Secrets of Us A Forbidden Love Romance (Alina) novel Chapter 147

I Don’t Know My Own Sons

The silence that follows after Jake storms off is thick, almost suffocating. I sit there, staring at my half–eaten plate, my heart still pounding.

Should I have waited until we were done with the trip to bring something up? No, not when they’re talking about separating our days.

I look at Zaid, who is watching me with a soft smile. It mirrors how uncomfortable I am and yet lets me know that he feels better about the truth being out.

Aiden hasn’t moved, hasn’t spoken a word.

Zaid exhales heavily, then stands, clapping Aiden on the back. “Come on, man. We should go talk some things through.”

Aiden finally blinks, his expression still unreadable, but he nods without a word and pushes back from the table.

Zaid turns to me, his eyes warm as he leans down, pressing a soft, lingering kiss against my lips. “I’ll check in with you later, okay, love?”

I nod, squeezing his hand before he follows Aiden out of the room, leaving me alone.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself before I stand and head upstairs.

Jake’s door is shut, and I don’t bother knocking. I push it open, stepping inside to find him sitting on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. His broad shoulders are hunched, his entire body tight with frustration and tension.

He looks like I could touch him and he’d crack in two. He’s not crying, but his body

trembles as if he’s trying to hold it in.

My heart clenches.

I walk over, sinking to my knees in front of him. Without hesitation, I reach for his wrists, gently prying his hands away from his face.

“Jake,” I whisper, searching his eyes.

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I Don’t Know My Own Sons

He has them shut tight, his nostrils flaring as he breathes in heavily.

“Are you okay?” I whisper.

He shakes his head, his jaw tightening as he exhales a shaky breath. When he finally opens his eyes, they’re shining with unshed tears. “I feel like I don’t know my own sons.”

A sharp ache blooms in my chest.

“How could I have not seen it? Looking back now, it makes sense, there were so many signs.”

“Jake-”

“I’m the worst father in the world,” he murmurs.

“Hey,” I whisper, shushing him softly. I stand, pushing him back gently as I crawl onto his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. His face presses against my chest, his breath warm against my skin. I cradle him close, threading my fingers through his hair. He hums, leaning into my touch.

“You’re not,” I say. “We’ve all struggled with things, Jake. Losing family members isn’t easy. None of this has been easy. You believed what they told you, that’s not being a terrible father.”

He exhales against me, his arms tightening around my waist. “I should have known they were lying.”

I shake my head, cupping his face to bring his eyes up to mine. “They’re smarter than you give them credit for.”

He smiles back at me, but it drops almost instantly. He blows out a stream of air. “I have so much to make up for with Zaid.”

I nod, running my fingers through his hair. “He hasn’t deserved any of this.”

He closes his eyes, jaw clenching in anger. “And Aiden? That little prick.”

I look into his eyes. “Don’t trade in your anger toward Zaid for anger toward Aiden. Then it would just be the same thing.”

“Zaid was the one that insisted. They love each other. He wanted to protect him. You want to punish Aiden for worrying about his future?” The words come out of me shaky, broken. I want this to work, want this to get better.

Jake frowns. “No. For lying to me. For letting Zaid take the brunt of my anger.”

life without the three of you.”

I feel his body slowly relax, sinking into me, as if he’s letting go of something he’s been holding onto for too long. “I can’t imagine my life without you, baby.”

“For so long, I did think of you as the glue. I had hoped that we would get closer because of you, but this shit can only be fixed by us.”

“It shouldn’t be on you.”