I've said this before, but I absolutely love it when you give us insight into R&B's mind. Even the smallest parts you write from his perspective speak volumes about the person that he is.
1) "Are u up?" he texted and waited... until his eyes shut on him
2) She sent a heart. His skipped a beat.
Wow. So outrightly expressive these two moments were. At least for me as a reader...II of course has no clue that these two moments even happened.
What I love about R&B? That he is who he is. He loves his wife. Being the person that he is, he of course won't tell her outright. Being the person that his is though, he will express his love in his own subtle way. He has an inkling of her insecurities so he will choose to answer with "umm...sometimes." Sure he is lying to her and hiding things from her, but those white lies just seem so endearing when you understand the intention behind them. He senses her discomfort regarding the extravagance that she has married into, but he gets miffed when he realizes that her principles about not accepting the Bhalla wealth hold true for every Bhalla across the board. He hates that she treats him the same as everyone else in this regard. He wants to be special in her eyes in every regard. He wants all this, but he doesn't expect or demand any of it.
In any relationship, the essence of trust and love is not in its bind, but in its bond. R&B has chosen to hold the hand of the person whom he loves, rather than expecting her to hold his. He will not force himself or his thoughts onto her, but he will hold her hand tight and continue to live as he is. I just love that about him.