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Chapter 40 – A Brother’s Rivalry

Author: Amycee
last update publish date: 2025-09-27 16:47:37

Zayne noticed the way my body tensed, then followed my line of sight to Cade standing by his car. He didn’t react, not even a flicker of surprise.

Instead, his lips curved faintly. “Make sure I don’t have to text you again like today.”

I managed a smile. “It won’t get to that.”

“Good.” His eyes shifted toward Cade. “And you, start answering my calls.” With that, he opened his car door, got in, and drove off, leaving me alone with Cade.

Neither of us spoke. Cade just stared at me. For a heartbea
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  • Play Me Like You Mean It   CHAPTER 129 – Finally Home

    Six months later.Sometimes I sit quietly and wonder how life managed to change so completely.For so long, everything had felt uncertain and fragile, like happiness was something that could disappear if I held it too tightly.But now…Everything felt beautiful. Perfect, if perfection even existed.Six months had passed since the wedding and our honeymoon, and somehow those months had gone by faster than I expected. Every day seemed to move with its own quiet rhythm as Cade and I continued building the life we had once struggled so hard to reach.And if there was one thing I had learned about being Cade’s wife, it was this: that man loved to spoil me.Not just in the loud, showy ways people could see.Cade covered every version of pampering – the loud, the quiet, the soft, and the deeply personal. He made sure my coffee was exactly how I liked it every morning. He never forgot the small things that mattered to me. And sometimes I caught him looking at me like he still couldn’t believe

  • Play Me Like You Mean It   CHAPTER 128 – At Last, Our Wedding Day

    “Wake up. You’re getting married today.”Romi’s voice woke me as she tapped my shoulder.I peeled one eye open and stared at her.“That sounds important.”“It is very important, and if I let you sleep through your own wedding, Cade is going to have my head.”I laughed.That was how my wedding morning began.The day passed in a blur after that. Shower. Skincare. Hair. Makeup. Dresses being steamed. Voices in every room. Someone was always looking for pins, perfume, earrings, or something that had apparently vanished in the middle of the chaos.Through all of it, Romi stayed glued to my side, somehow managing to help me get ready while also texting furiously on her phone every few minutes and rolling her eyes so hard I thought they might stay that way.“What’s wrong?” I asked while the makeup artist finished the final touch on my face.She looked up from her phone and groaned.“Your man is disturbing me.”I smiled immediately. “Cade?”“Who else? Of course it’s him. He wants to see you.”

  • Play Me Like You Mean It   CHAPTER 127 – The Night Before Forever

    Friday night started quietly, but it quickly turned into something much bigger than we had planned.At first, the plan had been simple. We would host a small gathering for the people closest to us before the wedding, let everyone relax, laugh, and enjoy themselves.But once everyone started arriving, the energy changed. The house came alive in a way that made it feel less like an event and more like a memory being made in real time.Noah was with my parents for the night, which gave the rest of us the freedom to stay out late without worrying about bedtime routines. Cade had arranged for most of the guests to stay at one of his other properties nearby, so no one had to stress about driving home or cutting the night short.A few of my old college friends flew in. Some people from my modeling days came too, the ones I had stayed cordial with over the years. Drew and Lauren arrived with their usual loud, familiar energy. Jesse and Chanel came together, which made me privately smile. Romi

  • Play Me Like You Mean It   CHAPTER 126 – The Life We Chose

    Moving into the new house felt strangely unreal at first. For the first few days, I wasn’t sure whether Noah or Cade was the one more excited about it.They both couldn’t seem to get enough of each other. Noah even slept in our room with us most nights. On the days I insisted he sleep in his own room, I would still wake up in the middle of the night to find him in our bed. Cade would quietly go and carry him in from his room while I was asleep.That wasn’t all. Getting Cade to go to work became the real challenge.“Cade,” I said one morning, standing by the door with my bag, “you do remember you have a company to run, right?”“I know.”“You haven’t been there in two days. Your employees might start thinking you’ve disappeared.”He shrugged lazily. “I trust them to do their jobs well without my presence. That’s why I pay them.”I gave him the I’m serious look.“Get dressed. You’re going to work today.”He sighed. “Fine.”Later that afternoon, I realized I had forgotten something at hom

  • Play Me Like You Mean It   CHAPTER 125 – Out in the Open

    The Instagram post did exactly what I expected. It exploded.My phone had barely survived the first fifteen minutes before the notifications started pouring in. Messages. Mentions. Comments. Old contacts suddenly remembering I existed.But the one message that made me laugh out loud came from Drew.Send me your number immediately.I stared at the screen for a second, already knowing what was coming. Then I sent him my number.My phone rang less than ten seconds later. The moment I picked up, Drew started yelling.“Are you kidding me right now, Mira?”I laughed.“You disappear for years,” he continued dramatically, “and the first thing I find out is that you’re engaged through Instagram?”“I’m sorry,” I said between laughs. “I’m sorry.”“You shut me out!”“I know.”“You vanished!”“I know!”“You have been a very bad girl.”“I said I’m sorry,” I repeated, still laughing.There was a long pause, then Drew sighed loudly.“Send me your address.”Before I could say anything else, he hung up

  • Play Me Like You Mean It   CHAPTER 124 – Double Celebration

    Noah and I were still buzzing with excitement by the time Cade dropped us back at my parents’ house. The entire drive home had been filled with Noah talking nonstop about the new house.By the time the car stopped in the driveway, he was practically vibrating with energy.“Go tell Grandma,” Cade said with a laugh as Noah jumped out before the engine had fully stopped.He ran toward the house, already bursting to share the news.Cade glanced at me from the driver’s seat, his expression soft.“Tomorrow,” he said.“Tomorrow,” I repeated.There was something comforting about that word now. Tomorrow meant the house and building a home together.I leaned over and kissed his cheek before stepping out of the car. The sight in the living room made me pause. Max was sitting on the couch, and beside him was Romi.Noah barely noticed them as he rushed past.“Grandma!” he shouted, already heading down the hallway.Max looked up and smiled when he saw me.“Mira.”“Max,” I said, genuinely surprised.

  • Play Me Like You Mean It   Chapter 27 – Cleared

    Cade’s words from the hill still echoed in me, looping quiet but insistent. I didn’t reply, not because my own feelings weren’t growing, but because grief is a fog that bends everything out of shape.It didn’t feel fair to hold him, or myself to declarations made in that haze. Some things deserved

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-19
  • Play Me Like You Mean It   Chapter 28 – Distance in the Lights

    There was no whispering about Cade’s return anymore. It was loud, plastered across every screen. Countdowns ticked on sports sites, interviews replayed like background noise, and bold headlines stamped his name everywhere I looked. The game was calling him back, louder than ever.“Reeve Returns: Ca

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-20
  • Play Me Like You Mean It   Chapter 32 – The Wrong Shoulder to Cry On

    I scrubbed at my face, embarrassed that of all people to see me like this, it had to be Zayne. Cade’s older brother. The last person I would have chosen to see me broken.My mouth opened to apologize, but he only shook his head, lifting a finger to his lips.“Shh.” His arms folded around me. “Don’t

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-20
  • Play Me Like You Mean It   Chapter 25 – Us Forever

    Cade came out of his room bursting with energy, like a kid who’d just been promised a trip to Disneyland. He couldn’t sit still. One leg bounced. His phone lit up every two minutes. He checked it, pocketed it, and checked it again.I leaned back on the couch, arms crossed. “Alright. Spill. What did

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-19
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