Vansh didn’t disagree, but he thought parts of the presentation coming from Hari would be exactly what they needed. They’d started with five people in the pilot program who were being trained. They’d found them spots in low-rent co-ops. Then Mac, one of the guys, had dropped out and disappeared.

This was going to be part of the program. They had hired a case manager to track everyone’s progress and engaged therapists and career counselors. Sid’s portraits of the pilot participants were magnificent. Now all they needed was for the right media outlet to pick them up.

“It’s amazing what we’ve managed to do in such a short time,” Naina said as Vansh walked her to her building. They’d spent the past six hours talking to more people so they could add to the pilot.

“Oh, are we allowed to say we now?” he teased, throwing her words back at her.

She stopped and turned to him. He hadn’t meant to make her look like this. Apologetic.

“Yes. You were right,” she said. That’s it. Nothing more.

But it was enough. For now.

They were barely a block from her building. The sense of loss Vansh had taken to feeling every time he dropped her off outside the glass doors was back in his chest. How could he feel this way when he’d been spending twelve hours a day with her every day? Like something precious was about to be taken from him.

She threw him another sideways glance. “Hari told me again today that he doesn’t want to present to the board.”

Vansh didn’t respond. He’d take care of Hari when the time was right.

A frustrated breath left Naina. “Vansh, we have to listen to Hari. You can’t push him.”

“Please don’t tell me how to treat Hari. I care for him. I’m not going to hurt him. Why can’t you trust me, Naina?” What more do I have to do?

Fierceness brightened her eyes. How can you question my trust?

As they stood there, unsaid words pushing at them, too many feelings pulling at them, a large raindrop plopped on Vansh’s forehead. Then, before he’d registered that, the skies opened up.

They broke into a run. By the time they were standing in the tiny lobby of her building, they were both soaked to the bone, hearts beating fast.

A shiver went through her and she pulled her red peacoat tighter around herself. A raindrop trickled down the sharp ridge of her nose and slid off the tip.

He shoved his hand through his dripping hair to keep from wiping it across the wet sheen on her cheeks. “Go on up,” he said. “I’ll see you at the office tomorrow.”