Secrets of Us A Forbidden Love Romance (Alina)

Chapter 137

Stay With Me

The next few days pass in exactly the same way.

It's all a haze.

I wake up, go to school, come home and pretend like everything is fine. Even if it's not. February always does this to me. Just the reminder of that day sends me into a mental

and physical spiral.

The weight of it settles deep inside, pressing down on me.

It's been two years. Two years since the accident. Two years since I lost my dad and my brother. And still, no matter how much time passes, no matter how much love I have surrounding me, February drags me down into a place I don't know how to escape from.

Zaid tries to shake me from my mood, but not even his comfort is enough to chase my demons away. Aiden knows something is up, but he never really questions me, even when

we talk.

Jake has been avoiding me completely.

I avoid intimacy, flinching at the thought of letting myself feel too much. But every night,

like clockwork, when the loneliness becomes unbearable, I find myself in Zaid's bed.

He never asks questions. He just holds me.

I make it as far as Tuesday before Jake has had enough

We're all sitting at the dinner table, the quiet sound of forks clinking against plates filling the air. I barely pick at my food, my appetite nonexistent.

Then Jake sets his fork down. The sound is deafening.

"I need to know what's going on," he says, his voice steady.

I tense when I lift my gaze to his. He's not angry, just hurt, and he's looking right at me.

"You've been distant. You get home from school and barely say a word to us. You haven't

been sleeping with me. Is something wrong? Did- Did I do something?"

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Stay With Me

neither of them saying or doing

at my plate, my fingers clenching in my

glance at him, his gaze is gentle but urging, silently

as he glances between

on?"

I inhale.

at Zaid. "What do you

voice barely above a whisper when I finally

can feel their

back in his chair,

you were talking about Valentine's

so sorry," Jake trails off, his

pushes back his chair and walks around the table, wrapping his arms around me from behind. His chin rests on

want to bring it up. I didn't want it to ruin anything. I don't know if I want to do anything

his head. "You're not ruining anything. We just-" He sighs, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "We want to

that. I do. But how can

topic. I'm thankful that I

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board games and cards to keep

I get competitive.

So do they.

Aiden of cheating. He just laughs. "What? Because I'm winning I have to

winning by way too large a margin,” Jake shakes his head, wrapping

chest and laugh. "Aiden, come on, be

a stack of

his cards on the table. "I knew you weren't that

hair, and the steady beat of his heart is soothing. We listen as Zaid and Aiden recount

my waist. His breath

letting myself focus on his warmth. On his touch. I

him

whatever distraction he can offer. I'm done with

I nod.