Love Novel 64

The pine needles stick to my needles, and I hiss, dropping one hand.
Zaid yells, “Alina! Tell me when you let go.”
He grunts as he takes more of the tree. We fight against the door frame and I cannot help the laughter that bubbles
inside of me.
Trying to maneuver the tree through the door and into the living room is almost comical. The branches snag on the
doorway, and Zaid grumbles under his breath, his lips twitching into a grin.
“I thought you were stronger, you know, with being so tall and everything,” I tease.
“Careful, Alina,” he says, playfully. “You want to carry this tree all by yourself?”
“No!” I laugh, shaking my head as we finally get the tree upright in the stand. It’s a little crooked, but it works. We step
back to admire it, our shoulders brushing, and I’m suddenly very aware of how close we are.
I don’t pull away.
I lean into him.
The tension from earlier has dissipated, and as much as I am avoiding the topic of kissing him, I enjoy Zaid’s company.
He sighs, leaning into me as well, before placing a kiss on my forehead. “Thank you for bringing Christmas back to me.”
The words cause a swell of emotion to pull at my throat. “I’m going to change. It’s too warm for this,” I say quickly,
tugging at the hem of my sweater.
Zaid nods. “I’ll grab the ornaments.”
I dart upstairs to my room, peeling off my sweater and jeans in favor of a pair of shorts and a loose T-shirt. The fabric
feels light against my skin, and I sigh in relief as I run a brush through my hair.
This is the most unflattering outfit. The shorts are loose on me and so is the shirt, so nothing hugs my curves.
Perfect.
When I come back downstairs, Zaid is kneeling by the open box of ornaments, pulling out garlands and tangled string
lights. His gaze lifts when he hears me, and his hands still.
His eyes darken, and they travel from the tips of my toes to my eyes. There’s anger in the set of his features and it makes me uncomfortably insecure.
I freeze. “What?”
His jaw tightens, and he shakes his head, muttering, “You’re killing me, love.”
Heat rushes to my cheeks.
“Sorry,” I stammer, tugging at the hem of my shirt, but his eyes linger on my legs for a beat longer before he looks away,
busying himself with untangling the lights.
I ignore the burn in my stomach and slowly kneel down beside him.
We start decorating, and the tension melts away as we laugh over Zaid’s terrible attempts to drape the garlands evenly.
“That’s terrible, Zaid,” I laugh as I correct the garland he had just placed.
He grimaces as he watches me and scratches the back of his neck. “It makes sense why mom never let me help.”
I snort, but when I turn around I catch him looking down at the garland in his hands, his throat bobbing with thick
emotion.
I place my hand on his arm and squeeze. His eyes go to me and they drop to my lips, nostrils flaring. He’s stiff, tense, and
I can tell he wants the comfort of my lips, of my touch. I have to pull away before we’re on top of each other.
I reach for an ornament and stretch on my tiptoes, trying to hang it higher on the tree.
“Careful,” Zaid warns.
Before I know it, I lose my balance. His hands catch me, one warm and firm on my waist where my shirt has ridden up.
His breath brushes against my ear, and I shudder. He steadies me, his hand still on my waist as he places his other hand
on mine and helps me hang the ornament.
When I turn to thank him, I come face to face with the same look in his eyes. It’s dark, intense, filled with a hunger that
makes my pulse race.
I can’t stop myself from leaning closer, the pull between us too strong to ignore. His eyes flicker to my lips, and mine
drop to his. He’s so warm and so close.
The front door slams. I tense and pull away, but not fast enough.
“What the fuck is this?” Aiden’s voice cuts through the air.
I jerk back, my heart racing, and Zaid’s hand drops from my waist as we both turn to face him. Aiden’s expression is a
storm of anger, his fists clenched at his sides.
“Are you serious right now?” His eyes bounce between us.
“Aiden, it’s not—”
“Don’t,” he growls, his attention snapping at Zaid. “What the hell is wrong with you? She’s my girlfriend!”
Zaid’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t say anything.
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“Aiden, it’s not all Zaid’s fault,” I say quickly, guilt twisting in my chest.
Aiden turns to me, and the anger in his eyes melts away to understanding. Shock parts his lips and he looks between the
both of us a few times.
Then he settles on me. “Do you have feelings for him?”
My throat goes dry, and I can’t bring myself to answer. I can’t say no. That would be a lie. And if I say yes? What would
that mean? What would that do?
His face crumples, and pain crumples his brow. “She’s mine.”
He directs the words to Zaid, but they punch me in the gut.
“For once, just let something be mine, Zaid. It’s always about you.”
I blink. An incredulous feeling runs through me. It’s almost like he doesn’t care about me. As if he wouldn’t have minded
if I had kissed anyone else.
But because it’s Zaid, it bothers him.
Zaid steps forward. “Aiden—”
“Don’t,” Aiden spits, his voice breaking. “Just don’t.”
He looks at me one last time before turning and walking up the stairs and into his room, slamming the door behind him.
I stand frozen, my chest tight.
Zaid’s gaze shifts to me, regret etched into his features.
“I’m sorry,” he says softly before following Aiden, leaving me alone in the room, the unfinished tree standing behind m