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Chapter thirty-three

The Choice

Josh

“My birthday party isn’t until Friday,” I remind JR as he walks past me with a box full of gifts. “Why are you bringing me presents now?”

Fletcher follows him into the apartment, his briefcase in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other. “Have you ever tried saying no to those two?” Fletcher jerks his head behind him.

Ruby waltzes through the door, pausing to kiss me on the cheek. “Don’t listen to him, Sweetpea. This was all Dr. Dom’s idea.”

Simon kisses my other cheek. “Tommy’s heart may be black on the outside,” he purrs, “but it’s as gooey as a melted marshmallow on the inside.”

Fletcher planned this gathering? You know your life is a mess when your former arch nemesis thinks you need a pick-me-up.

We stand around the kitchen island, munching on vegan cannoli cupcakes while Simon makes us mimosa floats. Though I hadn’t planned on spending time with my friends this evening, I’m grateful that they’re here. Who knows how many more moments like these that we’ll have together?

“We decided to make this a private party,” JR tells me, “with private gifts. “You’ve got a special occasion coming up this weekend. It’s not everyday that a guy loses his virginity, y’know.”

The professor’s lips thin into a line. “Though what you and Karma have been doing is sex, technically speaking.”

Simon hands me a cocktail, the edges of the glass dipped in rainbow sprinkles. “Your sexual journey has taken an unusual path. It’s been fascinating to watch it unfold.”

“Right?” Ruby says as he accepts his own festive drink. “Bondage before butt sex. Who does that?”

I wouldn’t know. The sexual experiences that Karma and I have shared are the only ones I’ve ever had—if you don’t count all of the self-love I’ve practiced while watching porn. Still, I can’t imagine how we could improve our intimate encounters. Maybe I’ll lose my virginity this weekend, and maybe I won’t. Either way, my time alone with my boyfriend this weekend is sure to be orgasmic .

As I unwrap my birthday gifts, my friends explain their use. “The rose petals are for you to scatter across the bed,” JR says, “and the candles are to set a romantic mood. Use the blindfold on Karma to keep it a surprise.”

“I ordered you special undies for the occasion.” Ruby claps his hands as I unwrap them. “I also plan on giving you a styling session before we go dancing, so remember to set aside some time for that.”

Fletcher slides a card across the counter. “This ought to be enough to Uber to the club, as well as pay for everyone’s admission.”

“And this,”—Simon passes another card to me— “is the receipt for a hotel room. We hope that the memories you make this weekend are ones that you and Karma never forget.”

“I don’t know what to say.” I blink back tears as I look at my friends. “You guys are the best. I’m really going to miss you if I go.”

JR bumps against my side. “Enough of that. Let’s enjoy the time we have left. Besides, we’re BFFs. Am I right?”

I nod my head as I wipe my eyes.

“To friendship!” Simon says, raising his drink into the air.

We clink our glasses together. “To friendship!”

A warm glow fills my chest—and it’s not from the champagne. The friendships I’ve made during my time at Spartacus University are the closest I’ve ever had. They’re worth fighting for.

As we make more plans for my birthday party, a fire kindles in my belly. I’m not ready to say goodbye—not to my friends, and not to Karma. MIT might have plenty of brilliant professors, but it’s not home to the people I love. I’ve got to find a way to stay at Spartacus. I’ve got to.

I can and I will.

“I need to ask you a question.” It might be uncomfortable, but I simply have to know.

“What is it, Junoon?” Father’s forehead wrinkles.

“Anything you need, just ask,” Mother says.

How should I put this? It’s not everyday that I question my parents about something so personal—and the last thing I need is to give them more wedding ammunition. Even so, I respect my parents and I value their advice. If two pragmatic, no-nonsense scientists can fall in love and make a relationship last long-term, then I’ve got to know their secret.

“Um, what made you decide to get married?” I ask. “I’m sure you thought it through beforehand. Can you tell me about the reasons that went into the choice you made?”

Father clears his throat, the lines in his forehead deepening. “This isn’t about your visa, is it? You know it would be illegal to marry Karma so that you could stay in America. No matter how much you want to remain at Spartacus University, you can’t afford to break the law.”

“Are you sure you aren’t planning to elope with Karma?” Mother gazes at me through the phone, her eyes filled with worry. “Getting married is a serious decision, Junoon—it’s not something you should jump into. Regardless of how we’ve been acting, your father and I don’t want to push you into marriage before you’re ready.”

I shake my head. “Don’t worry, we’re not going to elope and this doesn’t have anything to do with my student visa. It’s just…”

“What is it, sweetheart?” Mother asks. “Go ahead, you can tell us.”

I swallow a lump in my throat. “I-I have… feelings for Karma. I know we’ve only been boyfriends for a short time, and I know that it’s too soon, but I… I…”

“We know, Son,” Father murmurs. “We can see it—and we see those same feelings in Karma’s eyes.”

“It reminds us of when we were young.” Mother says, smiling softly at her husband. “The first time I saw your father, it felt like I’d been struck by lightning.”

By… by what?

“It was the same for me, my darling.” He cups her cheek with his hand. “To think we came so close to never meeting at all. How very different our lives would have been.”

I need to hear the whole story. It’s time to finally learn how my parents fell in love. “I know Nani dreamed that you would marry a king,“ I say to my mother, “but you’ve never told me how the two of you met.”

Father hesitates. “Your grandmother isn’t the only one who had a dream.”

Wait, what? “I need you to tell me everything. Now. Please .”

My father nods, pausing as he gathers his thoughts. “It was odd. I’ve never been one to have nightmares—but the night before I met your mother, I had a very strange dream indeed. I was told that my life would change the next day, for better or for worse. A… woman warned me that if I didn’t take action, I would regret it.”

“That same woman warned me that my time had come,” Mother says. “In my dream, she told me that I would be asked a series of questions. The direction of my entire life would depend on if I answered yes or no.”

I gulp. A… woman? I think I know who that might be. “Go on,” I tell my parents. “What happened next?”

Father adjusts his glasses. “As I was walking across campus the next morning, I saw someone in the distance. The closer I got to her, the closer that I was drawn. It was your mother, of course. Rather than going to my own classroom, I asked Varenya if I could walk her to hers. Mind you, I’d never missed a lesson in my life—but I knew that if I let her out of my sight, I might never see her again.”

“He walked me to all of my classes that day.” Mother smiles at the memory. “Your father waited outside the door to each of my classrooms, and every time he asked to escort me to my next lesson, I said yes. By the end of the afternoon, I knew that Daksh Malik was my King .”

Father leans over, placing a kiss on his wife’s temple. “The smartest thing I’ve ever done is listen to that dream’s warning. Deciding to follow you that day was the best choice I’ve ever made.”

Mother’s eyes soften as she gazes at her husband. “I’m glad I chose you, too.”

My heart gives a squeeze in my chest as I witness the love between them. I can only hope to experience the kind of bond my parents share. Someone to spend my life with, someone to share my dreams.

But I don’t have to hope, do I? I can choose to have what I want. If my parents can decide to flout logic and to literally follow their dreams, then so can I.

I can have the career I want.

I can stay close to my friends.

I can hold onto Karma—to give our love a chance to grow.

I can… if I’m willing to fight.