#cherxe

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꣑୧ MEET THE CHARACTERS!

odessa di laurentis.

garrett graham.

꣑୧ EXTRAS!

chapter one excerpt.

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꣑୧ MEET THE CHARACTERS!

lysandra hayes.

shane hollander.

ilya rozanov.

꣑୧ EXTRAS!

001. chapter one excerpt

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THE door opened behind her and she whirled around, spotting Garrett walking in. He was still dressed in his gear, his hair stringy with sweat. 

"Aren't you meant to be in the locker room?" she questioned, hanging up the top and giving him a pointed look.

"Yeah. I saw you in here and thought I'd take a breather," Garrett said, his tone heavy as he pulled his jersey away from his body.

"What's going on with you?" she asked, approaching him.

He sighed, leaning against the door, "My dad's in the audience. It's fucking me up." He swallowed thickly and Odessa frowned. Garrett was never this nervous to play, so something about Phil being there was really messing with him. 

"Hey," she said softly, taking his shaking hands in her own, her thumbs brushing his skin gently, "Calm down. You don't have to play for him, play for yourself. Your name is recognisable all on its own without him. Just... do what you love to do. Screw him."

"He's getting married," he blurted, "He wants me to meet her before the wedding. He met her six months ago. Why the fuck is he getting married to someone he met six months ago? She doesn't know what he's really like, she doesn't know—"

"Garrett, calm down," Odessa cut him off with insistence, "You're working yourself up over one man. He is an irrelevant old bastard, who gives a fuck what he does with his life. You don't have to entertain him if you don't want to and you don't have to meet her if you don't want to. And if you do decide to meet her, nothing will change; she's just a woman marrying your dad. She won't replace your mom."

"That's not the point," Garrett replied, shaking his head.

"It kinda seems like it is," Odessa nodded, before looking at him intently, "Or at least that's a part of it."

Garrett sighed. She was too perceptive for her own good. He'd never told anyone about what he and his mom had gone through before she died, always citing his dislike for his father as his toughness on hockey. But even then, Odessa was the tiniest bit sceptical. 

"Now, go out there and play for yourself because you love this sport. The bitch is back, alright?" she joked, pointing to the stereo, which had finished its song a few minutes ago. 

Garrett cracked a smile, "I'd hug you, but I'm sweaty."

"Yeah, please don't," Odessa chuckled, "Now go, the third period is starting soon and the team needs its captain."

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AS the boys dispersed around the house, Garrett stayed back and questioned, "So, boring? What does that constitute as?"

"He was just so nice and we never argued. There was no spark. Totally boring sex," she replied, drinking from her bottle. 

At that, Garrett's head tilted as he studied her silently. His dark eyes raked over her seated form. She was wearing a cropped lace top and mini shorts, having changed from earlier and she had left her hair to flow around her shoulders. 

All of a sudden, he chuckled, causing her to look at him, "What?"

"You. You talk about it so casually now."

Odessa felt her face flush slightly as she responded, "Shut up. I'm a different person than I was two years ago."

"Yeah, one who talks about sex like it's nothing," he teased.

"I don't! It's just—" she cut herself off and looked away from him, trying to calm her racing heart. 

He spoke softly, stepping ever so slightly closer, "'It's just' what?"

"I can talk about it with you like it's nothing," Odessa responded quietly. A smile pulled at his lips, boyishly charming and so incredibly hot.

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"