Secrets of Us A Forbidden Love Romance (Alina)

I Don't Talk to Zaid

Aiden rubs his fingers up and down my arm as we lay in my bed together.

He's still mostly dressed, but I was too lazy to put my clothes back on.

He sighs, his chest rising and falling beneath my cheek. "Not that I'm complaining, but

did you just use me?"

I chuckle into him.

His returning chuckle is warm and deep, settling the ache in the pit of my

stomach. "I

didn't mean to overhear."

I press my lips together and sit up, running my hand through his hair. "It's fine. I mean, I

guess you would have found out sooner or later."

"That your mom's a bitch?"

I chew on my lip, hiding the tilt of my lips. "She wasn't always."

His eyes lower to my breasts for a second and then he raises them back to my gaze, wrapping an arm around my waist to drag me back down to his chest.

I press a kiss to the corner of his lips and settle, frowning as I think about how to phrase my next question without giving away that Zaid and I were tangled in a web deeper than he could ever know. "I didn't know you and Zaid were brothers."

He stiffens beneath me and he tightens his hold on me. "You didn't?”

I shake my head.

He frowns slightly, watching me as if he is trying to gauge his own response. "I guess I never mentioned it."

"Nope." My face burns, and I hope to god I am not as red as a tomato.

"We're not exactly on friendly terms."

I tilt my head and keep myself from asking the question that needles me in the

back of my throat. Why? What happened?

8:06 pm

I Don't Talk to Zaid

"And dad now wants to send him abroad, to boarding school after his expulsion."

My breath catches in my throat and I sit up, my hands on his chest. "He got expelled

because of me."

He shrugs, gripping my leg to bring me closer to him, placing his hardening length between my legs.

These men are as insatiable as they come.

"He would have found a way sooner or later, Zaid isn't exactly role model

material." He runs his fingers through my hair, swallowing thickly.

I ignore the burning in my stomach and run circles on his chest with my finger. "Is

it true he went to juvie?"

His eyes turn dark, nostrils flaring. "Why? What has he told you?"

His reaction throws me off and it takes me a moment to catch my breath. "Nothing. I don't talk to Zaid."

"Good."

I twist my lips relieved that he didn't hear the defensiveness in my throat. "What's the story there?"

His fingers still and he presses his lips together. "Why are you so interested in Zaid?"

"He's your brother, everything about you interests me." When did I get so good at lying?

He seems convinced, and frowns before inhaling. He looks at me, as if gauging how much he wants to say, how much he can trust me with. "I was there that night with him."

I hold my breath, not wanting to stop him.

"We were out with a group of basketball guys. I was getting picked as captain that year. Zaid was...he had gotten injured real bad on a game and he was never able to play the same again."

He pauses, his jaw clenching and I almost feel guilty enough to tell him he can stop, but I keep my mouth shut.

I Don't Talk to Zaid

"He stepped down from the team, which is why the captain spot was open. We were celebrating that I was chosen. We had some drinks. Smoked some things."

I chew on my lip, my breath on the edge of thin.

"Someone dared him to a car race. I tried to stop him, I tried to tell him he couldn't drive in his condition, but he didn't listen to me. He got behind the wheel' and lost control. He ended up hitting a house."

I gasp, covering my mouth as I shake my head. "What?"

He nods, avoiding my eyes as he swallows thickly. "He sent one man to the hospital with a broken leg and arm."

"Thank god it wasn't worse."

"It could've been much worse. Anyway, he was arrested, tried, and dad was able

to get him a lighter sentence."

I can't help the hot rage that flutters through me. "Only because he didn't kill anyone."

He holds my waist, shrugging. "Can we talk about something else?"

I nodded. "Of course."

He starts talking about basketball, about his school tour they invited him to take. I can only half listen, a little disturbed by the conversation we just had.

Still, I can't seem to understand why Zaid had me ask Aiden for the information, why could he not tell me the story himself? Was he too ashamed, maybe?

I blow out a stream of hot air and Aiden lifts his head to press a kiss to my neck. "Want to go get some food? I'm starving."

I smile at him, nodding. "You don't have practice today?"noveldrama

"I did, but I told coach I was sick. I wanted to check on you after you left school."

"Yeah, sorry, I wasn't feeling too good, and then my mother's outburst kind of made everything more terrible."

I Don't Talk to Zaid

"And then I made everything better," He whispers, smiling wide at me.

I roll my eyes and shake my head, "Sure."

He laughs and I dress, he follows me, zipping up his pants. Soon we're out of the house and in his car, where he places his hand on my thigh and blasts music with the windows down as we make our way to a burger shop.

He tries hard to take my mind off of the conversation we just had, but it still gnaws in the back of my head. Still, I plaster on a smile and pretend everything's okay, and that I'm happy just where I am.

Nikki and Parker join us later and we go to a park where the guys shoot hoops and Nikki and I sit on a bench and talk.

Everything is fine and smooth, until Zaid shows up.

Bye, Zaid

"What is he doing here?" Nikki whispers, watching Zaid as he strolls up to the

court.

I shrug, also keeping my gaze on Zaid as Parker and Aiden turn to him. They both sneer, reluctantly talking to Zaid as he smiles.

