"Secrets don't die with the ones who keep them. They haunt the living until they're forced into the light..."
Aminah Clarke's life shattered the night her fiancée, Hailee, died in a tragic car crash. Now, a year later, she is left with a book bar, a...
Hello my veiled babes 🤍 I now present to you chapter 25. Did you guys miss me, because I missed you?? Please comment and vote (Your comments literally make my entire day! Like seriously)
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Alex POV:
Breathtaking was an understatement to describe the beauty that Aminah held. Her chestnut skin gleamed underneath the overhead light, casting a warm glow over her features. The tension in the air was palpable, sharp enough to cut. And behind her, a very displeased Devyn lingered, arms crossed and shoulders tense, her emotions written all over her face as clear as day.
It would be highly wrong of me to wish that light would come down on her. Though Aminah would still be just out of my reach...
Yet, the thought lingered, gnawing at the edges of my mind. It wasn't just that Aminah looked incredible standing there—it was the ease, the natural connection between her and Devyn that made my blood run cold. Like they shared a language that I didn't speak, a history that I couldn't rewrite.
A low noise came from Devyn, a pointed clearing of her throat that shattered the silence between us. I tore my eyes away from Aminah's and met Devyn's piercing green gaze, her expression tight and unimpressed. It was a look that could cut through steel.
"Something to say, Alex?" Devyn's voice was sharp, dripping with unspoken irritation, as if she was daring me to respond.
I swallowed, resisting the urge to snap back. But before I could muster a reply, Aminah's voice cut in, smooth but carrying an edge that I couldn't quite place. "What made you stop by, Alex?"
Her eyes hadn't left mine, and it felt like she was peeling back every layer, seeing every thought I was trying to hide. My silence stretched a beat too long, and Aminah shifted her weight, her gaze never wavering. But my attention strayed to where Devyn's hand rested on the small of Aminah's back—possessive, protective.
I swallowed back the string of curses that bubbled up, fighting to keep my voice steady. "My father has something he wants me to discuss with you... a portrait. For my mother." The words tasted bitter on my tongue, especially because I knew it wasn't the real reason I'd come here.
Aminah raised an eyebrow, a knowing glint in her eye, like she could see right through me. She was quiet for a moment, and I could feel Devyn's gaze burning into the side of my head, as if she knew I wasn't being completely honest.
Devyn shifted beside Aminah, forcing me to meet her gaze again. "Well, um—I'll leave you two to it," she said, the words laced with an edge of tension. She paused, her eyes lingering on Aminah with a softness that made something twist in my chest. "My mom wanted me at the house for a family talk."
She turned to Aminah, her expression softening even further. "I'll call you later tonight," she murmured, her voice dropping to a gentler tone. Her hand slid from Aminah's back to her hand, her thumb brushing across Aminah's knuckles in a way that felt too intimate, too familiar.
