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Kareem
“Hoping you’re well? What doesthatmean?”
Keira looked up. “Did you read the whole thing over my shoulder?”
“Obviously,” Allie said. “Any best friend would have done the same thing. Wow. What are you going to do? Are you going to go?”
“I don’t know,” Keira sighed. “I feel like I should. I do care about the Qalmar Cup. But on the other hand, he’s right that I blocked his number for a reason. I don’t want to see him again. I don’t want to talk to him again.”
“Keira…”
“What?”
“Respectfully, you know that’s a lie, don’t you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Of course you want to see him. It’s so obvious you miss him. You’ve just been telling me about your feelings for him. Did you forget about that?”
“No, but that’s all the more reason to stay away. I don’t want to get sucked into a place of feeling things that can never amount to anything real. He’s not asking me back because he cares about me. He just thinks I have a right to see the race. It sounds like he’s feeling guilty, more than anything else.”
“Of course he feels guilty,” Allie pointed out. “He didn’t defend you against his father. Heshouldfeel guilty about that. But I don’t think he would go to all this effort if he didn’t care, Keira. Why would he? After all, you blockedhim, not the other way around. If he didn’t care about you, he would let things lie. But that’s not what he’s decided to do. He cares about you, all right. And I think you need closure.”
“I don’t know if this is a good idea.”
“It’s the only thing that’s going to bring you peace. Just think — all these conversations you’re having with me, you could be having with him. And wouldn’t that be so much better?”
“Or it could be so muchworse.”
“I guess it could. I don’t think itwould. I think that if you talk to him, you’re going to be glad you did. At least consider it. If nothing else, going back would mean that you’d be able to see the results of your hard work on the Qalmar Cup. Maybe you’ll feel like you can tell Kevin about it. That would be a good thing, wouldn’t it?”
Keira laughed. “I don’t know if bragging to my brother is enough of a reason to fly all the way back to Qalmar and face Kareem again.”
“It’s not the reason,” Allie said gently. “I’m trying to get you to do it for your own good, Keira. I think it’s the right choice for you, and I think you’ll be happier once you’ve done it. I’m your friend. I know you better than almost anyone.”
Keira nodded. That much was true. “But what if I go over there and find out that he wants nothing to do with me?”
“Then at least you’ll know,” Allie said. “And once you know, you can start to move on.”
She was right, and Keira knew it. “I don’t know how you keep talking me into these things.”
“It’s because I’m your smartest friend,” Allie said with a grin. “Now go on — text the man. And maybe see if he’s willing to offer an extra seat on the plane. I’d like to come with you this time.”
Keira nodded. “All right,” she said. “But I think I’m going to do things a little differently. I’m tired of letting Kareem have control of the situation.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that this time, I’m going to do things my own way.”
CHAPTER 21
KAREEM
The opening day of the Qalmar Cup dawned bright and sunny. Kareem couldn’t enjoy the fine weather, though. In fact, it only made him feel more bitter to see how nice it was outside and to know that everyone else was waking up in a good mood because of it.
His feelings didn’t reflect the sunshine at all. Instead, he found, he didn’t really even want to attend the race. And much to his chagrin, he knew exactly why.
Keira hadn’t contacted him.