"He never comes here."

My hands tighten into painful fists and I set them on my thighs, my breath catching in my throat when Zaid turns his attention to us. Aiden stiffens, the ball in

his hands dropping to the ground.

Zaid walks toward Nikki and me, and Aiden watches, though he stays right where he is.

"Nik," He drawls, smiling at her as she inhales slowly.

"Zaid.” Her tone is short, the name clipped. "What are you doing here?"

He turns his eyes to me. They rake me down to my toes and I press my lips

together so that I can ignore the twisting in my stomach. "I was driving by, thought

I'd say hi."

Nikki looks at me, frowning when she realizes he is not looking away from me.

"Alina." There's a tilt in his lips and I finally inhale a gasp.

"What do you want?"

He frowns. "Why so hostile?"

I blink, hating that he can make me feel so many things at the same time. That I

can't seem to control the rage he induces deep inside me.

And that I can't blow out the heat he ignites in my chest.

He cocks his head, a slow smile lifting his lips. "Aiden told you, didn't he?"

I clench my jaw and nod.

"You think less of me now, love?"

Bye, Zaid

A pain pierces through me, and I struggle to breathe. "You could've killed

someone."

His shoulders rise and Nikki looks between the two of us like she's watching a ping-pong match. Her lips parted.

"I could've," he whispers, eyes narrow.

Tears prick my eyes, my hands beginning to tremble. "My family died in a car

accident. I told you before, it's not funny."

He steps closer. "I'm not laughing, Alina. But perhaps you should ask Aiden for the truth."

I tense, Nikki hissing beside me. "What do you mean?"

We hear the footsteps before we see Parker and Aiden join us. Aiden claps his hand on Zaid's shoulder, hard enough that Zaid tilts forward.

"Why you talking to my girlfriend, Zaid?"

Something flares in his eyes, and it takes a second too long for him to peel his eyes from mine. He's tense now, his nostrils flaring and his eyebrows twitching. He glares at Aiden. Their eyes are almost level, but he has to tilt his chin just a little to really see him. "Why are you lying to her?"

Aiden twitches, like he was just slapped in the face. He goes incredibly pale, but then he blinks out of his thoughts and sneers at his older brother. "Watch it, Z."

Parker shakes his head, grabbing Nikki's hand and telling her they should leave. Nikki reaches for me, but I shake my head. I'm staying.

Zaid laughs, evil and maniacally. "Watch what? You scared I'm going to tell her

the

truth?"

Aiden steps forward, setting himself between Zaid and I. “No. I already told her

the truth.

Besides, you've never cared until now.'

Zaid's eyes shift to me and for a moment my breath escapes me. I can't explain

the gut

feeling that rattles through me. I'm inclined to believe Zaid. Aiden looks shifty, scared.

"What did you lie to me about?" I whisper.

Bye, Zaid

Aiden turns to me, a frown on his face. "What? You believe him?"

I shrug. "What is he accusing you of?"

"Nothing."

"That he lied to you about what happened the night I got arrested," Zaid answers

for him.

Aiden whirls on him, grabbing his collar and shoving into him. "Shut your fucking

mouth,

Z."

Zaid doesn't do anything. Doesn't even try to push away, or get his hands off his shirt. He just smirks. “It'll catch up to you one day, Aiden."

"You stay away from Alina, Z." Aiden lets him go, grabbing my hand and walking

us away

from the park and to his car.

I look over my shoulder once, eyeing the way Zaid is watching us with his arms

crossed

over his chest.

"That fucker," Aiden sneers as soon as we're in his care.

I stare at him, not knowing if I should try to ask him what is going on, or if there

was any truth to what Zaid had said. He drives off, tires squealing against the

road.

"Aiden, slow down." I grip onto the door as the car flies around the corners.

Aiden grips the steering wheel and growls. "He's an ass. There was no reason for

him to say any of that today. He's just-"

He smacks a fist to the wheel and I reach for him, placing my hand on his thigh.

"It'll be

okay."

He looks to me, eyes wide. "But you believe me, right? Not him? Not his lies."

I swallow but nod, anything to calm him down, anything to get him to slow down, He nods with a clench of his jaw. "Good. Zaid isn't good for anything. I've been trying to get dad to hold off on sending him to boarding school. Not anymore. I'm not sticking up

for that ass."

Bye, Zaid

My stomach twists.

But it happens.

He convinces his father and a few days later, Zaid is shipped off to Europe. I

watch from the window of Aiden's room as he drives away, his suitcases in the car. I didn't get to speak to him again. Aiden made sure of that.

"He leave already?" Aiden walks in from the hallways, closing his bedroom door behind him.

I wrap my arms around myself and nod. "He just drove off."

Aiden sighs, feigning to look sad. He drops himself on the edge of his bed and

grabs my arm, placing me between his legs. "I don't think I've going to miss him."

I twist my lips, not sure if that's a good thing to admit about your brother. "He'll be

back,

won't he?"

Aiden nods. "For winter break."

"And what-"

"I don't want to talk anymore."

He reaches for the hem of my shirt, lifting it over my head. His teeth graze my

nipple and my body reacts, all thoughts of Zaid forgotten.