Page 4 of Born in Sin

“What is your problem?” Celina flared up.

Her mother always said her temper would be her downfall. Celina didn’t know what downfall was but maybe today was the day she had that fall. She was only trying to be nice and kind like her mother kept telling her to be and this boy was just –

“You are my problem.” He turned his back on her. “Go away.”

She glanced down at his back and saw that his sports shirt had come loose from his shorts. She could see a bit of torn, raw flesh peeking out from the bottom.

Celina bit her lip, tears filling her eyes. That had to hurt! The last time she’d scraped her knee during a skating class, she’d screamed loudly when her mother had put medicine on it. And this boy hadn’t made a sound. Not yesterday or today. And it didn’t look like anyone had put medicine on it for him.

“Can I help?”

“No.” He turned towards her now, frustration on his face. “Please go away. I don’t want anyone to see me talking to you.”

Celina gasped. “You are a rude, rude boy. I am just trying to be your friend.”

“We can never be friends.” He got to his feet, clearly planning to run away from there.

Celina jumped to her feet too. “Why not? Is it because I know your secret?”

The boy froze. He turned towards her, his eyes wide and scared. “I don’t have a secret.”

“It’s okay,” she said, her smile quivering a little. “I won’t tell anyone. I’m very good with secrets.”

Inspiration stuck as she stared at his stubborn, silent face. “What if we trade? A secret for a secret? I’ll tell you one of mine and then we’ll be even. You keep my secret, and I’ll keep yours.”

“Why won’t you leave me alone?”

Celina was wondering that herself. She didn’t know. The more he tried to run away from her, the more she wanted to run after him. It made no sense.

She ignored his question, asking one of her own instead.

“So, can I tell you a secret?”

Chapter Two

CARA

Fifteen years, four months, and six days.

That’s how long it had been since Virat Jha walked out of her life. Not that she was keeping track or anything. Except for that one random meeting in Hyderabad when she’d gone to sign a regional film, the meeting at which he’d pretended not to know her, she hadn’t seen him since…since that night. A tempest of emotion swirled in her chest, a volcano that had lain dormant for far too long.

She stormed through the crowded set, people taking one look at her face and wisely moving out of her way. She reached her vanity van and brushed past her security and scurrying assistant to open it, slamming the door behind her before anyone else could follow her in.

“Cara?” Pari, her assistant’s nervous voice, came from outside. “Are you okay?”

“I’d like to be left alone please,” she said, her voice calm and steady. She really was a phenomenal actress, she thought,a mocking smile twisting her lips. She sounded perfectly in control.

“Okay. Ping me if you need anything.”

Pari was invaluable because she knew when to push and when not to. Today was definitely not a day to push. A second later, there was another knock on the door. Cara rolled her eyes. Apparently, Pari wasn’t that smart after all.

“Not now!” she snapped, closing her eyes and pressing the balls of her palms into it.

She heard the door open and whirled around, anger spilling from every pore. Virat stood just inside the door. As she watched, he shut it with a quiet click. He flicked his wrist, locking it in the next second. Locking them in.

And time slowed down again, memory slamming into her as she stared at his beloved face. He’d grown into a ridiculously goodlooking man. Ridiculous and devastating.

And still she missed the gangly boy she’d known, the one she’d loved. The one she still loved. Damn her stupid heart.