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

and dread fills me up to

here and she could live with Jake and the

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

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It Will Never Be

end of the day.

yesterday. His confession that he's marrying my mother just

Fuck.

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

as him. The larger part of me was

could get a place

And what?

a future with

I don't.

fun. He makes me feel normal; he

the thoughts away and shove another

mother says as she walks to

hands.

is fully furnished, and I'm

car, my stomach churning as

house is silent, my nerves eating me up too much to let me speak. Not that I have

for us outside. His tall 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

says, his voice low as I step out of the

look away, my pulse racing. His words from yesterday echo in

only

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It Will Never Be

I'll get

position. And yet, I can't stop the wild flutter in my chest whenever he looks at me,

helps carry our boxes inside, leading the way to my new room. My mother follows close behind, chattering

room," Jake

scanning the space. It's clean and impersonal, with a bed, a small desk for schoolwork, and a vanity tucked in the corner. There's no bathroom. The realization that I'll have to share

room is sandwiched right between

another room?" I ask before I can

whirls on me, her tone sharp. "Alina, don't be

at the floor. Grateful? Grateful for what? That I've been uprooted and shoved into this house to play happy family with Jake? With

and