Chapter: The Cost That StayedLukeThe Whitmore Foundation board met quarterly.I'd been on the advisory board for nine years. Not the governing board, but advisory, the kind of position that carried social weight rather than operational authority. The kind that said, "This person's name and presence matter to us."The quarterly meeting was on Thursday. I received the agenda on Wednesday morning.My name was not on it.The agenda had been drafted without including the advisory board consultation section, which had appeared in every quarterly agenda for 9 years.I looked at the document and called Harrison."The Whitmore quarterly," I said. "The advisory section.""I saw it," Harrison said—the careful voice. "The foundation reorganized the advisory structure in November. It was in the board minutes.""I didn't receive the board minutes.""They were sent to the previous advisory contact email." A pause. "Which was updated in November. Your name was transitioned to …" Another
Last Updated: 2026-05-12
Chapter: What This Is NowMaraThursday. The hotel suite. 6:15 PM.Junior was at the kitchen table with the geological notebook and three tiles arranged in a testing formation. Luke was beside him, reading the latest classification documentation with the kind of patience he had developed for precisely this purpose. Billy was on the couch with a logic problem, unbothered by the room's ambient activity. It was acceptable background noise.I was at the desk reviewing the Hargreaves quarterly summary.Marcus was in the kitchen, nominally making tea, actually monitoring the geological proceedings with the specific attention of a man who had been recruited into scientific consultation more often than his job description suggested."The igneous classification," Junior said. "Page three. The revised criteria.""I see it," Luke said. He turned the page. "The thermal event indicators are stronger in this sample than in Gerald.""That's what I said two weeks ago," Junior said."You were
Last Updated: 2026-05-12
Chapter: Not The End Of ItMaraSunday morning. The hotel suite. 8 AM.I was at the desk with the Hargreaves quarterly when the email arrived.The sender was Pemberton and Associates.I'd been expecting it. Patricia and I had been tracking the timeline, and the six-to eight-week estimate had landed at approximately this week. I'd known it was coming.I still held the mouse over it for a moment before I clicked.Ms. Vale Anderson, on behalf of our client, Mrs. Margaret Anderson, we are writing to request a preliminary conversation regarding a matter of mutual interest concerning William and Lucas Anderson Vale...I read it to the end.It was careful. Legally careful. The language of a lawyer who'd built a case methodically and was presenting the opening move with deliberate precision. The grandmother's petition has not yet been filed, but it has been named. The documented interest includes Robert's school attendance, the November months of quiet, and the estate documentation. Th
Last Updated: 2026-05-11
Chapter: What Exists Anyway MaraSaturday morning. The first Saturday of April.No visit scheduled. The Thursday access day had covered the week, and the weekend was unstructured. It was mine to organize as I needed.I'd planned to spend the morning working through the Hargreaves follow-up. I had the quarterly in front of me at nine o'clock with coffee and two hours of uninterrupted time before the boys woke up.At 9:14, Junior's phone made the specific sound it made when he was sending a text.He was supposed to be asleep.At 9:17, he appeared in the doorway of my room."I texted him," he said.I held my coffee. "You texted Luke.""About the park," he said. "He said yes."I held my coffee."He was awake at nine-fourteen," I said."He'd already been for a run," Junior said. He said this the way he said things he'd established as facts. "He usually goes at seven."I held my coffee."You know his running schedule," I said."He mentioned it," Junior said
Last Updated: 2026-05-11
