Ruin In Royals (Royal #1: Book 2) | ✔

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-• the poet and his poetry •-

"You really didn't have to drive me home. Vivaan Bhai was there. He could have dropped me home or asked someone -"

"Tara," Shourya interrupts. I hum. "Just say thank you. It's not that hard." He glances at me with a boyish smile.

I nod. "Right. Thank you." I nibble on the inside of my lower lip, twisting and wringing my fingers in my lap as I pretend to stare outside the window.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Can you?" I raise a brow.

He chuckles. "Sorry, Miss. England, may I ask you something?"

I laugh. "Yes, you may."

The smile on his face lightens, he grows a little more serious. A slight shift in the seat, a clear of his throat before he inhales deeply. "Are you- are you done with him?"

I sit straight. "Yes."

"For good?"

I nod, the words heavy on my tongue.

"Do you regret it?"

I shrug. "I don't know. Regrets don't settle in until much later, until it's too late." My eyes shift to him. "But I'd be lying if I say it didn't hurt."

His head turns. "I understand." Then he looks back at the road.

"I'm sorry for pulling you into this mess." I place my hand on his bicep. "You needed an answer and I left you hoping. I'm really sorry."

"No," he shakes his head, cupping the back of my hand as I go to pull it away. "You never gave me hope. I couldn't give up." He smiles at me in assurance. "And I'm glad I didn't."

"Why?" I smirk. "Because you've a chance now?" I retract my hand. He quickly grasps it, bringing it back on his arm, squeezing it gently. "What are you doing?" The smirk transforms into a shy smile.

"Friends who hold hands?" His attention constantly shifts from me to the road.

I guffaw aloud, escaping his hold to slap his arm.

"You'll never go back to him, right?" He asks, and the fear in his voice makes me feel wanted, belonged, like I'm something he's madly desperate for, and can't afford losing. "You'll never give him another chance?"

I shake my head. "He doesn't deserve it."

"And what if you're unable to forget him?"

I sigh. "My father once told me he wants me to fall for a man who's brave enough to fight for our love. And Rudra isn't that man. He has found his home in the dark. And I don't want to force him out of there. Later, it'd be nothing but a blame game."

"I thought you'd resent him?" Shourya asks in a whisper.

"I wanted to." I nod. "When he left, I wanted to go after him and expose him to everyone. But that'd make me petty. And I hate leaving a bad impression on people. I'm a people's pleaser, you see?" I sneak in a joke to loosen the tension. He smiles. "He isn't comfortable becoming more than a secret and I'm not comfortable staying as one for him."

"So, you're never meeting him again?"

"I can't speak for the future." I shrug. Then it strikes me, "Wait, aren't you half brothers? Are you fine knowing I've a history with your brother?" I ask worriedly. "If you've a good bond-"

"Don't worry about it." He shakes his head. "We're good."

I nod slowly. The silence falls comfortably between us. Frequent car honks sometimes fill the void.