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“Am I included in that group?” Tate asked hopefully.
“Time will tell,” Asha said nonchalantly. “I guess that depends on whether or not you keep stringing along that nice brunette and break her heart.”
Asha heard an exaggerated groan from Tate as she closed the door and went back to her own apartment with a cheeky smile.
Asha tried to keep her nervousness under control as she pulled her vehicle to the front gate of Maddie’s home, asking the security guard to let Maddie know she was here. She’d wanted to come visit her sister so many times, but she hadn’t been able to bring herself to do it.
Security opened the gate for her, and Maddie met her on the steps of her house. Her older sister didn’t say a word as Asha approached. Maddie simply pulled Asha into her arms and held her tightly, comfortingly. They stayed like that for a while, Asha hugging Maddie back and savoring the comfort of her sibling’s embrace.
Finally, Maddie spoke in a tremulous voice, “I was afraid I wasn’t going to see you again.”
“I’m sorry, Maddie. I should have contacted you. I just…couldn’t.” Listening to her sister’s concerned voice, Asha realized she should have at least called. But she wasn’t used to someone caring about whether or not she was okay.
“Something happened with Kade.” It was a statement from Maddie, not a question.
Asha backed slowly out of Maddie’s arms and let her lead her into the kitchen. “It wasn’t him. It was me. I fell in love with him. So I had to leave.”
Maddie stopped at the coffee pot and poured them both some coffee before turning to Asha and raising a questioning brow. “You had to leave him because you love him?” Nodding to the cups of coffee, she mentioned, “Sorry…it’s decaf. I’m banned from caffeine until the babies come.”
The women sat, each with a mug of coffee in front of them. Asha added cream and sugar to hers. “I drink a lot of herbal chai, so I don’t drink much caffeine either.”
“I was so afraid you weren’t going to contact me. The DNA test came back and was a positive match, just the way I knew it would be. We’re sisters, Asha. Officially,” Maddie said, her voice emotional. Tears started to flow from her eyes as she looked across the table at Asha.
Asha lowered her head. “I know. I think I’ve always known. I was just afraid, Maddie. I’m sorry.” Seeing her sister crying nearly undid her. Maddie was upset. About her. It was more than clear that her older sister cared, and it made Asha’s chest ache with longing. “I needed some time. I’ve never really been on my own, made my own decisions without anyone making them for me. I’m messed up, Maddie. I need to get my head on straight, learn to make my own decisions and be independent. I never meant to hurt you. I’m not used to anyone caring about me.”
Maddie’s face softened. “Oh, Asha. Of course people care. Max and I love you, and you have friends. I think you’re going to have to get used to people caring.” She hesitated before adding, “Kade loves you, too. He’s been torn up since you left. He doesn’t talk about it a lot, but he’s not doing well. He told Max that you didn’t want to be with him.”
“He’s not well? What’s wrong with him?” Asha asked anxiously, worried that something was wrong with Kade. And his assumption that she didn’t want to be with him couldn’t be further from the real truth.
“Max sees him more than I do, but he says Kade is walking around in a daze, like he doesn’t care about anything.”
Asha took a sip of her coffee, her mind racing. “Is he still working with Travis at Harrison every day?”
Maddie nodded. “Yeah. But even Travis is worried about him, and Travis rarely talks about or shows that he’s concerned, even if he is.”
Asha’s distress nearly made her get up and run to Kade to see if he was okay, but would Kade even want to see her? Right now, she didn’t know. Was he really mourning her loss that much? She had thought he’d get over her pretty quickly once she was gone. She wasn’t exactly a prize. They’d had phenomenal sex, and his kindness made him protective of her, but was it possible that he missed her as much as she missed him? “What do you think is wrong?”
“I think he’s heartbroken. First Amy left him, and now you. His recovery from the accident was long and painful. I think he’s hitting an all-time low. I don’t think Amy really affected anything except his pride. But he’s pretty devastated about you leaving.”
“I don’t know what to do.” Asha buried her face in her hands, unsure of what action she should take. The last thing she wanted was to see Kade suffer, but she wasn’t sure that seeing him would really make the situation any better.
Maddie reached across the table and squeezed Asha’s hand. “You need to take care of yourself first, Asha. Take whatever time you need to heal. You’ve been through way too much. You said your marriage was bad, but your ex-husband was abusive, wasn’t he?”
“Very,” she blurted out. The floodgates opened and she started to tell Maddie the whole truth about her upbringing and her marriage, not able to stop until the whole story was out. She didn’t want to put distance between herself and her siblings anymore, and she wanted Maddie to know the truth. It wasn’t a dirty little secret she needed to hide. For once, she was beginning to realize that it wasn’t her fault.
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry,” Maddie said sadly, after Asha had unburdened herself about the trials of her marriage.
“Don’t be,” Asha answered. “It wasn’t your fault. And I’m lucky I got out. I guess it’s hard to understand how the Indian culture is so motivated by shame and guilt. Knowing how and who my father was, I wish I had rebelled and never married. I wish I had handled everything differently. It never even occurred to me to do anything differently until I realized I really didn’t want to die.”
“It’s not the only culture where women are abused, Asha. It may be much more frequent and acceptable in Indian culture, but American women stay in abusive relationships, get mired in the cycle of abuse. Once you’re in the cycle, it’s very hard to get out. I’m just glad you’re escaping. Please know that Max and I will help you. We’re here for you. Are you getting counseling?”
“Yes. I’m seeing one of Devi’s colleagues. But I know I have to be responsible for making the changes myself. Dr. Miller opens my eyes to reality, and I’m doing my best to change myself.” Asha paused before adding, “I have a little apartment, and my business is thriving. I’m doing good, Maddie.”
“But you miss Kade?” Maddie questioned softly.
“So much it hurts,” Asha admitted to her sister. “I’m in love with him. At first, I wondered if I was confusing love with lust. The sex was incredible. But I miss everything about him. I think I’m realizing that the sex was incredible because I do love him.”
“And because he loves you?” Maddie questioned.