LOGINShare
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Last Updated:
2025-05-27 06:06:24
Latest chapter
With You CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
AVA Ava didn’t know when it started. The quiet pull toward Luke that had settled somewhere between friendship and something else. She had tried to deny the feeling but wasn't successful. She liked Luke. More than she ever thought was possible. His confidence was magnetic, his blunt honesty refreshing, and yet beneath it all was a gentleness that made her heart race in ways she couldn’t explain. He had this way of making her feel alive, like she was seeing parts of herself she never knew existed. But she wasn’t delusional. They had an unspoken understanding as friends, maybe, but competitors first. The coveted team leader position was still up for grabs, and this pitch was everything. Winning would finally earn her the respect she’d fought so hard for. The fact that Luke might feel the same was a dangerous thought, one she didn’t allow herself to entertain. He was polite, easygoing, sweet even, but nothing more. With the pitch just days away, they needed one last run-through. she
With You CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
LUKE A week passed, and somehow, it became a routine. They were still working toward the pitch, two weeks out now, but something had shifted between them. It was in the small things. In the way Ava didn’t wait for the last bus anymore. In how Luke showed up at the entrance without her asking. And how she didn’t look surprised when she saw him. Sometimes they talked. Most times, they didn’t need to. The silence that once felt sharp now settled between them like a shared coat—quiet and warm. They had begun to share little things; books they liked and foods they hated. Ava found herself laughing more than she expected. Luke, too, was gentler than his sharp-witted remarks at work suggested. One night, on the way back from another long session, the conversation turned personal. “I don’t like birthdays,” Ava said suddenly, staring out at the road ahead. Luke glanced at her. “Why not?” She hesitated, then shrugged. “They just never meant anything to me.” He didn’t press, just waited.
With You CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
LUKE He had only driven a few blocks before the unease started to settle like a rock in his gut. It was ridiculous. She was probably halfway home by now, maybe already curled up on her couch. She always took the bus. She didn’t need help. She hadn’t even asked. Yet, an unexplainable feeling itched at him. A quiet nudge in his gut. Irrational, maybe. Still, his hands moved on their own, steering the wheel into a turn. It didn’t take long to spot her and Luke cursed silently. He had been right. With her head bowed, she walked briskly along the sidewalk, the street dim and nearly empty. She looked… small and vulnerable. He eased the SUV to the curb and parked beside her. She slowed, startled. The window slid down. “Get in,” he said simply. Ava stopped, clutching her bag tighter. Her eyes met his, wide and unsure. She hesitated, and he saw her glance behind her. Somewhere down the road, voices echoed in the distance. That was all it took. She pulled the door open and slipped in. She
With You CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
AVA The scent of peppermint oil drifted lightly in the apartment as Ava stood by the wardrobe, holding two blouse options. Christine was curled up on the couch, cross-legged, lazily filing her nails. “That one,” Christine said, nodding at the blue blouse without even looking up. “It brings out your skin.” Ava glanced down at the blouse in her hand, unsure. “You sure? Doesn’t look too... dull?” Christine raised a brow, finally glancing her way. “It isn't. Although I'd have preferred that grey trousers, it shapes your big ass perfectly.” A small laugh escaped Ava's lips. “Christine!!!” Christine raised her hands innocently but the glint in her eyes and grin at her mouth told a different story. Ava shook her head but smiled faintly, slipping the blouse over her head. She wished she had her friend's grounded energy. Christine had a relaxed confidence that made even Ava’s nerves feel like they had somewhere to settle. Christine smiled softly. “You look good, babe. Honestly. You coul
With You CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
AVA The office floor was steady with movement with keyboards tapping, printers whirring, and quiet conversations floating between desks. Ava sat at her workstation, jotting notes in her slim notepad, eyes shifting between her screen and the printed forecast beside her. She was so focused, she didn't hear him approach. A slim file dropped lightly on her desk. Ava blinked and looked up. Luke stood there, one hand still resting on the file, the other tucked in his pocket. “Your forecast on the Raymond pitch,” he said, his voice low and even. “There’s a figure on page three that doesn’t add up.” Ava’s fingers stilled on the keyboard. She reached for the file. “Thanks,” she said softly, not quite meeting his gaze. “I’ll recheck it.” Luke gave a short nod and walked back to his desk. Ava’s eyes trailed after him for a moment, then darted back to her screen. But not before Nelson, sitting a few desks away, caught her pause. He grinned over his monitor and raised a brow. When she glan
With You CHAPTER TWENTY
AVA Ava’s fingers froze above the keyboard. She blinked, unsure if she'd heard him right then slowly looked up. "What?" Luke didn’t look away. His gaze was steady, unreadable. "Do I make you uncomfortable? Or do you just not like me?" he repeated. A beat passed. “I don’t dislike you,” she said finally, her voice quieter than usual. “And… you don’t make me uncomfortable. Not exactly.” Luke arched an eyebrow, skeptical. Ava's mouth opened, then closed. She tried to gather her words, but they felt clumsy and too large. "I... I don’t dislike you," she said, voice low. "I just—" She looked down at her hands. "That first day you started, I tried to welcome you. I brought you a bottle of water. You didn’t take it. I tried to shake your hand too, and you... well, you didn’t acknowledge that." Luke’s brows furrowed. A flash of surprise crossed his face, then guilt. "Well damn," he said quietly. "I don't really remember any of that." She looked up, startled that he hadn’t even noticed
You may also like
Madam Winters’s Fight For Her Children
Summer Wine1.2M viewsWanted: Billionaire's Wife And Their Genius Twin Babies
Pamela969.1K viewsONLY YOU
Rosa Kane693.5K viewsHer Accidental Billionaire Husband
Lexusstar writes655.4K viewsONLY YOU, NO CONTRACTS.
I_nightshade1.0K viewsReclaiming Aria
Malika Swain278 viewsA Marriage Without Boundaries
Uniquely Yours131 viewsAretha Hawthorne: The Rise Of The Phoenix
Kalliope Zenith508 views
