Page 24 of The Promise of a Traitor

“Why not?” Binita echoed back at her. “You used him once before. What’s changed now?”

Now the tears spilled over. “That was different, Ma,” she whispered. “I fell in love with him. I couldn’t help myself.”

“Then do it again. Fall in love with him again. Oh wait,” Binita smiled, her eyes hard with frustrated anger, “you can’t fall in love with him again, can you?”

Aastha stared at her, tears streaming down her face.

“Can you, my darling,” Binita asked softly, walking over to stand in front of her. “How can you, when you never fell out of love with him in the first place?”

Aastha shut her eyes, unable to meet her mother’s angry, hate-filled gaze.

“Please don’t make me do this.”

“You know what’s at stake.” Binita’s anger seemed to leach out of her, leaving only fatigue behind. “We can’t afford to turn back. We need to see this through.”

“I’ll fix it,” Aastha begged. “All of it. I’ll marry anyone you choose. Just leave Advik out of it.”

Binita’s face softened and she reached up to wipe Aastha’s tears. For one desperate moment, she believed she’d gotten through to her mother.

And then, Binita whispered, “You ruined us once. For this boy. You’ll bloody well save us this time. Using this same boy.”

“And if I don’t?”

“If you don’t,” Binita murmured, smiling sadly, “I’ll tell Advik the truth myself. I’ll tell him exactly why you left him seven years ago. Tell me, sweetheart,” her voice lowered as the weight of emotion darkened it. “Do you think he’ll survive that?”

Chapter Fifteen

Advik

Advik balanced the tray as he knocked on his parent’s bedroom door with his elbow. The orange juice sloshed precariously as he righted the tray but he wasn’t fast enough. Some of it spilled out on to the toast, soaking into it and mingling with the butter he’d slathered on.

“Come in,” his mother called out.

He gave up on trying to salvage his grand gesture and shouldered the door open. His mother sat up in bed, her iPad on her lap, the stylus in her hand. His father turned from where he was knotting his tie in front of the mirror. Yash’s eyebrows shot up at the sight of his son and his messy tray of what was meant to be breakfast.

Maya pulled her glasses off and stared at Advik, her mouth falling open in surprise. “What’s all this?” she asked, her voice lightening with happiness.

“I made breakfast,” Advik muttered, an embarrassed flush creeping up his cheeks as his parents exchanged a speaking look.

“Have you killed someone?” Yash asked, cautiously approaching Advik to peer at the tray.

“I have to say I’m feeling too lazy to help you hide a body,” Maya added, reaching for the tray Advik was still clutching. “I am ridiculously hungry though.”

Advik relinquished the tray to his mother and sat down beside her, avoiding his father’s astute gaze. “I just wanted to say thank you.”

“For what?” Maya poked at the brown, charred eggs on her plate.

“For being my parents.” He glanced over at his father to include him in the statement. “Both of you. I know I’ve been a shit son but-“

His mother dropped her fork to smack him on the back of his head. “Don’t you dare call my son shit.”

Advik met her gaze and she grinned, “Okay, you’ve been difficult but-“

“A little shit,” Yash chimed in before she could finish.

“But we love you, no matter what,” Maya finished with a glare for Yash.

“Even when you’re shittier than usual,” Yash confirmed.