All Chapters of 30 Ways To Win A Heart, 30 More To Break It: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

“Yo, Alvarez!” Tony, my linesman and one of my closest friends on the team, called out. I heard his slides squeaking against the floor as he jogged up behind me, throwing an arm around my neck. “What’s up with you, man? You were completely checked out during the video briefing.”“Nothing much,” I muttered, reaching up to uncurl his arm from my neck. My voice sounded as hollow as I felt.“Bad day?” he asked, falling into step beside me as we walked past the row of equipment bags.I nodded once, my jaw tight. “Something like that.”“Girl problems?” he further inquired, a knowing smirk touching his lips.That question made me stop dead in my tracks. I turned my head, locking an icy glare onto him. “You know, your wife mouthed off to my girl at the arena yesterday. I didn’t exactly love hearing about what she had to say,” I told him simply, my tone dropping and becoming low. “And I don’t love the fact that you’re apparently telling my personal business to your wife, T.”“Your girl? You me

Everyone had that one person they went to when they desperately needed clarity.For me, that person was Grace. She was the only anchor I had left in the world. Which was exactly why I was standing under the dim awning in front of her apartment door at midnight, clutching a cold bottle of tequila. I was holding onto a hope that we would get completely knocked out of our minds, drink until the buzzing beneath my skin stopped, and bitterly rant about how unfair life was.I pressed the doorbell for the third time, the sharp chime echoing down the hallway. Finally, the deadbolt clicked. The door creaked open just a fraction of an inch, and Grace peeked her face through the narrow space.She looked out of place. Her eyes were wide with panic, and a patch of nervous sweat glistened on her forehead.“What the hell are you doing here?” she whisper-yelled, her voice laced with terror.I blinked, thrown off by her hostility. “What do you mean? I came to spend time with you. I need a drink, Gra

Today was day three. That meant I had exactly twenty-seven more days to win Gabrielle’s heart.If I was keeping score, the metrics were a total disaster. So far, two out of the three planned methods to break down her walls had completely fallen through.Way One: Memorize her hyper-specific coffee order. That went perfectly.Way Two: Cook her an elegant celebratory dinner after the game. That was an epic, smoky fail, even if our midnight escape to the Boston night market turned into the best night of my life.Way Three: Plan a quiet, romantic candlelit dinner at the estate. Another massive fail, mostly because she didn't show up and I spent the night hyperventilating on the floor.Which had led me to inventing a completely new strategy on the spur of the moment.Way Four: A private, deeply relaxing spa date in a luxury hotel suite.It was safe to say that this one was going well. In fact, it had gone so well that Gabrielle had fallen asleep halfway through her full-body massage. The t

I was back in Grace’s apartment.We were piled onto her living room couch, sprawled out lazily as we mindlessly munched on a bowl of popcorn while a movie played in the background.I couldn’t care less about the screen.My mind was scattered into a million jagged pieces, yet I couldn’t put my hand on any particular thought. I couldn’t comprehend what was happening in my head, or even in my life at the moment. How had Kayden Alvarez become the sole topic of focus in my existence so suddenly? When did it get to this point? How had I allowed my walls to crack this badly?Questions nagged at my brain, but I had no answers for any of them.“You’re still thinking about what your mother said, aren't you?” Grace’s soft voice suddenly filtered through my thoughts, cutting the silence.I looked over at her, my shoulders slumping. “What’s there not to think about? She was right, after all.”“About what part?” Grace sat up straight, setting the bowl of popcorn aside. Her features morphed into

“What are you doing here, Kane?”“Kane?” My father laughed, a gravelly sound that smelled of stale nicotine. “Are we on a first-name basis now?”“What. Are. You. Doing. Here?”His brow twitched and his features morphed into his usual smug look. “Maybe you should tighten your security if you want to continue keeping me away.”“Quit fucking around and tell me what you want!” I roared, the pulse hammering against my temples. “It’s always one thing or another with you. What is it this time?”“Mmm… my little boy grows more feisty every time I see him.” He retrieved a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his jacket. He flicked the flame, popping a stick between his lips, charring the paper, and dragging a lungful of smoke deep into his chest. “I already told you. I’m here to meet my daughter-in-law.”My chest shook, my hands growing clammy. I blinked, trying to steady myself before speaking. “I’m not married, Kane.”“Yeah? But recently you’ve been photographed a lot with this beautiful gir