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A personal stake
Last Updated:
2025-01-15 17:49:45
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Pretend to be mine Opening up
Avon pulled her closer to him, so happy to be with her. It felt wrong to be happy when she was on the point of tears, but he was honored that she was sharing this with him. This conversation felt like a gift.“You know that’s not true, right? That if it doesn’t pass this time it’s not your fault? That all you can do is give everything you have to this, and you know you have been? You do know all that?”She shrugged and turned away from him. Okay. Did that mean she didn’t want to talk about this anymore? He wasn’t sure if he should keep talking, but he had one more question for her.“Have you talked to your sister about this? Have you told her what you’re trying to do, and why?”She hesitated and shook her head.“We haven’t . . . We don’t really talk about that at all. At first, I was too ashamed to say anything, and now it seems like it’s been too long.”He didn’t respond at first, not quite sure what to say. She reached for the slice of pizza he’d put on her plate and had eaten half
Last Updated : 2025-01-16Pretend to be mine Diana
Diana and Lucia’s friendship was the stuff of legends. They'd met in school, bonding over late-night pizza and study sessions. Diana had been immediately drawn to Lucia’s sharp wit and determination, while Lucia admired Diana’s quick thinking and creative approach to problem-solving. As they navigated the challenges of school together, their friendship deepened. They became each other's sounding board, offering advice and support through thick and thin. After graduation, Despite her demanding career, Diana always made time for Lucia. The two friends would meet for brunch every Sunday, discussing everything from their love lives to their latest career triumphs. Diana’s own love life was a bit of a rollercoaster. She'd had her share of high-profile romances, but nothing seemed to stick. Lucia often joked that Diana was too intimidating for most men, and that she needed someone who could keep up with her sharp tongue and quick wit. When she wasn't working or dating, Diana love
Last Updated : 2025-01-16Pretend to be mine Complicated emotions
Lucia got to work the next morning groggy but blissful. In the middle of the night she’d woken up to him kissing the back of her neck and turned to give him access to the rest of her body. This time it was slower, gentler, quieter, but the fireworks had gone off just the same. He’d refused to let her drive him to the airport that morning. He’d insisted it was too early and she should get some of the sleep that he’d robbed her of. She hadn’t gotten any of that sleep—she’d jumped in the shower as soon as they’d kissed good-bye at her front door—but she’d loved him for saying so. She sank into her desk chair and barely managed to avoid spilling her coffee as that thought sank in. Loved him? Wait, no, that’s not what she’d meant. She couldn’t feel that way about him. That way was surely headed for heartbreak with a guy like Avon. But he clearly cared about her, right? He jumped on a plane to come see her for less than twelve hours; he had to feel something for her. Or was she just
Last Updated : 2025-01-17Pretend to be mine Unfinished sentences
Avon left straight from the hospital to pick Lucia up at the airport, feeling a mix of excitement and relief. He had been looking forward to seeing her all day, and the stress of the past few days was starting to catch up with him. As he walked down the hall toward the elevator, Lucas high-fived him. "You'll be at 4th of July party on Sunday, right?" Avon nodded, smiling. "See you there." The elevator doors opened, and Avon stepped inside, feeling a sense of anticipation. He had been thinking a lot about his relationship with Lucia , and he was starting to realize that he wasn't ready to let her go just yet. When he arrived at the airport, Lucia walked out of the terminal just as he pulled up, looking stunning in her business attire. Avon jumped out of the car to kiss her, feeling a rush of excitement. "Hey," he said, smiling. "Welcome back." Lucia smiled back, looking a little tense. "Hey," she replied. "Thanks for picking me up." Avon nodded, opening the trunk to grab her lugg
Last Updated : 2025-01-18Pretend to be mine Facing fears and finding comfort
“I knew you’d like the pancakes, even though the biscuits are my favorite.”He pulled out her ponytail so he could run his fingers through her hair, and she sighed and rested her head against his shoulder.“Hills?”She turned and smiled at him, but she looked anxious again, like she had the night before.Maybe she needed to get work done? Yeah, that was probably it. She always needed to get work done.“I was maybe going to go for a run. Did you . . . is that cool? You’ll be okay here for a while, right?”She turned away from him and sat up.“Yeah, that’s fine. I can get some work done while you’re gone.”Yeah, he’d figured. He kissed her again as he stood up to go change into his running clothes. When he came back into the living room, her laptop was on her lap and she had that worried look on her face again. Still.“Everything okay?”She jumped at the sound of his face and looked up.“Oh . . . yeah, fine. Just checking my email.”He didn’t quite believe that. He wanted to sit down ne
Last Updated : 2025-01-18Pretend to be mine Sangria,sausages and small talk
