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"What’s going on? Jack, you’re scaringof color

"I’ traded," I blurted out

Any of the re pink in her cheeks instantly vanished "W-where?"

"They asked me if I had a preference and I said yes, but I won’t know until the trade goes through"

"Where?" she asked again, her tonethis time

"Either Anaheim or Toronto"

"Okay Okay" Her eyes lost focus for a second, then the rapid-fire questions began "So then what? We have to et rid of this place Do you help me move? Of course you don’t How does this work?" She paused, the wheels in her head clicking and turning clear as day, then realization set in "I have to quit my job Oh my God I love le thing for her Tell her she never had to quit anything for e her life in any possible way for irl the way plants needed oxygen So I could tell her all of those things, but I’d be lying through my teeth And she’d know it

Cassie looked at ht with tears "How does this work? Tell me what this means"

The look on her face broke my heart I pulled her toward the couch and ontoshe wanted to hear, but first I needed to feel her close toher while I did it

I pressed ht the trade goes through Whenever that is and wherever we are The game will end and they’ll hand me a plane ticket"

"What if you’re on the road?" she asked, playing with the strands of et to co like that If we’re on a road trip, I leave straight from the road to meet up with the other team, wherever they are"

"That’s harsh," she said and I laughed

"It is kinda harsh"

She sucked in a deep breath "And you don’t get any tiht hours when your wives have babies, so you wouldn’t get tiet any time off But that doesn’t mean you have to do all this alone You can talk to your boss, and ht away If ait until the off-season, I can help you pack and we can ht for a moment, then said, "Jack, look at oing to stay here without you You get traded, I get traded We’re a teaainst her hair "I just don’t want you to feel like you’re all alone in this I completely understand if you want to wait until I can help And if you need time to transition from your job to our new home, take all the ti kill me to be without her, but she had a life here too It was only fair she left it on her own terled in closer toand everything else that goes with it You just worry about getting on that new teao I can’t believe they’re trading you!"

"Thank you, Kitten I can’t believe it either Good thing I still have this necklace I think I’onna need it" I pulled the key from underit fall against my chest

"It’s yours Until you don’t need it anymore," she said with a smile as she reached her hand out to touch it "I feel betrayed by the team, in a way Why do I feel like that? Do you feel like that?"

What I did feel was fucking stupid for having hurt feelings over this What was I, a twelve-year-old? No, I was a et butt-hurt over shit like this

But truth be told, I was hurt And I hated to adain and I took that seriously "I don’t know that I feel betrayed as ht they’d fight for ht now, that they would knoould be back eventually I feel like they quit on me And it hurts because I’d never quit on theive a hundred and ten percent when I’ it’s not a tay street Is that stupid?"

Yeah, I felt stupid adh I knew she understoodit all out loud

"It’s not stupid at all," Cassie said loyally "You love this teaot told they don’t love you the same way back They broke up with you"

I snorted "I got du fucking green eyes and said, "I’ll never dump you"

My heart full of love for her, I reached for her left hand and kissed the diaht her "I wouldn’t let you"

She laughed, her body shaking against mine "Yeah, I know Been there, done that"

"And look hoell that turned out," I teased playfully, knowing da to ever happen to me

"I’d say it turned out better than well, Mr Carter"