Page 98 of Every Move You Make
His father leaving them had perhaps been the best thing that had ever happened to him and Keya. Because in his absence, they had built something of their own. A good life. One filled with people who had chosen to stay. Who had stood by them without obligation, without condition.
Blood didn’t make a family. But friendships like these, this loyalty…
This did.
26
Shauna sipped her wine, watching her sister and Jiya argue over what to order for dessert. Rhea had picked this new boho-chic restaurant that promised incredible Italian food, and so far, it hadn’t disappointed. The place was packed, alive with color and easy energy, and she liked it.
She watched as Rhea and Jiya continued debating the menu, both completely invested. On any other night, she would’ve been right there with them, arguing, laughing, insisting on her own choices.
But tonight… her heart wasn’t in it. Both her mind and her heart were on him. Akash.
A soft, almost helpless smile touched her lips as her thoughts drifted, unbidden, back to him. To his smile. The way his eyes lingered on her like he couldn’t quite get enough. The way his touch felt steady, sure, like he knew exactly what he was doing to her. The way he kissed her… The way he made love to her, owning her so completely that she ached to feel it again. She wanted to leave and go to him, especially after his last text.
I need you tonight…
Her breath caught, and a tremor ran down her spine again as she recalled his words. God. This man…
What was he doing to her? She was so far gone for him. So completely, undeniably in love with him. And for the first time, she didn’t need to fight it. She didn’t need to push her emotions away or bury them under pride and anger and everything that had once kept them apart. She could let herself feel everything she felt for him.
And she felt so much.
Rhea smacked her arm lightly with the menu, and Shauna winced. “What was that for?” she asked, rubbing the spot.
“That was for sitting here with us and daydreaming about him,” Rhea shot back, narrowing her eyes.
“I wasn’t daydreaming about him,” Shauna protested.
“Yes, you were,” Jiya said, leaning forward with a knowing smile. “You’ve barely said a word since we got here, and now you’re sitting there staring at your wine like it’s telling you secrets, smiling to yourself.”
“It’s obvious,” Rhea added. “So just admit it already.”
A soft smile spread across Shauna’s face, happiness bubbling up inside her chest, impossible to contain.
“I’m just… so happy,” she admitted quietly. “He and I… we’ve never been at peace. It’s always been tension, arguments, misunderstandings. And now, it feels like everything has finally fallen into place. He’s different. Or maybe he’s always been this way, and I just never saw it.” Her voice softened. “He’s warm, caring… and he looks so happy to see me every time. Like he can’t get enough of me. I’m… I’m…”
Rhea raised a brow, her gaze sharpening. “You’re what?”
Shauna let out a small breath, her smile deepening. “I’m in love with him.”
“What?” Jiya gasped, exchanging a stunned look with Rhea.
Shauna looked at her twin. “You told me once that there could be something beyond Sehgal Media that could make me happier, and now I finally know what that is. It is him. Akash. It’s always been him. I love him so much, more than anything else in the world. He makes me happier than I’ve ever been. He sees all the parts of me, even the ones I want to hide, and he loves me for who I am.”
Rhea leaned forward. “Talk. And don’t leave out a single thing.”
Shauna let out a slow breath. And for the first time, she told them everything.
About the past. About all those years of misunderstanding and hurt. About Singapore. The Maldives. And then, quietly, with her cheeks warming, about that night a few days ago, when she’d offered herself to him to comfort him, and he’d claimed her all over again.
“You never told me about the past or how you felt about him back then,” Rhea said, with a sad smile. “I wish I’d known. I wish we could have avoided all this pain and heartache you went through.”
“You need to tell him, Shauna,” Jiya said. “He needs to know how you really feel.”
Her heart reeled.
The past flashed before her eyes, reopening wounds that had only just begun to heal. That was why she couldn’t bring herself to tell him how deeply she felt, how much he had come to mean to her… because she didn’t know if he felt the same.
