Secrets of Us A Forbidden Love Romance (Alina)

Chapter 207

Needing You Turned Into an Obsession

I don't remember running up the stairs. My feet move on their own, slamming against the

hardwood.

I was suffocating down there. I was struggling to stand.

Zaid's words still ring in my ears. The faces of the detectives as they looked at Jake when my mother told them what he was doing. The judgment in their eyes they couldn't quite

hide.

The rage in my mother's voice was nothing new, but her disgust at Jake was scarring.

Jake, who married my mother for me.

My chest caves in around my heart, everything tightening until I can't breathe. I stumble into my room, fisting the doorknob, ready to shut out the world and scream into my pillow until I pass out from the blinding headache.

But the door doesn't close. I hear a string of words, and then a foot slams into the crack,

stopping it from shutting.

"Don't," I whisper, backing away just as the door creaks open again. I expect it to be Zaid,

but he is the last person I want to see right now.

The last person I want to see me in my shame. But it's not him.

Jake steps in, his face filled with regret. His eyes drink me in, like he's trying to assess the

damage.

"Shit, baby," he breathes, his shoulders dropping, his voice raw. "I'm sorry."

I don't hesitate. I crash into him, my body colliding with his like it's muscle memory. I bury my face into his chest and sob, ugly, shaking, breath stealing sobs.

I don't care what Zaid said. I don't care that it's wrong or twisted or that the world might never understand. I ignored the red flags because being him felt good; losing myself to him in the car that first time made me feel something.

I wanted it.

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You Turned Into

to

from all of it. He kisses the top of my head, lingering there like

for. This is on me. I should've stayed away. I should've, fuck, Alina.

just enough to look up at him, my grip

don't regret this. I don't regret you. Not us,"

jaw clenches hard, his eyes flickering with something soft and sad. "The

a little. It doesn't skip entirely. The thought of losing him isn't as painful as losing Zaid. Jake can't break me any more

don't want you

know how to forgive himself for this, like he doesn't know how we can move on.

leans in, brushing

is soft, too soft, like goodbye is buried somewhere in

the

tangled in the fabric of his shirt, my

want to

in his eyes. The kiss stole something

the edge of my jaw. And then he exhales, like he's been holding

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You Turned Into

I'm in the wrong," he says

my

He doesn't stop.

you're eighteen. You're just starting your life, Alina. You should be

who I want. But my voice gets caught somewhere between

Like I could breathe again after years of feeling like everything was just gray. You reminded me that my life wasn't over. That there was still something out there that

everywhere. My arms. My legs. Even

what he's already feeling. But he doesn't touch me. He's holding himself

you became needing you. And needing you turned into an obsession.

sting the back of my eyes. I don't know if they're mine or his

Diana came back into town. Trying to pull this apart, trying to figure out where I crossed the line. But the truth is, I crossed

it doesn't go down