Page 343 of Hate Mates

Asher placed two glasses on the table before sliding into the seat next to her. “Here you go, Freckles. One pink mocktail for the most beautiful woman on the planet, and one Coke for me.”

She picked up the pink concoction in front of her and sipped it, the fizziness of the drink tickling her palate. It tasted like raspberry, one of her favorite flavors. “Mmm, this is so good!”

“I’m glad you like it. I’m trialing it to put on the menu permanently for those, like you, who can’t or don’t want to drink alcohol for whatever reason.”

Wrapping her fingers around his, she sipped on her drink as they held hands and looked around the bar. Since it was still afternoon, there weren’t many patrons in attendance, but it was also Friday so in a couple of hours the place would be packed.

By then, Paige would be at home, away from the crowds of people and off her feet. Asher would likely stay for a couple of hours, and then head home to have dinner with her, rub her feet, and help her into the bathtub for a bubble bath to soothe her aching muscles.

“I love you, Asher Stone.”

He leaned over and kissed her nose, then her lips. “I love you too, Paige Stone.” Bending down, he pressed a kiss to the top of her belly. “And I love you as well, Miss Stone. We can’t wait to meet you, baby girl.”

It turned out Asher had been right all those years ago. They really were the perfect fit.

Thank you for reading THE PERFECT FIT! I was honored to be invited to participate in this anthology in Catherine’s memory, and I thank Matt Wiltcher, Cora Kenborn, and Kristen Luciani for their kind invitation to participate. Catherine will live on in our hearts forever.

I have plans to make this a full-length novel down the track, so if you’d like to know when that becomes available, please consider signing up for my newsletter on my website: https://lissannejones.com/newsletter

About the Author

Connect with Lissanne Jones by visiting their website: https://www.lissannejones.com/

Venomous Hate by M.T. Morgan

ONE

Ana

“If they don’t come for me, promise me you will. Promise me you won’t leave me like they did, Blaise.”

Blaise cupped my face, her usually unemotional eyes filled with anger, sadness, and determination. “I promise I won’t leave you, Ana.”

And that’s how I found myself being adopted into a family. Blaise was young when she made me that promise. Only in college at the time, but she never gave up on me. Even when my parents came back to adopt me, she would storm into our house in her combat boots and pink hair. A broad menacing man behind her as she checked over the home. Made sure there was food in the house and I was being properly cared for. She didn't trust my parents after they got locked up and social services took me. I met Blaise in the orphanage where she was interning for her child therapy degree. And somehow we just clicked.

Living with my parents was a short feat. Maybe five years? Six? I wasn’t counting. I was just surviving. But the day social services came and my parents had left, abandoning me, that was the last time I had to stay in that house. They took me back to the orphanage. To my own personal hell. Especially withTrenton waiting on me in my old room. He was older now. Like me, he was eleven. Both of us in the awkward pre-teen years where nothing was proportional and pimples raged our faces. His hair had grown darker, no longer the light blond I’d come accustomed to. Now it was a darker blond, and hanging in his eyes. Eyes I knew to be a deep brown.

He unfolded himself from the wall, walking towards me as I shrank in the door. His shoulder brushed mine and he paused, leaning closer to my ear. “You should have never come back. Now, I’ll ruin you.”

I remember the tremble in my hands as I unpacked the small amount of things I owned.

Remembered the way he made every waking moment a living hell.

I remember the joy I felt when Blaise, her husband and two children came to take me away. And the sadness when I saw Trenton waiting with them as well. Bag packed and a glare that could shatter glass.

And from there on out, I had a family, and an adopted brother that hated me. Trenton ran off every boy I liked, fucked my friends, and ruined my life. But I finally escaped him.

College was my fresh start.

My time to shine.

Only he followed me there too…

TWO

Trenton

Blaise and Desmond were my sole reason for turning out as good as I did. They did their best, but they could never patch the scars my father left inside of me. Nor could they erase the ones on the outside.

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