Secrets of Us A Forbidden Love Romance (Alina)

Chapter 55

Happy Family

Fifteen minutes later, we're all sitting around a beautifully set dining table.

Mother smiles at everyone. "I wanted tonight to be a test for the setup for the wedding. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

| look down at my plate. Clean, with white napkins and gold silverware. There are flowers, vases, and candles

spread across the middle of the table. | shift my gaze to Aiden, who is sitting besideand he is eyeing the

entire thing with a scowl.

The chef is putting the final touches on sof the dishes, and | can't help but think that this is all a bit too

extravagant.

A little too forced.

Mother thanks the chef, and then she turns to Aiden, Zaide and me. "I wanted to talk to

you three about the program for the wedding."

| tense, and Aiden snaps his head to my mother. Zaid, who is on the opposite side of the table and beside my

mother, lifts an eyebrow, but keeps his gaze on his plate.

"Why?" | whisper, my voice cracking.

"Well, we would like you guys to dance together. You know, to show how happy we are to bring our families

together. It would be right after Jake and I's first dance."

My eyes dance between my mother and Jake. "You wantus to have a dance?"

Mother nods enthusiastically, but Jake stays expressionless.

"You wantto dance with them?" My eyes now shift between Aiden and Zaid.

"Seriously, Alina," mother whispers, rolling her eyes. "Can you stop being such a pain?"

Aiden tenses beside me. "She can feel as uncomfortable about this as she wants. I'll dance

with her, not Zaid."

Zaid recoils, drawing his eyes away fromto look at his brother. "Hold on, if Diana here wants us to look the

part of family, then | am more than happy to dance with Alina."

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Happy Family

"Of course you are, you-"

"Stop, Aiden." Jake finally enters the conversation. He sighs, looking to mother with an apologetic shake of his

head as if saying this is what he expected out of his sons. "You will both dance with Alina, as will 1."

My heart drops to my stomach.

Mother smiles at that, looking at him with a grateful nod. "That's a wonderful idea. Oh, | can dance with the

boys, too."

"No," Aiden grits, placing a hand on my thigh and squeezing it.

"I will," Zaid forces out, looking atwith narrowed eyes.

| feel like I'm being watched too much, too many eyes on me.

Too many Matthews in the room.

I want to run and hide, find a corner in this world where no one knows who I am.

"Why are you being so difficult, Aiden? That usually falls on your brother?" Jake asks.

| notice the way Zaid visibly tenses, the way his jaw clenches and his eyes drop back down to his plate. It makes

my heartbeat quicken and | want to comfort him. It surprises me.

Aiden looks tobut | only shake my head. | don't want this night to turn into a

conversation about how my mother treats me, how she blamesevery day for the death

of my dad and Alex.

I couldn't stomach that.

His nostrils flare. | can tell he doesn't like that I'm holding back, but he listens to me, looking at Jake with defiant

glare. "Fine. Just tellwhat you antto do and I'll do

it."

Mother sets her silverware down and forces a smile on her face, continuing to talk

through the program for the wedding and everyone's jobs for that day.

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Happy Family

Eventually, her eyes lighten and her face glows with the fairy tale she's been building in

her mind.

Her and father didn't have a wedding. They were married in the courthouse after they found out she was

pregnant with Alex. They were in love and they had a good marriage. Not perfect, but good.

They loved each other.

She wasn't always such a horrid person and now part ofwonders how much of that was actually her and how

much was father tempering her.

| look down at the fillet on my plate and set my fork down. I'm not hungry, not even

a little. My stomach feels like it is doing somersaults in my body and all | can do is focus on the knot in my

throat.

Aiden keeps his hand on my thigh, his thumb rubbing circles on my skin. "I can't eat." He whispers so only | can

hear him.

| shake my head and lean back in my chair. "Neither can 1."

"We have the fitting tomorrow, all of us," Jake says, taking a bit of mashed potatoes.

I frown.

Zaid finally lifts his gaze. "Fitting?"

My mother smiles. "Yes! We ordered you both suits and a dress for Alina. We want to make a family day out of it.

Do the fitting, get slunch, have sfun, you know?"

"We have school," | say.

Aiden nods.

Jake grimaces. "This is our wedding week. You can take the rest of the week off of school. I'll call the office in the

morning."

| swallow, eying Zaid and Jake, my mother and then Aiden. A whole week with all

of them? | cling onto Aiden's arm, blowing out a steady stream of air.

This is just a glimpse of my future.

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Happy Family

"So, Zaid," mother says, turning to him with a wide smile, "Are you excited to be home?"

Zaid's eyes flick towardbefore he nods, his expression unreadable. "Yeah, I'm excited."

Aiden is fuming beside me. | can feel the tension in his fingers.

At the head of the table, Jake shifts uncomfortably, picking at his food as he stares hard at Zaid. But his gaze

keeps drifting to me, a tight smile on his face

every t| catch him looking. And I'm doing my best to look anywhere but at him, scared he'll try to start the

conversation I've been dreading.

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