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Chapters (48)
  1. Cover
  2. PRAISE FOR ALEXA MARTIN’S PLAYBOOK SERIES
  3. Titles by Alexa Martin
  4. Dedication
  5. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  6. Prologue
  7. One
  8. Two
  9. Three
  10. Four
  11. Five
  12. Six
  13. Seven
  14. Eight
  15. Nine
  16. Ten
  17. Eleven
  18. Twelve
  19. Thirteen
  20. Fourteen
  21. Fifteen
  22. Sixteen
  23. Seventeen
  24. Eighteen
  25. Nineteen
  26. Twenty
  27. Twenty-one
  28. Twenty-two
  29. Twenty-three
  30. Twenty-four
  31. Twenty-five
  32. Twenty-six
  33. Twenty-seven
  34. Twenty-eight
  35. Twenty-nine
  36. Thirty
  37. Thirty-one
  38. Thirty-two
  39. Thirty-three
  40. Thirty-four
  41. Thirty-five
  42. Thirty-six
  43. Thirty-seven
  44. Thirty-eight
  45. Epilogue
  46. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  47. About the Author
  48. What’s next onyour reading list?

I’d like to say that loyalty is one of my best qualities. And even though I’ve only known Vonnie for a short period of time, we’re on a nickname basis and she’s my new bestie. But even if she wasn’t, I still couldn’t ignore the fact that she’s a total badass who cares hard and deep for everyone around her, is funny, smart, and an amazing mom to three wild—but polite and wonderful—boys. How anyone could hate her, let alone her own freaking husband, makes my blood boil. But my anger won’t help her.

“I’m sure that’s not true.” I squeeze her hand a little tighter. “I’m not sure if you know this or not, but you are pretty freaking phenomenal. I don’t think anyone who knows you could hate you.”

“Then maybe I hate myself?” She pulls her hand out of mine and runs it through her long, bone-straight hair. “I let myself become this woman I said I’d never become. Justin and I got married in college. It was a small wedding, we had fake flowers because they were all we could afford. He was still playing football and working on his undergrad. I was in law school. His major was childhood education. He wanted to be a teacher if he didn’t make it to the League. I knew I would carry the financial burden and I was fine with that . . . he was fine with that.”

I lean back on the couch, listening as she surrenders to everything she’s been battling.

“Obviously he wanted to play in the League, but we’re both smart. Justin was good, but he wasn’t a standout in college and we both knew how quickly an injury could change everything. So when he was invited to the combine, we were pleasantly surprised. When he was drafted, we were ecstatic. He’d be able to live out his dream of being a football player and I’d live out mine as a lawyer. We figured he’d play for three, maybe five years, you know? The average career. What I didn’t realize was the career I worked so hard for would become irrelevant.”

The laugh that comes out of her mouth is the saddest sound I’ve ever heard. It’s as if she put all of her hurt and regret into that one sound. I want to pull her into my arms and hug her, but she stands up before I get the chance. She paces in front of me, her high-heeled boots clicking against the wood-looking tile floors.