Naina couldn’t stand this. How did I let this happen? The thought kept screaming inside her head. She started walking away.

He fell in step next to her and she stopped again. One part of her wanted to punch Nisha in the face. One part was grateful that Nisha was keeping her grounded in reality.

Sex is sex. We keep it separate from the rest of it.

How easily he had said those words. Had he ever intended to keep them? How had that been just a few months ago? It felt like years. It felt like her whole life.

Suddenly, Naina’s body was encased in ice. All she wanted was for this to be over. “Nisha’s right, Vansh. Go talk to the lawyer. She’s right for you.” Her heart should have crumbled. Maybe it did, but she could feel nothing. She was going to have to see him with someone else someday, and better to start building that muscle now.

“I was just touching you under a table. Do you think I give a damn for anyone else right now?”

Naina looked over her shoulder to see if Nisha and Mina Auntie had followed. They had, but they were far enough away that they hadn’t heard Vansh.

She went back to them. “Mina Auntie, I’m so sorry. I really didn’t mean to cause a scene.”

Mina Auntie’s eyes slid to Vansh and her face froze. They were in front of the restaurant now and people were entering and leaving. “Get yourselves together. This isn’t the place for this conversation.” With nothing more than that, she went back into the restaurant.

With an accusatory look at Naina, Nisha followed her mother.

“I’m sorry,” Vansh said. “I shouldn’t have said that in front of them.”

“Do not follow me,” Naina said, hoping her voice was firm, even though everything inside her wobbled. Then, just to make sure he understood, she added, “Do not come over later. I’m exhausted. Please.”

We made a deal. You made a promise, she almost added, but that was not a bag she was ready to turn over and empty out just yet. Not here.

He took a step back. “Right. And you don’t have the capacity to deal with me right now.” Again, he had the gall to look wounded.

“I don’t. And you promised to listen to me.”

Anger flashed under the hurt in his eyes. She couldn’t tell whom the anger was directed at. But she didn’t care.

Turning around, she walked away, leaving him to his family and the human rights lawyer.

Anger was a good thing. Maybe anger would open his eyes.