Steph groaned. “Do we have to?” She could just imagine the torment of facing relatives who would judge her harshly for the decision she had made.
Elora opened her door then, her expression brooking no argument. “Yes, we do. You should have thought of the repercussions before you ran off.”
“Great,” Steph said, not moving.
She could still smell the ocean on her skin, the slight scent of the sunscreen Mehdi had rubbed on her back still lingering on her bedding. She secretly hoped housekeeping didn’t change the sheets while they were gone. She wanted another chance to breathe it in.
“Come on then, let’s get going,” Elora said impatiently.
“Okay, okay. Let me just take a quick shower and I’ll be ready to go.”
Elora grunted something incoherent before closing the door behind her, clearly grumpy about having to face her family in the wake of Steph’s actions. Still, Steph knew her mother would be by her side, and that was what really mattered.
Reluctantly, Steph shed her clothing and stepped into a hot shower. It was nothing compared to the one she had experienced in Mehdi’s palace, but it still got the job done. She took a little extra time to enjoy the hot water on her tense shoulders before stepping out and dressing, braiding her hair to keep it in place.
When she stepped out into the living room, she found her parents ready to go, her father looking a little worse for wear.
“Are you all right, Dad?”
Jerry sniffed, but with one glance at her mother he stood a little straighter.
“Just a little jet lag. Nothing some fresh air can’t help.”
Steph nodded. She could see he wasn’t terribly thrilled about this outing either.
The three of them made their way out onto the street and hailed a cab, which drove them to the northern part of the city. There, the car pulled up in front of a large, teal-colored house.
“Here you are,” the driver said.
Elora paid the man before exiting the vehicle, and they all stood in front of the building, preparing themselves for a taxing afternoon. Steph had been surprised to see that she had slept into the afternoon, but she was grateful. Sunset would come all the faster for it.
They walked up to the front door and rang the bell, and a young girl opened it almost immediately.
“You’re here! I’m Beyah. I’m your cousin!”
The young girl’s enthusiasm was infectious, and Steph found a smile for her even as her stomach twisted into a nervous lump.
“Come in, come in!” Beyah said, grabbing Steph’s hand and pulling her inside.
Her two cousins from her wedding day were there, along with their husbands and several children. There were a few other people Steph didn’t know, and while she was introduced to everyone, she almost immediately forgot their names.
Shivika watched as they came into the kitchen, her eyes searching for and not finding the husband who should have been there.
“What is this? Where is your new husband? He would insult us by not joining you for this ceremonial meeting?”
Steph glanced at her mother, who nodded, which was in no way reassuring.
“There was no wedding,” Steph blurted out, and the room went silent.
Steph allowed her family to absorb that information. It felt so strange to have a room full of strangers so heavily invested in her marital status. She defiantly made eye contact with everyone in the room, though it was one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do.
“And why not?” Shivika asked.
Everyone continued to stare at Steph, who looked around with as much solemnity as she could muster.
“It turns out an arranged marriage isn’t in my future. I’m going to marry for love.”
The room burst with noise at that moment, the whole family beginning to argue. Steph could hardly hear a word anyone was saying. Then she felt a tug on her hand. Beyah was looking up at her with wide, brown eyes.
“I think that’s brilliant,” she said, beaming.
Steph patted her hand. “Thanks, Beyah. Now we just have to convince everyone else that it is, too.”
“We will,” Beyah said, still smiling.