Secrets of Us A Forbidden Love Romance (Alina)

Chapter 228

Chapter 231

A Year 1 Week Later

I crinkly my nose at the dried paint under my fingernails, then scratch the skin

of my palm where I have a streak of blue paint. I swipe at my face and sigh when I realize I just

dirtied my cheek.

The air in my room smells faintly of paint and canvas. The tip of my brush moves slowly, carefully, as I blend the shades of shadow around my grandfather's eyes.

Elena gave me enough pictures of him and my grandmother that I've finally convinced myself to attempt to paint them. At this point, I've memorized the slope of his cheekbone

like it's my own.

She actually gave me a stack of old family photographs and some of my dad's paintings earlier this week. I cried the first night I looked through them.

Now I paint them the photographs. It feels like a small way to keep them here when I know they've all left this life.

My therapist says painting is a healthy outlet. That it's good for me to have something to do with my hands, something that helps me process the sadness and the heat that still lingers under my skin from time to time.

The ache of a breakup, the frustration of a body that still wants instead of processing.

So I paint. And I forget, for a little while, that the world is bigger than this canvas. It feels good to create, to have something that's just mine.

A soft knock breaks the silence, and I smile.

"Come in," I say, turning from the canvas.

The door creaks open and Zaid leans against the frame, arms crossed, head tilted slightly

as he watches me.

"You've got paint, everywhere," he says, the corner of his mouth lifting in amusement.

"Occupational hazard," I tease, smiling.

1/4

A Year

the room and closes the door behind him,

gently, as

my cheek.

lean into his touch. It ignites me, calms me, and sets me on

at the

no idea what

seat and blink

as he traces the curves

his touch so familiar now it feels like the only thing keeping me

swallow the lump in my throat.

blink again, startled.

my feet, nearly knocking over my water jar in

shower, I need to,

He doesn't rush me, just watches as I start peeling off my paint splattered shirt and hopping out of

bathroom.

welcome for the reminder," he calls after

just once, catching him leaning in my doorway. He's still smiling, and the look on his face makes my chest do something light and unfamiliar. Like he could stay like that forever, watching me run around like a maniac, and

playing low as we drive through the evening light. I

like rosemary and something buttery when we walk in. Dinner's already

and I leaning into each other as we tell

2/4

3:25 pm L

A Year

I talk to her about this new oil paint

with than acrylic. Slower to dry, the texture is

of you," she says, looking over her wineglass. "You're being patient with

process."

potato around my plate. "But I'm not sure oil and I are

things are," she

she sighs. Her eyes flick to Zaid, then back to me. There's something in her

eyes.

have some

know why I

a curatorial fellowship in Florence,"

halfway to my

private exhibition focused on lost Renaissance works, pieces that were either destroyed, stolen, or simply never seen by the public. They've invited a

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