#( Anita replies )

[theabigailthorn]

Shadowheart and Nocturne sure seem like to be good friends

yup, just two gal pals, hanging out, doing each other's hair in a secret back room, Platonically, fighting alongside one another, writing in diaries about one another, just as friends, sharing memories, as friends though

[vyrulent]

continued || @battermyheart

She's known men like Joe before. Anita had been born into "the life", but she had made her escape at an early age. She'd escaped a fate of young wifehood, of young motherhood. She'd made a life for herself far away from being controlled, from living within a community. She'd kept herself away, but her chosen career had brought her back to those old memories. It had brought her back to being in the presence of someone incredibly dangerous, someone with loyal followers.

"You don't have to tell me twice," she assured him. Eyes remained on him rather than the weapon in hand. She'd seen people murdered that refused the orders of the man in charge. Anita refused to be another statistic.

Assuring the officers that all was well and that she was spending her night alone, the door was shut after she'd sent them on their merry way. She was silent for a pregnant pause, allowing the officers to have distance between themselves and her door.

"See? I know how to play the game."

[booasaur]

And perry mason is canceled, not surprising but I’m going to miss Della. And there goes another wlw character

Ah, phooey. It's not a huge surprise to me, with what must have been a considerable budget to keep up with the old timey look and I've heard so little about it anywhere, it can't have been geting good ratings, but it seemed like they were intent on doing better by Della and that's pretty rare, especially in a period piece.

But at least she got about as happy an ending as she could, moving in with her girlfriend, still friends with Ham and Perry. That's something. :x

[obsessivelollipoplalala]

I know we love Bri but I read an interview where they asked if he thought about going back to Chrissy after he met Anita and he said “there was a thought” but it was impossible bc he’d fallen for Anita and idk like 😵‍💫 mans didn’t try to save his marriage at all? That’s…😬

I know the interview excerpt you’re referring to, but going by other sources, I don’t think that was quite the case. We know from another interview that Brian lived alone for a while in 1988 after his marriage broke up for good because he said he was in denial that he was in love with Anita, thought the feelings would pass if he just sat around on his own, and he felt very guilty (which, yeah, was justified lol). That means he didn’t actually break up with Chrissy and go running to Anita—it sounds like the marriage ended and he didn’t think he’d get back with Anita at all, and there’s an interview with her from 1988 in which she apparently teared up and confirmed they were broken up.

The timeline and sequence of events aren’t totally clear, because a lot was still kept behind closed doors, but it seems like there was a time when Brian got caught, broke up with Anita, and did try to return to his marriage (there’s another interview where Anita said Brian was very lovely “but unfortunately, there is a Mrs. May”, so that was obviously after she knew he was married and at a time when she wasn’t with him anymore). When Brian said it was “impossible” because he fell in love with someone else, that could mean a couple things. He could’ve meant that he went back to Chrissy like, “I’m so sorry, I’m finished with her, let’s try to start over” (because remember, he didn’t actually want to get divorced) and Chrissy turned around and said, “Nope, this is the last straw, I can’t do this anymore, we’re finished.” We have no idea what her side of the story is and never will, but it would be very believable and understandable if she wouldn’t accept her husband’s apologies after a public affair. Or, maybe Brian broke up with Anita and he and Chrissy did agree to try to make it work because neither wanted to get divorced and there were children involved, but after however many months, they realized they couldn’t move on from what happened, or ignore any of their other problems that made their marriage on the brink of falling apart before Anita, and things would never be the same so they just couldn’t possibly stay together. I think that’s a very likely scenario, too. You can agree to try to make things work, but if a bad event fundamentally breaks a relationship, that won’t last. I don’t think it’s uncommon for couples to try to patch things up after an affair tbh, but break up later because the hurt feelings don’t heal.

(I’ve also wondered how the death of Harold May in 1987 might’ve influenced this…Harold was the one who shamed Brian for not marrying Chrissy to begin with, and Brian said it was “unfinished business” between him and his father when he died. Harold likely knew what was going on—did that influence Brian to try to go back to Chrissy? Did she temporarily swallow her pride and be there by his side when his father died, as support? We’ll never know.)

So yeah, there’s a lot we don’t know about this situation, as much as the tabloids exploited it, but it seems like every time you dig deeper and really examine the quotes we have, things were more complicated than they initially appear.

[unlimited-nobu-works]

[nathanbatemanfucker]

Congrats lovely! ❤ For your 4k celebration:

🔥P for Steven Grant

hi bb, thank you so much!!!

