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.

to gain the courage to say what I have

my head. "He was my best friend. We were

to interrupt, even when I take a break to stop

that he knew me better than I knew myself. I

a part of my soul was

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

1/3

Chapter 10

anymore. I don't I don't know if capable feeling things anymore. He was so happy all the time, and now I never feel happy. I'm scared

laugh breaks into a cry and I cover my mouth so

his side of the booth. I just feel him when he sits beside me, wrapping

let him hold

Zaid, of all people.

hold me and I cry into him long enough for me to regain my

feel him press a kiss to my

bruise on the side of my face. Anger reignites in his eyes, but he keeps

doing and I take his offer of help, his offer of distraction. "Yeah, I'm fine. I

from my shoulder but he doesn't move back to

shake my head, watching him as he pulls

Will even in there

blurt without thinking,

tenses beside me, tilting his head to

knowing my mistake.

what does she have

shrug. "I guess she

Zaid inhales slowly. "Why?"

"Becasue of Aiden."

darkens and he leans

just forget this part of the

Aiden have to do

deep breath, thinking about my words before I speak

His jaw clenches.

We

we almost kissed?"

She saw us."