Chapter: The Choice That Isn’t FinalMaraThe Hargreaves agreement was on my desk at nine AM on a Friday.Thirty-two pages. The three-year extension terms, the full European portfolio advisory, and the formal documentation of a relationship that had started as a targeted intervention in a specific crisis and had become something considerably more substantial.I read all thirty-two pages.Made notes in the margin at seven points.At eleven, I called the board chair's office and walked through the seven points. There were clarifications. Two were adjustments I wanted. Two were confirmations that the provisions I had understood to mean specific things did, in fact, mean those specific things.He accepted the two adjustments. Confirmed the two provisions."We'll send the revised document by end of day," he said."Thank you," I said."Ms. Vale Anderson." His voice shifted slightly. The warmth people allowed into professional conversations when they'd decided it was appropriate. "The Harbo
Last Updated: 2026-05-10
Chapter: The Conversation That Didn't End Anything Luke Robert answered the phone on the third ring. "Luke." Surprised. Not entirely. "I'd like to have lunch," I said. "Not the club. Somewhere neutral." A pause. "Does this involve lawyers?" "No lawyers," I said. "Just us." Another pause. The specific pause a man takes to decide whether the conversation being proposed is one he wants to have. "Wednesday," he said. "12:30." "I'll book somewhere," I said. We hung up. I looked at the Harborview file on my desk. The conversation with my father had been necessary since before the airport. I'd known that. I'd been managing it for 12 months without finding a version that seemed worth having. The Margaret situation had created a version worth having. Wednesday. 12:30. A restaurant in midtown, not the Anderson family's usual territory, which was the point. Neutral ground. Good food. Private enough for a conversation that did
Last Updated: 2026-05-10
15 Days Babysitting For My Star Quarterback Bully
My smile dies the second the door swings open. Gasping, I stumble back as if burned by the deep scowl aimed at me.
“You!” I whisper, and at the same time, my arch-enemy’s scowl morphs into a sinister smile.
Tyler Brooks raises an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize you’ve added stalking to your nerdy tendencies,” he finally says, his deep voice causing me to shiver.
I feel cold sweat break across my forehead, but I curl my fingers tighter around the strap of my purse. “I’m here to… for… um…”
Tyler snorts, seemingly taking pleasure in my embarrassment. “What are you doing here, Garcia?”
***
Lila Garcia thought her life couldn’t get any worse as the infamous nerd of Princeton High, constantly bullied by the jocks. But when Tyler Brooks’ parents leave town and they need someone to watch his younger siblings, Lila is roped into babysitting duty.
Tyler has always been a jerk to her since day one, but now Lila’s stuck in his world and seeing him as more than just an arrogant football star. In close quarters, Lila learns that Tyler has secrets, and that he isn’t the guy she pegged him to be.
As her feelings start to change, and the lines between love and hate blur, Lila must decide if this new version of Tyler is worth trusting, or if she’s just another target in his game.
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Chapter: Chapter Seventy-ThreeTyler’s POVThe clock on the wall ticks too loudly that I have a mind of ripping it off.Every second drags, and I struggle to sit still in one of the plastic chairs.My fingers tap rhythmically against my knee as images of Jake’s arms around Lila assault my brain. I shouldn’t be replaying it, but I keep seeing her standing there, not pushing him away fast enough.“I had a really nice time with you yesterday.”The door swings open, and I look up automatically.“Hey.” Lila walks in slowly, like she’s unsure how I’m going to react.Good, she should be worried.“You came.”“I said I would,” she replies.I lean back in my chair, crossing my good arm over my chest and keeping my expression flat. “Wouldn’t you rather be somewhere else?”Her brows knit together. “What?”“With Jake,” I clarify, my voice sharper than I intend. “You seemed pretty comfortable with him yesterday.”A flicker of hurt crosses her face. “Tyler,” she starts, s
Last Updated: 2026-05-12
Chapter: Chapter Seventy-TwoThe weight of piling secrets sits on my shoulders as I walk through the school gates.I almost managed to convince myself that yesterday was a fluke. A strange, isolated moment that I can neatly fold away and pretend didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.That way, lying to Tyler on Jake’s behalf doesn’t hold any serious consequence.I put on my best smile, tighten my grip on my bag strap, and keep my head up. Students move around me in clusters, their voices overlapping and laughter echoing in the hallways. Lockers slam, shoes squeak against polished floors, and for a brief moment, everything feels exactly the same as it always does.“L.G.”So much for nothing changing.Sighing, I slowly turn around. “Hey, Jake.” My eyes narrow slightly as I take him in – he looks well rested and more put together, like the version of him from yesterday never existed. “You look different.”He scoffs lightly. “What, you expected me to show up to school crying o
