As I watched his tall, broad retreating frame, Rekha’s voice whispered in my mind:‘Andwhen he finds out ... you’ll be finished.’
I couldn’t give her the details she wanted. Whatever her motive, she wanted to sabotage him. And the deal. I’d never do that to Jai. And when I don’t send her anything by Sunday … she would tell him.
It would be over.
I covered my face with my hands. Why didn’t I just tell him myself? I had chances. So many chances. The evening we decided to start over. The business trip. The first night I stayed over at his apartment. Hell, I could have done it on a random Tuesday.
And yet, I stayed silent.
It’s a random Thursday today. It’s not too late yet.
If I told him first, she wouldn’t be able to twist it. And maybe, he’ll understand.
No, he won’t.With the way he fired Lavisha, I knew he wouldn’t. What she did didn’t even come close to what I’ve done.
I could almost imagine his face when I told him. The hurt. The anger. The betrayal.
‘Breakfast delivery.’
My heart jolted.
I looked up to see Rishi. He placed a holder carrying two cups of chai and a brown paper bag on my desk. ‘Jai sir emailed me. Said you weren’t feeling well.’
Even when he wasn’t here, he was taking care of me. And I ... my guilt stung.
‘I’m better now,’ I murmured. ‘Thank you for all of this. You didn’t have to.’
‘The COO gave me a mission. Who am I to say no?’ He winked, plopping onto my desk. ‘And any excuse to hang out with a friend.’
He pulled a container out of the bag. ‘So, what happened to you? Jai sir can be such a hard-ass. I was so surprised to see that email.’
He opened the lid. Avocado toast.
‘The morning of the most important meeting of my life, you were the one I woke up thinking about. I refuse to wait anymore.’Jai had asked me out on our first date with it.
Tears sprang to my eyes.
Rishi’s smile faltered. ‘Hey? What’s wrong?’
‘I–I’m not sick. I’m just … upset. I hid something from my boyfriend. Something big. And I need tocome clean. But the moment I do, I’ll lose him.’ The words tumbled out before I could stop them.
Rishi stared at me for a moment, his eyes growing soft. ‘The only thing worse than the fear of losing him is never knowing how he would have reacted,’ he said gently. ‘Telling him the truth might cost you the relationship, but hiding it guarantees it. Secrets always have a way of resurfacing. If he’s the one, he’ll understand.’
I loved Jai. And I wanted this to work.
I need to tell him.
And I needed to do it before Sunday.
The Mahalas were in town till tomorrow. His days were packed with meetings, and he was entertaining them over lunches and dinners. I didn’t want to drop this bomb on him and distract him.
I’d have to do it on Saturday.
Iwilldo it on Saturday. No matter what, I’d tell him.
‘Thank you.’
‘I hope it goes well. But even if it doesn’t, I know you’ll be okay,’ he smiled, then winked. ‘You have me as a friend after all.’
