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“She filed.” Allen’s voice is clear and concise. The news is anything but.

How could it be clear to me why she’d file after the night we shared?

Devastation plows through me.

My chest hurts and my stomach twists, and I’m glad I’m sitting because I swear I’d fall over if I wasn’t.

She filed?

She filed.

I was so sure our night together was going to be the catalyst for mending what we broke.

I guess I was wrong…and being wrong has never hurt so much in my entire goddamn life.

We’ve been floating by and it’s been fine. Harper’s been adjusting well to sixth grade, and Victoria’s been running off to Ellie’s every morning and returning home late. It’s a busy season for PCPR as Ellie gears up for the start of another season, so there is plenty to do. For my own part, I’ve been attending my anger management classes and performing my community service in between working on my secret project.

“Can you just…hold off on filing them with the court?” I ask.

Allen sighs. “It’s not ethical given that I’m representing you both.”

“I’m not paying you to be ethical,” I hiss.

“Yes, Mr. Woods. I understand. How long do I need to wait?”

“Just give me a month.”

“All right,” he says. “One month, and if she asks, what do I say?”

“That the courts are slow because they’re so busy.” I cut the call. I need to confront her. I need to talk to her.

I need to calm down.

I hate that she filed the papers. I’m fucking devastated, and yet somehow I also feel numb as despair sweeps through me, my stomach sinking as reality plows into me.

She fucking filed the papers.

She really wants this.

But I still have a plan.

I need to talk to my publicist, but Victoria is there with her now…and I can’t have her overhear what I need to ask.

So I start with the most obvious solution. I glance toward the door to my office. Harper is up in her room, an entire floor away from where I sit. She’s on her iPad playing games and it’s quiet here in my new office, so I call Victoria.

She answers right away. “Is everything okay with Harper?”

I ignore her question. “You fucking filed?” I practically yell at her. “Did the other night mean nothing to you?”

“Oh, uh…yeah. Hold on.” It goes silent, and I imagine she’s excusing herself from Ellie’s office to have this conversation in private.

When she comes back, she’s quiet. “It meant everything to me, Travis. And that’s why I had to file.”

“That doesn’t make any fucking sense!” I yell.

“I just need a clean break.” There’s a certain desperation in her tone, and it pulses the need to protect her inside me. It’s a strange need, and I can’t quite piece together what I’m protecting her from—other than myself, of course. “It’s too hard being stuck here in limbo when we both know it’s over, so I did what I said I was going to do so I can get on with my life. The things I’ve wanted…I can’t have them with you.”

“But we did have them, Vic.” My voice comes out raspy as I fight off the emotion clogging my throat.

She’s quiet on the other end, and I hope it’s because she’s realizing her mistake.

“Just give me one more chance,” I beg.

That’s right.

I fucking beg.

I’ve never begged for a goddamn thing in my life, but this I’m begging for. Another chance. A way to prove to her that we belong together. A way to make her see that this life isn’t all bad. It comes with its perks—it just sometimes takes a little bit of time to see them.

“I know I went radio silent when I was at camp, and I’m sorry. The days are long and busy, and I did what I could to make time for you. For us. It wasn’t enough, and I know that now. I know it’ll be different next time if you just give me the chance to prove—”

“Please stop,” she interrupts. “It’s too hard.” Her own voice is laden with the same emotion I’m feeling, and I guess I just don’t get it. If it’s so fucking hard…why is she doing it?

“Don’t do this,” I whisper—not by choice, but because I can’t make my voice work. Is this really the end? It can’t be. “Please, please give me a chance to prove that we belong together.”

“I can’t.” She whispers back, and then she ends the call.

I slam my phone on the desk. “Fuck,” I mutter, and then I slam my fist on the desk, too. “Fuck!” I yell a little louder.

“Swear jar!” I hear a voice out in the hall.

Fuck indeed.

I blow out a breath as I try to calm down, and that’s when Harper appears in my doorway.

