Page 110 of Reckless Hate

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After a weeklong of exams, classes, tennis practice and spending time at the workshop, the weekend arrived.

Samantha was both excited and nervous while looking forward to spending time with Ved’s cousins and their girlfriends. She stepped out of the shower and was about to slip into the blue dress she had put out when her phone rang. She answered it.

“You ready, babe?”

She laughed at Ved’s eagerness. “Almost. It’s not even six o’clock, Ved. I’ll be there by seven.”

There was a sigh. “You should have come with me on the bike.”

She had wanted to as well, but she told him it would be a good idea to make it appear they weren’t a couple yet. It sounded silly because Ved’s cousins had already seen her in Ved’s room on the day she had met her father. They also knew that Ved literally spent the majority of his nights with her. And yet, she was keeping up with the illusion of not being an official couple.

Ved was being patient with her. He also told her that, in a way, he did enjoy their secrecy because no whispers and stares followed them, and it added to the thrill of their being together.

But that evening, she was planning a surprise for him. She smiled as she thought about it. She had already packed it carefully and put it in her handbag.

“I’m starting in ten minutes,” she said. “And I’m bringing trifle pudding, which I couldn’t have brought if I came with you on your bike.”

Trifle pudding was his favorite.

“Fine. But you better make up for it. I’m going to sneak you out of the beach house after dinner on the pretext of getting along. There’s a small hidden cove nearby we could use.”

She laughed. “Pervert. Just so you know, I don’t put out for guys I just get along with. I need to know them better.”

She was teasing him because Avantika Patel and Narmada Varma thought Ved and she were still enemies.

“Oh yeah,” he drawled. “We’ll see about that.”

Laughing, she ended the call.

She finished putting on her dress and accessories and picked up her handbag before slipping into her shoes. She was about to grab her car keys when her phone rang.

Grinning at Ved’s impatience and wondering what other shockingly dirty thing he’d say, she answered it. “On my way,” she said.

But it wasn’t Ved. The smile slipped from her face.

CHAPTER 48

“Relax, bro. You are going to dig a canal in the sand with all your pacing.”

Ved laughed at his cousin’s remark.

He was waiting for Samantha. He didn’t call again as he didn’t want to disturb her while she was driving.

He was excited for her to officially get to know his cousins and their girls. He knew they would all love her once they speak to her and witness her dry, witty humor and mind-blowing cooking.

He knew Samantha wanted to maintain the illusion of them not being a couple. The reason wasn’t because she wasn’t sure about them, it was because she still thought his family wouldn’t accept her.

It broke his heart that she still felt guilty about being an unknowing participant in her mother’s scheming. Even though he had told her several times not to feel guilty, he knew she still did.

He smiled as he thought about the surprise, he had for her. He was planning on a small reunion with both their fathers in attendance. He wanted her to witness that his father did not blame her and still considered her as his best friend’s daughter, whom he adored as a child.

“Uh… Ved?”

Ved turned to see Avantika’s concerned look.

“What’s up, Ava?” he asked. “You are looking great, by the way?”

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