All Chapters of The Contract and What We Pretend To Be: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The stands were louder than usual that afternoon.Everyone showed up, which didn't come as a surprise; Tyler’s team was playing for first place. That was something everyone from the school wanted to see.Laila and I sat near the front, wrapped in school colors, surrounded by shouting students.“That’s your boyfriend,” she yelled, pointing unnecessarily as Tyler ran onto the field.“I’m aware.” I stated, trying to act calm,“You could at least pretend to be cooler about it.”“I am cool,” I said, trying to sound more believable, but I clearly couldn’t fool her.“You’re clearly blushing.”“Shut up, I am not,” I refused, but my voice immediately betrayed me, as it turned high-pitched, making her grin.“You so are.”I just shook my head in disbelief, as I turned my attention back to the field before she could say anymore, and there he was. Focused, confident, and completely in his element.It was different, seeing him like that. He seemed stronger and sharper. Like the whole world disappea

The door slammed behind me.The sound echoed louder than it should have, or maybe everything just felt louder.I didn’t stop to look back. I just continued over the parking space and out to the street. As I got further away from the house, the music started to fade, slowly swallowed by the quiet of the street, until it was completely gone.The cold air hit my face. It was sharp and unforgiving, but nonetheless good.“I deserve that,” a voice in my head whispered.I didn’t even know where that thought came from, but I didn’t fight it.I just kept walking, one step at the time.My chest felt tight, almost unbearably so, but I refused to let myself cry, not yet.If I did, I wasn’t sure, I would be able to stop again.My hands were shaking, as I shoved them into my sleeves on the thin cardigan I had put over my dress, gripping the fabric like it would be able to hold me together.“He didn’t even..”My voice broke, as I stopped to look around me.The street was dark and empty, and the sile

[Gabriel's POV]“Perception matters.”My brother Lorenzo said it, like it was the most important truth in the world.Maybe to him, it was.“Investors don’t just look at numbers,” he continued, leaning back in his chair like he had already won the argument. “They look at stability. Structure. Predictability.”I didn’t respond immediately because I already knew where it was heading.“They look at you,” he added.There it was.I tapped my pen once against the table. Controlled. Measured.“And what exactly are they seeing?” I asked calmly.My father finally spoke.“Potential,” he said, followed by a pause.“Unrealized.”Not unexpected, but still annoying.“They see someone capable,” Lorenzo continued, “but inconsistent in the areas that matter long-term.”“Inconsistent,” I repeated flatly.“Yes.” He leaned forward slightly. “No partner. No family structure. No personal foundation. It sends a message.”“That I prioritize my work?” I suggested.“That you lack permanence,” he countered, as s

[Gabriel's POV]I recognized the exact point where the situation could still have been contained, redirected, and stopped, before it went too far.All it would have taken was distance, a single step back, a change in my tone, a different choice, but instead, I left it untouched, as she leaned slightly closer to me. Not enough to be obvious, but enough to be intentional.“Gabriel...” she said quietly.My name sounded different when she said it like that. Less uncertain. More... Sure, and that was new.My mind started running through potential consequences automatically.Tyler — Family — Boundaries — Logic — Control.Every reason why I shouldn’t have let it continue.Every reason I should have ended it then and there, and yet, none of them felt as immediate as that – as her.The way she looked at me made it seem like I was something steady in a world that had just fallen apart, and that made me reach out for her before I had even decided to. My hand paused at her jaw, just long enough t

The moment I reached for my bag, he proceeded to step closer. He didn’t touch me, but it was enough to block my path.Not obvious, but undoubtedly intentional, and that was when I felt it.A small flicker rose in my chest. It wasn’t fear, it was something closer to awareness.“Sit down,” he said quietly.“No,” I refused, just as quiet, but more firmly than before.Another pause formed between us, as I stared at him in defiance.People were still talking around us, laughing, eating, clearly not paying attention to us.“You’re making this more difficult than it needs to be,” he said, as a frustrated exhalation left his lips.“Too bad, I’m not going anywhere with you,” I spoke, as a flicker of irritation crossed his features.“Well, that’s not an option.”The sudden pressure in his voice made me realize that this was no longer a request, he was demanding me, and that created an unsettling feeling in me.“Are you threatening me?” I asked, my voice tighter than before.“I’m informing you,”