“What’re you thinking about?” Cal murmurs, brushinghis lips to the side of my temple.
“Rohan. I feel bad for how he found out. Think you guys will be okay?”
“He’ll come around. I’ll grovel. I can be pretty fucking persistent when I put my mind to it.”
I chuckle, twisting in his arms to check the darkening bruise on his jaw. He presses his cheek into my palm, greedy for my affection.
“Still want me to kiss it better?” I ask, drawing my thumb delicately over his jawline.
“I demand it.”
“Well, look at that,” I coo, rising on my tiptoes to meet his eager mouth. “Another D word.”
EPILOGUE
ALIA
Five Months Later
“So?”
The flavor of peanut, chili, and cilantro threaded through the sago makes my mouth water even as I chew slowly.
“How?” I mumble, marveling at how delicious it is. “Howdid you make non-clumpy sabudana? This tastes nearly as good as my mother’s.”
Cal victoriously pumps his fist in the air. “I’m going to impress your folks with this. They’ll have no choice but to like me.”
Sitting in our bedroom which looks like a tornado has ripped through it, clothes strewn about haphazardly as Ipack for my return to India, I find myself, not for the first time, thanking whatever stroke of luck led me to this man.
I moved into his house at his insistence soon after we told our families about us. Amma and Baba have taken the news in stride and are warming up to the idea of a new man in my life whom they’ve never seen. I’m happier; that alone seems to give them comfort.
Maeve and Cam, on the other hand, were ecstatic and have made plans for a trip out East already. The easy acceptance into their family has only reinforced this gut feeling that Cal and I are meant to be together.
Not a day has gone by in the last five months where Callum hasn’t found a way to show how much he loves me. Not for a minute since I agreed to a long-distance relationship have I felt like we won’t make it past the short separation ahead of us.
“Did you remember to pack the gifts we chose for your parents?” Cal asks, fiddling around in the top drawer of his dresser before rounding the bed to stand in front of me.
“Yes. I’m glad you’re coming with me.” I sigh happily. Cal has a couple weeks off before he needs to return for training camp, and decided to fly with me to India to help get me settled. We’ve already made plans to travel together during Christmas and find opportunities to visit each other throughout the year.
“There’s no way I was letting you go alone,” he scoffs, leaning down to kiss my cheek with a loud smooching sound. “Besides, I need to meet your parents.”
“You do?” I shove two more spoonfuls of thekhichdiinto my mouth, handing back the empty bowl to my patient boyfriend.
“Tots, there are some things that can’t be discussed except in person.”
“What kind of things are those?” I ask, my brows arched.
“The kind that includes admitting to your parents that they birthed an incredible woman who’s become the love of my life, andthat I would like nothing better than to spend all my days making her happy.”
His hand grips my jaw, tipping my face up to receive a quick, hard kiss before he straightens, his fingers tracing what I’m sure is the bloom of pink on the apples of my cheeks.
“They’ll love you, baby, because I love you,” I assure him.
His lips quirk crookedly in a dopey grin that makes my heart flutter like a caged bird fighting to be released.Aai shapath,Irsia is right about him shooting hearts out of his eyes when he looks at me.
“What?” I laugh, pinkening under his unwavering attention.
“Nothing,” he mutters, his cheeks flushed. “I feel all gooey inside when you call me baby.”