She walked over to refill her glass of sangria. A guy Avon had just introduced her to followed her. "Lucia, right? Having fun so far?" He put an arm around her. Lots of huggers at this party. "Yeah, it's great." She stepped to the side so she could pour her drink. "Ethan, right?" "Yeah, so smart of you to remember." Ethan liked to stand close, didn't he? "So Lucia , where are you from?" She took a sip of her sangria and a half step backward. "San Francisco . I'm just down here for the weekend." Oh look, he'd moved closer. "You live in San Francisco ? That's cool. But I meant, like, where are you really from?" Now she knew where this was going. Like she couldn't "really" be from California? Why did people always try to ask her about her ethnicity in the clumsiest of all possible ways? Getting this question, especially in this way, always made her feel like such an object of curiosity. Today it made her feel like even more of an Other in this party full of golden-hai
Last Updated : 2025-01-20Pretend to be mine Secrets and smiles
Lucia held her glass out to Dorothy for a refill. “Maybe not an expert, but I did graduate from Law School, so . . .” Lily crossed the room so fast she almost knocked into Dorothy . “Tell me everything.” After Lucia went inside, Avon got his share of teasing from Ryan and Julian. “Good God, you should see the way you look at her,” Luke said. “It’s like me when I’m looking at . . .” “A really fat sausage?” Julian suggested. “Oh, shut up, both of you,” Avon said, after Ryan and Julian recovered from their peals of laughter. “No, no, but it’s cute,” Julian said. “Look at you—you keep glancing toward the house to see if she’s coming back and trying to pretend that you’re just looking at your drink.” Avon shifted his eyes back in their direction. Okay, fine, they caught him looking for her. He was just trying to make sure she made it back outside okay. No, that excuse didn’t even work in his own head. Eventually, Cassie , another doctor at the hospital, came over to the
Last Updated : 2025-01-20Pretend to be mine Behind the smile
Avon pointed and went back to munching on chips and listening to Lucia and Julian talk about hiking. Unsettled? He wasn’t unsettled. It was possible he would prefer Lucia to be standing next to him than over on the other side of the party talking to three strange men, but he wasn’t unsettled. He watched Lucas approach her group and tap her on the shoulder. Lucia threw her arms around Lucas and beamed her bright smile at him and absorbed him into her cozy little group. Avon waited for her to look around for him. She was probably just waiting to catch his eye to signal to him to come join them. But she didn’t turn her head. Lucia was glad she hadn’t tried to have the Talk with Avon before coming to the party. She would have made some humiliating speech about how she felt about him and how she wanted a relationship with him, and he would have looked at her with pity in his eyes. She’d always known what the deal was. That was the worst part. She’d known from the beginning who and wh
Last Updated : 2025-01-20
Latest chapter
Pretend to be mine The proposal
“I’m so sorry. Please tell me you forgive me,” he begged as he buried his face deep into Lucia's neck. “I forgive you, but we need to talk,” she said. “I know, and I’ll do anything to make things right. I love you, and I missed you so much.” Lucia broke their embrace and placed her hands on his face. “I missed you too,” age said as she kissed him. “Come sit down and have some coffee and the hangover cocktail I just made.” “You know I hate that stuff.” “I know you do, but it works and you have to be feeling pretty lousy right now.” “I am,” he said as he rubbed his head. Lucia picked up the glass with the cocktail in it and sat down on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and as she brought the glass to his lips. “Drink.” she smiled. He looked at her, made a face, and took a sip as she tilted the glass. He took it from her hand and chugged it down as fast as he could, then placed the glass on the counter. “Where’s our baby?” he asked. “He’s at my mom's with Dian
Pretend to be mine After the fall
It was a Saturday morning. Lucia say down in front of the balcony letting her hands run through her hair. “He misses you, and he’s not doing good,” she heard a voice say behind her.She turned around and saw Diana standing a few feet away from her. She smiled and held out her hand for Diana to sit next to her.“What are you doing here? Should you even be here?” she asked as she kissed Diana on the cheek.“I’m fine. Martins drove. He's in the car , talking to his boss. I don’t want to talk about me. How are you doing?”“I’m okay,” she said as I looked into her phone.“No, you’re not. I know you, Lucia, and you miss him just as much as he misses you.”“I’m so mad at him, Diana. How could he do that to me? How many times do I have to tell him not to keep things from me before it sinks into that thick head of his?”Diana smiled at her and then looked at her. “Sometimes, we don’t always make the right decisions under pressure and stress. Need I remind you of a few times you didn’t make
Pretend to be mine Reflections and reconnections
The house felt empty without Avon. She heard Asher cry, so she walked upstairs to get him from his crib. It had been days since she’d seen or talked to Avon. Every second and every minute of each day was killing her slowly. Days had passed since she had left Avon, and she couldn’t shake the feeling of emptiness that settled in her heart. She missed him. She missed their talks, their laughs, and their quiet moments together. As she sat in her Mum’s living room, watching Asher play with his toys, she couldn’t help but think about Avon. She’d been so angry with him, so hurt by what she thought he'd done. But now, as the days went by, she was starting to feel like she’d overreacted. She thought about all the times Avon had been there for her, all the times he'd supported her and loved her. She thought about the way he looked at her, the way he made her feel like she was the only person in the world. Just then, her mom came into the room and told her that Avon was on his way over
Pretend to be mine Shattered lives
