Secrets of Us A Forbidden Love Romance (Alina)

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

He drives for a good 30 minutes and I look over at him nervously.

"Um, where are we going?"

"Just somewhere to eat, to talk."

Food sounds good, but the last thing I want to do is talk to him.

He parks at a little diner in the middle of nowhere and I can't help but feel a bit off balance for being here alone with him.

The hostess recognizes him right away, smiling a bit sadly at him. "Zaid, it's been a while since we've seen you. Do you want the usual booth?"

Zaid nods, placing his hands in his pockets as he walks behind her to a booth in the corner. We sit and she places the menus in front of us, smiling as she tells us that our waitress will be here in a few.

The diner is big, but still somehow cozy, glowing in warm oranges and pinks. There's a hum of conversation around us, the clatter of dishes and yelling from the kitchen filling the air.

"She knows you," I say as I peruse the menu, trying to start some type of conversation.

"They all do." His voice is gruff and when I lift my head, I catch him looking out the window, his eyes sad, his jaw clenching.

A waitress stops by our table and takes our order, leaving us alone again a few minutes later.

"Tell me about your brother," Zaid looks to me, his face serious. There's no taunt in his voice, no teasing in his eyes. No one has ever asked me that so directly.

My chest rises and falls. "Why?"

He shrugs. "So later, you can ask me about my mother."

Heat spreads through my chest and I see that pain, that vulnerability in the way he sits. His throat constricts as he swallows.

"No one asks me about her. No one wants to talk about her. I feel like I feel like I'm the only one that remembers her."

Tears prick my eyes and I don't try to stop them. I let them roll down my cheeks, I let them drip down my chin and I inhale. "Alex was the golden boy. Of my family. Of our school. Everyone loved him. He was-"

"Who was he to you?"

Shock spreads through my veins and I am left speechless by the kindness of his question. The waitress breaks the moment, setting our food down in front of us. Neither of us pay her much attention, wanting her to leave so we can continue our conversation.

at my fries, trying to gain the courage to say what I

was my best

take a break to stop my

that he knew me better than I knew myself. I almost feel

my soul was taken from me.

to him for confirmation but Zaid says nothing, he doesn't even move. His eyes just drink me in, they move across my face, taking in every inch of

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Chapter 10

happy all the time, and now I never feel happy. I'm scared I never will again. When we were young

laugh breaks into a cry and I cover

of the booth. I just feel him when he sits beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and bringing

him

Zaid, of all people.

I cry into him long enough for me to regain my

I feel him press a kiss to my forehead. I pull away and wipe my eyes.

I look up to him, he's studying the bruise on the side of my face. Anger reignites in his eyes, but he

even mind the change in topic, I appreciate it. He knows what he's doing and I take his offer of help, his offer of distraction. "Yeah, I'm fine. I think I might

he doesn't move back to his seat. "Do you want to talk

pulls his plate from the other side of

Will even in there with

I blurt without thinking, still sniffling

tenses beside me, tilting his head to look at

cringe, knowing my

does she have

guess she got

Zaid inhales slowly. "Why?"

"Becasue of Aiden."

darkens and he leans closer to

forget this part

does Aiden have

breath, thinking about my words

His jaw clenches.

We

we almost kissed?"

She saw us."