Page 24 of Only Yours
Damn. Fuck my life.
Chapter 23
Family dynamics are fun for everyone. Sense my sarcasm here. -Brian
Brian
At the doorway, a queen stands with a fierce expression. There is no way she is anyone other than Reina’s mother. They have the same regal posture, beautiful silky hair, and wide dark eyes. They also have matching angry expressions. Whereas Reina’s red sari gives off the impression of celebration, her mother’s blue sari screams of the coolness that lies beneath her exterior.
Shit.I know Reina’s relationship with her mother is tense. That much has been apparent from her letters. What I didn’t plan on was meeting her after just making out with her daughter at a family function.
“Ama, this is Brian. He’s Sophie’s brother. He landed in Atlanta so he thought he would just stop by to see me so I could give him something for Sophie.” Reina is a little scary in how that lie just rolled off her tongue. I glance over at her in amazement. I’m a little butt hurt that she hasn’t told her mother about me, but maybe she needs to ease her mom into the idea of me. She seems a little…rigid.
I step forward and hold out my hand. “I’m Brian Richards, ma’am. Nice to meet you. Sorry to interrupt your function here. I just got in from a deployment overseas and wanted to get this errand done before I head home to see family.”
I feel Reina tense next to me.
Reina’s mother looks at my hand with disgust, but then quickly disguises it with a tense smile. She barely touches my hand in a loose shake. “I’m Dr. Prisha Bhagat, Reina’s mother. Sophie has been a good roommate for my Reina, so I am happy to meet you. You are welcome to come inside. It’s almost time to eat.”
Something inside me can feel Reina panicking. I haven’t even looked next to me, but I feel anxiety coming from her in waves. I glance over and the look she gives me is filled with fear, and perhaps a bit of hope? Maybe she’s scared of how I’ll act or what I’ll think? More than likely she thinks I’ll embarrass her. Something inside me wants to see how she reacts if I accept the offer.
“I would love to see what a traditional Diwali feast looks like, Ms. Bhagat. I can smell it from out here. Everything smells wonderful.” I flash her a grin with the twin dimples that all women love. She sends me back a cold smile. Okay, tough crowd.
“Yes, well, I’m sure you’ll find it enjoyable. I’m certain you must be very hungry after such a long journey.”
Her mother turns to go back into the house, and Reina takes the opportunity to grab my arm. “You really don’t have to go inside, Brian. My family…” she gulps hard, “my family is a lot. And they will question you like crazy. Especially the aunties.” She shakes her head and mutters to herself, “the gossips”.
I give her arm a soft pat. “I’m fine, Reina. I’m sure if I’ve survived two deployments, I can survive your aunts.”
She rolls her eyes. “First of all, they aren’t all my aunts. Aunties is what we call the older women in our culture as asign of respect. Some are my actual family, some aren’t. The one thing they have in common is that they’ve all been around since I was a baby, and they love to talk about everything going on in my family. To them, I am their business. And since you’re my friend, you are therefore their business too.”
I lean closer and whisper, “That kiss was definitely a ‘more than friends’ kiss. At least I hope you don’t kiss all your friends that way.”
She winces. “It was definitely a ‘more than friends’ kiss. I just…” she twists her hands together, “can you not say anything about us? I would rather be the one to say something.”
I don’t care for the idea of pretending, but I get it. She should have the right to decide when to tell her family. If I have my way though, we’ll all be family one day.
I nod. “I’ll pretend to be your friend and just Sophie’s older brother.” I reach around her and pinch her delectable ass through the silky material of her sari. She yelps. “That’s for making me pretend though.”
Chapter 24
Lies will bite you in the ass. That’s a little nugget of wisdom for ya. -Reina
Reina
I’m literally sweating as I trail behind Brian into our house. He comes to a standstill in the foyer.
“Shit, Reina, this is a literal palace. I always call you princess, but I didn’t know you grew up in a freakin’ castle. This place is crazy.” His voice is so full of awe and wander that I glance around me again, trying to see everything through his eyes.
I knew that he and Sophie grew up without much, in a tiny trailer, in a not-so-great part of town, but I guess the difference in our backgrounds never truly hit me until now. This is what I grew up in. To him, it looks like a palace. To me, it seems like a prison, because I’ve never been able to be me in this place. I’ve always had to be careful not to spill, and careful not to be too messy. No art supplies. No trinkets. There’s none of my personality here. Unlike college, where my side of the room is an unholy mess. I’ve never analyzed myself before, but I would guess that my upbringing and my need to rebel probably has something to do with my unorganized ways.
I touch Brian’s shoulder and he turns. “It’s just a place, Brian, and I bet it didn’t have half the love that your trailerhad. Except for Nani, everything here has always been cold. Sometimes palaces hide ugly things.”
His face softens and he touches the side of my face. “I’m sorry, Reina. Of course, surroundings aren’t everything.”
I take a deep breath. “Promise me you won’t hate me after today.”
He pulls back in surprise. “Why would I hate you?”
