AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It wasn’t by choice,” Lucy said.
“I know the feeling,” Melanie confided. “I was a reluctant bride once.”
“It was different for you. You weren’t being blamed for something you didn’t do.”
“That’s true, but nobody wanted me here. Least of all, Tariq.”
“You got married. What changed between you?”
“Giving love a second chance.” Melanie glanced at the scatter of canvases splayed across the studio floor and smiled. “I always wanted to paint,” she said.
“Why don’t you?”
“Fear,”Melanie paused as though considering how much to reveal.“Fear I’ll make a mistake. Which is silly, really. I know it’s only paint. I mean, it’s not like a massively over-scaled building where one misplaced measurement can put the whole thing in jeopardy. I think it’s mostly fear of beginning again. I don’t want to start something new. I’m good at architecture.”
“You’regreatat architecture!” Lucy corrected.
“That’s the thing, Lucy.You and Anwar are great together.At least you werebeforeHamad did what he did.”
“You were the only one who stood up for me.”
“I had to. I knew it was wrong. I couldn’t remain silent. But then, it’s easier for me.”
“Easier?” Lucy threw. “No way. That took balls.”
Melanie grinned. “There are pros and cons of being the outsider in Avana. The Westerner. The import. You’re freer to say what you think and feel. You never truly belong. It’s almost expected that you won’t conform.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Lucy said.
“It’s different for the na Hassir brothers. Their relationship is difficult. Strained. Dysfunctional. But they love each other.”
“They have a crazy way of showing it.”
“Show me a family that doesn’t,” Melanie said. “Look at the British Royals.”
“Princess Diana would be so upset,” Lucy agreed. “Harry and Wills don’t talk anymore. It’s so sad.”
“The trouble is there are too many voices in their ears, meddling, manipulating, mixing truth with lies, feuds with friendship, sickness with health. Then there’s their father’s legacy. He instilled competition and rivalry between his children, then twisted it with a code of loyalty at all costs. Hamad’s accusation tested Anwar’s loyalty. The na Hassir family had to come first. He didn’t want what happened to Harry and Wills to happen to his family.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Family is everything, but they’re damaged,” Melanie said. “Anwar is scarred. But he wants to start a family. A happy family. He wants a lineage of his own, untainted by the past. And you are the woman he wants to do this with. You will always be first.”
“He barely acknowledges me,” Lucy studied the floor of the studio. “Not romantically, anyway.”
“Give him time.”
“He’s made it clear. Three months. That’s all the time I’ve got. Drop the baby and then bugger off.”
“He said that?”
“Not exactly.”
“He’s repressed. They all are.Or were.They hold onto grievances, distract themselves with veiled indifference, and bury themselves in work.”
“Sounds like me,” Lucy conceded.
“And me,” Melanie laughed. “Architecture was my big love.My only love once.Work kept my guilt, anger, and shame at bay. I kept the truth about my baby,our baby, from Tariq and gave Salim away.”
