The Boy Toy - Nicola Marsh Page 0,76

had been bugging her.

“Hey, I heard through the grapevine his wife’s expecting their second child. That’s a massive gap between kids. Do you know what that’s about?”

Pia’s eyes widened in surprise. “It’s not like you to ask about the asshole.”

“Just curious.”

Pia shrugged. “People don’t talk around me when it has anything to do with him because they know we’re close, so no, I have no idea.” A cheeky glint lit her eyes for the first time in a long time. “Maybe his dick shriveled and he couldn’t get it up.”

Samira laughed, and thankfully, Pia joined in. It wasn’t that funny, but with the pent-up tension between them draining away, they laughed long and loud, until tears seeped from their eyes.

When their laughter petered out, Pia’s expression turned serious again. “I’m sorry for overreacting to your baby news, but I’ll be honest, Sam: it’s going to take me a while to process, and until then, I’m not going to be the best support person for you.”

“That’s okay.”

Though it wasn’t. Pia was her best friend, and without her to bounce ideas off or share her fears, Samira knew she’d be lost.

“How did Rory take the news . . .” Pia’s hand flew to her mouth. “Have you told Kushi yet? Man, she’s going to freak.”

“Actually, Mom was pretty good about it, a lot better than expected. And Rory’s come around.”

“I bet he didn’t freak as badly as I did.”

“Not quite, but it was a shock.”

“For us all.” Pia managed a wry smile. “I know I don’t have to say this, but please don’t mention anything to your mom about me and Dev having problems.”

Samira made a zipping motion over her lips. “I hope the retreat helps clarify things for you.”

“Me too.”

“I’m here for you,” Samira said, pulling her in for a quick hug. “Anytime.”

“Thanks.”

Pia didn’t say the same, and Samira couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Then again, at least they were talking again and Pia had been honest about needing time to process. She couldn’t expect miracles.

“Shall we do handover tomorrow?”

Pia nodded. “Let’s meet at three in the conference room.”

“Deal. And Pia?”

“Yeah?”

“For what it’s worth, I like Dev, always have, but it takes two to make a marriage work. If he’s struggling with everything, maybe he should seek professional help?”

If her bluntness surprised Pia, she didn’t show it. It may have sounded harsh, but Samira wished someone had given her honest advice about marriage when she’d felt alone in hers.

“We had fertility counseling before starting IVF, but the way he’s spiraling, I think he needs more.” Pia raised stricken eyes to hers. “I’ve mentioned it a few times, but he gets defensive or shuts down.”

“If you two are in this for the long haul, perhaps give him a gentle shove and make the appointment?”

Pia didn’t respond, but Samira almost saw the thoughts pinging around her head. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“I know Avi was a lying, cheating asshole, but did you blame yourself just a tad for your marriage breakdown when you couldn’t conceive?”

Remembering the guilt and sorrow at the time, Samira nodded. “It didn’t make sense, because he broke us, not me, but I always wondered if I’d been able to have a baby, would he not have strayed. Why do you ask?”

“Because I know Dev blames himself for our predicament. I’ve never made him feel that way, but I’m afraid the more insular Dev becomes, the more he withdraws from me, I won’t know what to do to drag him back to me, if that makes sense.”

Samira nodded. “Perfect sense. I felt incredibly guilty, which is irrational, because medical problems happen, but I also felt worthless and helpless and a big fat failure.”

“I’m so sorry you felt that way.” Tears shimmered in Pia’s eyes. “I can imagine how my big, brave husband, who’s been a high achiever since he started school, might be feeling the same way, and I don’t want him to be self-flagellating.”

“I really think he needs to see a professional. You too, sweetie.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Pia said, reaching out to touch her arm before heading for the door. “Thanks for the great advice as usual. See you tomorrow.”

Samira wished she could ease her cousin’s pain, but she had a feeling things would get worse before they got better. She liked Dev, he was a good guy, and he adored Pia. They were a great couple, and she really hoped they could work through their issues. It saddened her. Just as her life was looking up, her cousin’s