Page 68 of The Fake WIfe Playbook

Fuck me— I do.

Finn’s supposed to be in town for a game, but evidently, there’stime to be social because it looks like he’s having dinner withher. I gasp.

My heart shudders—the band notices, too. I can feel their glances, their curiosity, even as they try not to make it obvious.

“She’s bad news,” my guitarist mutters under his breath as he leans over and watches the scene unfold on my phone.

“Exes are always stirring up shit,” Matt, my drummer, adds.

And I know they’re right—but it doesn’t help. And then it hits me like a boulder. Suddenly, every doubt I’ve ever had claws its way up.

I can’t stop thinking about what Tessa said back at that gala—how she called Finn a hothead, how she made those smug little comments about his temper.

Then there’s theotherthing no one stops talking about—his suspension from the league last season. The game he missed after losing his temper and throwing a punch that was talked about on all the sports shows.

People love to say Finn has a fuse, and maybe that’s not entirely wrong. I know him to be protective. But I’ve seen it up close that he’s a man about protecting those he loves, and that even his teammates are his family, and he protects them, just like he would his brother, James.

But what if it’s more than that?

What if I’ve been too wrapped up in the sex and the sultry nights to pay attention? What if the thrill of being with someone who makes me feel wanted blinds me to seeing what’s right in front of me?

My mind spins. Is he with me because hewantsme… or because he’s trying to clean up his image? Smooth out the edges, show the world he’s not the guy who gets suspended for throwing punches—but the guy who falls for the quirky, country singer with a heart of gold?

God, I hate myself for even thinking it. But once the thought’s there, it doesn’t leave.

Meanwhile, the clips show Tessa still laughing, leaning in close like she knows exactly what kind of doubt she’s planting.

I should ask Finn about it.

Ishould.

But the truth? I’m too afraid of what the answer might be.

So I don’t. I sit there, swirling my drink, watching them from across the room, my stomach twisting tighter with every second. And even though I hate the feeling, the seed is planted.

Because suddenly I’m not so sure who I’m really married to.

As if seeing Finn with his ex wasn’t enough.

As if my brain wasn’t already a mess of unfinished lyrics, pressure from the label, and doubts about Finn that I can’t seem to shake.

Now the media’s decided to make it worse. Of course, they saw the same video. And now it will go viral, and everyone will have an opinion.

It starts small—just a few notifications on my phone while I’m backstage after another show, my skin still buzzing from the stage lights, my heart still raw from that dinner I can’t get out of my head.

Then the headlines start flooding in.

WHERE IS FINN? Trouble Brewing Between Hockey’s Favorite Bad Boy & Country’s Sweetheart?

Finn Callahan MIA While Wife Kate Parties Solo on Tour

Sources Say ‘Distance Taking a Toll’ on Kate & Finn’s Marriage

Every headline is worse than the last.

They’re twisting everything. They have an innate way of turning our separate schedules into something sinister.

Finn’s stuck at training camp, gearing up for the new season. He’s doing his job. I’m out here doing mine.