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EVERYTHING HURTS

Penulis: VEEWRITES
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-03-25 23:15:36

Zara's pov

"Creed, no, it's not alright." I shook my head, gripping my fork a little more tightly. "I don't like it when everything feels so tight between us. The way we aren't close anymore like we used to be. I don't like it when you put me on this 'you might break' pedestal."

He stiffened but said nothing.

I breathed in deeply and cut my pancake, bringing the chunk to my mouth. As soon as it hit my tongue, I softly moaned, closing my eyes for an instant. "God, why are these so good?"

Creed snorted a little laugh, but I knew it was fake.

I opened my eyes and gazed into his. "I don't want you to worry about me that way, Creed. Not like I'm some delicate thing you have to tiptoe around. I know I screw up. I know I do crazy things sometimes, but I don't want it to be this—this burden between us."

I put my fork down.

"We're going to get married soon."

Creed's jaw tightened.

"And I don't enjoy the thought of us not being on the same page," I continued. "I don't want to be with someone wh
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  • PRETEND PRINCESS   MEMORIES BOUND TO ME

    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

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-25
  • PRETEND PRINCESS   BREWING DISASTER

    Creed's POVI have no clue how I ended up here in this park, but it was… peaceful. I sat on a rock under a massive tree, its branches shielding me from the brunt of the rain. Cold drops still hit my skin, but it was better than wandering the streets blindly, drowning in my own thoughts.I had to think. I had to start over.And yet, the moment I closed my eyes, she was there in my head.Yu Yu Roman.That girl.I didn't know when or how, but something had changed. Something inside of me. I couldn't help it anymore. She wasn't just a passing thought—she was consuming me. The way she moved, the way she talked, the way she always seemed to be running from something, even when she was standing still.Was she the reason I called off the engagement? Was she the reason I couldn't move forward with Zara? Was she the reason I was so fucking frustrated, like my entire life had been a series of choices that led me straight to her?I exhaled a sigh, running a hand through my wet hair.This was a di

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-26
  • PRETEND PRINCESS   BOYFRIEND

    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

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  • PRETEND PRINCESS   PICKING UP PIECES

    Yuki's POVThe rain had ceased, and all that remained was the cold wetness of the air and the sound of our silence.I had stepped over a line.This shouldn't have occurred.We shouldn't have been so absorbed with one another like this—anything that dissolved the lines between us was dangerous. Worse, it could cost me my job."So… you and that restless employee?" Creed's voice came out of nowhere, shattering the silence.I blinked. "Who? Jacob?" A smile tugged at my lips."Yeah. Something's up."I feigned a gasp, placing my hand on my chest dramatically. "What are you suggesting, Mr. Malcolm? That I'm playing both of you?"He chuckled, but there was a sharp glint in his eyes."Jacob is cute," I admitted, crossing my legs. "But unfortunately, he isn't my type."A vibration rocked the truck.And then Creed was closer.Too close.My breath stuck in my throat, my heart pounding in my ear."So, Miss Roman." His voice was low, the heat of his breath on me. ".tell me, what's your type?"My th

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-28
  • PRETEND PRINCESS   A GILDED CAGE

    Creed's POVThe CreedX Technologies Gala was, not surprisingly, a lavish event.It was held in the city's most luxurious ballroom, and the entire production was dripping with excess. Crystal chandeliers swooped from the ceiling like water icicles, spilling shattered light across the crowd of stylishly attired upper crust. The marble floors glimmered, polished to such a high shine that they reflected the tall flower arrangements and extravagant golden centerpieces on each table. Black- and white-clad waiters navigated the crowd with trays of champagne and hors d'oeuvres—small caviar canapés, smoked salmon tartlets, and small filet mignon.The air was heavy with costly perfume and the muted buzz of polite talk, punctuated every now and then by the clinking of glasses and eruptions of laughter.I was bored to tears.I had already danced with three women, each one as replaceable as the champagne flutes being replenished. The first, a brunette in an emerald gown, prattled on about her fami

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  • PRETEND PRINCESS   UNWANTED GUESTS

    Zara's POVI had trouble keeping my gaze on the glass of champagne in front of me, much less the mindless chatter of the people around me. My gaze kept drifting—no, burning—toward them.Creed and Yuki.Sitting together, talking, their bodies inclined toward one another in that close, comfortable way. Creed had that lost look in his eyes, the same one that made people want to reach out and touch him, to repair whatever was broken inside. And Yuki—grr, she looked fabulous, as always, in that ridiculous peacock dress.I should have guessed she'd show up looking like a painting.I clenched my jaw.I wasn't jealous. Not of Yuki, at least.I was only. infuriated.I had been avoiding Creed all evening, and that he hadn't bothered to get up and seek me out? Livid."Zara, sweetheart, are you even hearing me?"I snapped back to reality, my rage sharpening into something deadly as I focused on Todd. Ew. Todd.One of the dozens of CreedX Technologies board members, someone I hadn't even known ab

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-29
  • PRETEND PRINCESS   COLD FURY

