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A few people turn at my outburst, but the only person I care about turns around with surprise. His eyes widen when he registers my face, and they somehow widen even more when he takes in my outfit. I gulp in another lungful of air, grab my skirt, and stomp over to him. He takes the hint and starts walking toward me.
When we meet in the middle, we’re both silent. Me because I’m struggling to catch my breath, and Sarfaraz because he can’t seem to find any words to say. He can only stare at me in utter shock. After a stunned moment, he speaks. “What are you doing here?” he asks, his voice numb. “You’re supposed to be at your wedding.”
I look down at my outfit, then back up at him. “Well, I was planning on being there...” I explained, twisting my fingers. “But the mood kinda died when I called off the wedding, so I bailed.”
Sarfaraz’s jaw drops. “You called it off?” he wonders, a hint of hope lining his tone.
“Actually, Imtiaz did...” I correct “...when he realized his bride didn’t want to marry him.”
His lips pull downward. “Maya, if this has anything to do with—”
“Watch the ego,” I cut him off. “You didn’t do this.” I pause, tilting my head to the side. “Well, not technically. What you did was help me realize that marriage needs to be more than one person constantly giving up. It needs to be about compromise. It’s about the messy fights, but it’s also about making up and making messes and showing up for each other, every day.”
Hope lines his forehead, but his tone is still hesitant as he asks, “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I don’t know if I love you,” I start. “It’d be crazy of me to say that after only like, a week.” I step closer to him. “But I do know that I can’t sleep at night unless you’re the one next to me. I know that no one has made me feel so safe or secure since my dad left. I know that when I think of happiness, I think of your laugh, because it’s all I need to hear to make me smile. I know you’re a terrible travel companion, and a know-it-all, and that you’d rather pull away from love than walk toward it because you’ve been burned too many times.” I step toward him again, and now we’re chest to chest. I have to tip my head back to continue staring into his eyes, which are starting to get misty. “I know we drive each other crazy, and that we’ve hurt each other, and we probably will hurt each other again.” My throat tightens, and I drop my voice. “But I know we can count on each other to be there, even when it’s hard.” I raise a shaky hand and caress his cheek. His stubble is scratchy underneath my fingers, but it sends a thrill through my stomach. Sarfaraz relaxes immediately when I touch him, sending a flare of hope down my spine. “And what I know the most is that when it comes to us, I don’t know anything.” My heart thumps against my chest, threatening to fall right out. “But if you’re willing, I want to find those answers with you.”
Now that the words have rushed out of me, I stop, trying to collect myself. Sarfaraz doesn’t move. He doesn’t pull away from my touch, but he hasn’t responded yet, either. My stomach flips, and for a second, I think I’ve made the wrong decision, that maybe he’s too good of a man to want to get with his brother’s ex, or that he doesn’t like me the same way I like him, but before my thoughts can spiral any further, Sarfaraz gently reaches up. He wraps a stray curl around his finger, and then tucks it behind my ear. I open my mouth, but he swallows my words with a kiss.
Any and all rational thoughts fly right out the window. I grab his face, kissing him back. We’re in a public place, but neither one of us cares as he wraps his arms around my lower back and pulls me to his chest. I thread my fingers through his hair, snaking my arms around his neck as we continue to kiss. His beard scratches my face and smudges my lipstick, but I don’t even care. In fact, I relish in the tingles that touch my face and run down the rest of my body.
We both have to stop for air. We’re panting, our breaths coming rough and ragged, but Sarfaraz breaks into a huge grin as he nudges his nose against mine. “I can’t believe you did this.” He laughs breathlessly. “I can’t believe you ran out on your wedding.”
“Technically, I was the one who got jilted,” I remind him, a giggle rumbling my chest. “But I can’t, either. I didn’t know I had it in me.”
He pulls back. “What about your laws?”
I hum for a second, then grin. “Well, I spoke to my lawyer, and he told me that some laws are meant to be broken.”
Sarfaraz smirks. “Sounds like a terrible lawyer.”
“I’m definitely paying him too much.”
He laughs, and I’m reminded again of why it’s my favorite thing: it sounds like a warm loving home. His face drops, and he tightens his grip around my waist. “I’m sorry I didn’t fight for you,” he whispers. “Last night when we said goodbye, I knew what you were asking. I couldn’t bring myself to take away what could have been my brother’s happiness, even if it meant sacrificing my own. But...” He toys with the end of one of my curls. “I know that’s a sore spot for you.”
“It’s okay,” I tell him. I rest my palm on the spot where his pulse races under my touch. “I needed to fight for you, too. I needed to stop running.”
When he beams at me, it’s like he’s brought light to an incredibly dark cave. “So,” he starts, “you’ve beaten your bad-luck curse.”
I click my tongue, gripping his arms and leaning back. I pretend to take in his body. “I don’t know,” I tease. “You still seem like a real risk.”
Sarfaraz flashes me a look that says he’s not impressed, so I let go of him and step back. He frowns. “What are you doing?”
I don’t respond. Instead, I drop down to one knee. He doesn’t even bother to conceal the shock flitting on his face, his jaw going slack. I smirk. “Sarfaraz Porter, will you go out on a date with me, and then take it from there? With no pressure from anyone on what we do and when we do it?”
He shakes his head, but he still laughs. “Yes,” he answers. He hauls me to my feet. He sweeps me into his arms and lifts me into the air, spinning me a few times. He sets me back down on my feet, then kisses me again. It’s a quick moment, but I remind myself that it’s not the last kiss I’ll ever receive from him. “Okay, so I definitely missed my bus,” he states.
I gaze up at him. “You know, sometimes the wrong bus can take you to the right station.”
Sarfaraz leans back. “Isn’t it a train?”
I can’t help the impressed squeal that erupts from my throat. “So, you were paying close attention when we watched Crash Landing on You!”
He shrugs nonchalantly, but he still grins. “So, now what?”
I grab his wrist and check his watch. “Well, it’s past Dhuhr.” I look up at him. “We could either hit up my wedding reception where both our families are waiting around and wondering what happened, or we could go grab lunch somewhere.”
Sarfaraz pulls his lips back at the mention of our families. He pretends to think on it for a second, then says, “I think we should grab lunch.”
