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Author: C. Hazlewood
last update Last Updated: 2022-11-18 00:51:26

Missy POV

“What are you going to name him?” Rick asked.

“Her,” Chris corrected him for the fifth time.

Rick rolls his eyes and huffs, “It’s a cat. Gender doesn’t matter.”

“Can I name her?” Hailey looks up at me with bright eyes. I giggle at her enthusiasm.

“Of course. What do you think a good name for her would be?”

“Pickles!” she throws her hands up excitedly, making everyone laugh.

“Pickles, huh?” Chris winks at me, “Our first child together will be named Pickles?”

I laughed loudly, making Chris grin and chuckle, “I guess so. Our only child together is named Pickles.”

Adrian huffs briskly and crosses his arms across his chest. He’s looked upset since he walked in. I wonder if he had a rough time with Hailey’s mom picking her up today. Brittany told me many unpleasant things about the woman. It seems everyone dislikes her. Even Chris seemed to think negatively of her the one time he mentioned Hailey’s mom.

Hailey is as bubbly as ever, but I noticed last weekend that Adrian tends
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Comments (3)
goodnovel comment avatar
Sheila
This is fabulous !!
goodnovel comment avatar
Heather W
Poor Chris. Can't even shoot his shot in peace lol
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Terri Stewart
Good, I’m enjoying this book.
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  • Build You Up    13

    Miss Pickles, as Hailey named her, is finishing up at the vet, and did not like the whole experience. They had to give her a medicated bath to treat the lesions on her belly, and also tested her for worms which looked invasive and painful. The little stinker is tuckered out, trying to get comfortable with a soft, cushioned collar around her neck to keep her from licking the medication on her sores. She was worm free but had a few fleas hidden under her tail that were also treated and discarded in her bath. I’m so thankful Chris let me borrow the kennel. The thought of fleas being all over my home made me feel itchy. She stayed out in the living room in her kennel for the entire night, though I was tempted to take her to bed with me when she started crying in the middle of the night. I’ve been bottle feeding her the way Chris showed me how, and the vet recommended me a good kitten wet food to help her build strength and recover from the vitamin and mineral deficiency. I still have to

    Last Updated : 2022-11-18
  • Build You Up    14

    “Chris? What are you doing here?” I asked him. I hear Brittany let out a breathy laugh as she gets out of the car too. “It’s the weekend! I get weekend visitation at least, right?” Chris asks with a playful smirk on his face. “It’s a cat, dude. Quit treating it like a kid,” Brittany rolls her eyes at him. “Hey, don’t talk about our daughter like that,” Chris scoffs in faux irritation. “If you want to claim visitation rights, you can fork up half the cost of the vet bill,” I smiled at him, “She’s already quite expensive, but if you insist on co-parenting, I won’t stop you.”“Already did,” he grins proudly, “Betty at the veterinarian should be calling you Monday. Pickles has all her first-year shots and even her spay paid for.”“What?” I looked at him in shock. I was just joking with him. I didn’t expect him to actually pay anything for her. She is my cat, not his. “You didn’t have to do that, Chris. I was only joking. How much was it? I can pay you back.”“Nah. Don’t worry about it

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  • Build You Up    15

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  • Build You Up    16

    Adrian POVBrittany’s words were plaguing me all night, thinking about Missy going out with Chris. He is a nice guy, but the more I think about it, the more it infuriates me. We were friends all our lives, and we ran around in the same group in high school, and I know that if he is serious about her he would treat her alright, but that thought just plagues me more. I want to be the one to treat her right. I want to be the one that brilliant smile is directed towards. Chris is already one-uping me with the whole cat thing and showing up at her house unannounced and demanding to take her to dinner on Tuesday night. Pushy prick. Brittany went on and on about how intense his game was yesterday. Brittany told me that even the oblivious Missy, who seemed not to notice guys in that way, caught on. I don’t care how great the guy may be, I’m still going to throw a damn hissy fit if he somehow wins her over before I do. Missy is a phenomenon in this small town. Girls like her, pure and vibra

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  • Build You Up    17

    Missy POVI was getting ready for bed after Chris and Brittany left when I got a text from Chris. Chris| Thanks for letting me spend time with you today. I had funI bit my lip nervously. Chris seems nice, but there is just something about him that makes me feel unsettled, not able to even consider him in the way he is considering me at the moment. It’s like he is putting on his best behavior to try and impress me, and that reminds me too much of what I just left in the city. It makes me apprehensive about the real Chris that is hiding behind all the niceties.It also makes me kind of uncomfortable that he paid for Pickle’s vet bills to get me to go out with him on Tuesday night. The more I think about it, the more it seems like he is almost blackmailing me for a date. That doesn’t sit right with me. I may just be jaded because of my experience with Barry, but who knows? I just know that Chris is not someone I would consider dating. Not as it stands. Maybe if I ever felt like I was

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  • Build You Up    18

    Adrian is looking….good. Really good in nice clothes for once. He even got rid of that worn-out hat and styled his hair and his face was smooth for the first time since I met him. It looks great, but as I study his face I find myself missing his stubble, though now that his face is smooth, his jawline looks pronounced and defined. If I saw Adrian like this the first time we met, combined with the flirting remarks, I would have thought he was cocky and arrogant. Now, after hanging out with him and getting to know that his attitude is just how he always is, playful and up-front, I instantly feel this unfamiliar attraction to my handyman, who is looking sinful in his snug, gray shirt that hugs all those muscles in a mouthwatering way that he usually keeps hidden beneath baggy paint-stained layers. Chris coughs loudly behind me, dislodging me from my wayward thoughts. My face heats as I realize that both men caught me ogling Adrian like he was a piece of meat. Adrian looks slightly smug

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  • Build You Up    19

    Adrian POV“Would that be so wrong?” I asked her, my restraint barely holding as I stared down into her beautiful chocolate-colored eyes. She is so gorgeous. She is probably the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on. Everything about her; her face, her body, her tender heart, her very soul. Every single thing about her is beautiful and perfect. “Adrian,” she breathes out, her soft voice caressing my name in a way that wakes something carnal inside me. I want to kiss her. I want to wrap her curvy body in my arms and drive my name from her sweet lips all night long. Not conquering her, but cherishing her. For the rest of my life. Hearing her tell Chris firmly that she was never going to date him, and she was not willing to even share the space of a car with him again, fed into the desire I had been fighting inside me. She wouldn’t give him a chance, but she seemed willing to give me one. I'm not 100 percent sure yet, though. “Let’s go,” I tell her before I do something that

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  • Build You Up    20

    His mouth on mine is truly the sweetest thing I have ever tasted. Sweeter than the ice cream we had for dessert and sweeter than any damn chicken nuggets. I’m melting in his arms as he holds my body against his. His hands are hot, seeping and spreading through the fabric at the back of my dress. Our mouths are molded against one another, his lips tenderly urging mine to move with his in a slow, sensual motion that lights a fire inside me. A moan escapes my mouth into his when he sucks on my bottom lip, pulling on the pillowy flesh just enough so it hurts in a pleasurable way. When his tongue dives into my mouth, massaging and tangling with mine, something deep inside me tightens in an unfamiliar way. This itch is building in my core and I want nothing more than to let Adrian scratch it.His hand travels to the nape of my neck, softly pulling my hair. He angles my head so his mouth can travel across my jaw and down my neck, planting open mouth kisses that make my toes curl. My back in

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Latest chapter

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  • Build You Up    Christmas Special 2

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  • Build You Up    Christmas Special 1

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  • Build You Up    Epilogue

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