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

and Zaid are quiet, neither of

throat tightens. I stare at my plate, my

his gaze is

his brows furrowing as he glances between us. "What is

on?"

I inhale.

his look at Zaid. "What do you know that she

I finally

I can feel their eyes burning

sharply, and Jake leans back in

when you were

I'm so sorry," Jake trails off, his expression shifting

his chair and walks around the table, wrapping his arms around me from behind. His chin rests on my shoulder, and he squeezes me tight. "You should've told us. We would have understood

shrug, blinking back the burning in my eyes. "I didn't want to bring it up. I didn't want it

head. "You're not ruining anything. We just-" He sighs,

I do. But how can they help? What can

topic. I'm thankful that

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Stay With Me

board games and cards to keep my mind busy.

I get competitive.

So do they.

coffee table when we all suspect Aiden of cheating. He just laughs.

large a margin,” Jake shakes his head, wrapping an arm around

back against his chest and laugh. "Aiden, come on, be

a

back, throwing his cards on the table. "I knew you weren't that smart." That

run absentmindedly through my hair, and the steady beat of his heart is soothing. We listen as Zaid and Aiden recount stories from when they were

hand and draws circles on my waist. His breath fans my ear and he whispers. "Stay

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

him

for whatever distraction he can offer.

I nod.