Page 41 of Dream On, Liar

A beat passed.

Then another.

My eyes widened as something clicked into place in my brain. “Please tell me that this is some fucked-up coincidence and that they’re just two random people who share the same name as Rihaan’s brothers who also happen to be twins.”

“That would make me a liar,” she said evenly. “So…no.”

I couldn’t help it, the laugh that ripped out of me was sharp and disbelieving, like my brain had briefly refused to accept reality and opted for chaos instead.

Samyra watched me cautiously, her brows settled in a deep frown. Concern etched into her eyes as my laugh slowly died down, though the disbelief in me still didn’t. “Maeve…what’s wrong?”

I blinked hard, trying to get my expression under control, but it felt like my face had stopped taking instructions from my brain entirely.

“Nothing—” I started, then broke off, pressing my fingertips under my eyes like that might physically reset whatever this was. “Nothing is wrong. Well, a few things are. But nothing about this is wrong. It’s just…unbelievable.” I let out a breath that came out half laugh, half surrender. “Small world, huh?”

She nodded wordlessly, her attention sharpened, fully locked onto me now. Still she didn’t push until she knew I was ready.

When I finally sighed, I spoke before she could. “Can we finish you first? How did the actual meeting go?”

Biting her lower lip, she paused for a second. As though she was literally holding herself back the excrement she felt before a laugh spilled out of her. “It’s literally sounds like my dream project.”

A genuine smile draped over my lips for the first time as she breathed in relief, and continued. “If I can pull this off, I honestly think it’ll be enough for me to go on my own and target the kind of clientele I’ve been trying to bring up to my company for almost a year now. I can actually show what I can do in my portfolio instead of just doing mock ups.”

“That’s amazing, Sam! Did he say when he’d call you back with an answer?”

Her expression turned sheepish then. “He basically gave it to me on the spot. He said that the basic premise I talked him through matched the direction he wanted to go in, and I’m pretty sure he cancelled the meetings right as we finished up because Ishaan texted me just as I was leaving about it.”

“You’re kidding,” I raised a brow, before my surprise morphed into relief. At least one of us had a good day, and I’d take that win. “Now we know, at least the Patel brother in your life can make good decisions.”

Something crossed her expressions then before she shook it off and grinned. “This also means that we’re both going to Monaco. Ishaan already promised to get two passes. His way of thanking you for convincing me.”

“Oh, great,” I nodded. “I was just about to make a mental note to get some kind of repayment when he came around next, but I guess this will do.”

“Two paddock passes with full access at one of the most iconic tracks in the sport. He’s counting on it be do.”

My nose crinkled then. “I think we might need to start watching the sport so we don’t make a fool of ourselves.”

“You want to go home and start tonight?”

I paused. “Maybe not tonight. I’m more in the mood for a comfort watch rather a learning mood.”

She sighed. “Are you ready to talk about what happened today?”

A rough breath left me, thankful that my chest no longer felt constricted at the question and nodded.

“It was,” I said slowly, closing my eyes. “the worst possible first day I could’ve had.”

And just like that, I was reliving my day in my head again. I wish I could’ve said it was the first time since I’d entered this place, but that would make me a liar.

BY THE TIME I finished rehashing my entire day, Samyra’s expressions turned sympathetic.

“You want to quit?” She asked, softly. “Because, you can, you know? It won’t make you a failure or weak, or anything other than a person who’s strong enough to protect herself mentally. You won’t be disappointing anyone.”

“My father would disagree.” I laughed, though the sound lacked any trace of humour as my eyes traced the one path it had clutched onto the ceiling as I recited the story

Samyra exhaled a breath, her own gazing turned to the ceiling. “From what you’ve said, he hasn’t even asked you once about why you wrote that paper. I know you said that he didn’t want to hear about when you tried to tell him before but…even he has to know that you obviously didn’t tell him before it was published because he would’ve tried to talk you out of it.”

I nodded, taking her words in as Mochi tried to nuzzle my palm, silently asking me to pet him.