Avon could hardly sleep that night. He kept trying Lucia’s number but it kept going to voicemail. He knew she needed time but he only wanted to make sure she was safe. A part of him was relaxed when Lucas called and told him she was at her mom's with their baby.Dr Kim on the other hand watched Avon run out of the mansion chasing after Lucia. Her plan had not worked. Avon had not fallen into her trap and instead, he had gone after his wife. Kim's face twisted in anger and frustration. She had been so sure that her plan would work. She had been so sure that Avon would fall for her charms. But now she watched Avon disappear into the night. She realized that she had underestimated him. She had underestimated the strength of his marriage and the depth of his love for Lucia.Kim's anger turned to furt as she taught of Lucia. That woman had ruined everything. She had foiled with her plans.She had been with other married men and she was always the one to leave the situationship. The men n
Pretend to be mine The seductress
Dr. Kim was a force to be reckoned with. She was a brilliant doctor, a talented researcher, and a stunningly beautiful woman. She knew how to use her charms to get what she wanted, and she always got what she wanted. Kim grew up in a wealthy family, where she was always given everything she desired. She was spoiled, but she was also intelligent and driven. She worked hard to become a doctor, and she was determined to be the best. As she navigated her way through medical school and her residency, Rachael developed a reputation for being flirtatious and seductive. She would bat her eyelashes, flash her bright smile, and use her charm to get what she wanted from her colleagues and professors. Her love life was a series of conquests, each one more thrilling than the last. She would pick up men at bars, at parties, and even at work. She loved the thrill of the chase, the excitement of seducing someone new. But despite her many conquests, Kim had never been in a serious relationship.
Pretend to be mine Teething pains
Lucia paced back and forth, trying to comfort Asher as he screamed her head off in the morning. She bounced him, walked him around the house, sat down, rocked him in the rocking chair, and nothing soothed him. Avon came up behind her in the living room and took him from her. “What’s wrong, ash? Daddy’s here.” Lucia rolled her eyes because sometimes Avon thought he was the cure-all where he was concerned. When he didn’t stop screaming, he looked at her. “He may be teething. Run your finger along his gums and see if you feel anything,” Avon said. She took her finger and put it in Asher's mouth. “Yep, I feel a lump right here,” she said. ‘Aw, my poor baby,” he pouted as he kissed his head. “I’ll go and get the baby Tylenol. That should help her him better.” Lucia followed Avon into the kitchen, and she took the Tylenol from the cupboard. She gave Avon his dosage and they sat with him on the couch. “I can take him, sweetheart. You have to get up for work in a couple of hours.”
Pretend to be mine A night out and a love that endures
The next morning, Lucia awoke before Avon. As her was still at his parents’ house and after the party last night, they had sex all over the penthouse, taking advantage of the fact that Asher wasn’t here to interrupt them. While she stood in front of the mirror, she put her blonde hair up in a high ponytail. As she brushed her teeth, Avon stood in the doorway of the bathroom in nothing but his pajama bottoms, with his muscular arms against the doorframe. “What?” she smiled. “Nothing. I’m just admiring your beauty before we part ways in a couple of hours.” She spit in the sink and rinsed her mouth before walking over to him and placing her hands on his bare and sculpted chest. “I hate the fact that we aren’t going to see each other until tomorrow.” “I know. Me too,” he said as he held her face and kissed her lips. “I'll be home before you know it” Avon said. After Avon left for work, Lucia pulled out her phone and dialed Diana's number, excitement building up inside her. Hey, g
Pretend to be mine A new face
Lucia was sitting in the hospital cafeteria, sipping on a cup of coffee and scrolling through her phone, when she noticed a commotion at the entrance. A group of nurses were gathered around a new doctor, chatting and laughing with her. As she watched, the doctor caught her eye and smiled. She was tall, with long, curly brown hair and piercing green eyes. Lucia felt a pang of unease as she realized that she was staring at Avon, her gaze lingering on his face. Just then, Avon walked into the cafeteria, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on Lucia’s. He smiled and made his way over, but not before noticing the new doctor. "Hey, who's that?" Avon asked, nodding towards the doctor. Lucia shrugged. "No idea. Must be new around here." Avon's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the doctor, who was now chatting with a group of nurses. "I'll go introduce myself," he said, standing up. As Avon walked over to the doctor, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. There was some
Pretend to be mine A night out
Avon sat at his desk, staring blankly at his computer screen as he tried to focus on the task at hand. But his mind kept wandering to Lucia and their baby boy. It had been weeks since she gave birth, and he knew she was still adjusting to motherhood.As he thought about it, an idea struck him. He picked up his phone and dialed Lucia's number, a smile spreading across his face as he waited for her to answer."Hey, beautiful," he said, trying to sound suave. "How's my favorite mom doing today?"Lucia laughed on the other end of the line. "I'm doing okay, I guess. Just trying to get some rest while the baby sleeps."He chuckled. "Well, I have a proposition for you. How would you like to be my date for dinner tonight?"There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, he worried that Lucia might say no. But then she spoke up, her voice filled with excitement."I'd love to! It's been ages since we've had a night out just the two of us."He grinned, feeling a sense of relief
