Page 27

Twenty-Six. Ah, adulting

Vera

A fter Dhruv’s texts earlier, my plan was to call my lawyer, Zahira, and go through the Renegades contract with a fine-toothed comb. I need to make sure that this relationship with Elias isn’t going to put both of us in jeopardy because the last thing I want is for our careers to explode right now. More than me, I’m worried about him. He just got his confidence back and if they take it away from him and break his spirit, I might do something drastic. Like wage a war. I’m kidding. Sort of .

But the minute I see Tamara and Patrick facing off, everything else on my list of things to do vanishes. My cousin is my only focus. She’s breathing so heavily, she might explode. So while Elias guides his brother away, I take Tamara back to her room. Tears are streaming down her face and she’s shaking; I’ve never seen her like this before. Tamara collapses on the bed and curls up, muttering to herself. It’s only when she sits up, legs crossed under her, I perch at the edge of the mattress.

“Why is he here?”

“He’s Elias’s brother.”

She growls and shakes her head. “What the fuck.”

“I would have told you if I knew you two had history.”

“We have nothing.” She waves me off, like that’s going to stop further questioning.

“He called you Lotus . I didn’t know other people called you that.”

“They don’t. He shouldn’t.”

When we were kids, our grandmother gave us grandchildren silly Malayalam nicknames that rhymed. I was Verall , which means finger, and my siblings got equally weird ones. Tamara is the only one who got a really pretty and appropriate nickname, which made all of us incredibly jealous. Thaamara means lotus flower and since it was so close to her actual name, that’s what our Velliamma? 1 called her.

This is the first time I’ve heard someone use it since our grandmother died ten years ago.

“Remember the sports camp Velliamma sent me to during the summer?” I nod slowly, memories of that time coming back to me in small flashes. “I met him there. We were paired off for table tennis and he asked me for my name. I said Thaamara and it stuck. By the end of summer, he was calling me Lotus and I loved it.”

Tamara swipes at her eyes and shakes her head, almost like she’s trying to erase those summers from her mind.

“We were each other’s firsts,” she whispers and my heart cracks open for her. “He said he loved me and didn’t come back the next year. I asked everyone about him and they said he was done with camp. That meant he was done with me.”

The wobbly tone of her voice is what makes me wrap her up in her hug. Tamara leans into me, sniffling as I hold her tight. I vaguely remember the summer and my cousin refusing to eat her meals and being non-verbal for most of it. It was the first time I’d seen her in that state and I was worried. Until things ended with Ajay, we never really talked about romance or relationships because it was the least important thing about our bond. So it explains why she never told me about Patrick.

“I know he’s the brother of the man you love, but I’m not going to deal with him.”

“You do whatever you need to protect yourself. I support you.”

“Thank you for being my best friend, Vee.”

“I really didn’t have much choice, did I?”

She pokes me in the side and I scoot away from her, which makes Tamara laugh as she tries to grab me. In all the laughing and falling off the bed, I don’t hear the door open until a throat clears. Elias is leaning against the doorjamb, arms crossed over his chest and the most beautiful smile painted on his lips.

“Hi,” I say, fighting back the giggles.

He smirks. “You ladies okay?”

“We’re great. Is your brother locked in his evil lair?” Tamara asks.

“For the time being, yes.”

She nods. “I know this is a siblings weekend and we’re all gatecrashing, but I’d appreciate it if I wasn’t expected to spend too much time with him.”

“That’s a doable and fair request. Will you be okay, though?”

My heart thuds so loudly at how genuine Elias is being.

“I might kill him, but I promise to clean up after myself and dispose of the body.”

He laughs. “Please don’t. He might be an asshole at times, but he’s my brother and I do love him.”

“Fiiiiiiiine. Only because you’re boning my best friend and I like how happy you make her.”

“Appreciate it.” He helps me to my feet and after making sure she’s really okay, we walk out of her room. “I’m still glad she came,” he says as we step out onto the veranda.

“It’s going to be awkward and weird for a bit, but I think they’ll be okay.”

“About time someone put Patricia in his place,” a lilting voice says and I look over my shoulder to smile at Elias’s sister. Even though I’ve only seen one photograph of her, she’s hard to forget. A striking woman, she’s tall and lean with clear brown skin and dark hair in a shaggy pixie cut. Her big eyes are enchanting and when her lips curve into a smile, I realise I’ve been staring too long.

“Nina, right?”

“The one and only. I’m glad despite what the tabloids originally said about you probably being a bad influence, you’re the complete opposite.”

