CHAPTER 43 #2
Once the excitement died down, I brought up the last issue on our agenda.
“There’s one more thing,” I said. “I know you’re eager for me to get married, but Sebastian and I would like to go at our own pace.
We’ve only been dating for a few months.
We want to enjoy it without any, um, additional pressure. ”
My mother was so over the moon about our news that she didn’t argue.
“Of course. Take your time… as long as it’s not too much time.
I’m not getting any younger, you know.” A devious smile snuck across her face.
“Oh, I can’t wait to tell my gardening club.
Those snide remarks Aisha made about you being an old maid—as if her boring son-in-law is some big catch—she’s going to eat her words… ”
“What are the odds she secretly starts planning our wedding tomorrow?” Sebastian asked after my mother dragged Yvonne back to their table, no doubt to start plotting revenge against Aisha.
“Tomorrow? This is my mother we’re talking about. I bet she starts tonight.”
He laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling as Priya wandered up to us.
“I’m happy for you, but I’m also so annoyed with you right now,” she said.
“I was hoping Mom would get so distracted planning your wedding that she’d forget about mine.
But no, you got her to hold off on your wedding prep. ” She heaved a deep sigh.
“Sorry,” I said sympathetically. “If it makes you feel better, I’m sure she’ll be busy with the prep behind our backs.”
“Maybe,” Priya said morosely. My free-spirited sister was having issues with our mother’s extremely hands-on approach to her wedding.
“Ben and I should’ve eloped. I wanted to, but Mom…
anyway, enough about that.” She perked up again.
“I can’t believe you two are together! What a shocker. I mean, I had no clue.”
“What can I say? We’re good at keeping secrets,” I deadpanned. Sebastian coughed out a laugh and quickly hid his grin with his fist.
Between her interrupting our first kiss and her being present for our lovers’ spat during Radhika’s wedding boat ride, Priya had received the most clues out of anyone in my family. But that was my sister for you—constantly lost in her own world.
I loved her anyway. Her obliviousness was part of her charm.
Neha approached us next.
Sebastian tensed—he hadn’t forgiven her for threatening me at the bowling alley—but I was curious about her reaction to our announcement.
“So.” Her gaze flicked between me and Sebastian. Her expression was unreadable. “I guess I have my answer.”
“No. I never answered because it was a false choice based on a flawed premise,” I said. “You were assuming I’d have to sacrifice everything for an uncertainty. It was an overly rigid way of viewing something that’s not so black and white.”
Are you willing to throw it all away for a relationship you’re not even sure will last?
I’d agonized over the answer for weeks, too afraid to commit to a side, but the launch crisis had imbued me with crystal-bright clarity.
When I thought about who I wanted to celebrate with, commiserate with, and spend my life with, there was only one answer.
It was Sebastian. It’d always been Sebastian.
He was my emotional anchor, my one constant in the chaos. He made me stronger, and more importantly, he made me happy.
I loved my family, but Neha’s question was a false choice because I wasn’t “throwing away” anything. My achievements would always be mine, and my family would always be my family, even if they were mad at me.
Even if Neha’s question hadn’t been hypothetical, and my father had iced me out because he was still feuding with the Laurents, I would’ve chosen Sebastian.
I’d overcome enough obstacles to stop doubting myself.
Whatever consequences came with that choice, I would’ve figured them out and found a way to land on my feet.
I always did.
Neha issued a small huff. “It’s just like you to pick apart a simple question.”
“It wasn’t that simple.” The question was; the underlying emotions weren’t.
The crease between her brows softened. “I know.” She pursed her lips, her expression hardening again.
“I still think your decision to keep your relationship secret was foolish. There were a lot of external factors that worked out in your favor. If they hadn’t, we’d be having a very different conversation right now.
But… I understand. Sort of. It’s just not the way I like to do things. ”
“That’s because we’re different people,” I said gently.
“You’re my sister. I love you, and I know you meant well.
But sometimes, I’d appreciate it if you acted like my sister instead of the parental police.
I’m not asking you to commit crimes for me; I’m just asking you to see things from my perspective and trust me to handle things on my own. I would do the same for you.”
A long bout of silence followed.
“Fair enough,” Neha acknowledged. It was the best concession I could hope to get out of her. “I can’t guarantee anything. I am the way that I am, but… I’ll try. I am glad things worked out for you, Maya—especially because I’ll no longer have to listen to Mom bang on about your love life.”
Laughter built in my throat. “That makes two of us.”
“I’ll leave you two to your celebrations. I need to go home soon anyway. I have an early morning tomorrow.” Neha inclined her head toward Sebastian. “Sebastian.”
“Neha,” he said, his tone neutral. Once she left, he glanced at me with open curiosity. “What answer were you guys talking about?”
“I’ll tell you later,” I said. “We have one more incoming.”
My grandmother beelined toward us, her face alight with glee. She addressed Sebastian first. “Finally,” she said with a dramatic sigh. “I was running out of jewelry to lose.”
Ha! I knew she’d been lying about her missing jewelry.
Sebastian grinned. “I doubt that, Mrs. Gupta,” he said easily. “You have the best jewelry collection in the country.”
She cackled. “I do, don’t I?” She patted me on the cheek, her eyes softening. “I told you, beti. It’s not always about new people and places. Sometimes, it’s about new perspectives.”
I smiled at the reminder of our post-birthday conversation. “How long have you known?”
“That you and Sebastian would eventually end up together?” She snorted. “Since you created that creepy voodoo doll of him. You don’t spend that much time thinking about someone unless you’re obsessed. Trust me. I was the same way with your grandfather before I married the idiot.”
My grandparents had been happily married for decades before my grandfather died of a heart attack three years ago. She didn’t say it, but I knew how much my grandmother missed him.
Diya called her away soon after. Once she was gone, Sebastian slid a side glance at me. “What’s this voodoo doll everyone keeps talking about?”
Heat crawled across my face and neck. “It’s not important.”
“Was it anatomically correct? Because I’d be offended if you made an ugly voodoo doll of me.”
“It was anatomically correct…and it was ugly.” I let out a squeal of laughter when he grabbed me and hauled me to him.
“You’ll pay for that later,” he growled.
“Is that a promise or a warning?”
“Don’t push me, Maya, or I’ll haul you into the kitchen and fuck you right on the counter where everyone can hear.”
Delicious heat pooled between my thighs. “A promise, then.”
Sebastian’s eyes darkened. I was definitely going to pay for teasing him in public later.
The perfect end to the perfect night.
I couldn’t wait.