    Zara's POVThe wind slapped me in the face, but it wasn't as icy as the rage burning inside of me.I didn't know how long I'd been unconscious. Five minutes? Ten? Long enough for my toes to go numb in these ridiculous heels.Snow was falling, silent and soft, blanketing the sidewalk in a thin layer of white.I barely registered it.Because all I could see in my mind was him.Creed. And that pestering, silly, fake, peacock-hair girl.Yuyu.Of course it would have to be her. The one person who somehow succeeded in getting me like this.She wasn't even supposed to be here. Why was she here?And why was he looking at her like that?It was stupid. They were stupid.This was not jealousy. I was not jealous. I just—I wanted revenge.I hadn't even known what that was yet, but I was going to learn.Maybe I'd dance with the next fellow who emerged out here. Maybe I'd kiss someone just to defy him. Maybe—Gunfire.I froze.The sound ripped through the air like thunder, echoing from inside the g

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-31
  • PRETEND PRINCESS   MR SICK MALCOLM

    Yuki’s POVMy chest felt tight when I saw Zara clinging to Creed.Engaged or not, they were destined to be.At least, that's what it appeared.They moved like two people who had already spent a lifetime together. Whether it was toxic, whether it was a mess, there was a sense of destiny in the way she clung to him.And I hated that I was there, seeing it.I wanted to leave.I wanted to disappear before I saw something that would ruin whatever was left of my night.So I turned, heading towards the door, holding my head up high—like nobody else in that ballroom mattered.It was stupid, but it made me sick.Entitled bitch.I fought with my clutch, gripping it harder as I moved forward, angry that Creed was still standing there, looking at me."Let me take you home," his voice cut through the cold in the air, harsh and unyielding.I hesitated."I think we've had enough of a jumpscare tonight," he went on, his voice almost playful, as if he was trying to make it sound less like a command.I

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-31

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  • PRETEND PRINCESS   FIND MY WAY HOME

    Yuki's POVI was pissed. Incandescent with anger. Japan wasn't like America, and I was suddenly bitching out,at my state of distress. Already a minute to midnight and running out of battery.The streets of Tokyo, which had once been so vibrant and alive, had grown quiet and deserted, and I was left with only my thoughts and the faint light of streetlamps. I had roamed the city streets, trying to clear my head, but now I couldn't find any familiar landmarks. The city's maze-like streets and the absence of street names made things no easier."Fine," I complained, lowering my voice to an impersonation of Creed's. "Miss Roman, how did you get lost?"I continued with the act, playing the two parts."Well, Mr. Creed, I took a walk to calm my head and ended up. here.""Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant."I signed, feeling the weight of it all crashing down on me. "Something must be really, really wrong with me," I whispered.I wandered along the streets, the maze-like layout of the city not he

  • PRETEND PRINCESS   ANGRY BIRD

    Yuki's POVI was tired.No—tiredness was for ordinary people who had to deal with traffic and taxes and misplace where they left their keys.Me? Fatigue. Soul-burned. Heart-frost. Libido-dead. It had been what, two million years since I'd had sex? Okay, not that long but in Yuki time, that was practically Jurassic.And I knew I was exaggerating—but I'm a drama queen. Or was.Recently, I was just. ugh. Even the people I work with noticed. And let's be real: when I bring the bad energy, it's officially doomsday. Usually, I'm the one bouncing around like a human glitter cannon, dispensing sarcasm and skipping through patients' rooms with brightly colored hairpins and irresponsibly sweet coffee. Today,Today, I sat behind my desk like a cheap Squidward.You okay?" Jim whispered by, a tray in her hand and that knowing frown on her face."Peachy," I growled, poking at the keyboard as if it offended me personally.She didn't believe me. No one did.Because I wasn't okay.Nothing was okay.I

  • PRETEND PRINCESS   HAPPY YOU'RE HERE

    Lily's POVIt had been almost a week since Yuki had departed for Japan. I was still not used to it. We had not been communicating on a regular basis, not since the craziness with the job, the farewell, and all that lay in between. But saying goodbye to him that day had marked my heart. It felt like something irreversible. Like something had ended. I could not say the words, but part of me felt abandoned.Dan had been trying his best. I liked him—I really did—and today we were going to catch up at last the way we were meant to. A genuine date, a sit-down dinner at our favorite Italian place on Twelfth and Granville. We hadn't had anything romantic in weeks. Work, life, Yuki leaving, Grandpa Roman. everything had just made things complicated.Grandpa Roman.The notion tugged at me again. I had finished my hospital shift at three. My plan had been simple: go on over to the nursing home, see Grandpa Roman, and then catch up with Dan at five. But as I stepped into the old folks' home, rain

  • PRETEND PRINCESS   NOTHING LIKE I'M USED TO

    Yuki's POVTo think that no one would prepare you for culture shock. It's not the major things that catch you. It's the little stupid, sorta terrifying details. Like public transportation. Like buses.I was standing in front of what I thought was the right bus stop, blinking at the brightly colored sign in Japanese. There were arrows. There were times. But there was also this little voice in my head going over and over, "Yuki, you're probably in the wrong place."Guess who was right? Not me. Absolutely not me.By the time I knew the buses here wouldn't stop unless you flagged them down like you were drowning, the one I was waiting for flew by with grand disdain. I was standing there like I was committing a dramatic anime opening with my white fur coat shining in the sunlight like I was out of a cosplay magazine. Wind cue. Panic cue inside.I was late to work. Not "fashionably late." Not "five minutes, still cool" late. Actual late. Like-the-office-was-already-roaring-already late.An

  • PRETEND PRINCESS   CHEERFUL WORKDAY?

