Love Novel 58

I walk through the house with all of my senses dulled. I can’t hear, think, or feel anything.
My breath is coming out in harsh pants, and I step back outside to the backyard. The laughter and clinking of glasses
feels distant, like it’s happening behind a veil.
Everything is muffled under the weight of what I’ve just learned.
Aiden. Zaid. That night. The secrets.
Zaid is a few steps behind me. I can hear his steps. I let out of sigh of relief. I didn’t know he made me feel this way. He
always wound me up so tight. This feeling is new and welcome.
I can’t shake the image of him in my mind, broken and desperate.
I want to cry because I have never met anyone who could understand me like he does. He was in the car accident that
killed his mother, and he still carries the scars associated with that. He still carries the guilt.
Like me.
He protected Aiden at the cost of his own future. At the cost of his reputation. At the cost of himself.
My heart aches as I glance back at him briefly. Zaid looks calm, almost unreadable, but his eyes meet mine, dark and
holding me together in a way that feels like it’s pulling me apart at the same time.
Is it possible that I feel so much more for him than I’ve let myself believe?
I move forward on autopilot, my heels clicking against the floor. The crowd of guests swirls around me, faces blurring.
And then I see Jake laughing, charming as ever, leaning slightly toward my mother as they speak with a group of people.
The air rushes from my lungs. Does he know? My step falters, and my chest tightens as my thoughts spin out of control.
Has Jake known this whole time that Aiden was the one behind the wheel?
Did he help cover it up?
“Breathe, love,” Zaid murmurs, his voice low and right behind me.
His hand finds the small of my back, warm and grounding. My body leans into his touch without permission, desperate
for something steady. I give myself a few seconds and slow my breathing until it’s somewhat controlled.
I inhale shakily, and he steps closer, his voice brushing against my ear. “You can confront Aiden later. The night’s almost
over.”
I nod, though my mind feels far from settled. His hand lingers a second longer before falling away, leaving me colder
than I was a moment ago.
Before I can think of what to say, Aiden walks up to us, weaving through the crowd toward me, his face twisted in mild
annoyance.
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“Where’ve you been?” he asks, his eyes flicking to Zaid briefly before settling on me.
I force a smile that feels tight and unnatural. “I went to freshen up after the dancing.”
Aiden’s eyes soften, and he leans down to kiss my forehead. My stomach twists, and I have to focus hard not to pull
away. His touch feels different now, like the warmth I used to find in it has turned hollow.
He’s not the fun, carefree person I thought he was. How can I feel content with him?
“Let’s sit down,” he says, his hand slipping to mine as he leads me back to our table. Zaid follows a few steps behind,
silent as always but somehow louder than the noise of the party.
The rest of the reception passes in a haze. People stand to give their toasts, their words blending into a background hum
I can barely focus on. Aiden’s hand rests on my thigh under the table, a touch that once would’ve comforted me but now
feels like a weight I can’t shake off.
I want to ask him so many things and tell him that I know. Tell him that it’s not okay, that I don’t know how to feel.
I glance at Zaid across the table, catching the way his jaw tightens as he stares at his untouched glass of champagne. Our
eyes meet for the briefest of seconds before I look away, my pulse quickening.
Finally, Jake and my mother announce their goodbyes, ready to leave for their hotel before flying out to Europe in the morning. I stand with the others to see them off, my chest tightening as my mother hugs me briefly, her perfume cloying
and familiar.
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“Behave yourself,” she says with a pointed look, and I nod automatically, my voice caught in my throat.
Jake pulls me into a hug next, his arms warm and firm. “We’ll talk when I get back.”
His eyes linger on mine, his hand on my waist for a moment too long. I step back, managing a tight smile, but my mind is
racing.
Fuck, I just need to sit alone for a good hour or two and shuffle through my brain, through my thoughts.
But then they’re gone, leaving the house suddenly too quiet despite the faint sounds of the last guests trickling away
outside.
It’s just the three of us now. Me, Aiden, and Zaid.
As I follow them back into the house, my stomach churns with a mess of emotions I can’t untangle. The weight of the
truth I’ve learned, the ache in my chest for Zaid, the confusion over Aiden’s touch, it all swirls inside me.
The front door clicks shut, and the silence that follows feels deafening.
Aiden looks at me when I still. He frowns, eyeing Zaid for a second before asking, “What’s wrong?”
Zaid sighs, running his hand through his hair. “I told her, she knows.”
Aiden’s eyes widen and before I can stop it, he launches at him, fist in the air and punches him across the jaw.