"Because you've forgotten what it's like to actually feel something." I whispered. Peter's expression softened and the only sounds between us were the steady unsynchronized breaths falling from our lips. He swallowed, the closeness of our bodies making my heart beat faster and adrenaline course through me. The feeling was neither pleasant nor unpleasant as I looked into his forest green eyes. "How can you make me feel so belittled with only words?" his troubled voice fell into a whisper and he gripped my shoulders. "Is it your goal to stand before me and pull me apart until I am nothing?"

A painful breakup pushes Kyla Evans to get into a fake relationship with the person her ex-boyfriend hates the most: Seth Everett. But what will she do when the game starts to feel too real? ***** Seventeen-year-old Kyla has sworn off love. After getting dumped all too suddenly by her longtime boyfriend Cedric, she becomes convinced that people are never really who you think they are. So when notorious playboy Seth Everett suggests that Kyla fake date him to get back at Cedric, it seems like the perfect plan... as long as she doesn't end up falling for him. Content and/or trigger warning: This story mentions cancer, which may be triggering for some readers. [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]]