Secrets of Us A Forbidden Love Romance (Alina) novel Chapter 162

You’re So Easy–1

We leave a couple of days later.

The ride home feels different from when we came. It’s less tense, the four of us exhausted from how much we played and slept together. I’m sore everywhere, but I wouldn’t change the last week for anything.

Things feel lighter somehow. It’s almost as if we’re not carrying as much weight as we

used to.

I’m curled up in the backseat, one leg draped over Jake’s lap, my head resting against the car door. Aiden is in the passenger seat again because of his long legs, and Zaid drives.

Jake’s fingers trace lazy circles on my calf and I breathe deeply, enjoying his touch.

It’s easy. It’s peaceful.

For the first time in too long, I feel good. Like we’re finally on the same page. Like we aren’t just circling the same old arguments, too scared to figure out what we want. We’re figuring it out now.

We’re better.

Still, there’s this quiet whisper in the back of my head reminding me that things can fall apart in a second. There is still tension between Zaid and I, between him and Jake.

There’s still so much we haven’t figured out, and plenty that could slip through the cracks. But for now, I push the thoughts down deep and let myself be in this moment. We can celebrate the small wins as they come.

We’re about an hour out of the city when Zaid pulls off the freeway toward a gas station.

“I need caffeine if I’m going to get us home without driving into a ditch,” he says, watching me in the rearview mirror.

Aiden makes a face. “You’re not that old, Zaid. Come on.”

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Zaid unbuckles his belt and playfully punches Aiden on the arm.

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You’re So Easy 1

There’s a few more cars parked, but I don’t see many people. It’s quiet for a few moments, just the sound of gravel crunching under our boots and the wind blowing through the

Inside, it smells like burnt coffee and over–sweet candy, and the humming fluorescent

lights give me a headache just by looking at them.

“You good?” he asks, glancing down at me as we pass a rack of chips.