Secrets of Us A Forbidden Love Romance (Alina)

Chapter 221

Domestic Chaos

1 Week Later

The therapist's office smells like cinnamon. It kind of tickles my nose, reminding me of Christmas and Thanksgiving.

I sit, tucked into a large, pale pink armchair that squeaks every time I move, with my legs crisscrossed and my arms tight across my chest.

Her name is Cami, and she's young. Maybe like in her late twenties. Her hair is dyed a soft cotton candy pink, the ends curled slightly. She's wearing a chunky yellow cardigan that I

kind of want for myself and I almost feel like I'm talking to a friend.

I tell her about the accident, about my relationship with my brother.

Her neon green nails click gently against the arm of her chair as she waves and gestures,

which she does often.

“That's a lot,” she says in an empathetic whisper.

I blink at her. That's an understatement. I manage a small smile. "Yeah. That's one way to

put it.".

She laughs easily, not in a fake way, but the kind that sounds like warmth. Like sunshine.

I'm not sure if I like her yet.

But I don't dislike her either.

She doesn't push. Just lets the silence linger. I'm kind of thankful for that because I'm not

sure I can get into anything having to do with Zaid, Jake or Aiden.

"Do you still talk to your mother?"

I shake my head. "A lot more has happened since the accident. She's in Arizona. I'm here,

I don't-"

I swallow, tightening my arms around myself.

her head. "We don't have to dive into everything today. Let's go

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Domestic Chaos

about my mother mostly, about her neglect and her alcoholism. I open up more than

kind and a little glassy at the corners, and I can tell she's feeling it. Not just nodding through it like it's her

wrung out like a rag. And even though

her lose herself in grief while being forced to grow up

Cami validated it all.

I do like

leave and cry all the way home, wanting to

like

this.

cardboard. Boxes are stacked

notes

tiny shred of domestic

kitchen,

still shaking from earlier.

this aching part of me that wants to sink into Zaid's arms, to bury

none of this happened. I remember how

he rolled his hips into

kissed me

crave it so much

I can't. I promised myself I'd learn to stand on my

water slowly. Let the

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Domestic Chaos

still mostly bare, just a blow-up mattress in the corner and one wall slowly filling with pictures and scraps of paper. The beginnings of a hunt for a family I've never met. A name here, an address there. Most of

the mattress and let my head fall back against

heart does this stupid skip thing because it's

in," I say, voice softer

inside, holding a piece of paper in his hand. His hair is messy, shirt slightly wrinkled. He looks tired, in the same way I feel. But he smiles

"How was it?"

only nod over the lump in

emotion on my face and sits beside me on the mattress. "Are you going

back?"

as often as I can." My voice is rough, broken from