Last Updated: 2026-05-12
Chapter: Chapter Seventy-One The sky looks wrong. That’s the first thing I notice as I step out of the car. The strange, in-between gray hue of it makes everything feel suspended, like something is about to go wrong. It doesn’t help that my mind is in overdrive and my heart won’t stop pounding as the cab I hastily ordered finally comes to a stop. I slam the car door harder than I mean to and glance down at my phone again, half-expecting Jake to text and say “never mind.” But it never comes. So, I swallow my nerves and turn toward the house before me. The bungalow is the smallest building on the street, and although it’s not exactly rundown, it looks worn in a way that shows it’s lacking serious maintenance. The porch light flickers faintly, and one of the steps creaks under my weight as I climb up. There’s a bike tipped over on the side of the yard, a pair of shoes by the door that look like they’ve been there too long, and no sign
Last Updated: 2026-05-11
Chapter: Chapter SeventyMy cheeks ache from smiling for hours, but I’m incapable of stopping it.I make a quick wave at Alex and Maya before running up the porch and into my house. Then, I head upstairs and drop my bag by the door, my smile widening even more as I replay the feel of Tyler’s fingers around mine in class and the way his voice softened at the end of his answer.It’d been clear in that moment, why he never gave an answer even though he clearly felt something more than just attraction.He was asking for time.My phone buzzes in my hand, and my pulse jumps when I see his name on the screen. I don’t even try to hide my smile as I answer. “Hi.”“Hey,” he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice too. “You get home okay?”“Yeah,” I reply, kicking off my shoes and flopping onto my bed. “You?”“I just did,” he says, then sighs. “I’m sorry I couldn’t drop you off today. Mom insisted I come home right after school. She still thinks these ‘family interventions’ will ma
Last Updated: 2026-05-11
Chapter: Chapter Sixty-NineBy the time I get to AP English, I’ve already decided on one thing:I am not thinking about my date with Tyler or the silence that followed. I’m going to sit down, open my notebook, and focus on literally anything else.That plan lasts exactly three seconds.“Garcia.”I don’t even have to turn around. My body reacts before my brain does, heat rising to my cheeks as I recognize his voice immediately. I close my eyes briefly, then turn.Tyler leans against the doorframe like he owns the place, backpack slung over his good shoulder, and looking entirely too relaxed for someone who left me hanging on the most important three words in existence.“Come sit with me,” he says, nodding toward the back of the classroom.I blink. “I don’t sit in the back.”“I know,” he replies. “But there’s a first time for everything,” he says with a wink that I can’t deny makes my heart race.Beside me, Maya is pretending not to notice our exchange, but the tiny curve
Last Updated: 2026-05-10
Chapter: Chapter Sixty-Eight“Unbelievable,” Maya scoffs, staring at my bedroom door like it personally offended her. “A felony,” she continues slowly, blinking. “That’s what this feels like. He committed a felony.”I let out a weak groan and drop back against her pillows, dragging one over my face. “Please don’t make this worse than it already is.”“Worse?” she repeats, her voice climbing an octave. “Lila, you told your boyfriend you love him and he just… what? Stared at you like a confused golden retriever?”I groan louder, pressing the pillow harder into my face. “Stop talking.”“No, I will not stop talking!” she snaps, grabbing the pillow and yanking it away from me. “This is serious. This is emergency-level gossip. This is… oh my God, I can’t believe I wasn’t there.”I sit up, shooting her a look. “You’re unbelievable.”“I’m invested,” she corrects, crossing her legs dramatically on the bed. “There’s a difference.”I drag a hand down my face, already exhausted from reliving
Last Updated: 2026-05-10
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