Secrets of Us A Forbidden Love Romance (Alina)

Chapter 168

Crossing a Line

We're frozen.

Suspended in time. I can't breathe, can't think. My heart is pounding hard enough that I

can hear it in my ears.

Nikki and I stare at each other, wide eyed and breathless, tying to smooth our

faces so we

don't have the truth of our conversation written in our eyes.

She motions with her hands for me to take a deep breath, so I do.

I take a breath. Then another. I smooth my hands over my hair, adjust my shirt like that's going to help anything, and make my way to the door. Nikki makes a dramatic motion of zipping her lips shut, throwing away the key, and sitting back against my pillows with the most innocent look I've ever seen.

I almost laugh.

I pull open the door. Shock spreads through me at seeing Zaid standing there.

He's got something behind his back, his jaw working like he's in the middle of chewing something bitter. His dark eyes soften when they land on me, and my

entire body reacts.

My spine shudders.

My breath turns light.

My heart stutters.

I miss him.

For a second, it's just us. I forget that Nikki.is there. I forget about Sadie, about all the shit happening around us.

But then his eyes flick past me and catch Nikki sitting in my room. The bubble around me

bursts.

"Hey, didn't know you were here," he says politely, dipping his chin at her.

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4:24 pm f

Crossing a Line

hand in a casual

too hard to not look like

weight, eyes turning back to me.

tight, and I can feel the weight of impatience pulling on it. I glance

Nikki, who's watching us like she's

about

frown deepens. "Please.

looks nervous, ticking, eyes shifting

still. I cross my arms loosely and tilt my

gives me a small, jerky

my chest twist. Nikki clears her throat

half a second

off the bed and gives me a quick squeeze on

way out.

careful movement, like he's afraid of breaking something. He exhales slowly, his hand dragging through his hair as he stares at the ground. Then

are written all over

never really seen him like

crossing a line," he starts. His voice is thick. "And you can tell me to fuck

is too

at him,

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Crossing a Line

behind his back. It's a

box of

brain does this dumb stuttering thing where all I

I lift

thinking, I swing the

She jumps a little when

still holds

second she

for a moment, like we're

Nikki looks at Zaid. "You think she's pregnant

He blinks. "What?"

back against it while Nikki throws

that,” Nikki says, pointing between herself

to me. His face is soft in that way it

you saved

eyes don't leave me. His expression darkens, but not in a bad way. More like he's thinking through every possible scenario at once. I feel it like a