Fixation (Fatal Attraction #3)

Chapter 36

36

R eina’s phone beeped twice.

I can’t sleep.

It’s me, Vedant.

Reina rolled her eyes. Of course, Vedant had managed to get her Dubai number. The party had finished only a little while ago, and she was now in her bed, unable to fall asleep as well, thanks to him.

Another message popped on her screen.

I haven’t slept properly ever since you left me.

She scowled into the phone. Well, neither had she.

Say something, beautiful. I’m dying here.

She laughed as she typed.

So dramatic.

There you are. I miss you.

You just met me.

I can feel you rolling your eyes.

Oh God, she had just rolled her eyes.

Go to sleep, Vedant.

Can I call?

A smile formed on her face.

Why?

God, you really are making me work for it.

Ok, call.

She answered her phone on the first ring.

“You can’t sleep either?” he asked.

“No.” Reina lay on her bed. “The party just finished. Is everything okay with you? All three of you rushed out of the party.”

“Earlier in the evening, you asked whether I was sure Karina was alive or not. Mihir found proof that she is.”

He told her everything Mihir had found, and she listened quietly. In the end, she said, “I’m delighted for you. This is great news.”

“It is. I’m so excited to meet her.”

Reina felt herself revelling in his happiness.

“I wish you were here with me,” Vedant said.

She didn’t respond to that. While she, too, wished she was with him, she didn’t want to voice it out loud. Although she had accepted that she was going to give him a chance, she still wanted to take things slowly. Her past still made her wary and fearful of getting hurt and being left heartbroken again.

“I’m not like whoever hurt you, you know,” Vedant said softly.

She gasped. How had he read her mind so? And how could she be absolutely certain he wasn’t like her birth father?

Vedant sighed. “I know you’re not yet fully ready, Reina, but this… This is good too. We can take it as slow as you want.”

Her heart warmed knowing he wasn’t pushing her. That he was allowing her time to sort her mind and heart out.

“I’d like that,” she finally said.

“Good, now enough being serious. Tell me something about yourself.”

She rolled onto her belly. “What do you want to know?”

“I want to listen to anything you want to talk about.”

She thought for a moment. “I taught him a lesson.”

“Who?”

“Dr. Williams.”

“What? How?”

She explained to him how that meeting with her boss had panned out. Vedant listened, asking several questions in between.

“You are amazing,” he finally said. “I’m so proud of you, Reina. You stood up not only for yourself but for every woman out there who needed someone to take the first step.”

“Frankly, I’m so relieved to be out of there.”

“Why aren’t you working then? Have you even looked for a job?”

“I will. But Dubai didn’t feel like home, until…”

“Until…” he prompted.

“Until you were here,” she admitted quietly.

“Oh, Thank God,” he muttered. She could hear the delight in his voice. “Finally, she accepts that she feels something for me.”

“You know what I feel for you,” she said. “I’m just too scared to say it out loud yet.”

“Because of that fucker who hurt you,” he snarled.

“Yes.”

“Will you tell me what happened?”

“One day soon.” If she wanted to be with him, then she’d have to confide in him, just like he had confided in her.

Her phone beeped several times. She put him on speaker to check who was messaging this late.

“Su Min’s messaging again,” she told him. “She says she wants to talk to me urgently, and it’s important.”

Another message popped. Reina sat up straight.

“Vedant, she’s in town,” Reina gasped. “Su Min’s here in Dubai, and she wants to meet me.”

“What? This is very random. And why is she messaging you so late?”

More messages beeped on her phone.

“Oh God,” Reina felt her heart bursting with unease. “Now, Laila is also messaging me. Apparently, she’s also in Dubai and wants to meet me too.”

“What the fuck is going on here?” Vedant sounded worried. “Why are they both in town? It doesn’t make sense.”

“I know. I’m worried.”

“Hey, I won’t let anything happen to you. I will protect you and keep you safe.”

“And who will protect you and keep you safe?”

“I like that you’re worried about me, beautiful.”

Reina clucked her tongue. “Vedant, be serious. The two women who worked alongside me in caring for you are both here in Dubai at the same fucking time and they both want to meet me. It seems very suspicious.”

“I agree,” Vedant said. “Please don’t reply to either of them, and switch off your phone for tonight. I’ll come fetch you first thing tomorrow morning. Come home with me; we need to discuss this with my brothers. Something is afoot.”

Fear spread through her. Something was definitely going on. But what?

“Reina, did you hear me?” Vedant asked. “I’m going to hang up now. I’ll be at your place at eight in the morning to fetch you. Don’t turn your phone on. I don’t want you to be tempted to react or reply to any of their messages when I’m not with you. Okay? I don’t want anything to upset you now so late in the night.”

“Okay.”

“Try and sleep, Reina. Tomorrow, we will figure this out. And remember, I love you.”

“I lo…” She shut her eyes, still afraid to tell him the words she knew he wanted to hear.

“Hey,” he said. “I know, okay… you don’t need to say it. I know.”

“Good night,” she whispered.

“Good night.” He disconnected the line and she switched off her phone as agreed.

She lay back down, pulling the quilt over her. Her mind wandered in a hundred different directions. God, why couldn’t life be easy? Just when things were finally working out between Vedant and her, this new bomb had fallen on their heads. She only prayed that whatever it was, it didn’t hurt any of them.

She shut her eyes, but it took her a long time to finally fall asleep.