Unwanted Girl. MK Schiller

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ and dancing. “Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi were a divine couple. They lived with their two divine children, Ganesha and his older brother Karthik. The two brothers were as opposite as the sun and moon. Ganesha was fat with a big belly and an elephant’s head.” Asha jutted her belly out, which made Sarah laugh. “Unlike his brother, Karthik was a beautiful boy full of strength and energy. The brothers loved each other very much, and they had great love and devotion to their parents, who were the rulers of the universe.”

      “Rulers of the universe? My, that’s a hard act to follow,” Sarah said.

      “Yes, it is, but both boys were smart and wise. One day, the other Gods began to question which one should take over for Shiva and Parvathi. They had a competition to decide.”

      “A competition?” Sister Sarah asked.

      “Yes, the boy who could go around the world three times and return home first would be the best one.

      Karthik, an athlete, immediately mounted his vehicle, the peacock, and rushed off on his voyage. He raced with great speed and grace. Ganesha was slow and fat. His vehicle was a rat.”

      “A rat?” Sarah asked in surprise.

      “Yes, Sister. A rat cannot beat a peacock.” The child sliced her hand through the air and shook her head as if to cement her point. “No way.”

      “Certainly not,” Sarah agreed.

      Asha smiled, tapping her head three times. “But wisdom is in the brain, not the body, and Ganesha didn’t need a vehicle at all. While Karthik flew around the world at lightening fast speeds, Ganesha circled his parents at a very slow pace. Once, twice, three times.” The girl demonstrated by walking three lazy circles around Sarah.

      “His father asked Ganesha why he wasn’t racing and allowing his brother to win. Ganesha explained he had already won. Both parents were confused at first, but not after Ganesha enlightened them.”

      The storyteller paused for affect, waiting for her audience to demand a conclusion. Sarah didn’t disappoint. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense, dear. How did he win?”

      “He said, ‘I’m your son, and to me, you two are my whole world. Why should I go farther to win the contest? Circling you is the same as going around the universe.’”

      “From that day on, it was decided Ganesha was indeed the wisest of the brothers. He teaches us any obstacle can be overcome, that solutions aren’t always obvious, and to honor your parents above all.”

      Sarah clapped her hands. “You are a wonderful storyteller, Asha. What a valuable lesson.”

      “Come, Sister,” Asha said, putting her hand in the nun’s and leading her to town where the tossing of colors took place. Men and women sprayed colored water on each other while dancing to the beat of a dholak, a two-handed drum. Children ran through the crowds with water balloons, carefully surveying the scene for their next targets. Asha heard the villager’s whispering about the strange duo of a little girl and the tall white woman. It wasn’t the kind of atmosphere in which one would expect to find a Catholic nun.

      Then again, Sarah and Asha were both peculiar in their own ways. Neither female was suited for the expectations of propriety set by others.

      Chapter 9

      Nick’s routine didn’t change. He jogged every morning, purchased a single white rose, dropped to his knees in front of Jenny’s grave, and attended meetings. But the cursor no longer mocked, and the vacant, blank pages rapidly colored themselves in meticulous eleven-point font. The hours between nine and midnight became his time with her. She didn’t belong to him, but that time with her did. Nick grew happier as the world shifted, a slow thaw melting away the last of the cold, bathing the dismal skies with precious light. “I brought you a plant,” she said, handing him a pot of dirt with a sprig of green sticking out of it. Nick regarded the peculiar object, holding it at an angle.

      Shyla laughed and took it from him. “It won’t bite. I thought you could use something stimulating.”

      “That’s why I have you.”

      Nick loved her voice, but perhaps her laugh was even lovelier. Careful, Dorsey, he warned himself for the umpteenth time since she’d entered his life. All of his concerns manifested in a millisecond, souring his good mood. She drinks juice boxes. She’s too innocent for you. You’re too different. She’s leaving soon. You’ll fuck her up. Why? Because you’re a fuck up, that’s why. He silenced the jerky ping-pong match going on in his head and focused his attention on her.

      She set the plant on the table. He helped her with her coat, as was his habit. She no longer acted surprised, but she did always smile gratefully. Today, her jeans were fitted, showing off the perfect curve of her hipbones. Nick allowed himself a few solitary seconds to take her in. Although she wore a simple black T-shirt, her breasts and waist were proportionate to perfection.

      She came out with a cup of water and slowly fed the potted foliage. He liked how comfortable she was in his home. It had taken a while to get to this place.

      “Thank you for the plant.” He made a note to buy more. After all, the surplus of air became dangerously low when she stood too close to him. Anything that expelled oxygen and purified his dirty thoughts would be a necessity at this point.

      “You’re welcome. Happy spring,” she said as if it was a holiday, then Nick realized based on what they wrote, it was a holiday for her.

      “Happy Holi, Shyla.”

      “Thank you, Nick.”

      He set up their meal and took the chair opposite her. “I’m getting tired of sandwiches.”

      “We could order a pizza again or Chinese.”

      Wisps of her hair fell around her face. She pushed them back with annoyance. The gesture both provoked and amused him. In the brief moment, all his previous reservations collapsed like a bad poker hand—folded but not forgotten. “I’d like to ask you out…on a date.”

      “Oh,” she said with hesitation.

      He sucked in a deep breath. Nice going, Dorsey. The meals they shared were simple, but to Nick, it was the best part of his routine day. He wondered if he had wagered away those hours because his dick wanted in on the conversation.

      “I take it you don’t want to go out with me?” The man, who would have considered himself a failure if he didn’t sleep with a woman on the second date, cursed himself for moving too fast. Truthfully, he wasn’t that guy anymore, except when the remnants of the miserable man-whore still rose occasionally…figuratively and literally.

      She bit her bottom lip. “It’s not that.” She took a deep breath. “I assumed we were dating.”

      Nick repeated her words in his head, a flood of relief and confusion battling to clarify her statement. “You think we’re dating?”

      She popped a cherry tomato in her mouth. Nick waited patiently for her to chew, all the while annoyed by cherry tomatoes, specifically the time it took to eat one. “Well, yes. We eat together almost every night. Sometimes we talk or write. Last week we watched a movie. Aren’t we dating?”

      “Technically, СКАЧАТЬ