Page 139 of Everything She Wanted

He turns to face me, folding one leg up under him. “Did Eshaan hit you?” He can’t keep the outrage from his voice as his eyes go dark.

“Nick, I don’t want to talk about it. Please. Things with Shaan are over.”

He gets up and paces the room. “I can’t believe he laid a hand on you.”

“It doesn’t matter.” I get up, too. Placing my cup next to his on the table.

“It does. No one should ever do that.”

I forget that this is something he had to watch his mom endure.

“I’m okay, really, and Shaan knows he messed up.”

He walks over and pulls me into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” I rest my head on his chest and hear his heartbeat, letting its gentle rhythm calm me.

“I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too, Nick.”

“What happens now?” I ask, hating myself for opening myself up to be hurt again.

He looks at me. “I’ll go wherever you want, Nish. As long as we’re together.” He runs his thumb over my cheek. “But only if that’s what you want.”

I move closer. “It’s the only thing I want.”

It’s that easy, and with him, I realize it always was.

51. Us

When Shaan’s Dadi Ji passes away, Shaan and I go to the funeral. It breaks my heart that I’ll never again see the beautiful woman who gave me so much comfort and joy over the last year. I’m grateful to be a part of this moment, as hard as it is.

Later that week, we sit down with Eshaan’s parents and break the news. His dad thinks we should try to work things out and not be so rash, and his mom lays into me, assuming of course, the breakup is my fault, and shockingly, Eshaan tells her the truth about what happened with Sonia. She stares at me with her mouth gaping open, trying to comprehend how her perfect son could do something like that. Neither of his parents have much to say after that. On my way out, Eshaan hands me my things and tells me how sorry he is about everything that happened. I believe him.

My mom is still unhappy with me, but that’s not new. I decide I have to live my life for me now and not for others, even if it causes a rift between us. I hope she’ll come around, but I’m not sure if she ever will. I will just have to make peace with it.

Then there’s Nick. He’s the brightest light in my life, and I’m so grateful we gave our relationship a chance. I’m spending most nights in his condo, and sometimes I can’t believe after everything that I get to have this. To have him and to be happy.

We’re not talking about the future, and that’s okay because I’m enjoying every moment of the now. I know he’s committed to me, and he doesn’t need a ring or a fancy ceremony to prove it.

We visit Lucy often, and she comes and sees us in Vancouver too. I feel like I’m a part of his little family. His mom adores me and keeps telling Nick to lock it down, and we both just laugh. I love that she’s traditional like my mom. They have that in common, and if one day they ever meet, maybe they’ll discover they have so much more in common too.

I’m doing a great job leading my team, and it’s quietly growing. We have even more women joining us, and when I’m not working, I’m speaking. I even landed a few gigs in Toronto, Seattle, and Minneapolis about diversity and inclusion in the workplace, but not just that, I’ve also shared insights on how to be a top-performing team, which is unbelievable. I never thought I could ever do anything like this or that people would want to hire me for more than just to cover the diversity angle.

Everything I’ve ever dreamed of is all happening, and it’s even better than I imagined and I’m so grateful I leaped into the unknown.

It’s where I found love.

It’s where I found success.

But most importantly, it’s where I found myself.

Epilogue

2 Years Later...

I don’t have a ring on my finger, but Nick and I are officially living together now, and it’s glorious.

I’ve never felt so completely loved as I do with Nick. There were some challenges early on as I healed my heart from everything that happened, but he supported me every step of the way. Truthfully, I didn’t know how to even have an adult relationship, but I’ve learned how to communicate my needs and share what’s on my mind instead of holding back or letting my anxiety get the best of me. He did the same and shared what was coming up for him as he dealt with the trauma of his past with his dad.