“Could you give us a moment?” he asks her.
“No, Kaled,” I say. “Whatever you want to say to me, you’ll say in front of Jazmina.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then let’s be clear. You mentioned terms, Rodrick, and here are mine: if you ever cheat on my sister, I’ll kill you.”
Chapter 31
I want the ground to open up beneath my feet. Not because of what Kaled said—I would never accept infidelity in a marriage, even a loveless one—but because, ever since this conversation began, my brother, with his overprotective ways, has been acting as if I don’t have a brain.
“My relationship with Jazmina is outside your jurisdiction, Kaled,” Rodrick says.
“Like hell it is. I know you very well.”
“Just as I know you. Are you sure you want to talk about the past in front of Adeela?” Rodrick challenges.
“Yeah, I think I’ll enjoy sitting down and hearing what you have to say, Rodrick,” my friend says, and I watch my brother’s face go pale.
Serves him right.
“The past is the past.” The clever sheikh backtracks quickly. “Jazmina, are you sure about what you’re doing?”
“Yes. I want to marry Rodrick. And there’s one more thing: we won’t have a religious ceremony.”
I feel Rodrick’s gaze on me, but I keep my focus on my brother.
“Why not?” he asks.
Because maybe this marriage won’t last long enough to justify all that celebration.
I don’t say it. Instead, I take a different route.
“Because we’re from different religions. I don’t intend to convert to his faith, just as he probably won’t convert to ours.”
“We could still do the ceremony in both religions, just for the symbolism,” Rodrick argues, and when I look at him, his brow is furrowed as he studies me, as if trying to read between my words.
I know that both members of my family and the man who is now my fiancé are waiting for me to take a stand, but I won’t back down.
“Father can give us his blessing in private. I don’t want a party. And we won’t even have time for one, since Rodrick needs to be married before he turns thirty-seven.”
“In a few weeks. How convenient,” Kaled snarls, and I can’t stop myself from rolling my eyes.
“That may be exactly why this is a marriage ofconvenience, brother,” I say, hearing Adeela snort with laughter. “Now we have to go. Tomorrow I’ll call Father and tell him the news.”
“The news, as you call it, he already knows—so does the rest of the world. What you’ll need to convince him of is the speed of the wedding, even though I doubt he’ll give you any trouble. He’s always given in to your whims.”
“Like that time we did the belly dance performance,” Adeela recalls, and when I feel Rodrick’s eyes on me, my face heats up.
“Your mother isn’t happy, Jazmina,” my brother says. “Prepare for a battle when you call her.”
“She’s never been happy with me, Kaled. Ever since I arrived in London, she hasn’t called. She only replies to messages. She never takes the initiative.”
“We’ll speak with former Sheikh Kamran tomorrow,” Rodrick says. “The civil ceremony will most likely take place here, and then we’ll fly to Rheadur so your sister can receive your father’s blessing.”
“We’ll attend the wedding,” Adeela steps in. “I don’t know if your mother will show up, but I won’t let my best friend get married without me being there.”