I lift a shoulder in a shrug and smirk. “I tried to steer your brother in the wrong direction a few times. He’s difficult to trick.”

“He’s the goody-two-shoes of the family, but getting in more trouble than I expected.”

“I like taking risks now,” he replies and gives his sister a hug. “Flight and room okay?”

“Yes and yes, great view as always. And that bed? Holy shit, what do they stuff the mattresses with?”

“Clouds,” I reply and she points at me with a wide grin.

“I also wanted to apologise on behalf of my bonehead big brother for whatever trauma he caused your friend,” Nina offers.

“My cousin, actually. And I’m starting to think it wasn’t intentional trauma, a lot of miscommunication.”

“Ah, adulting,” she says with a dramatic tone and I chuckle as she waves and walks away.

“What was in the water your mother was drinking, because three of you being this attractive is rude and unfair.”

Elias snorts, tugging me into his side. “It’s all good genetics, baby.”

Poking his stomach, I laugh. We look out at his friends setting up the grill, soft music floating over. “You should go check on your brother.”

“He’ll be fine.”

“ Elias .” He sighs and nods. “If Tamara is shaken up, I bet he’s in the same boat.”

“Probably. You’ll be okay?”

Nodding, I extract myself from his grip. “I know we said no phones, but I’m gonna check in with my lawyer about the contract.”

“Please don’t stress about this. I’ll speak to Dhruv when I see him in Ahmedabad.”

I cup his jaw and stretch up to kiss him. “Until then, I want to make sure we’re protected, okay?”

He hums against my mouth and gives my ass a squeeze. I push him away, laughing as he wiggles his eyebrows and walks backwards out of sight. Sighing softly, I head up to our bedroom and pull out my phone. Zahira is a partner at a prestigious women-owned law firm in Chennai and when I started Lucky Shot, we met at a fundraiser and have been working together since.

“Hey, Vera. Is everything okay?”

I wince, because I didn’t consider the time when getting in touch. “I’m so sorry, I should have texted or emailed. I know this isn’t officially office hours.”

“You’re paying me a retainer, Vee. Office hours are whenever you need my help. What’s up?”

“Remember the Renegades contract we went through a few months ago? Was there anything in there about relationships or romance or whatever the terminology is?”

There’s some rustling and a young voice asking for something before Zahira speaks. “Not that I recall. I can go through it in the morning. Why?”

“I’m dating one of the players and his agent says it might be a conflict. But,” I groan and shake my head, “I didn’t know he was a player until after we were dating?”

Technically that’s not true, but we’d already slept together once before signing the contract and again after finalising our partnership. I know it’s a grey area, but I need to make sure everything is going to be okay.

“Ah, you’re the one in all those pictures with Elias Joseph. I knew I recognised that sneer anywhere.”

I laugh. “Imagine if I knew they were taking my picture. Vultures.”

Zahira chuckles. “Let me put you on loudspeaker for a minute. I actually have a copy of it here, I can skim it right now.”

“Mama, may I watch some TV?”

I smile as Zahira and her daughter talk softly, all while staring out the window to admire the view. I don’t come to Mahabalipuram enough, but I really should. Especially for the sunset and beach experience.

“Sorry about that. Right here we go—” she clears her throat and paper rustles “—there’s nothing in here about interpersonal relationships, so they can’t use that as a reason to fire you. But they do mention something about any indecent behaviour with the players is a cause for conflict.”

“I don’t know if I’d call what we’re doing indecent . But they could find a way to twist those words, right?”

“Possibly. But legally , they have no right.”

I sigh, rubbing my forehead. “Thanks, Zahira. I’ll keep you posted if anything comes up.”

We say our goodbyes and I skim through my notifications before putting my phone away. I put on a good show when we were talking about Dhruv, but I am worried. The last time I was asked to choose between my job and someone I was in a relationship with, I picked my job and got my heart ripped to shreds. I know Elias won’t do that, but the fear doesn’t go away.

The next full day had to be planned around making sure Tamara and Patrick were never in the same room, a challenge he made impossible because he kept wanting to talk to her. As much as I wanted to spend time with Elias, I knew he needed to be with his siblings. From everything he’d told me, thanks to Olympics training, Patrick and Nina had been away from home for months. So if this was the first time he was seeing them in a while, I wasn’t going to try and commandeer all his time. Besides, we had one more night before he was off to win another match.