    Yuki's PovThe scent was the first thing that hit me when I entered the building. Cool, lemon air freshener with a hint of cinnamon. The lighting was soft, not harsh, the floors clean but not sterile. If warmth had a form, it was here. My white fur coat billowed behind me as I moved, heels clicking on the tiles. I looked down at myself—black trousers, white boots, no wig, no disguise. It was strange, unreal. Almost as though I'd just stepped off a long, exhausting play. A six-month performance of someone who was never quite myself.The receptionist's chair was empty briefly before a round lady with puffy cheeks and bright blush waddled towards me like an overactive panda. Her eyes twinkled behind her spectacles, and her smile nearly reached her ears."Oh my God! My name is Sue!" she said, grasping both of my hands in hers. "You're Yuki, right? We're so happy you're here! Come, come, come, your desk is here."She didn't let go of my hand when she led me down the hallway, past some glas

  • PRETEND PRINCESS   I MISS YOU

    Creed's POVI stormed into the office.No. That wasn't it either.I walked in.Calm. Too level. The kind of level that came after a tsunami had destroyed a whole city. Nothing left to agitate. Nothing left to feel. Just ash and silence.The door slammed shut. The sound echoed like a gunshot inside my head. I didn't blink.I walked past the reception. My staff barely looked at me anymore. Some ran. Some whispered. Some stared with suspicious, questioning eyes. It didn't matter.I opened the door to my private office and entered the air-conditioned mausoleum of my kingdom. Neat. Quiet. Smelling of leather, citrus, and my last application of cologne. A fragrance I hadn't deemed worthy of wearing in four years.I dropped my briefcase. It landed on the floor with a thud that was louder than it should have been.I sat down. Carefully.There was no rush.There was no anything.My fingers wandered to the keyboard out of habit. Not intent. I stared at the screen for too long without registerin

  • PRETEND PRINCESS   NOT WHAT I WANTED

    Zara's POVZed was over at my place again.He made himself way too comfortable, sprawling on the couch in my room like he owned the place.Tonight, he brought over some weird Mexican something.I didn't even catch the name. He said it twice. Maybe three times. But it just sounded like sounds to me.He kept trying to feed it to me, holding a forkful in front of my mouth like I was some stubborn kid with medicine to swallow.I shook my head so hard."I don't want anything to do with that," I grumbled, folding my arms across my chest.Zed glared at me, still chewing.I could tell he didn't get it.Not the food.None of it."I don't know why you're upset," he said, setting the container down on the coffee table."You got what you wanted. The imposter was exposed. You should be dancing. Celebrating."Celebrating?Celebrating?I let out a panted laugh, a laugh that did not sound anything like a laugh."This wasn't what I wanted," I whispered.Zed blinked, confused."You wanted the truth—""

  • PRETEND PRINCESS   MY HEART HURTS

    Creed's PovIt was past midnight.The bottle that I held was almost empty, but I did not mind. I was not drinking to be joyful. I was not even drinking to forget. I was drinking because it was the only way I could make the silence that greeted me endurable.I reclined slumped on the couch in my living room, the sole item of furniture that was more like a cell than home. There were shadows everywhere. The clock chimed out so loudly it sounded like a hammer in my head.And still.Still, I couldn't stop thinking about Yuyu.Fucking Yuki.With that goddamn smirk and those fuckin' sparklin' bright eyes and the way he looked at me like I was something, anything when he had no idea who the fuck I even was.I hated him.I missed him.I hadn't the fuck idea what I was feelin' anymore.Was I gay now? Did I swing this way? Did I just FUCKIN' happen to be feelin' desperately for someone, anyone, to look at me like I weren't a damned monster?Jesus Christ, no.I tipped the bottle to my lips again,

  • PRETEND PRINCESS   NEW BEGINNINGS

    Yuki's pov The flying part wasn't scary.I wasn't terrified of airplanes.I wasn't terrified of turbulent flight or height or any of that.I was terrified of beginning again.Terrified of seeing myself.For three weeks — almost four — I had done nothing but rot. Fault myself. Cry. Break things. Apologize to specters.That was enough.I couldn't keep going on like that.Mom wouldn't have wanted me to go on like that.Grandpa wouldn't either, even if he didn't always recall me.I stared out the plane window, clouds streaking across the horizon like wet paint, my chest aching.Memories ripped at me — Creed's voice, his smile, then the shock in his eyes.Grandpa's laugh, the way he used to call me his "boy."Lily's hugs.Small shattered pieces of my life slipping further and further away from me as the plane flew east.I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood.No more tears.No more pity parties.I can do this.This is my new start.Mom would be proud.I hugged myself hard, wrapped the th

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