She’d only heard bits and pieces of their story. That they had been separated for a long time. That they had only recently found each other again. Given the newness of their friendship, Aditi had not probed. As beautiful as she found them, she also felt envious.
They had the kind of love she hoped fervently to share with Rian.
Every day since her war of words with Leela, she had tried to not let her insecurities grow and get in the way of her relationship. More often than not, she succeeded. Rian made it easy to remain in the moment with him. He was loving, generous, and showed his care in a multitude of little ways. From staying up with her in the evenings to sending her packed meals at the hospital, checking on her via messages or simply dropping by with flowers to cheer her up during her night shifts, Rian had been everything she’d never dared to dream of.
Being in love with him was exciting, but it scared her all the same. The fear of losing him troubled her in the distant periphery of her mind.
Knowing she’d be away from him had unfortunately amped up all her negative emotions. It hadn’t helped that in the week leading up to today, they’d both been so busy that they’d only managed to intermittently catch little moments of togetherness. She wished she could steal away time with him before she left, but being here to share in Kaya’s achievements was important.
Inevitably, she found herself sweeping the ballroom to catch sight of her man. What she saw only made the tightness in her chest double.
Rian was standing with Sonia Dasavi and her family, his mother grinning approvingly as she hailed a photographer to take a picture of all of them together.
Aditi’s gut twisted when Sonia hooked her arm with his, leaning her head on his shoulder like it was natural. The flash of the camera went off and when the haze cleared, Aditi's eyes met Leela’s. The older woman raised a brow, her smile turning smug.
Aditi glanced away, knowing that Rian wasn’t at fault. Leela was clearly trying to get under her skin. Unfortunately, she was succeeding. Her hands firmed over the flute she was holding. She threw her head back and chugged the rest of her drink, the bitterness in her mouth overwhelming her despite the sweetness of the liquid.
Excusing herself, she stalked off in search of a quiet spot to cool down in. So in her own head was she that she didn’t hear the approach of footsteps behind her.
A warm hand curled about her upper arm, spinning her around.
“Rian?” she questioned, confused when his hand slid down to lace their fingers together. Wordlessly, he tugged her, nodding towards the winding stairs that led up to the hotel terrace. Her heels clicked on the marble floor, her dress swishing about her ankles as she let him guide them to an unknown destination.
Rian stopped beside a door and knocked, leading her in a moment later. Aditi cast a glance about the fancy washroom—the kind that people flaunted in their social media posts. This was less so a washroom and more a place for the ladies to rest their feet, touch up their cosmetics, and pout for the perfect behind-the-scenes pictures. Velvet loveseats with plush cushions, scented vanilla candles on the side, gleaming countertops, and muted gold sconces throwing light everywhere. It screamed opulence and glamour.
She spun slowly on her heels, awed by the details in the room. She came to a stop in front of the ornate wall mirror, realising finally that she was under observation.
The click of the lock sounded louder in the closed space than she would have expected.
Aditi said nothing as Rian came to stand behind her, his hands resting on either side of her hips. With her heels on, their height difference was reduced.
“Why’d you bring me here?”
The enigmatic look on his face revealed little of his thoughts.
“You’ve been somewhere else all evening.”
“I’ve been at the same party as you,” she said, tilting her head to the side when he dropped a delicate kiss at the edge of her exposed shoulder.
“But not with me,” he complained, his voice low. “I don’t like not having your attention.”
Her lips twisted. “I don’t like not having yours.”
“You think I’d look anywhere else, especially when you’re in a dress like this?” he muttered, his eyes trailing down towards her ankle before lifting up, lingering on every curve he adored. “Tease.”
“You bought me this dress, Bugs. You insisted on it.” Her stomach clenched when his hands slithered up and down her sides and pulled her into him, the ample curve of her bottom set firmly against his front.
“Because I thought I’d have you on my arm all night. Instead, I had to watch other men make eyes at you.”
She scoffed disbelievingly, shaking her head.
“You have no idea how sexy you are,” he insisted, running the tip of his nose along the elegant line of her neck and appreciating the mild scent of the floral perfume she used.
“As sexy as the woman you were taking pictures with?”
The moment the question left her lips, she regretted it. Insecurity was not attractive, after all. But it was too late. Rian’s head lifted,eyes narrowed. He leaned in, caging her between his arms. His warmth at her back was a marked contrast to the cold stone counter in front of her.
“You didn’t like it?”