Secrets of Us A Forbidden Love Romance (Alina)

Chapter 100

A Messy Christmas Eve

Hours later, we have the kitchen smelling like cinnamon, melted chocolate, and warm

vanilla.

Aiden is concentrating hard as he measures out the ingredients for the chocolate cherry cake I have him making while Zaid looks absolutely ridiculous with oven mitts over his hands. He is squatting in front of the oven, looking through the glass pane as the pies we made finish baking.

Flour dusts the countertops, smears across Aiden's cheek, and somehow, there's powdered sugar in Zaid's hair.

I keep my smile tucked between my teeth. They look adorable. For a few blissful hours, I forget everything.

I forget the burning questions circling my mind about what exactly we are. I forget the ache in my chest that lingers from losing my family. I forget the emptiness that contes with knowing my mother will not be here for Christmas and wondering where our relationship will go now.

Right now, there is only the warmth of the kitchen, the heat of the oven, and the teasing laughter that fills the air.

"Aiden, you don't have to measure that perfectly," I say, lifting an eyebrow as he leans over the counter to check that his measuring cup is level.

He raises an eyebrow at me. "You're bossy in the kitchen."

"Yes, because I actually know what I'm doing," I say before turning to Zaid. "You-" Zaid's grin is already mischievous as he stands from his squat. "Yes, ma'am?"

I snicker. "The pies aren't ready?"

"Well, that's what I was looking in on before you interrupted."

I roll my eyes and move to check on the cookie dough that I've been working on.

Zaid walks up behind me and presses a soft kiss to my shoulder before sneaking another

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A Messy Christmas Eve

onto my neck, his hands ghosting over my waist before he pulls back to continue his oven vigilance

I shiver at the touch.

We work in silence for a few minutes. I roll out the cookie dough into little balls, and Zaid pulls the pies from the oven. He sets them out to cool.

"They smell so good," Aiden whispers before leaning in and kissing the side of my head.

If I don't stop them,

here and now.

need to focus,"

Aiden grins. "Yes, chef."

snorts. "Happy to

when I taste-test Aiden's batter,

his eyes with a grin on his face.

all be dead

gasps, clutching his chest dramatically. "That was one time, and

the food poisoning," Zaid barks

anything, a handful of flour flies across the kitchen

smacks into Zaid's chest.

Aiden,

ready.

but Aiden ducks away,

covering the countertops,

protest, Zaid grabs me and throws me over

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A Messy Christmas Eve

kicking my legs. "Zaid,

can do, love.

the giggle

sure Zaid gets hit, anyway. The three of us dissolve into chaos,

we're a mess, covered head

clean," I pant,

need to clean up the mess you made," Zaid says pointedly to Aiden, licking chocolate cake batter from my

think we can pin.this

the front

we do hear when

Silence falls.

my heart lurching when I see Jake

locked on me, on Zaid's arm still

Shit.

Zaid doesn't move, his grip still firm, his

this isn't anything unusual.

But I panic.