I yanked open the front door to head out, the handle of the roller carry-on in my hand, just as Jahn had his fist raised to knock. Ma stood behind him.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“He found Liya,” Ma said with an approving and proud nod.
“Yeah. She moved to Dallas for a job offer,” I stated.
“You’re driving there right now?” Jahn asked.
“Yes.”
He stepped aside, “Well, hell. Go get her.”
“Thanks!”
Ma took hold of my elbow, and I paused to face to her. She touched my cheek and said, “You fight for her and never let go.”
“Of course. After all this—”
“After all this,” she said with determination, “is why I’m reaching out to Liya’s mother and not letting her go. After all this is why I’m taking these matters to others in mandir. Mukesh is madness that will infect the community. We won’t stand for this.”
“No. Don’t. It’s too much stress for you. I’ll take care of it.”
“I’ll help,” Jahn added. “Shilpa and I will both help. We already discussed this. In fact, there wasn’t anything to discuss.”
“Good,” Ma said. “But I will still help as well. We need more voices. And if Liya was my daughter, granddaughter, niece, sister, cousin, mother, friend, stranger…I would still raise my voice. This is corruption, and I will not stand quietly by. We have to protect other girls and support girls like Liya. Do you understand me?”
Jahn and I nodded and glanced at each other. How could we expect anything less from Ma? She loved our culture and religion and tradition, but she was the strongest woman I’d ever known. No wonder she loved Liya, too.
“Now go!” She shooed me down the hall. “And Jayesh!”
“Yeah, Ma?” I called back.
“If this means you must move to Dallas, then you must move to Dallas.”
“What?”
“You’ve lived your life for me, for us, but at some point, you have to live life for yourself. Besides, you don’t let a girl like Liya Thakkar get away.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Liya
Dallas was a large city, but calmer than Houston. I vowed to be a different person here, no longer running from problems and dealing with the past by being wild.
I’d just finished my preliminary HR round and headed to my new place, a short drive away. While parked in the parking garage beneath brightly lit ceilings, I went through my phone. Finally.
I sniffled. I missed Jay. So much. I knew I’d miss my girls, but I never imagined ever missing someone as much as I missed Jay. His relentless banter and willingness to volley with my arguments, his consideration, his smell, his touch. The way his lips made me feel at peace, and the way they made me unravel and shatter in bed. I could cry forever without him.
I’d finally found the courage to read Jay’s texts. He’d sided with me, believed me. I was too horrified and ashamed to respond to him. Wasn’t that ironic? I hadn’t done anything wrong, and yet I felt shame. I wanted to crawl into a dark corner and die. I didn’t want to see anyone, even if they sided with me.
His texts were to be savored like the last slice of bacon in the world. I could never face him again after that humiliation. And so what if his texts said that he didn’t believe Mukesh? Or that he loved me unconditionally? Why hadn’t he come after me when I walked out? What kept him in that room for so long? Why didn’t he say anything to stop them from talking?
I wiped my tears and called Momma to tell her I was in Dallas.
“Good,” she said, a smile in her tone.
“Are you okay with me living in Dallas?”
“I want you to be happy. You need this and you worked for this.”
“I worry about you, still. With Dad. Now things are out in the open.”
“Things are rough.”
I let out a ragged breath. I never intended to hurt her.
“But things are changing,” she added. “And Jay’s mom is a very strong woman. She is just like you, and she’s stuck to my side. She is helping me to learn how to stand up for myself.”
I wiped my tears and caught my breath before I could reply, “I’m eternally grateful for her.”
“Things will change slowly.”
“Is Dad enraged with you?”
“He hasn’t said a word to me, and I don’t care.”
“Just remember that you always have a home with me, Momma.”
“I know. I’m sorry for all of this. For not standing up for you. What kind of mother am I?” she asked, her voice cracking.
I did a poor job keeping in my sobs when I replied, “A good mother. You were scared, just like me.”
“Did you speak with Jay?” she asked with a shuddering breath. “Did he find you?”
“What?”
She told me what had happened after I left. She told me how Jay stood up for me, how he acted against Mukesh and Dad, how he and his mother protected her.
After we hung up, I leaned my head back against the seat and dried my face. I needed to call Jay. How could I ever have doubted him or felt too embarrassed to face him? We had to meet and speak in person. Maybe I could drive down so he wouldn’t have to come all the way up. Maybe he could get off work early and we could have the rest of the day to chat.
I drew in a very long, deep breath and called Jay.
He picked up the phone on the second ring. “Hey,” he said, his voice throaty but calm.
“Hi.”
“I’m sorry—” we both started at the same time and then chuckled at ourselves.
I climbed out of the car, my heart racing and aching. What I wouldn’t give to be in his arms right now.
“How are you?” he asked.
“I don’t know. My head is clearer.”
“In Dallas?”
I locked my door and began walking when someone three spots away got out of their vehicle. I kept an eye on him, his back turned to me as he closed the door. That car had come in shortly after I had, but the person sat there this entire time? The man was tall and broad with a tight white shirt and blue jeans. He reminded me of Jay. Hearing his voice on the phone made me light-headed, thinking every man could be him.
“Yes,” I replied. “We need to talk. I can…I can drive down.”
“There’s no need.”
My gut clenched. Why not?
The guy ahead locked his car. He had a phone to his ear. The sound of his car alarm echoed off the phone. Then he slipped his phone into his pocket and turned toward me.
I buckled. My hands lurched out to grab onto something. They reached for him, for Jay. He was faster than possible and caught me. My thoughts reeled.
I was in his arms. He leaned down and asked, “Liya?”
That voice. That deep, throaty, sexy voice.
I closed my eyes, my lashes wet with tears. As I caught my breath, he helped me upright but didn’t let go, and I hoped he never did. I swallowed hard and admitted, “I um, maybe shouldn’t have left like that.”
Before I could formulate another sentence, Jay pulled me into him. He kissed me.