All Chapters of PRETEND PRINCESS: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Warm fingers touched mine.A shiver ran up my spine as Creed’s grip tightened, pulling me up slowly, carefully, as if afraid I’d slip. His hand lingered, his thumb ghosting over my wrist before letting go.The air between us felt charged, the darkness making everything more intense.I took a cautious step back, only to bump into a table. His chuckle was quiet but there, curling in the air between us.“You okay?” he asked."Peachy." My heart wasn't, but my voice was firm enough.The room was smaller. The blackness dragged time out, each second lasting forever. I could hear him move, feel his movements in the air.Then—his voice.Lower this time."What's freedom to you?"The question made me stumble. "What?""Freedom." Pause. "What does it mean to you?"I furrowed my brow, the conversation more intense than I'd expected."I don't know…"I dangled there. "Being able to do what I want, I suppose. Without fear."He was quiet for a moment. When he spoke, his voice sounded reflective. "I use

Creed's POVI held onto Zara and dragged her into her house. She was obviously on something—I just had no idea what.The entire drive back, she had been acting off, like she was drunk. The answer was staring me in the face, hovering on the edge of my mind, but I didn't want to believe it. There was no way she hid something from Chicago to the resort.Someone had to have given it to her.And I was positive sure it was that stupid surfer guy, Steve. He was the type of guy who drank anything he could get.When we got to the door, I looked down the driveway. No car.Her mom wasn't home.I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't want her to worry. Hell, I didn't even want her to know I was home.This was when I was going to inform Zara that I was calling off the wedding.But it seemed like that was not going to happen tonight.She clung to me, rambling incoherently—words tumbling together, spilling apart, not coherent.I had to grip her, because if I released her, she'd get herself killed or s

Yuki's POV"It's okay, Grandpa! Everything will be okay," I pleaded, clutched his trembling hands as he struggled, his eyes desperate with something besides rage—despair.It wasn't.Roman's face twisted, veins bulging on his temples as he tugged on the tablecloth, plates shattering to the ground. Short, rasping gasps were his breathing. "Lori! Come home now! Come home!" His voice cracked, raw and pleading, as if he believed he could call my mother back from the dead by yelling her name."Grandpa, please!" My voice cracked too, but for an entirely different reason. Pain. The kind that wrapped around your ribcage and refused to let you catch your breath. He didn't recognize me. I wasn't his Yuki then. I was just another name in a cloud of remembered nothing.Lily hurried swiftly, herding the guests. "Everyone, outside." Her warm smile was never there tonight, instead being usurped by one of urgency as she ushered out the flabbergasted elderly guests.Gym Bro, or the guy who'd been flirt

Creed's POVZara's lips trembled, her breath catching as she shook her head."You're a precious gem," I whispered. "And gems are supposed to be adored, not neglected by someone who doesn't know their value."For a second, I thought she'd break. That she'd cry. That she'd say she knew.Instead, she laughed. A cold, empty sound."It's you, isn't it?" she whispered, her voice biting and accusing.I frowned. "Zara—""Don't fucking lie to me, Creed," she spat, fists knotting at her sides. "It's him, isn't it?!"My brows furrowed. "No, this is about us—""It's him! Roman!" Her voice rose, shrill and cracking with emotion. "I knew that bitch was going to get in my way!""Zara, stop." I reached out to catch her, but she shoved me off, eyes blazing with hurt."All this time," she seethed. "You never loved me, did you? You never wanted this! After everything we've been through, I—" Her voice broke, and she swallowed. "We deserve to be together! You deserve to be with me!""Zara—"She slapped me

Creeds pov The words spilled out so fast, so quietly, that I nearly missed them.I frowned. "Why?"She was quiet for a very long time, and I thought maybe she wouldn't answer. But then her voice was there, even and soft."Because it feels like he's all I have."Her words fell into my chest, heavy and sharp.I sort of leaned in, my elbows on my knees. "Don't you have someone else?"She gave a hard, bittersweet laugh. "People around me? Sure. But it's different, isn't it?"Yes. I certainly understood that. The ability to be a crowd of people but still being the only person alone in the room. "Yuyu" I spoke softly.Her head jerked up a bit, and I could barely catch a glint of her eyes in the blackness."People tell you family is the people who are supposed to love you no matter what," I continued, softer. "But sometimes, they're just the ones who hurt you the most."She didn't say anything, but I could feel her looking at me.I swung around, running a hand through my dripping hair."M