Raj To The Max

Chapter 23

After chatting people up, inhaling a good ol' portion of chips and dip, and devouring a borderline inappropriate amount of Shruti's chocolate chip cookies, I decided to discreetly look around the house for Riyaj. It wasn't easy—there were almost a hundred people in my house. A hundred people. I mean, I'd expected the turnout to be decent, but this? This was wild.

The scene was surreal. My living room, where I usually lounged around doing homework or scrolling on my phone, was now a buzzing hub of laughter, conversations, and the occasional person loudly complimenting the food. The playlist Nisha had so carefully curated blasted from the speakers, and everywhere I turned, people were mingling, laughing, and generally having a good time.

But Riyaj... where was Riyaj?

I scanned the clusters of people scattered around. My heart skipped a beat when I finally spotted him in the far corner of the dining room. He was standing there with Cris and Robin, who seemed animatedly talking about something.

I approached, feeling like every step I took weighed a hundred pounds.

When I got closer, Riyaj's face visibly tightened. The sharp line of his jaw, his steely eyes—they all screamed that he didn't want to be here, let alone talk to me.

"Hey, how are you?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light.

Before Riyaj could respond, Cris turned to me and said, "Yo, those cookies? Bussin'," with a goofy grin.

"Facts," Robin added.

Then, as if they couldn't read the room to save their lives, the two of them left to grab more cookies. Riyaj's hand twitched as he said, "W-wait," but they didn't stop. He clenched his jaw and sighed, looking almost as annoyed as I felt awkward.

Under the noise of the party, I leaned in slightly and said, "Hey. How've you been?"

He shrugged. "Not bad, I guess," he said, his tone so cold and detached it felt like a slap.

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat growing. "Ri..." I sighed and took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. "I was wondering if you wanted to talk outside."

For a second, I thought he'd tell me to leave, that this was pointless. But then he exhaled sharply and nodded. "Sure."

We walked outside, the cool night air hitting my face like a splash of water. The muffled sounds of the party inside gave the illusion of privacy, but the tension between us was thicker than ever.

I turned to face him, feeling like I was standing on the edge of a cliff. "Ri... I miss having you as my friend."

Riyaj crossed his arms, his face unreadable. "What's there to miss?"

The words hit me like a punch to the stomach. I sucked in a breath and said, "Ri, please. Why are you talking like this?"

"Don't you dare put this on me," he snapped, his voice sharp enough to cut through the cold air.

I clenched my fists at my sides, so many words burning on my tongue. But I swallowed them down and said, as evenly as I could, "Look... you have every right to be mad at me. But... I never ever cheated on you."

Riyaj's throat bobbed as he swallowed, his gaze narrowing. "How the fuck am I supposed to believe that?"

"You want proof?" I said, my voice trembling but steady enough to hold his gaze. "Before I broke up with you, Max tried to kiss me. I shoved him away, Ri. I told him I had a boyfriend. I didn't tell him before because I was scared—Russia isn't exactly the safest place for... people like us. But I told him in that moment."