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Chapter One

CHASE

I was just about to head to practice when my phone buzzed

Jessica: i won't be here L8R

i u 4realz this time

I groaned My wife, as ae…and the texts ritten in sixth-grade gibberish

Chase: Why?

Jessica: because u r an obsessed prick

Chase: I told you I was sorry

Jessica: whatev

Chase: Why are you texting rammar?

Jessica: here 4now

graet it

Just fucking perfect She was leaving me this time for "realz" As for the rest of what she'd said…I had no idea what it meant

This was my team's first day back and I didn't have tie control If there was one thing I'd learned, it was that Jess would not be ignored I took a deep breath and headed to the bedroo, dark hair and inspecting what appeared to be her entire wardrobe, neatly assembled on the bed next to an open suitcase

"What do you want?" she asked She sounded bored

"Just thought I'd check in," I said, leaning back against the wall and crossingme and all"

She didn't look at , I've just been sort of…done"

"I know you're disappointed But the tiht for this" I jerked ht before we h this season—it's important to me and you know it"

"That shoas i forher Louis Vuitton suitcase with thousands of dollars' worth of clothes and I struggled to feel sorry for her

"Are you serious?" I asked She'd threatened to leavewas a first, though She'd never actually packed

It's not like I want her to stay It's just not a good time for her to leave This was my season, dammit I needed it to be perfect