“And that kiss a few weeks ago wasn’t as meaningless as you claimed it was?” Asha asked softly.

“Wow, wait,” Nicole said, eyes wide. “You and Rohan kissed. Like, kissed kissed?”

Kamila snorted through her tears. Man was she glad she’d come here. She looked at Asha. “Do you and your wife ever talk when you’re alone?”

Asha shrugged. “We’re newlyweds. We mostly have sex when we’re alone. So, you finally admit you have feelings for Rohan?”

Kamila sighed. “Yes. But…it’s one-sided. Even if he cared about me, he doesn’t see me, not really, or he wouldn’t have done this. He was just tolerating whatever ‘kooky Kamila’ did next. I kissed him…twice…He’s never initiated anything. I call him more than he calls me. He’s never even invited me to his condo. Jana has been there, but not me. He doesn’t care, not like I do.” She wiped her eyes and took another sip of her wine.

“And what about you?” Asha said. “Are you sure? Are you really in love with him?”

Kamila closed her eyes. She remembered a few hours ago, when she’d wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him. She remembered the way she could just look at his face and be three hundred times happier. How hard she worked to get him to smile. How comfortable she was sleeping wrapped in his arms. She remembered his forearms, and his low chuckles while they made momos together. Her delight at seeing him in his bed when she’d video called late at night. And she remembered his mouth all over her body.

This wasn’t a new thing. She’d always loved him. But something changed in the last month. She’d fallen in love with him. And Kamila didn’t know what to do with that.

“I’m sure,” she said quietly. “I love him.” She wiped her tears.

Only, he didn’t really see her at all.

“Oh, Kamila,” Asha said as she put her arms around her. Kamila gave in and cried properly.

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

It went without saying that Kamila wasn’t really feeling Bollywood night on Friday. Face all her friends and pretend everything was fine? Who would come anyway? Now that Jana’s pregnancy was out in the open, maybe she wouldn’t want to pretend everything was normal by socializing with people she clearly didn’t like. And Anil? Kamila had no intention of letting that snake into her house. Not that he’d come anyway, since there was no longer any reason for him to be charming and make Jana jealous.

And what about Rohan? She made it clear yesterday she was done with his so-called friendship.

Wow—she’d lost a lot of friends in one day. She called Asha.

“Negative,” Asha said after Kamila suggested canceling.

“What?”