P for Pace (how fast they are and how long they last in bed) w/ steven grant:

i think for steven, pace definitely varies. sometimes he wants it slow and soft and full of love. but other times you get him wound so tight that he needs it fast— regardless, i feel like he definitely had to discipline himself to last longer bc he’s so sensitive, responsive, and easily excitable 😏

come join my 4k celebration!

[chiimaera]

IT FELT LIKE THE HOURS WERE DRAGGING ON. she had always been able to fall into her work, let her tunnel vision take over and everything else seemed to fade into the background. that was until she had stupidly fallen in love. it was a mistake on her part, really. something that edward had seemed to enjoy reminding her whenever he had a chance. she fucking missed @withoutawar​ like he had simply kept a piece of her with him and there hadnt been a day that she didnt notice. edward had an undercover identity, one that had a girlfriend in new mexico who waited for his return doing whatever job it was he peddled to her. he had trained her, taught her everything she knew back when she was young and still raising zombies for the st. louis police chief. he was a sociopath, deadly and unfeeling—also her closest friend. so when he called her to fly overseas to help him with a job, she didnt hesitate. 

almost a month later, she was beginning to wish she had. the job wasnt blessed by SHIELD or the government, this was a favor to a man who still worked in the underbelly of society. which meant she had to cut ties with the outside world until the job was finished. it was easy for edward, his fake girlfriend ate up whatever he told her. steve wasnt some midwest housewife who sold pottery. she told him the bare minimum using their coded language, hinting that she was going off grid for business. as far as SHIELD knew, she was on bereavement in mexico and wouldnt be answering her phone.  “ ive never seen you so focused on a plane before. you only clawed my hand once, ” the blonde man teased. anita shot him an annoyed glance before looking back out of the taxi window. she felt nervous which was fucking stupid but there was no other way to describe it. she wasnt sure why her skin felt too tight, why she wanted to bounce her leg up and down. she felt completely unsettled, anxious. she had be in love before but it never felt like this. like she had been holding her breath for weeks and finally felt so close to oxygen that she couldnt sit still.  “ shut up. ” “ you act like your wonder boy wont be there, ” he commented, looking over his sunglasses with a serious stare and a smirk. protective, worried but masked with humor. thats how he operated. an outwardly serious edward means someone is dying. the necromancer didnt say a word, keeping her gaze at the passing trees. “ anita, hes going to be there. ” “ i know. ” he wasnt convinced. neither was she. by the time the taxi had made it to their apartment, she was felt like she was going to be that stupid woman in the movies who run to see their sweeties. she wasnt going to do that. anita grabbed her duffel off the ground in front of her, finally looking back at her friend. “ get out of new york, i dont want you causing any trouble, ” she warned with a smirk. the mercenary only laughed. “ only if i get caught. give wonder boy a kiss for me. ” right, moment of truth. she rolled her eyes, swallowing down her nerves and the joke when she closed the taxi door. fear of abandonment, thats what her therapist called it. her mother, her father, her ex-fiancé, pretty much eighty percent of the men shes dated. there would always be the traitorous voice in her head that whispered years of insecurity into her ear. reminding her that her job, her lifestyle, her magic, her avoidant attachment style ( thank you dr. lee for that wonderful revelation ) is what made everyone leave. after all the conversations theyve had, the trust they built, there was still a part of her that feared that this was be what broke it. leaving with little notice and a coded voicemail for a little over a month, no communication allowed— this would be the last straw. fuck. her heart was sinking her into stomach as she stepped off the elevator. each step forward felt like she was walking into her own demise. thats what love was, wasnt it? using your own knife to cut yourself open then hand it to someone and hope they dont finish the job. she needed to get back to therapy. when she finally stood at the door, she pulled her keys from her jacket pocket, putting them into the door. the dread was setting in. did he move out? was he just going to cut and run when he got the chance? did bucky know? her mind didnt get farther than that, she barely got to turn the deadbolt before it was push open along with the other bottom lock. her apartment door swung open, steve standing there with a look on his face she didnt think shes ever seen before. it was hard to describe and it left her staring with her eyes wide. all those negative thoughts completely vanished, replaced with a warming sensation her chest and a little confusion. “ steve— ” two steps and his hands were grasping her head, his mouth found hers and it felt like home. the smell of his cologne, the feel of his hands, the taste of him on her tongue, the familiarity of his energy that surrounded her. she wanted to drown in it. her duffel bag had been long dropped. her hands grasped his shirt, pulling herself as close as she could without disrupting the way she licked into his mouth, kissing him like it was her last. hell, she hadnt even had the chance to kiss him goodbye. this was way too much kissing for her hallway.  some semblance of self control edged its way into the lovey dovey brain fog, allowing anita to pull back, pressing her forehead against his. there was a hundred things she wanted to say, most of them funny. yet she looked up at him, remembering how scared she was before. how silly it was to even think that steve rogers wouldnt still be exactly where he said he was always going to be. with her.  “ i love you, ” she mumbled with such raw sincerity that it was hard to believe that came out of her mouth. it was enough to make her face warm, burning pink to the tips of her ears. fuck, she was a goner.