“Is everything okay?”

I shake my head, and I hold up my hand and make the signal for her to come in. “Sit,” I say, and she does.

“Victoria filed the papers with the lawyer. She said she’d wait until after the custody hearing, and she did.”

Harper’s face falls. “Fuck,” she says.

I think about correcting her, but if there’s any good use for a curse, it’s now. “Swear jar,” I say instead as I try to lighten the mood.

“I think we just canceled each other out.”

I nod a little sadly. “It’s you and me, kid,” I say. “Victoria will still be around, and honestly I’m not putting much effort into finding a suitable replacement because you’re right, there isn’t one.”

“Can’t you just find some way to get her back?”

“I’m working on some things,” I admit.

“What things?”

I twist my lips. “You’ll see.”

She narrows her eyes at me. “It better be big if you want to win her back.”

“Oh it’s big.”

I just hope it’s enough.

I work hard on my secret project for the next few days, and then I’m packing my suitcase for a quick trip to Denver for Jaxon and Mandy’s wedding.

A few other guys from the team were invited, mostly the Thursday night crew, and I have no idea who else is going. But it doesn’t matter. I’m using this weekend to get my wife back.

Because Jaxon and Mandy don’t know we’re getting divorced, so they only reserved one room for us.

It’s a suite, and I’m sure my wife will kick me out to the couch, but that’s irrelevant. There will be one bed in the room, and I am absolutely here for it.

We say our goodbyes to Harper as we drop her at Evan’s place on the way to the airport on Friday morning, and after an uneventful flight where Victoria slipped in her Air Pods and watched a movie, we check into our hotel. Before I even get the chance to head up to our room, Jaxon’s slapping me on the back as Mandy squeals to greet her matron of honor.

The bellman takes our luggage up to our room while Mandy steals Victoria away.

“I’ve got a tee time in a half hour. You in?” Jaxon asks, nodding toward the pro shop located in this hotel. It’s convenient staying at the hotel on a golf course where the wedding will take place. “Tristan and Cory will be there, too.”

I don’t have much choice considering I’m here for his wedding weekend, so I nod. “I’ll meet you there.” I need to hit up the gift shop for some ibuprofen and water because I’m already feeling a headache edge its way in as the altitude change hits me.

I wander down toward the golf course a short while later, and it’s hard to muster up any enthusiasm for the big event knowing Victoria will be there on my arm for all of it but it’s all fake.

I wonder if she’s going to tell Mandy about the divorce before the wedding. I wonder if we can fake it through the whole weekend and if I can get her naked one more time even though she already said last time was the last time.

Once my lawyer files and the papers are in the courts, it won’t be long before the paparazzi figures it out and it’s all over the headlines. I don’t know if either one of us is ready for whatever shitstorm we’ll face once that hits.

But since Allen’s holding onto the paperwork for a month, I’ve bought myself a little time. The problem is that the season starts next weekend, and I need help.

I need the big guns.

And so I think it’s essential I tell the boys today what’s going on.

Tristan’s already standing near the pro shop waiting for the rest of the crew when I arrive.

“Whazzahhh motha-fuckaaaa?” he greets me.

I nod in his direction, and then I can’t stop myself as I word vomit the entire story including my plan to win her back.

By the time I’m done talking, I spot Cory walking toward us across the lobby and Tristan’s jaw is hanging open.

“I don’t want Jaxon to know about the divorce yet,” I say hurriedly when I spot him walking toward us, too. “But I’ll need help getting it ready before my time is up and my lawyer gives the papers to the court.”

Tristan nods, and he talks fast as we try to work this out before other ears are listening. “You know you’ve got me, and we can dress it up so Jaxon won’t know why. We’ll just call it a surprise for your wife. Does that work?”

I nod. “Thanks, man.”

He claps me on the back. “Dude, I know what it’s like to lose the one you’re supposed to be with. We’ll fix this.”

“I hope so,” I murmur as Cory sidles up to us.