Page 94 of Right Where I Belong

On any other night, he would have already spoken to his mother. But considering the shitty mood he was in, they’d get into an altercation for sure. He couldn’t do that in front of her guests, certainly not on her birthday.

Fuck. His life was a mess of gigantic proportions. Despite feeling relieved that Sabrina was doing okay, he was still mad at her. What did she mean when she’d said she thought she’d killed someone? The question had been playing in his mind ever since he’d left her.

His gaze lingered on her as he thought through everything. Sabrina looked up, and her eyes met his. A sharp conflict began to churn in his chest. He’d wanted her for so long, and he’d wanted her to choose him. But now, even after she’d told him she wanted to be with him, he was still unsure. Did she really want to be with him, or was she being pressured by Aisha and Rithwik to do so?

His heart longed to go to her, to close the space between them, but his mind wrestled with the truth he knew all too well: wanting her had never been the problem. It was the secrets Sabrina still held that kept him torn in two. Would she reallyconfide in him? Would she choose him when the going got tough?

The lady in front of him laughed at something she had said, and Aditya nodded, smiling at her. He hadn’t heard a word of what she’d said. She left him soon, and another guest took her place. It went on and on. He began to feel suffocated by the endless chatter and the constant demands on his attention. All he wanted was to be by himself in order to calm the chaos in his heart.

Excusing himself, he slipped through the crowd, moving toward the far side of the lawns. He turned to the right and finally found a quiet corner. He drew in a deep breath, and then let it out slowly, willing himself to settle. Footsteps broke the silence. His jaw tightened. Fuck. Couldn’t he get a single moment to himself?

And then he saw… Kanika? Good God! Shock ripped through him. What was she doing here? And why in hell had his mother invited her?

Before he could even process the thought, Kanika gave him a dazzling smile and flung herself into his arms. He went rigid as she clung to him, anger, confusion, and disbelief surging through him in equal measure.

“I’m so happy to see you,” she cooed, her arms tightening around him. “I missed you.”

Aditya stepped back, annoyed, as he pulled free of her grip. “What are you doing in my house?”

“I was invited,” she said breezily.

His brows shot up. “Invited? My mother invitedyou?”

A sly smile curled her lips. “Your mother invited Soham’s mom. She brought me along.”

“Soham, yourfiancé, you mean? Is he here as well?”

She shook her head. “No, he’s away for work.”

She reached up as if to touch his face, but he stepped away, his jaw hardening.

“What are you doing here, and why are you following me?” he queried.

“I just wanted a moment alone with you,” she said sweetly. “I’ve been trying to catch your attention all evening, but you’ve been too busy with guest after guest. We need to talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you,” Aditya said coldly. “Please leave.”

“No.” Her voice snapped with sudden anger. “I want to talk to you. After you cut off all contact with me, I’ve been miserable. I’ve been thinking about everything. I now realize what a huge mistake I made. I shouldn’t have pressured you to marry me. You weren’t ready, and I forced your hand by breaking up with you and then getting engaged to Soham.”

He stared at her, unable to make sense of what she was saying.

“I’ll call off the engagement with Soham,” she rushed her words, her eyes shining with desperation. “I want you back, Aditya. I can’t… I can’t live without you.”

“What?” he choked out.

“Please, I want you back.”

When she tried reaching for his face again, a firm hand shot out and caught her wrist mid-air. Kanika gasped.

Aditya’s eyes widened as he turned and saw Sabrina standing at his side, her grip on Kanika’s wrist steady and unyielding.

Kanika twisted, but Sabrina’s grip didn’t loosen. Her dark eyes locked on Kanika.

“Don’t,” Sabrina said fiercely, her voice ringing with finality. “Don’t ever touch him again.”

Recognition dawned on Kanika’s face. She yanked her wrist back.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Kanika spat out. “You’re just the caterer here.”