a smooch for anita because we miss her <3

[svperboi]

@chooseyourfxghter: “Uh, no, there aren’t any human sacrifices. They got rid of that a few centuries ago, I think.” (anita)

Kon's head quirks, " Oh yeah? That's good, right? " he asks, curiosity peaked. he wanted to know more about Halloween, at least more than what had been implanted in his head. that was just a basic concept though, no real details on how the holiday was celebrated, and he'd like to be shown so he could do it right.

Muse’s First Halloween sentence starters | accepting!

[supraxstcllas]

@chooseyourfxghter: ❛  here, let me give you a hand.  ❜ (Anita @ match)

Match blinks, surprised at the offer to help. while he's hung out with the Young Justice team, he didn't know if the others had forgiven him for the whole swap thing yet. Anita had been one of the others he didn't know where he stood with, but hopefully this was a sign she was open to being on good terms. that's all he really wanted, to be okay and civil with Kon's friends.

" Oh... Uh, thank you. I wanted to bring everyone something to eat. " he says, handing over half the pizza boxes he'd brought with him today.

🐝  *  ―  𝑩𝑨𝑹𝑩𝑰𝑬 𝑰𝑵 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑵𝑼𝑻𝑪𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑲𝑬𝑹 𝑺𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑺. || accepting!

[damienstoker]

𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐀 𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐂𝐇. always coming back when you think it's dead. damien taylor didn't exactly hate the hunter . . . anita just irritated the fuck out of him. the demonic possession spells was still considered a rumor and he planned to keep it that way. the washington native was aware of the trail of bodies his possessor has left; it used to weigh on his conscious every night. instead of looking for some way out, damien resorted to drugs. the moment a negative thought crossed his mind, he'd take whatever substance in his reach. it made dealing with the carnage a little easier.

touring was the only way to keep akuji at bay. he'd take positions as a fill in musician when the other members of stoker got sick of touring. @executiioner just so happened to come right before a stoker gig. her height was drastically different than his own. he practically towered over her at 6 foot 1. despite anita hating the music, she fit right in. the scowl that remained on her face was the dead give away.

damien just so happened to be fetching himself a drink right before the show, bumping into the sore of the monster community. who just got served vanilla vodka . . . the stoker mastermind snickered as he leant against the bar. requesting two shots of tequila over ice. his dark brows furrowed at how quick anita was to press for a confession in this interaction.

"𝖘𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖔𝖋𝖋 𝖒𝖞 𝖈𝖍𝖊𝖘𝖙?" damien scoffed as he was handed his drink, bringing it to his lips to take a sip from it. "𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧' 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐭."

already stoned, the alcohol sent a familiar buzz to his system. a buzz that would make him be able to tolerate her presence a little longer. "and here i thought you actually wanted to see me play." the bassist whined with a pout.

[vyrulent]

x || @w3atherwitch

"..."

The stranger looked familiar. There's something about her that Anita feels to be familiar, but she just can't put her finger on it.

"Have we met before? You look so familiar."

[booasaur]

You have me more than intrigued me. Do you know if anyone is posting Della Street scenes from Perry Mason? I gave up on HBO awhile ago but I may have to reup if this one proves engrossing enough. How procedural is the show on the whole? I love a good period mystery.

I couldn't find any scenes, of Della herself or of the ship(s). It's especially hard to find stuff about just the HBO series when the original was so iconic.

The show as a whole is....the first season started off as the most stereotypical cliched version of modern reboots as you could find, a dark, grim slow origin story where the thing the character is known for only happens near the end.

