It Takes What It Takes Novels & Stories

Her tastes were nothing like ours, so most of the food had gone to waste. Now, for the first time, our family did not have to cater to Linnea anymore. After dinner, my parents insisted on taking me out for a walk. We strolled along the winding stone path near the house. "Life isn't about never running into trouble," they told me. "It's about not letting trouble knock you down so hard you can't get back up. "If you've made your decision, then don't let Linnea get to you anymore." I nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't have brought up divorce if I hadn't already let go.

What would Alpha David do? ‘Exactly! And what would he do?’ He didn’t give me a chance to answer. ‘He would never give up! He would do whatever it took to win Beth over. So you have to do whatever it takes, Hunter. Whatever. It. Takes.’ His eyes were wide as he stared at me insistently. ‘Whatever it takes,’ I agreed, closing my eyes. ‘Whatever it takes.’

"What are you talking about? Cheryl, you know everything all along?" I smiled and looked into her eyes. "Yes, you are good at acting, but do you think I am a fool? You and Raymond's child will go to kindergarten later this year. If you don't want to lose your job and reputation, then stay here with me tonight.” After I said this, Jessie fainted. I sighed and pinched her palms, but there was barely a reaction, and she was very much still passed out. It was so boring. How could she miss the show? That was too kind on her.

Three years ago, if it hadn't been for her assertive intervention, I would have probably ended up in prison. The rehab center here was externally known as an "educational institution." Only those who had been inside knew what it was really like: a fate worse than death.

Jaxton doesn't look up immediately I took the phone from him. He seems to be trying to stay calm, because he kept taking deep breaths in. I rolled my eyes, not caring one bit whether he was livid or not. The effontery to try to mess my life up again.

“Two hours, a two-hour call. I tried going this way and that way but he was not letting me get off that easily. He was fast, telling me why it was in my best interest to take his offer. With that boy’s mouth and the other’s fist, whuuuu, I see how they got where they are in a span of four years. The boys are dangerous. Salvatore is the arm and Elio is the fist. The arm can survive without the fist but cannot do much lifting. The fist can not survive without the arm but together, phuuu, unstoppable.”

Mel breaks out a bottle of wine as I pass her and Lara throws herself on the couch, kicking off her shoes. As I begin to stretch my legs against the glass railing, I put my ear pods in and select Playlist. Lara's on the phone, probably ordering pizza. I start running, increasing my speed each minute. It's almost like I'm trying to run something out of me. James. Like the memory of him will just slip out of my body. I have got to get control. I keep telling myself like it's a mantra, over and over. You cannot allow him to change who you are.

Melissa said the last bit with air quotes. “Hey, do you fancy doing recruitment operation, GYOB?” Shane asked “You were the one who came up with it after all.” Melissa liked Recruitment Operation: Get Your Own Back was put in place by Shane for those people who weren’t humble enough in normal situations, for example if you made a rude gesture to someone who took a parking space, that could be your future boss, if you parked in a disabled zone and weren’t disabled or had a badge to prove you could park there etc. She nodded.

"Calm down and stop getting your nerves all twisted” I teased my friend as I hopped into the car, slamming the door a liitle too loudly behind me. “Whoa whoa, be careful. Are you trying to break the door or something? Do you even know how much it costs to get a car these days? It's no wonder you weren't able to keep yours,” she said as she flipped me off, starting the engine. Stacey is literally in love with her car and gets all “Mama bear” when she thinks that you might damage it.

Not now, not ever. I glance at the wedding photo one more time, “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him. Even if it means getting my hands dirty.”