genuinely concerned. You have a bad habit of leaving doors unlocked.’
‘Between that and the interruptions.’ She sighed dramatically.
‘We have some time now. Tell me what you want to learn.’
Her eyes widened. ‘How do you talk about sex so casually?’
I shrugged. ‘Easy. Open communication is key.’
‘Not when it comes to this.’ She tapped her fingers on the water’s surface.
‘Gives me time to figure out what I could teach you.’
‘Well, it’s my birthday in less than a week. You have time to plan something.’
‘A lesson for your birthday?’
She stammered. ‘No, we could do…things.’
‘What kinds of things do you imagine me teaching you? Because it sounds like you have high expectations.’
‘Acrobatics, probably.’
I let out a laugh that echoed in the small space and she joined in.
‘But on a serious note, you have more experience than me.’ She slunk lower and her voice was tinged with sadness.
‘Want to tell me about it?’
She stared at the ceiling then looked at me. ‘My only experience was Jesse. He, uh… We were together and he got what he wanted from me when he found the information about the acquisition of Prince Towers. He ended things over text the next day.’
I shoved my hands under my thighs to stop myself from cracking my knuckles. This was why Ted was so upset about the situation.
‘Like I said, all fuckers.’ I wanted to erase every single bad encounter she’d had with men. It wasn’t fair to her and having experienced it for myself, I could say with confidence they were idiots.
That elicited a small smile from her.
‘You knew exactly what you were doing yesterday.’
She hid half her face beneath the water, before coming up. ‘You can’t say things like that in public.’
I chuckled. ‘You get so shy. It’s adorable.’
‘Was it good?’ she asked.
‘If it wasn’t apparent, yes. It was really good.’ I’d thought about it all night. And again this morning. I was thinking about it right now, and my jeans were uncomfortably tight.
‘Good.’
The enthusiasm and spontaneity were as attractive as the act itself. ‘When you enjoy yourself, it makes everything better for everyone.’
‘What do you like?’
Her question threw me off. Even now she was still concerned about me and my feelings when this was all about her.
‘I enjoy watching you enjoy yourself. I like to see you come undone and lose yourself in the moment,’ I said, using every last fibre to resist turning around and looking at her.
‘You have a magical way of making me feel better.’
I could say the same thing about her.
‘Then we’re on the right track. How are you feeling now?’
‘Good. Thank you.’ She offered me a small smile, enough to make her dimples appear.
‘Anything I can do to turn that answer into extremely amazing ?’
‘I usually watch terribly cheesy movies when I need a pick-me-up, but I couldn’t ask that of you.’
‘Yes, you can.’
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. ‘Really? I thought there’d be more resistance.’
‘I have a feeling you might not make it through an entire movie.’
‘To prove you wrong, and maybe watch you suffer a little, I’m going to force myself to stay awake.’
‘Want to make this interesting? How about a bet?’ I smirked at her.
‘Okay, if I win, you have to join me for a romcom movie marathon.’
‘Deal.’
‘Twenty-four hours.’
Spending an entire day with her wasn’t the punishment she thought it was.
‘If you win? What do you want?’ She sat up, pushing water and bubbles over the edge and onto the tiled floor.
‘You’re not going to like my answer.’
She let out an exhale. ‘One thing about me, I keep to my word.’
‘Okay. If I win…’ I thought about it, but only one thing came to mind. ‘You’ll let me take you out on my bike.’
‘I knew that would be your request.’
I winked at her. ‘You know me well.’
‘Can’t you choose something else?’
‘I could...but then you’d never get to experience the smooth ride that is the Triumph Bonneville T100.’
‘I could live with that.’She gave a noncommital shrug.’
Kalina loved facts. That was the key here. ‘It's got improved handling and excellent brakes.’
She let out a big sigh. ‘Fine.’
‘I promise you’ll be safe.’
‘I never doubted it.’
The doorbell rang.
‘I’ll get it, but shout if you need me.’
‘You don’t have to stay.’
‘I’m not going anywhere, as long as you want me here.’
She nodded.
‘Besides, I want to win the bet.’ I flashed her my best grin.
She flicked water at me as I walked out.
I grabbed the takeout, tipped the delivery driver, then headed to the kitchen to check on the chai.
It was perfect.
I laid all the items out on a tray before I checked the washing machine, then tossed the clean sheets into the dryer.
Kalina walked into the kitchen, now clad in leggings, an oversized hoodie, and fluffy socks. Her eyes darted between the teapot on the stove and the tray on the dining table.
‘What’s this?’ she asked.
‘You need to eat.’
Her lip quivered and her eyes watered.
‘Hey what’s wrong?’ I strode up to her and wrapped her in my arms.
She sniffled. ‘You’re so wonderful.’
‘I thought I was horrible? The worst. ’ I imitated her and a small laugh escaped against my chest.
‘You’ve been bumped up to a decent level.’
‘I’ll take it.’
‘You really didn’t have to change my sheets.’
‘You’re not feeling well and I’d be a horrible and insecure man if I didn’t support you through this emotionally and physically taxing time.’
‘Why does it sound like you memorised that from a pamphlet?’ She looked up at me.
‘I think I actually did. My mom wanted to ensure I was well equipped with the knowledge of reproduction.’
‘I would’ve loved a pamphlet. Dadi gave me a lecture about not settling for the first boy I slept with and, in short, told me to sow my wild oats.’
I laughed. ‘Sounds exactly like something she would say. Speaking of, she sends her love by the way.’