I'm not sure how much you know about the original series, well, we'll put aside the books, but the actual first show started airing all the way back in the '50s and it was really popular, and Della Street was a badass even then The show ended a few years later but was so popular, the same actors came back for a series of TV movies that basically acted liked more episodes, all the way from 1985 to 1995. So I guess the modern era isn't the only one doing these reboots. :P

But anyway, the original show was more of a classic procedural, each ep would have Perry, a defense lawyer, defending a client and figuring out a way to prove their innocence and get them off. The new HBO series has had one case a season so far, and there's no real guarantee that Perry'll be able to successfully defend their case, the tone is more cynical.

It is a pure mystery per season, though, as much as it may look like it's more a character introspection. It's a lot more realistic in terms of racism, sexism, and of course, with the changing of Della to a lesbian, homophobia. Perry himself is suffering PTSD after the war, he starts off as a private investigator so we see how it comes to happen that he becomes a lawyer.

Della's too main a character to do all her individual scenes, but I'd actually uploaded some of these short scenes for my friend (who then went back to watch the whole show herself) but maybe this will give you a good idea of what the show's about:

Season 1

1x01 - Della's first appearance: https://streamable.com/idap23

1x03 - This is when I first started to really like Della: https://streamable.com/pys6gf

1x03 - Again, being so awesome, I literally made a clip of this back when this first aired and made my friend watch, who forgot about the show again till this season: https://streamable.com/ezhcsu

1x04 - The first time we find out Della's into women, with her gf Hazel: https://streamable.com/uvzwpx

1x05 - Another sweet scene with Hazel: https://streamable.com/qi83ft

1x07 - Della with her friend Hamilton: https://streamable.com/dm6ezq

I didn't do every scene where Hazel was mentioned or appeared, though there's not much more.

And now in season 2:

2x01 - Della first sees Anita: https://streamable.com/yyttvi

2x01 - An extension of the scene above: https://streamable.com/lli2b1

2x01 - Della gives Anita a call: https://streamable.com/6b2enu

2x02 - Anita takes Della to a boxing match: https://streamable.com/7jm5mt

These last clips are the ones I used to make gifs from so they're not necessarily the full scenes. There are also obviously so many more scenes of Della in all, so if this does pique your interest, I'd go ahead and just watch the whole show, at least from season 2 onward. It's gotta be available to watch in places you don't have to pay. >_>

2x03 - Anita visits Della at the office: https://streamable.com/rl6870

2x04 - Della's still upset about their previous client's suicide, she meets up wiith Anita and they go on a trip: https://streamable.com/siiaw4

2x04 - Della waking up https://streamable.com/vws9kw

2x05 - Anita and Della's scenes this ep https://streamable.com/brv422

2x06 - A bit of Anita and a lot more Della individually, just figured it'd add more depth:

- Part 1: https://streamable.com/nur5ht

- Part 2: https://streamable.com/4h6m7p

2x07 - No Anita this week, but we did get a scene with Ham https://streamable.com/2x3xvv

2x08 - Not much Anita this week either, but a lot of good scenes of Della

- Part 1: https://streamable.com/csgm23

- Part 2: https://streamable.com/tu8h33

[obsessivelollipoplalala]

Phoebe: I don't think Freddie ever found real love

Freddie: I finally found the niche I've been looking for all my life

😅😅😅

Yeah, I’ve talked about that contradiction here before. It’s so weird to insist you know a guy you weren’t in a relationship with never found the deep love he was looking for when the actual man all but said it. I don’t know what Phoebe gets out of insisting this; I know some would say he’s appealing to PR/Mary stans, but he started this before pulling a 180 on things. It’s such a low key shallow view of Freddie, too

[dismaltouch]

tag dump <3

[xamassed]

⟬ @ofhope ⟭

It was dark, here. Through uncovering the depths of any whereabouts, Belphegor is likely to be found, huddled in a blanket -- there is also the fact Beelzebub yearned for a quiet place to down his third lunch of the day, free of... whatever Satan and Lucifer were doing.

(He'd offered a hand, but Lucifer asserted his ability to control a situation. Beel shrugged, and headed off.)

This place was new, and cramped for someone of his stature. To think Belphie would crouch down so lowly just to find a place to sleep seemed out of the question, his laziness catching up and overpowering his sleepy eyes, but... there, amidst the dark, was a rattle. Beel knew it, as well as his other brothers', that night. It felt... wrong, seeing Satan constricted like that. Likewise, that rattle stopped the demon in his tracks, only the loud crunch of some snack sounding off in this dark, still space.

