Secrets of Us A Forbidden Love Romance (Alina) novel Chapter 78

Love Me, Too

I turn on my heels to look at the tree.

Half of it is decorated, and the rest of the ornaments lie in the box. I stare until my eyes burn. It would be beautiful. It would be whimsical, but all I see is the mess I’ve created.

Aiden’s furious face flashes in my mind. Fuck, what was I doing? I’m not a cheater, I can’t be. That’s terrible. No one deserves that kind of betrayal. I should have ended things with him the moment I felt something for Zaid.

But even that thought doesn’t sit right in my chest. Being with Zaid and not Aiden feels

wrong.

I shake my head, pressing a hand to my chest as a wave of emotion drowns me.

Does that mean I have to leave them both?

Pain lances through me.

I would have to move out. Find a job, get an apartment.

Tears prick the back of my eyes.

Zaid’s dark, piercing eyes come to mind then, and my knees give out. I sink to the floor, the weight of everything crashing down on me.

Tears blur my vision, and before I know it, I’m sobbing uncontrollably. It all comes at once. The guilt, the confusion, the heartbreak.

My chest feels tight, like I can’t breathe.

I think of Aiden’s hurt, Zaid’s intensity, and my own traitorous feelings. I think of Jake, his warmth and steadiness, and how I’ve tangled myself in this impossible knot.

How can I live without them?

And at the same time, how can I live with them?

I cry into my hands, letting my love for the three of them express out of me in long sobs.

1/5

Love Me, Too

And then there’s the ache of Alex’s absence, and the hollow void where my dad should be

this Christmas.

It’s all too much.

I shouldn’t be putting up a tree without them. I shouldn’t be smiling and laughing and moving on. I don’t deserve to live, not without them.

I press my fists against my eyes, trying to stifle the sobs, but they rip through me, anyway. My breathing becomes shallow and erratic, and I hear the sound of the front door

opening.

Panic jolts through me. Who could it be?

I scramble to pull myself together, wiping my face hastily and curling into myself, but my trembling hands give me away.

I look at the entrance, hoping whoever walks in will miss the girl in a ball on the floor. But it’s Jakes who walks in and my heart wants to break all over again.

It wants to crack in two so he can piece me back together in his arms.

His eyes fall on the tree first. The way his brows furrow and his lips part in silent awe makes my heart squeeze. But then his gaze shifts, and he sees me.

His suitcase hits the floor with a thud as he rushes to me.

“Alina,” he says, his voice soft but urgent.

All I can manage is a sob.

He kneels beside me, his hands cupping my tear–streaked face. “What’s wrong, baby?

What happened?”

I shake my head, unable to form words. The tears just keep coming.

Jake pulls me into his arms without hesitation, holding me tightly as I wrap my arms around his neck and let my face fall into his chest.

His hand strokes my hair, his touch soothing, grounding me.

2/5

3.15 pm

I don’t know how long we stay like that, but eventually, Jake shifts. He grabs my legs and wraps them around his waist. He stands as if I weigh nothing and I keep my face buried in

When we reach his bed, he sits down, settling me on his lap and wrapping his arms around me. His warmth surrounds me, his steady heartbeat lulling me into a comforting

He cups my cheeks and tilts my face to look at him. His fingers brush away my tears. “Are you okay?”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

He frowns. “Do you want me to make you some tea?”

I smile at that. “That would be perfect.”

little.”