Page 88 of Crying Shame
As a girl, I’d dreamed of being a Norouzi, and it wasn’t because of his family's money. It was because I wanted to be in Elon's life and to be part of his wonderful family, surrounded by people who cared about each other. I lowered my glass. “All I want is you.”
“Me too,” he said.
Then I kissed him. We were in love, and we had time to figure out what we were going to do with the rest of our lives—together.
48
Charlie
Freedom was in my blood. Most of my brothers were settling down, but I wasn’t them. There was no way I was made for marriage, children, or anything like that.
No sane woman was ever going to trust that I was a one-woman man in my heart. And while crazy women were fun for a while, my heart was settled. It was the single life for me.
My parents had gathered us all back in Virgin Cove in the compound, as I’d jokingly referred to it for years. Calling it that was an easy way to ensure no woman asked to come to the compound to meet the best people in the world.
Clarissa walked next to me in the grand ballroom. I winked at her. “One more wedding on my schedule, then.”
She laughed and gazed lovingly at Elon, who was walking through the ballroom to the patio. It was adorable that the two of them were together again. It was like fate had stepped up, not only for Elon but also for Arman and my other brothers. I was happy for them.
“Absolutely," Clarissa said. "And who knows? Maybe you’re next?”
My lips quirked upward. We both knew that wasn’t true. I shook my head. “Doubtful, but thanks for the vote of confidence.”
Her son, Sam, stopped to give me a high five on his way past.
“You don’t need more confidence,” Clarissa said.
I straightened my spine. She hadn't seen me in eight years, but she’d known me for a long time. I lifted my chin and was curious as to how she saw me. “What do I need?”
She focused all her attention on me. My skin prickled as I wondered if she could see through me. She said, “I think you need some direction, but you’ve always had a good heart.”
My cheeks heated. It had been a long time since anyone other than Maman had thought those things about me. I smiled. “I’m glad to have my sister back.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s nice to have someone who doesn’t think I’m a complete player on my side again.”
She laughed and shook her head. “You’ve probably broken many hearts, and I do believe you’re a player.”
I rubbed the back of my head. “Oh no. So I’m hopeless.”
She hugged me. “But I am on your side as I know your secret.”
When I was fourteen, I’d bought a motorcycle and had it delivered to the shed, as if I could keep it a secret from my parents. I’d been adopted and had no memory of anything other than being in the Norouzi family, but even then I’d had a need for speed that I couldn’t explain. I said, “My motorcycle isn’t a secret these days.”
She looped arms with me on this evening that was supposed to be about her and Elon.
“Good," she said. "Now come outside on the patio and relax with your family.”
The moment we were outside, she returned to my brother’s side. I stayed in the back and watched the happy couples. My parents were happy, too, as they wished to see their sons in loving relationships.
My brothers Kir and Jeff joined me on the outskirts of the crowd. Like me, they were single. Kir was serious and took pleasure in extreme sports, and Jeff loved solving a mystery.
Jeff asked, “Who are you betting on to have another kid first?”
One of the nice parts of being a pilot was randomly crashing at the homes of my siblings at all hours. I said, “Cyrus and Sarah.”
Kir asked, “Why them?”