"Satan. I thought you were with Lucifer?"

Beel for Anita!

There were only so many smells that one could get used to when held in the same place for days.

Iron, mold, dank and decay. Only every now and again would she be blessed with the stomach-wrenching aroma of food and the perfume of the ones that brought it to her. Those never lasted long under the heaviness of sweat and blood oozing from wrists and ankles that were rubbed raw.

She wanted to catch the scent of something new, something permanent. She was tired of being lashed to the wall like a feral beast. ( But she was, wasn't she? )

Behave, they said. Behave, and we'll let you out.

So she curled up in the corner of her enclosed space, chains dragging along behind her as she returned to the plate that had been left for her. All that remained was a strip of raw meat that tasted vaguely of venison, the dark meat wrapped in thin, silvery ribbons of fat. She had finished most of it before, animal gluttony telling her to swallow all of it down now rather than later. Time spend in captivity forced her to adopt opposing instincts.

Her monstrous head dipped down, tongue lolling out to lap up what was left.

Her nose wriggled, and she caught a new sent.

It was much thicker scent than she was used to. Sweat that was different than hers, as well as a plethora of spices and meats and goodness know what else. But with that smell came a presence. She heard shuffling feet and grunting, caught words of a language she had only just begun to grasp.

Pressed against the bars keeping her caged, the onikuma let out a low, displeased growl that rolled from somewhere deep inside her chest.

"Not. . . Satan." She had already picked a name for herself, so she knew that much at the least.

The thick and rumbling voice ebbed away and was replaced with a lighter, less grating tone as a calm settled over her and her form shifted. "You don't smell like the ones that feed me."

[rafecameronssl4t]

Could you do reader and rafes reaction to when they found out easer is first pregnant for the force’s marriage au? LOVED the first part!!

First pregnancy || Rafe Cameron x fem!reader

A/n: this fic is a 100% how i think rafe and reader would react in this situation

Warnings: mention of pregnancy, angst if there's anything else lmk

Word count: 1,457

MASTERLIST (forced marriage au masterlist)

divider by @h-aewo

You flip over the pregnancy test, your heart sinking as you see two lines. Of course. It was inevitable, given the life you’ve been cornered into. You sigh, throwing the test into the bin with a mixture of resignation and dread.

Leaning against the cool marble sink, you catch your reflection in the mirror—your eyes heavy with a sense of inevitability that’s become all too familiar. The pristine bathroom feels suffocating, its sterile white tiles and polished fixtures reflecting the stark reality you’re trapped in.

Leaving the bathroom, you make your way downstairs to the living room, each step heavy with the weight of what this means. Rafe had left for work a few hours earlier, leaving you alone in the house. It’s been this way for a while—his absence during these crucial moments only magnifies the distance between you.

The quiet of the house, broken only by the soft footfalls of the servants, feels more isolating than comforting. In the corner of your eye, you notice Anita descending the stairs. She’s one of the few people who’ve been with you since you were young, a steady presence in the chaos of your life.

You assume she’s just finished cleaning your room, making everything perfect as always. “Anita?” you call out, your voice softer than intended. She stops, turning to you with a gentle smile that’s both comforting and bittersweet. “Yes, Miss?” she replies, her tone warm and familiar. You look up from your phone, hesitating for a moment.

“Not a word to Rafe, please,” you say, your voice firmer this time, carrying the weight of the secret you now bear. Anita’s eyes soften with understanding. She doesn’t need any more explanation. “Of course, congratulations to you both. Your parents will be overjoyed, they’ve been waiting for this,” she says before continuing on her way.

Her words hit you like a blow to the chest, knocking the breath from your lungs. Of course, your parents would be thrilled. This is all they ever wanted from you and Rafe—a continuation of the family bloodline, a legacy to carry forward. They didn’t care if the two of you were unhappy, if this marriage was more a prison than a partnership. As long as the family name persisted, nothing else mattered.

~

"Where is she?" Rafe's voice echoes through the quiet house, sharp and impatient. Anita’s calm response cuts through the tension. "She isn’t feeling well, Mr. Cameron," she says, her tone polite and soothing. Rafe grunts in acknowledgment and takes his seat at the dining table, his eyes scanning the empty chair opposite him—usually filled by you each morning.

