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Nine
“What did you do?” Rabiya stormed into his office bringing the fires of hell with her if the look on her face was any indication.
Too bad he wasn’t in the mood for her histrionics. His mood was dark and sour and he couldn’t explain why and had no intention on doing so. “Care to elaborate? I’m to blame for so much these days.”
Her look darkened. “What did you do to Charla? She ended up in the hospital again only this time they wouldn’t tell me anything because I’m no longer her emergency contact, Kasim! So again, what did you do?”
He sighed and flung his pen across the desk. “What did you think I would do when you told me about her lies? I confronted her and she called the police.” He still couldn’t believe she’d done it, then again nothing really surprised him anymore. Especially when it came to women.
“How did she end up in the hospital again?”
He winced at her tone, feeling a stab of guilt at her words. “I might have grabbed her and when she pulled away, she fell.”
Wide brown eyes looked on in shock. “She’s pregnant Kasim!”
He laughed. “Doubtful. Face it little sister, your friend played you good. A loan is a small price to pay for a crown,” he told her cynically.
Rabiya stood, tears pooling in her eyes. “I hate you Kasim. I hate you so much right now.” She turned and bumped right into Jax.
“Hey Rabi, what’s the matter?”
She yanked from his grasp. “Don’t act like you care. You both are just the same.” She turned back to Kasim with a glare. “I hope you’re happy with all your money to keep you warm at night, but please do me a favor and forget we’re related.”
“Want to tell me what’s going on,” Jax’s loud voice boomed and Kasim felt his irritation rise.
“It’s none of your business!”
The surprise in his eyes showed but he masked it quickly and nodded, dropping an envelope on the desk. “Right. This came to me by accident. Well the help is leaving so you two can get back to it.” Then he stormed off.
“Way to go Kasim, alienating everyone around you.”
He read the opened letter and groaned as a ball of lead settled low in his gut. “You’ll be happy to hear that you were right. I am an ass and apparently I’m about to be a father.” At her questioning gaze he handed over the letter.
“She wants you to give up your rights to the baby? Good for her.” At his frown her smile dimmed. “What’s the matter, this is exactly what you wanted. No baby, no child support, no problems, right?”
“Right,” he said, suddenly feeling very wrong about everything. How had he gotten it so wrong? Things had been going well until he’d overheard that conversation and misunderstood. Then after that dinner things had only gotten worse and again it was his fault. “I need to talk to Charla.” The need came suddenly and urgently but he knew it was the right path.
“Well good luck finding her. She hasn’t been back home since she left for the hospital and she’s not returning my calls.” Rabiya dropped back into the chair and pouted as tears pooled in her eyes. “I knew I shouldn’t have told you. She asked me one simple thing and I failed her.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I had to drag the news out of her about her pregnancy and she swore me to secrecy, only I was so excited and I thought this might be what you both needed to see how perfect you were together so I told you. Obviously I shouldn’t have.”
“I’m your brother and I have a right to know.”
“No! You had no right to anything! You’ve done nothing but mistrust and mistreat her and she’s the only one who believed in me! I’m out of here,” she grumbled. “And don’t bother coming to my party tomorrow, you’re no longer invited.”
Kasim was furious at the world. Mostly he was mad at himself because he’d let his issues and is past infect his present with Charla. He’d broken her trust and her heart, and if what Rabiya said was true he might have broken up her one true friendship.
Needing a sounding board he called Jax. “Jax Hellen.”
“It’s me, are you free?”
There was a beat of silence before he answered. “Sorry I’m prepping for a client meeting. I’ll make an appointment with your assistant afterwards.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he sighed and hung up the phone. Apparently I am alienating everyone around me.
Well he intended to fix that. Soon.
