The Fashion of Love | Adult F/M Romance [COMPLETE]

ch. 8 - March

MARCH

March was marked by Hana's intensifying efforts to have Ravi home. Sora was the unlucky recipient of her labor one sunny afternoon at her house. Cristina had stepped out to give them privacy and Sora had a conference call in ten minutes. Nevertheless, Sora stood by and listened.

"Ravi listens to you. Can't you talk to him for me? I know I'm asking a lot-"

Sora's knees felt like water and she couldn't stand. She flopped into to her couch with none of her sister's preternatural grace. Sora felt like the intruder when it was her sister that was invading her home on an errand.

"You are, Hana. You're asking a lot. Ravi is my friend and he's had a difficult year. We both have. He doesn't come to me for relationship advice and I don't give it to him unsolicited. If he wants to talk about what's going on between the two of you, I'm more than happy to listen. I'm just not going to advocate for you to him if that's not what he wants to hear."

"But you will talk to him for me?"

Why did I bother wasting my breath? It's not like she ever listens to me.

"If he wants to talk, I will talk to him."

Hana clapped her hands in glee, then pulled Sora into a tight hug. Sora wanted to pack a bag and run as far away from Hana and her sisterly hugs as she could get. Nothing is ever worse for me than when Hana thinks she's getting her way, because she's usually right.

After Hana had gone, Sora retreated to Tommy's nursery with a pile of poetry books from college. Tommy had his nursery rhymes and Sora had her poems. It only seemed fair that for a change the tragedies she had in mind not be hers.

...

...

Sora had fretted her way through an otherwise pleasant lunch date with Ravi by the time she got an opportunity to plead her sister's case.

"You should think about talking to Hana."

Ravi tapped at his phone for a long minute before setting it aside. Dhiren must be texting in class again.

"I talk to Hana every other day, almost daily. I don't think I could talk to Hana more if we were living together."

"There's an idea to consider." Don't do it, not even for a trial run. She won't let you go. Sora was trying to be a good sister, she was.

Ravi glanced away from his next bite of lobster risotto to raise an eyebrow at her. "Where's this coming from?" Sora couldn't hold his eyes for long, choosing instead to stare at the tablecloth.

"I've just been thinking. I don't want you two to miss out on any more time together on my account." She could still feel Ravi watching her.

"You don't think you're worth a little discomfort?"