door to the house and snuck in, hoping no one had noticed Quasar’s car on their street. He could hardly drop her off at the market damp and disheveled, so she had to take the risk.
“Where have you been?” She almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of Khalid’s voice.
“Why are you home from school so early?”
He stood in the hallway looking gangly and awkward in his too-small school uniform. At fifteen, he was going through a teenage growth spurt and had shot up about three inches just since she’d been home. “Our algebra teacher is having surgery. They let us go home. Why are your jeans wet at the bottom?” His eyes traveled back up to meet hers. “And why are you wearing jeans at all. I thought Dad told you to dress traditionally.”
“I’m a grown-up. I can dress how I want.” She attempted to sweep past him but the hallway was narrow and their elbows bumped.
“Hmm. Sounds like you were doing something you’re not supposed to.”
“I know. Walking around without a male relative. It’s a shame you weren’t here or I could have taken you with me to the dry cleaner.”
“How did you get wet at the dry cleaner?” He was following her down the hallway.
“I stepped in a ditch. Someone must have just emptied water in it.” The lie made her flesh creep a little. It was pathetic that she couldn’t even tell her own younger brother that she’d spent the afternoon in the mountains. He’d probably be interested in hearing about the steppe eagle they saw, but she knew her father would freak out and possibly never leave her unattended again if he knew she’d been out in a car with a strange man. There was no way she could tell the truth.
Which was ridiculous. “Are you going to follow me into the shower?”
“Why are you taking a shower in the middle of the afternoon?” Her brother’s question grated on her nerves. He wasn’t a bad kid. She’d been trying to get to know him since she’d been back here, since the age difference between them meant they’d never been especially close. He’d only been about six when she’d gone off to the United States for college. He was very by-the-book, though. The kind of person who’d never be able to sleep at night if his homework wasn’t done and his teeth not brushed. He was not someone she’d dare confide in.
“I’m hot. It’s always hot here in Oman, but I guess I’m not used to it anymore.”
“What’s it like living in America? I bet it’s pretty cool.”
His wistful voice made her turn. Leaning against the wall he looked much less like an inquisitor and more like a curious fifteen-year-old. “It is pretty cool. The food takes some getting used to but there’s stuff going on all day and night and more places to go than you can imagine.”
“Do you think Dad would let me go there for college? He let you go.”
She sighed. “I don’t know.” He probably wouldn’t be willing to risk another of his offspring going astray. She hadn’t exactly stuck with the program. “Wait until the dust has settled. I think he’s still stirred up about me being back here with my life in shambles. He doesn’t think America is a very good influence.”
“Do you think it’s a bad influence?”
She frowned. “No. It’s big, though, and confusing. You have to be careful or you can just...get lost.” She’d lost herself, giving her heart and soul to a man who could never be happy.
At least now she could see that the fault lay with him. It had taken some time to gain that perspective. And even now she wondered what she could have done differently. What she could do differently in the future so she didn’t screw up again.
Quasar was different. Excitement flickered in her heart at the thought of him. Khalid walked back down the hall toward his own room, and she sagged with relief. She’d been afraid to even let Quasar cross her mind until her brother had taken his keen eyes off her. She worried about what he might see—a telltale
“Where have you been?” She almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of Khalid’s voice.
“Why are you home from school so early?”
He stood in the hallway looking gangly and awkward in his too-small school uniform. At fifteen, he was going through a teenage growth spurt and had shot up about three inches just since she’d been home. “Our algebra teacher is having surgery. They let us go home. Why are your jeans wet at the bottom?” His eyes traveled back up to meet hers. “And why are you wearing jeans at all. I thought Dad told you to dress traditionally.”
“I’m a grown-up. I can dress how I want.” She attempted to sweep past him but the hallway was narrow and their elbows bumped.
“Hmm. Sounds like you were doing something you’re not supposed to.”
“I know. Walking around without a male relative. It’s a shame you weren’t here or I could have taken you with me to the dry cleaner.”
“How did you get wet at the dry cleaner?” He was following her down the hallway.
“I stepped in a ditch. Someone must have just emptied water in it.” The lie made her flesh creep a little. It was pathetic that she couldn’t even tell her own younger brother that she’d spent the afternoon in the mountains. He’d probably be interested in hearing about the steppe eagle they saw, but she knew her father would freak out and possibly never leave her unattended again if he knew she’d been out in a car with a strange man. There was no way she could tell the truth.
Which was ridiculous. “Are you going to follow me into the shower?”
“Why are you taking a shower in the middle of the afternoon?” Her brother’s question grated on her nerves. He wasn’t a bad kid. She’d been trying to get to know him since she’d been back here, since the age difference between them meant they’d never been especially close. He’d only been about six when she’d gone off to the United States for college. He was very by-the-book, though. The kind of person who’d never be able to sleep at night if his homework wasn’t done and his teeth not brushed. He was not someone she’d dare confide in.
“I’m hot. It’s always hot here in Oman, but I guess I’m not used to it anymore.”
“What’s it like living in America? I bet it’s pretty cool.”
His wistful voice made her turn. Leaning against the wall he looked much less like an inquisitor and more like a curious fifteen-year-old. “It is pretty cool. The food takes some getting used to but there’s stuff going on all day and night and more places to go than you can imagine.”
“Do you think Dad would let me go there for college? He let you go.”
She sighed. “I don’t know.” He probably wouldn’t be willing to risk another of his offspring going astray. She hadn’t exactly stuck with the program. “Wait until the dust has settled. I think he’s still stirred up about me being back here with my life in shambles. He doesn’t think America is a very good influence.”
“Do you think it’s a bad influence?”
She frowned. “No. It’s big, though, and confusing. You have to be careful or you can just...get lost.” She’d lost herself, giving her heart and soul to a man who could never be happy.
At least now she could see that the fault lay with him. It had taken some time to gain that perspective. And even now she wondered what she could have done differently. What she could do differently in the future so she didn’t screw up again.
Quasar was different. Excitement flickered in her heart at the thought of him. Khalid walked back down the hall toward his own room, and she sagged with relief. She’d been afraid to even let Quasar cross her mind until her brother had taken his keen eyes off her. She worried about what he might see—a telltale
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