LOGINShare
80 - FINN'S POV
publish date:
2026-08-14 20:54:30
Latest chapter
PLAYING PRETEND 80 - FINN'S POV
"The bubbles will eventually pop and wash down the concrete drains so no real harm was done."Kyle leaned into my touch for a brief second before a fresh wave of dark guilt clouded his eyes."The building superintendent heard the machine overflowing and he kicked the basement door open while I was trying to scoop the bubbles into a bucket," Kyle told me."He was furious.""I am sure he deals with broken washing machines all the time in a rundown building like this," I reasoned while keeping my voice calm and steady.Kyle shook his head and he refused to meet my gaze."He screamed at me and he slapped us with a fifty-dollar fine for the water damage," Kyle whispered the devastating news into the quiet kitchen.The lingering trace of a smile vanished from my face and a cold rock dropped straight into the bottom of my stomach.We handed the greasy landlord our absolute last dollar to cover the security deposit for this dump yesterday morning.We did not have a single dollar left to buy b
PLAYING PRETEND 79 - FINN'S POV
I pressed my pen against the edge of the cheap kitchen table and the uneven wooden leg wobbled loudly against the peeling linoleum floor.I grabbed a folded piece of supermarket junk mail from the counter and I shoved it firmly under the table leg to stop the annoying rocking motion.The rusted metal radiator in the corner hissed a steady stream of hot steam into the cramped living room.I rubbed my tired eyes and I forced myself to focus on the massive stack of handwritten flashcards spread out across the fake wood grain.My first semester of Level 200 was quickly proving to be a brutal wake-up call.Surgical Nursing 1 demanded a level of intense memorization that made my previous anatomy classes look like a gentle warm-up.I flipped a green index card over and I silently recited the risk factors for severe postoperative hemorrhage.The hospital clinical rotation this morning drained almost all of my energy before the sun even reached the middle of the sky.Nurse Brenda did not offer
PLAYING PRETEND 78 - KYLE'S POV
The pale morning sunlight filtered through the filthy glass window and landed directly across my face.I groaned as I tried to roll over on the cheap floor mattress.A sharp, stinging pain flared across my left ribcage and instantly reminded me of the brutal alley fight.I opened my eyes and realized the right side of the small bed was already empty.Finn was gone.He left a folded yellow sticky note resting on the spare pillow right next to my head.Had to run to the hospital for my reinstated clinical rotation, his messy handwriting read.Stay in bed and do not lift anything heavier than a coffee mug today.I smiled at his bossy nursing instructions but I had zero intention of staying in bed.I sat up slowly and gritted my teeth against the dull ache radiating from my bruised side.Finn sacrificed his emergency savings fund just to keep a roof over my head.I needed to find a way to contribute to this tiny household while my ribs healed.I looked down at the pile of dirty clothes sc
PLAYING PRETEND 77 - FINN'S POV
Kyle was lying flat on his back with his chest bare and his dark hair plastered to his forehead with sweat.He looked incredibly vulnerable without his tailored suits or his polished political armor to shield him from the harsh reality of our poverty.I dropped to my knees on the faded blue blanket and I shuffled closer to his injured side until my thighs brushed against his hip."I have to press on the bone line to feel for crepitus," I warned him while rubbing my cold hands together to warm my palms."It is going to hurt a lot but I need you to stay as still as possible so I can feel the alignment."Kyle gave a weak nod of his head and he stared up at the water-damaged ceiling without offering a single complaint.I reached out and I gently placed my fingertips against the swollen, discolored skin just below his armpit.The skin was radiating a dull heat and the dark purple bruises felt tight and swollen under my light touch.I slowly traced the outline of his upper ribs and I applie
PLAYING PRETEND 76 - FINN'S POV
"Kyle, look at me," I demanded while my clinical nursing training slammed into high gear to override the sudden spike of sheer panic in my chest.He shook his head blindly and a harsh wheeze rattled deep in his throat as he kept his arms locked tight around his torso.Sarah screamed my name from the hallway but I ignored her panicked voice and focused solely on the gasping man sliding down the cracked plaster wall.I dropped to my knees right beside him and I grabbed his broad shoulders to keep him from falling over sideways onto the hard linoleum."Take off your shirt, right fucking now," I ordered with a sharp, non-negotiable tone that left zero room for his usual stubborn arguments.Kyle squeezed his eyes shut and he tried to lift his bruised hands to grab the hem of his damp gray t-shirt.A sharp gasp tore through his pale lips and his arms dropped uselessly back to his sides as the pain overwhelmed his exhausted muscles."I can't," he choked out a weak whisper while a fresh line
PLAYING PRETEND 75 - FINN'S POV
I walked down the hall and stepped into the cramped space I would be sharing with the former student body president.The room was barely large enough to fit a standard closet and the cheap linoleum floor was heavily scuffed from the previous tenants.We could not afford a proper metal bed frame or a matching bedroom set from the local furniture store.I dragged a cheap twin mattress through the doorway and dropped it directly onto the bare floorboards near the far wall.It landed with a dull slap that kicked up a small cloud of invisible dust into the stale air.Kyle walked in behind me carrying a stack of my folded blue hospital scrubs and a heavy desk lamp."We are sleeping on the floor," I stated the obvious while kicking the edge of the mattress to straighten it."It is a massive downgrade from your luxury campus suite.""I do not care about the room as long as we are not sleeping on the freezing pavement tonight," Kyle replied with a steady voice.He dropped the clothes onto the
PLAYING PRETEND CHAPTER 4 ~ KYLE'S POV
Two hundred and twenty-five pounds. That was the number. It was heavy enough to hurt, but light enough that I could make it look easy. And that was the whole point, wasn't it? Making the impossible look effortless.I lowered the bar to my chest, feeling the familiar burn tear through my pecs, contr
PLAYING PRETEND CHAPTER 3 ~ FINN'S POV
By the time I made it back to campus later that evening, my mother’s voice was still ringing in my ears like tinnitus. “Your type is fictional.” It was unfair, mostly because it was true.I parked my beat-up sedan in the student lot, grabbed my duffel bag, and trudged toward the dorms. The campus w
PLAYING PRETEND CHAPTER 2 ~ FINN'S POV
"I am proud of you," she said, her voice softening just a fraction, though the intensity in her eyes didn't waver. "You know that, right? When you came out to us, I was so happy. I bought that flag for the porch. I went to the parade with you. I am the proudest mother of a gay son in this entire ne
PLAYING PRETEND CHAPTER 1 ~ FINN'S POV
The Sunday roast chicken was dry, but I knew better than to say anything about it. My mother had spent three hours in the kitchen, rattling pans and humming along to an obscure 80s pop playlist, and if I criticized the food, I would never hear the end of it. I sawed through a piece of breast meat w
You may also like
AN ALPHA IN HEAT: KNOTTED BY THREE POSSESSIVE ALPHAS
Cyra McKenzie27.0K viewsThe Billionaire's dirty secret
Authoress Awe22.3K viewsFifty Shades Of Taboo
RichieWrites17.0K viewsSacred Sins; A Dark Tale
Sweet Wine 22.5K viewsBest Friends Shouldn't Crave Your Moan
ROSE MARY271 viewsOnce in a lifetime
Kelly's Write227 viewsThe Tyrant King's Bride
Cashmere🌸🦩60 viewsTOXIC : MY MAFIA PROFESSOR
Dark Diva writes308 views
