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64 - FINN'S POV

ผู้เขียน: Cyra McKenzie
last update วันที่เผยแพร่: 2026-07-21 13:10:30

I stopped dead in my tracks right in the middle of the heavy oak doorway and my pulse hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs.

Vanessa was already sitting comfortably in the plush guest chair right across from the massive glass desk.

She held a crumpled white tissue against her red eyes and she let out a pathetic little sniffle that echoed loudly in the quiet space.

Her shoulders shook in a flawless imitation of a devastated victim and she refused to look in my direction when I entered the ro
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  • PLAYING PRETEND   66 - KYLE'S POV

    I sat on the edge of Finn's narrow twin mattress and stared down at the cracked screen of my cell phone.The quiet isolation of the cramped dorm room felt suffocating after the chaotic adrenaline of the previous night.My bruised knuckles throbbed with a dull and persistent ache every time I tried to bend my stiff fingers.The cheap plastic blinds covering the single window rattled softly against the glass as the morning wind blew across the campus.I kept waiting for a text message to confirm that Finn survived his disciplinary meeting with the Dean of Nursing.He promised to text me the second he walked out of the administration wing but the silence stretching between us was driving me insane.The device finally buzzed in my palm and a new notification popped up over the shattered glass.We won, Finn wrote in the short message and a massive weight instantly lifted off my tired shoulders.Vanessa is facing a tribunal and my clinical hours are fully restored.I let out a shaky breath

  • PLAYING PRETEND   65 - FINN'S POV

    "I told the administration that Finn is running a high-end escort service and Kyle is just a client paying off his tuition," the digital audio continued to expose her vicious plot to the entire room."The hospital board will pull his clinical placement by the end of the day and he will be out of the nursing program before the semester ends."Travis's distinct laughter joined the recording and verified her cruel intentions just before the audio file clicked into a dead silence.Dean Miller slowly lowered the telephone receiver back onto its plastic cradle without pressing a single button.Her stern face lost all of its color and she stared at the glowing laptop screen in pure unadulterated shock."That is fake," Vanessa shrieked while pointing a shaking finger at Ian's face."They used an artificial intelligence program to clone my voice and frame me.""I am a photography major, not a computer hacker," Ian laughed loudly while leaning his hands on the edge of the desk."I recorded you

  • PLAYING PRETEND   64 - FINN'S POV

    I stopped dead in my tracks right in the middle of the heavy oak doorway and my pulse hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs.Vanessa was already sitting comfortably in the plush guest chair right across from the massive glass desk.She held a crumpled white tissue against her red eyes and she let out a pathetic little sniffle that echoed loudly in the quiet space.Her shoulders shook in a flawless imitation of a devastated victim and she refused to look in my direction when I entered the room.Dean Miller sat behind her desk with a stern expression and she handed the crying girl another fresh tissue from a silver box."Close the door and take a seat, Mr. Foster," the Dean instructed with a cold and authoritative tone that left zero room for argument.I pulled the metal flash drive out of my scrub pocket and I squeezed it tightly in my sweaty palm while stepping onto the soft carpet."Dean Miller, I have digital evidence regarding my suspension," I started to say while standing nea

  • PLAYING PRETEND   63 - FINN'S POV

    My worn sneakers crunched against the loose gravel while I paced a tight and frantic circle near the overflowing dumpsters.The cold evening wind bit through the thin fabric of my blue hospital scrubs but I was way too terrified to care about the dropping temperature.The heavy bass of a rock song thumped loudly through the brick walls of the Rusty Anchor and rattled the empty beer bottles scattered across the dirt.I kept my eyes locked on the dark entrance of the narrow alleyway and prayed that Kyle would walk back out of the shadows in one piece.A tall figure finally emerged from the gloom and the harsh neon light from the tavern illuminated his torn denim jacket.Kyle walked toward me with a heavy and uneven limp while his head hung low in defeat.He did not say a single reassuring word as he closed the distance between us and the silence made my stomach twist into a painful knot.I immediately noticed the fresh blood dripping down his fingers and ruining the clean white bandages

  • PLAYING PRETEND   62 - KYLE'S POV

    I ripped my hands away from the soft fabric of Finn's hoodie and spun around to face the far end of the narrow street.Neon purple spots danced wildly across my vision but I could still see the dark silhouette lowering a massive camera lens.The unknown person did not say a single word as they turned on their heel and started sprinting toward the main road."Hey!" I roared so loud that the raw sound actually scraped the back of my throat."Fucking stop right there!"All the heavy exhaustion draining my muscles vanished instantly and a massive surge of pure adrenaline dumped straight into my bloodstream.I launched myself forward and my heavy boots pounded against the gritty gravel.I heard Finn shout my name behind me but I ignored him because I refused to let this person escape with that digital photograph.I knew exactly what that image looked like and I knew exactly how dangerous it was for both of our futures.It was undeniable proof that our fake dating contract was a lie and it

  • PLAYING PRETEND   61 - FINN'S POV

    "He got in my personal space and he refused to back off when I told him to leave me alone," Kyle defended his violent actions without showing an ounce of regret."You cannot just resort to bar brawls every time someone insults you because you will end up in the county jail," I argued while gently rubbing the uninjured side of his hand."Mac said he liked my swing and he offered me a cash job on the spot," Kyle pointed out the unexpected silver lining of his aggressive behavior."You are not seriously going to work as a bouncer at the Rusty Anchor," I groaned while tilting my head back to look up at the dark sky."This place is famous for late-night stabbings and illegal gambling rings in the basement.""I need a job that pays under the table so my father cannot track my income or freeze my wages," he reasoned while keeping his voice calm and practical."I will just work the early weekend shifts and Mac promised to let me use the employee entrance so I can avoid the worst crowds."I le

  • PLAYING PRETEND   CHAPTER 4 ~ KYLE'S POV

    Two hundred and twenty-five pounds. That was the number. It was heavy enough to hurt, but light enough that I could make it look easy. And that was the whole point, wasn't it? Making the impossible look effortless.I lowered the bar to my chest, feeling the familiar burn tear through my pecs, contr

  • PLAYING PRETEND   CHAPTER 3 ~ FINN'S POV

    By the time I made it back to campus later that evening, my mother’s voice was still ringing in my ears like tinnitus. “Your type is fictional.” It was unfair, mostly because it was true.I parked my beat-up sedan in the student lot, grabbed my duffel bag, and trudged toward the dorms. The campus w

  • PLAYING PRETEND   CHAPTER 2 ~ FINN'S POV

    "I am proud of you," she said, her voice softening just a fraction, though the intensity in her eyes didn't waver. "You know that, right? When you came out to us, I was so happy. I bought that flag for the porch. I went to the parade with you. I am the proudest mother of a gay son in this entire ne

  • PLAYING PRETEND   CHAPTER 1 ~ FINN'S POV

    The Sunday roast chicken was dry, but I knew better than to say anything about it. My mother had spent three hours in the kitchen, rattling pans and humming along to an obscure 80s pop playlist, and if I criticized the food, I would never hear the end of it. I sawed through a piece of breast meat w

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