Later that day, as you and Rafe drive to your parents' house for lunch, a wave of nausea washes over you. You place one hand protectively on your lower stomach, the other coming up to cover your mouth as you close your eyes and focus on steadying your breath. Morning sickness has been relentless lately, more intense and persistent than before. While you’ve managed to keep it hidden from Rafe up until now, the strain is starting to show.

Rafe’s gaze flickers to you briefly, his eyes narrowing with concern. Without a word, he reaches into the console and retrieves a bottle of water, handing it to you with an absent-minded flick of his wrist. He doesn’t even glance at you as he passes it over. "Thanks," you murmur, your voice barely audible as you unscrew the lid and take a slow sip, your eyes fixed out the window.

As the car rolls to a stop in front of your family estate, Rafe is already unbuckling his seatbelt, eager to get this over with. But before he can move, you reach out, your hand covering his, halting his actions. He glances at you, confusion etched across his features. You swallow hard, struggling to find the words, your eyes searching his before you turn away, staring blankly out the windshield.

You feel his gaze on your side profile, waiting, perhaps sensing the gravity of what you’re about to say. "I'm pregnant," you finally admit, your voice barely above a whisper. The words hang in the air between you, heavy and unyielding. You feel Rafe tense beside you, the atmosphere in the car growing thick with unspoken emotions. His reaction is immediate and sharp, cutting through the silence like a knife.

"Are you seriously telling me this right now? Just before we see your parents?" His voice is laced with anger, catching you completely off guard. You turn to face him, your expression one of disbelief. Is he seriously getting mad right now? Of all the reactions you had braced yourself for, this wasn’t one of them.

"I just told you we're having a child, and this is how you react?" you snap, incredulous. Your disbelief quickly morphs into anger as you watch him look away, his jaw clenched in frustration. His silence only fuels your rage. "Fucking unbelievable," you mutter under your breath as you unbuckle your seatbelt and shove the car door open.

The door slams shut behind you with a resounding thud as you storm toward the front entrance, your emotions boiling over. You’re only a few steps away when you hear Rafe’s car door fly open, followed by the sound of his voice, sharp and laced with frustration.

"What do you expect me to say when you just laid that out on me?" he calls out, his anger evident in every word. You whirl around, arms crossed tightly over your chest, your eyes narrowed as they lock onto his. His expression is a mix of confusion and fury, as if he’s grappling with the enormity of your news and how it collided with the timing.

For a moment, neither of you speak, the tension between you crackling in the crisp air. "I expected you to care!" you finally snap back, your voice trembling with the weight of everything unsaid. Rafe’s eyes widen, caught between defensiveness and something that almost resembles guilt. "I do care," he retorts, his voice softer now but still edged with frustration. He takes a step closer, closing the distance between you.

"But you couldn’t have picked a worse time to tell me. We’re about to walk into your parents’ house, and you drop this on me like it’s nothing?" You can’t help the bitter laugh that escapes your lips. "You think I planned this? That I wanted to tell you in the driveway? I’ve been dealing with this alone, trying to figure out how to break it to you. But every time, you’re either too busy or too angry for me to even get a word in."

His expression falters, and for a split second, you think you see a flicker of understanding in his eyes. But it’s gone as quickly as it came, replaced by the familiar mask of indifference. "And you thought now was the best time?" he asks, shaking his head in disbelief.

"What do you want me to say, Rafe?" you ask, your voice raw with emotion. "That I should’ve kept it to myself? Pretended everything was fine until it wasn’t? We’re having a child, and I needed you to know before we walked in there and pretended to be the perfect couple again."

Rafe looks away, his jaw clenched tight as he struggles to process the situation. You watch the conflict play out in his eyes, the tug-of-war between the emotions he’s expected to feel and the reality of what he actually feels. His frustration is palpable, and after a tense moment, he sighs heavily, bringing his hands up to massage his temples.

"Can we just get through this lunch, please?" he finally says, his voice soft, almost pleading. His tone catches you off guard—there’s a vulnerability there that you’re not used to hearing from him. You stare at him, torn between wanting to push the conversation further and knowing that now isn’t the time.

His request isn’t unreasonable, but it stings nonetheless, a reminder of the emotional distance that still exists between you. "Fine," you reply after a moment, your voice tinged with resignation. "But this doesn’t change anything. We still need to talk about this—really talk about it."

Rafe nods, his eyes briefly meeting yours before he looks away again. "I know," he mutters, his voice barely above a whisper. The weight of the unspoken hangs heavy between you as you both turn toward the imposing front door of your family estate, ready to face the charade of normalcy that awaits inside.