Marley snorted. And he noticed that she had tears forming. She looked straight at him. “I’m having a mastectomy, Nikhil.” He blinked at that. Before he could open his mouth to ask more, she clarified. “I’m fine. It’s prophylactic. I have a cancer-causing genetic mutation. This is so Iwon’tget breast cancer.”
Oh no. He thought back to grade twelve… to all those conversations they’d had when her aunt was going through breast cancer treatment. “Oh, Marley.” He wanted to hug her. Shewouldn’t want that, though. He didn’t know how to help her. “Do you need food? I can still make coq au vin. Or comfort food is better, right? My daal is amazing.”
Shayne snorted. “You think lentils will solve this problem?”
Marley ignored his daal offer. “If I don’t take the surgery date, it could be months or longer before another spot opens for me. I’ll be in recovery when you go on that press tour. But this is exactly the kind of thing my boss holds a grudge for. She knows it’s technically elective surgery.”
“Can’t you explain all this to her? There must be a way,” Nikhil said.
“That’s why we’re here,” Shayne said, looking at Marley, annoyed. “Not toyellat your client, or friend, or lover… or whatever you two are.” Shayne looked at Nikhil. “We need to find a solution to this situation.”
Shayne was right. Nikhil wasn’t going to let Marley lose this opportunity to advance her career, and he wasn’t going to let her put her health at risk, either. And now that the option had been presented to him, he wasn’t going to let anyone other than Marley style him for the next six months.
Nikhil was a goddamn movie star. He was supposed to be able to have it all.
“Do you have to actually be with me to pick clothes for me? Like, in person?” Nikhil asked.
Marley nodded. “Yes. Personal stylists usually go to the client.”
“Well, why can’t I come to you, instead? While you’re recovering. We can have the stuff from the store delivered. You won’t have to lift a finger. Just sit back and tell me what looks good on me. Could you handle that?”
Marley shook her head. “I suppose in theory. But Shayne’sgoing to Paris on Tuesday, so I’m moving in with my mom and dad.”
“So? Isn’t that better? They live near here, don’t they?”
Marley shook her head again. “If you come over there, it will light up on WhatsApp all over the East Coast. And the West Coast. There is no NDA strong enough for my mom and dad. Bad enough that I have to go there to recover at all. My parents and I have a… complicated relationship.” Marley looked down at her fingers.
Clearly her parents’ house wasn’t the best place for Marley to be when she was vulnerable. Why was Shayne leaving his best friend right when she needed him?
“I told you, Marley,” Shayne said. “You don’t have to go there. Stay at home and Reena will come see you every day. You said only the first week or so will be really bad. You’ll be so much more comfortable at home, and Nikhil can come to you in the city for styling. Or you can FaceTime.”
Marley shook her head. “But Reena can’t spend the night. She starts work at three a.m. every day.” She exhaled. “The nurse said I shouldn’t be alone overnight at least for the first week.”
Nikhil could see how scared she was even though she didn’t say it. Which was totally valid… He couldn’t imagine what she was going through. Major surgery and a huge change to her body, and no one there to support her.
“I’ll stay with you at night,” Nikhil said.
She stared at him for a long time, barely moving. He couldn’t read her expression. Finally, she snarled. Like an honest-to-goodness snarl, which somehow still looked beautiful on her. “We discussed this, Nikhil. Last night was a one-time thing.”
Shit. He’d screwed up again. She thought he wanted to sleep with her. “No, no, Marley, I—”
“Do I need to leave you alone to have a lovers’ tiff?” Shayne asked.
“We’re not lovers,” Marley said.
“No, but wearefriends,” Nikhil said quickly. “Look, I know it’s not ideal, but this could work for both of us. I can stay with you while Shayne is gone. I’m at rehearsals all day… but I can be there to help you evenings and overnight. Lydia’s been on my back to get out of my parents’ house, anyway, because she says she can’t secure this neighborhood from paparazzi. I could hide at your place for a few weeks. It’s close to the studio. And I’d be there for you to style me.” He could come back here to check in on Mom and Nalini every few days. It would be fine.
Shayne nodded. “Our neighborhood would be secure. Most of our neighbors are eighty-plus-year-old Eastern Europeans. I doubt they’re keeping up with Ironis movie gossip.”
Marley shook her head. “You can’t take care of me, Nikhil! You’re an actor!”
“And a fashion photographer is a better nurse?” Shayne deadpanned.
Marley glared at them both, shaking her head.
Nikhil exhaled. “Marley, I know you’re a private person.” He sighed. “Forget about all this stylist stuff—I’ll tell Lydia I’ll work with someone else until you are recovered, but no one other than you after that, so there’s no way your boss will be mad. But let me help you. I took care of my mother after her back surgery—I’m not squeamish. I can do this for a few weeks.”
“It’s not a bad idea,” Shayne said. “He can move into Gram’s quilting room. It’s better than going to your parents’.”