‘What do you mean?’ Confusion laced her voice.
I tipped my head toward the steaming mugs on the countertop.
‘You did not.’ Kalina walked over and inhaled the steam. ‘She gave you the recipe? She’s never given it to anyone.’
‘We have a special bond.’ I stepped beside her.
‘She must like you a lot.’
She was one of my favourite people in Kalina’s family. ‘You’re lucky she’s out of my league.’
Kalina swatted my arm playfully. ‘Stop.’
I grabbed the teapot. ‘Come on, I have a bet to win.’
‘You’re really going to watch this movie with me?’
‘I never back down from a challenge, dimples.’
‘Oh, it’s so on.’ Kalina grabbed the mugs and I picked up the tray.
‘Lead the way.’
I followed to her bedroom and before I’d even set the tray down, she was under the covers and patted the spot beside her.
I sat up against the headboard and left a rather large space between us considering what we’d done the night before.
‘You’re not going to sit like that through the entire movie, are you?’
‘Yes?’ I crossed my arms over my chest.
‘Get comfortable. It’s nearly three hours long.’
‘What on earth are we watching?’
‘You’ll see,’ she said, grabbed her laptop, and turned the screen away from my view.
I lifted my legs onto the bed, and stretched it out over the comforter.
‘Have you ever watched this?’ she asked, the excitement bursting out of her as she turned the screen toward me.
I was met by the movie title page on the streaming site. ‘I can confidently say I’ve not.’
‘I think you’ll like it.’ She placed it between us and hit play.
It started with a heartbreaking scene of the mother who’d died after childbirth.
Kalina paused it and sat up. ‘I’m so sorry. Do you want to watch something else?’
I shook my head. ‘No, don’t worry about it.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes. Years of therapy have made it bearable.’
Kalina’s lips turned downward. ‘Want to tell me about her?’
‘What do you want to know?’ I brushed some of her hair away from her face.
‘What was she like? Like you?’
I smiled. ‘She was really funny. And she loved pranks and jokes.’
‘You two were close?’
‘Very. It was me and her for most of my life.’ My chest ached.
‘I’m sorry.’
I shook my head. ‘Some days are easier than others.’
And most of those days involved Kalina.
‘Let’s watch something else.’ She exited the screen.
‘No way. I want to see what’s going to happen.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Positive.’ I opened it again and hit play.
Her feet inched closer to me until she buried them beneath my legs.
‘Don’t wiggle,’ I chuckled.
‘Are you ticklish?’ She had a sly grin on her face.
‘No.’
‘You are.’ She wriggled her feet playfully and I shifted.
She laughed and pulled her legs toward her. A pang of disappointment flickered in my chest at the loss of contact.
She grabbed one of the containers and opened it up. ‘You got dumplings?’
‘And soup. It’s good for healing.’
She took a bite of one of the chicken dumplings and did a little dance.
‘What was that?’
‘What was what?’
‘The little dance?’ I reached over and took a dumpling from the container.
‘Oh, I’m happy.’
God, she was adorable.
All I wanted to do right now was kiss her.
Instead, I grabbed the dumpling she’d grasped between her chopsticks, and she shot me a death stare before she grabbed another one and held it out of my reach.
We passed the containers between each other with such ease, like this was a normal and frequent occurrence.
‘This is so unrealistic.’
‘Unrealistic?’ Kalina had moved on from the dumplings to the soup.
‘What? He couldn’t see that his best friend was in love with him?’ I pointed to the second song and dance number on the screen.
‘Because he was too busy falling in love with the new girl with her beautiful hair and shiny green eyes.’ Kalina chomped on some chicken angrily.
‘You have wonderful hair. And beautiful brown eyes.’
She rolled them at me then pointed her spoon at the screen accusatorially. ‘That’s all he cares about.’
‘I’m sure there’s more to it. Maybe his friend is not his type.’
‘They literally do everything together? She plays basketball with him, knows his family, his secrets.’
‘Yeah, a great friend. Not necessarily a great lover.’
‘Great love is based on good friendship. They just said that.’ She scowled, referring to the scene in the movie where the love interest admitted his basis for love was friendship.
‘You can love your friends and not be in love with them.’
‘All I know is I wouldn’t trust a guy who was only into me for my looks. He thought he loved the new girl as soon as she walked in. Meanwhile his best friend is right there, showing up and he doesn’t even notice.’
‘He does.’
‘How do you know?’
‘I can see it,’ I said and bit into another dumpling.
‘Then why wouldn’t he tell her how he feels?’
‘It’s not always easy to tell someone how you feel. Maybe he was scared.’
She huffed. ‘He’s still not forgiven.’
‘You cut people off so easily.’
‘Maybe they should think about that before they do something stupid,’ Kalina replied with a cheeky smile.
‘Remind me to never get on your bad side.’
‘You’re in the clear for now.’
I handed her some water and her pain meds. ‘Here, you’ve eaten enough to medicate.’
She took them, set the glass down on the table beside her, and slunk down under the covers. ‘Thank you.’
I had to admit, while the choreographed song and dance sequences were super cheesy, I found myself invested in the rest of the story.
Even when Kalina fell asleep after the halfway mark, I would never admit to her that I sat through the entire movie until the end. I’d already won the bet, and I didn’t need her to use this as leverage.
I would never admit to myself that she made me question everything I’d thought about love and friendship, and I didn’t want to think about how I could never go back to the way things were.