Secrets of Us A Forbidden Love Romance (Alina)

Chapter 60

It Will Never Be

I fold another sweater and shove it into the cardboard box in front of me, not bothering to

keep it neat.

It will be a pain to dig through the box and figure out where everything is, but I

don't

care.

Mother hums to herself as she walks down the hallway from her room to the hallway bathroom. She seems to be unbothered by the chaotic mess.

Clothes, books and random things are scattered everywhere, all over the floor.

I roll my eyes and peek my head out of my bedroom. "Are you expecting me to clean up

all this mess?"

Mother stops with her shampoo in her hands, frowning. "Of course not. Jake is hiring a cleaning company to take care of everything we leave behind. Just take what you want."

"How can you be so calm about this?" I ask.

She shrugs, walking toward her room again. "I'm ready to start this new chapter of

our

lives."

A new chapter. Yeah right. Something tells me nothing is going to change except our living situation. "Does Jake know you're an alcoholic?"

She gasps, jaw dropped. "Don't be so dramatic. So, I like to finish my day off with a glass

of wine, that doesn't make me an alcoholic, Alina."

I sneer at her. She says it's a glass of wine, but it's more like bottles. With an s.

Moving into Jake's house feels more like stepping into a twisted version of my life than

fresh start, and dread fills me up to

didn't even listen to me when I told her that I could keep living here and she could

rehearsal dinner. I don't know what's worse: pretending everything is fine or knowing I'll be living

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It Will Never Be

end of the day.

think about our conversation yesterday. His confession that he's

Fuck.

was a part of me that wanted to be flattered at that. That he wanted me under

him. The larger part of

could get a

And what?

a future with

I don't.

fun. He makes me feel normal; he makes

and shove

says as she walks

hands.

house is fully furnished, and I'm

the last of the boxes into the car, my

nerves eating me up too much to let me speak. Not that I have anything I want to talk

frame leans casually against the doorframe, but his eyes are anything but relaxed. They're locked on me, intense and burning, and I can't help the way my heart skips a

his voice low as I step out of

His words from yesterday echo

only

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It Will Never Be

I'll get to

it, for putting me in this position. And yet, I can't stop the

my new room. My mother follows close behind, chattering about how nice everything

room," Jake

for schoolwork, and a vanity tucked in the

room is sandwiched right between

there another room?" I ask

her tone sharp. "Alina, don't be rude. You should be grateful

Grateful for what? That I've been uprooted and shoved into this house to play happy

and