Page 100 of The Rebound Plan

I reach out and take back the jersey he hooked over his arm. “Then as a friend, I’m keeping this.”

“Yeah?” His gaze flares.

Good.

I need him to know that I want more than just friendship, too.

“I need something nice and warm to sleep in this winter. Since I’ll be lonely and separated and?—”

He crushes me against the wall again, this time with me facing him, his arms bracing on either side of me. “Fucking do it. Wear my number every night. And know that once you’re free, I’m going to claim you for myself.”

CHAPTER 36

RUSS

I shouldn’t have said that. But I can’t regret it. If Shannon has moved on from her marriage, then she’s fair game to be wooed. And once she’s single, there won’t be anything holding me back from finally making her mine.

CHAPTER 37

SHANNON

Bringing Russ’s jersey home feels like both the worst thing I have ever done, and the best kind of wild rebellion against the gaslighting and bullshit of my marriage.

But it’s not like expect Max to be home that afternoon. So when I pull into the garage, and his car is there, I know I can’t very well carry the jersey upstairs without making everything worse.

And the fact that I have it is special. I want to keep that my little secret.

I roll it into a tight ball and put it in my workout bag, grateful that I went to early morning Pilates today before going to the convention centre.

Inside, I hear Max in the kitchen.

Lauren’s warning that I should maintain a normal relationship as much as possible while she investigates my options for divorce rings in my ears.

“Hi,” I say calmly.

He looks up from a prepared salad from the fridge. “Hey.”

I get myself a salad, too, and he hands me the vinaigrette I like. It's a familiar routine, but hollowed out, like we’re just going through the motions of being married.

The first bite tastes like cardboard, and it doesn’t go down easy.

I can’t do this. Sorry, Lauren.

“There was a photo shoot for the Highlanders Ball.”

“I couldn’t do it. I told someone.”

“Okay. It worked out.”

“Yeah, I heard Russ showed up.” He takes a big, wolfish bite of salad.

“He did.”

“Must have been cozy.”

“I wasn’t in the photo.”

“We couldn’t have that. People might get the idea that he’s stealing my wife.”

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