So while the Joseph siblings did whatever their hearts desired, I kept Tamara busy. We went for a long walk on the beach and didn’t say a single word. She mixed drinks for Elias’s friends and flirted with every single one. I liked this version of my cousin—free and uninhibited, single and up for a good time—because the last eight years with Kabir had sucked the joy out of her. But watching my cousin have the time of her life gives me all the time to think about my relationship.

Zahira got back to me after breakfast and said that there was nothing in any of the paperwork I signed about relationships being frowned upon. But she did remind me the Renegades management can find a way to misconstrue everything that’s happened. I didn’t tell Elias any of this, obviously. He’s got enough on his plate. And I really want him to have a good time with his siblings. He deserves a chance to unwind and forget about the first Qualifier for one more day, because once they get to Ahmedabad that’s all he’ll be thinking about.

Halfway through the day, the Joseph siblings appear and Nina invites Tamara for a swim in the ocean. My cousin doesn’t hesitate, but drags Bash with her. She won’t say it, but I know Tamara’s trying to piss Patrick off. And it’s working, judging by the way his jaw flexes as he watches them. Like his brother, Patrick Joseph is a specimen that must be studied. He’s the tallest of the three, broad and strong everywhere. His visible skin is covered in ink and his long dark hair is gathered in a topknot. He’s muscular and sturdy, from his head to his little toe. And I get why Tamara is putting on this act, because it’s a good way to show this Indian Viking he has no effect on her.

Not sure it’s working, though.

The boys suggest another round of beach cricket and this time, I pair off with Elias against Samar and Patrick. It’s not as fun as yesterday, mostly because everyone’s distracted. I can tell by the look in Elias’s eyes he’s already in Qualifiers mode, playing halfheartedly and forcing smiles. All my attempts at dumb dad jokes fall flat and even though I win, it doesn’t feel as good as I hoped.

When we get back to the house, dinner is served. We eat in our own little corners, most of them silent and some whispering amongst themselves. The idea of escaping their lives for two days didn’t seem to go as well as they hoped, but at least Elias got to be with his siblings.

“How much more brooding do you have in you?” I ask and Elias startles, turning to me in confusion. “You’ve been out of it all day, superstar.”

He groans and leans over to set his untouched plate on the table. “Thinking about the match, freaking the fuck out and feeling guilty I’m not being a good host.”

“You’ve been a great host. And why are you nervous?”

“Because the Legends are an incredibly difficult team to beat.”

“You’ve played and beaten them before. What’s different now?”

Elias scrubs a hand over his face and shrugs. He looks around the pool area where we’re seated before saying, “I know I put too much pressure on myself, but it’s because I know I can do it. I’m not sure about this one, peaches.”

Setting my plate to the side, I reach for his hands. “All you’ve gotta do is go out there and play your heart out. This is not on you , okay? You can only do your best, your team needs to do the rest.”

“Did you mean to rhyme?”

I laugh and move to sit in his lap. “I bet hearing everyone say you’re the reason the Renegades are winners is a huge weight on your shoulders, but it’s true. You’re considered the finest for a reason and while you should never forget it, you don’t have to prove them right every time.”

He nods slowly, arms loose around my waist. “Do my best, right?”

“Play like the superstar I know you are.”

“And I get to come home to you after.”

I nuzzle his cheek. “And we’ll celebrate.”

“Can we pre-celebrate?”

Snorting, I kiss him, my fingers pushing through his hair. He returns the kiss, the tension in his body ebbing away. Then after much coaxing, and finally feeding him, I get Elias to eat his dinner. He’s still nervous, but he’s doing a better job of not letting everyone see it. By the time I help the staff put everything away, most of the guests are locked away in their bedrooms.

I lay in bed as the five a.m. light tries to sneak into the bedroom while Elias finishes getting ready. Downstairs, everyone’s bleary-eyed, but awake to see Bash, Samar and Elias off. Kuriakose loads up the car as coffee is consumed followed by a round of hugs and well wishes before the boys drag themselves to the car. Once Elias hugs his siblings, they stumble back into the house, leaving me alone with him.

“I’ll miss you,” he whispers, arms wrapped around me, lips pressed against my forehead.

I grip the sides of his T-shirt and sway in place. “Believe in yourself. Good luck tomorrow.”

“Don’t need luck when I’ve got you.” He takes a step back and grins. His nerves are visible in the set of his shoulders, but his eyes are bright and confident. “Love you, peaches,” he says and hops into the car seconds before Kuriakose pulls away.