“Well, of course you did!” 
“Okay, but surely she can trust me by now? After all we've been through,” Rithik cut us off, glancing briefly at me before turning to Kylie.
“She trusts you that's why she dated you,” Kylie replied. “I don't think the breakup has to do with you in particular, Rithik. It's more about her... or your families? I think her encounter with your relative triggered something that only she knows. I guess running away was like a fight -or -flight response for her then. A survivor's behaviour.”
So Kylie did study psychology, alright. Her words seemed to resonate with me. I had an urge to thank her but not like this. Not when she was out to expose me, even if it was out of goodwill. The so called psycho- analysis of Natasha went on. I mostly tuned out of the conversation until I couldn't take the bullshit anymore. I briskly walked away from the room. Thankfully, Kylie let me. 
“I think this step back could benefit Natasha. It would give her space to confront her fears and feelings once for all, without the pressure of your relationship or marriage...” I heard the distant voice of Kylie saying to Rithik, which brought a content smile on my face. Finally a person who understood. 
Surprisingly, Rithik didn't pester me later that night. In fact he barely talked to me at all. I stretched my hand on the length of the bed where I laid. It was empty and cold. 
* * *
I fluttered my eyes open to the sight of Rithik sleeping comfortably next to me. Streams of morning light fell from the gaps of the curtain, making his silhouette shine slightly. It did something to my heart. Something warm and fuzzy. Before I knew it, I reached out to grab his large hand and lay it warm against my cheek. His eyes blinked open when my lips brushed against his palm. I kissed it gently. 
“Hmm, morning, love...” 
His sheepish voice did it. I closed the distance between us and slipped my arms around his waist. 
“What's the matter?” His voice coursed gently while his hand stroked my hair.
I nuzzled against his bare chest, remaining mum as my eyes stung with tears. I blinked them away. Rithik sighed in resignation, embracing me back. I simply wanted to sink his presence into my being. The more he was around, the weaker my resolve became to stay away. Just spending a night without him was making me hysterical. Like missing a pillow on a bed. Damn him! He shouldn't have bothered to come. Now I don't know how to stay away from him, without my heart breaking to pieces. 
“Why didn't you sleep here? I was waiting for you, dummy!” I finally spoke, pouting. “Were you angry?” 
“No, no, babe. Sorry, my mind was preoccupied. I missed you, too and came around four,” He said, caressing my face, followed by a kiss on my forehead. 
“Good,” I pecked his cheek and we shared a weak smile. “Let's not spend time away from each other while you are here.” 
Rithik opened his mouth, but then closed it, “I agree. Skip office today.” 
“I want to, trust me!” I whined. I thought for a while, taking out my mobile to check the calendar. All clear. I grinned cheekily at him. “Let's go on a short trip this weekend. Just the two of us.” 
His eyes lit up. “Now we are talking! Where? New York?” 
“Fine, but overrated.” 
“Miami.” 
“That's just beaches and nightlife.” 
Henceforth, we fished out our phones to search for probable places for the trip. Problem was, there were too darn many and it was hard to single out one. We neither had a surplus of finances or time to visit multiple cities at once. Still, we took a risk by choosing the city farthest away from Boston. Most probably, we wouldn't visit the US ever again, so if we wanted to go, we had to go out with a bang.