Page 75 of Stumped

Of course that’s what my mother would say. While they didn’t pressure me into any more arranged marriage meetings, they did sometimes bring up sons of friends who would make for good partners. But I knew soon after Ajay I wanted to find someone on my own. Society has a way of making women out to be the bad guy when we’re not interested in marrying their sons.Andthey hold our parents responsible for our choices. I didn’t want that for my folks. They deserve better.

“More importantly—” my mother turns me to face her “—areyouhappy?”

“I am, Amma. He’s probably the best person I’ve ever met.”

“Outside of this family, you mean,” Tamara says, her chin on my mother’s shoulder.

Ignoring my cousin, I add, “I’m happy and heisgood to and for me. And you’re not wrong, the best part of life can be a surprise.”

There’s a moment where they stare at me then I’m wrapped in their arms. Laughing, I hug them back. While I’m not thinking about the future, I know being with Elias is what I want. And admitting it out loud was the first step.

“You’re thinking too loud,”he grumbles, pressing his face into my neck.

“Sorry,” I laugh, winding my fingers through his hair. “Got work on the brain.”

Since we did a weekday family lunch—Vikram has a cricket tournament outside of the city and Varun’s attending an event in Delhi this weekend—I took the whole day off. But my head can’t shut the fuck up. It’s like the meme about so many tabs being open and I can’t figure out where the music is coming from. I’ve got presentations and proposals fighting for attention, but none of them appeal to me.

After a very successful lunch where my family insisted he come back whenever he can, Elias and I dropped Tamara off and went to his place. We collapsed in bed as soon as we walkedin, and have been fully clothed and horizontal for the last three hours. I was asleep for most of it, but when my phone started buzzing, I grabbed it and returned to bed. Between the family chat blowing up—my brothers praising my choice in boyfriend, a string of emojis from Viola because she missed out—private messages from my mother telling me she’s really happy for me and emails from work, I’ve been on a hamster wheel of emotions while he snored beside me.

He spent the whole afternoon laughing and arguing with my brothers, he helped my mother serve dessert and talked to my father about his own family. Tamara and I watched most of it from a distance because I didn’t want to pop that bubble. Even if they liked Rakesh, their loud approval of Elias means a lot more to me. I haven’t said anything, because this isn’t about me. The success of the day is more about him and he doesn’t look like he wants to run.

“We promised no work today, peaches.”

When he called me that in front of my family, their eyes bugged out and he fumbled in his explanation. Telling them Itastelike peaches was definitely not the way to win them over. So he made up some silly story I know they didn’t believe. However, the nickname made my mother smile like a fool, so I don’t think it mattered why he calls mepeaches.

“Can’t ignore the world, superstar.”

“Just for another hour, baby. Then you can do whatever you want.” He peppers kisses along my jaw and tugs me roughly into his chest. I don’t protest, I move with him, hitching a leg over his hips as he presses his bottom half against mine. It’s not even a sexual thing. I find of late, we sleep like this. As someone who doesn’t really care for excessive physical affection, this is a nice change and I quite enjoy it.

I enjoy everything with Elias, truth be told.

The way I feel about him scares me sometimes, because it’s familiar—the rush of affection, the need to always be with him, the rattling in my chest when he’s around, the desire to sayI love youevery few seconds. It happened with both my past relationships and look how those turned out. It’s easy to say Elias isn’t like them, but we haven’t been in a position where the roles are reversed. Where I’m working and travelling all the time while he sits at home waiting for me; I don’t know how he’d react to it. While he might enjoy me, there’s no guarantee he’ll feel that way forever.

Don’t get ahead of yourself.

“You good?” His question breaks through my thoughts and I exhale loudly. “Vera.”

“I’m okay,” I insist and kiss his forehead, down to his nose and brush my mouth over his. He tips his head back to meet my lips and smiles into the kiss.

“Thank you for taking me with you today.”

“My family loves you, so you’re welcome.”

“They’re pretty amazing, even if I was so nervous at first.”

Pushing his hair back, fingers twisting in the soft strands, I smile. “Told you there was nothing to be worried about. Now, let’s hope your siblings feel the same way about me.”

“Oh, they already think the world of you.”

“Is that right?”

He hums, hands on my ass pulling me closer. “Nina is very excited to meet you. She’s always complaining there isn’t enough oestrogen when we’re all together.”

Laughing, I wriggle until our hips are perfectly lined up. “If that’s all she expects from me, I’m winning already.”

“They’re going to love you, like your family obviously loves me.”

I smile and press my mouth to his.Like I love you too.

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