Page 23 of Resisting the Running Back

I tell my brother everything. He’s more than just my best friend. But something stops me from telling him the specifics aboutthis. Her secret pen name is not my secret to tell—even to Tanner, who I trust implicitly.

“Here’s the short version. Sophie’s ex posted something personal about her on her student message board, and it led to her being put on leave. She decided to quit, and I told her to come stay with me a while to get back on her feet. When she told her mom she was moving in with me, she blurted out that we’re together, and it was one of those play-along-with-it kind of things. So I did, and she told her mom we were getting married. We left, her mom called the paper, and the news got out.”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,” he sputters. “Her mom called the paper?”

I blow out a breath. “She wanted to take out one of those engagement announcement things and was giving out our information. She meant well, probably wanted to book a date in a few weeks after we announced it, but as soon as she mentioned my name—”

“The jig was up?” he guesses.

“Yeah, something like that.”

“So you’re engaged now?” he asks.

“I guess.”

“Figures you’d steal my thunder right after I got engaged,” he mutters.

“I’m sorry. I really didn’t think this was the way it was going to go. But we’ll have a nice, long engagement, and—”

“And in that time you’ll get her to actually fall in love with you?” he guesses, ending my sentence for me.

I press my lips together.

I wish that was the way this story was going to end, but I don’t think I’ll ever actually get up the courage to admit my true feelings to her.

CHAPTER 11: Sophie Summers

He Remembers Everything

What exactly is one supposed to wear ring shopping?

This feels sort of pivotal. I know we went out to dinner last night, but this feels like our first outing as a couple—or at least the first that might garner some attention.

Miller isn’t just some average dude. He’s Miller Freaking Banks, star running back for the San Diego Storm, number twenty-three, heartbreaker extraordinaire. He’s madePeople Magazine’s list of sexiest athletes more than once. He’s been approached to appear on dating shows. He’s frequently featured on celebrity gossip sites and channels because people are curious about the hot bachelor twin brothers who’ve played together their entire careers.

And now?

He’s my fiancé.

I, on the other hand…well, Iamjust an average girl. I’m a former teacher who likes to spend time with the characters I create rather than most people. I love animals and want to get a dog, but, as a teacher, I was always worried I’d never be home long enough to care for it.

I still dress up for Halloween, I prefer sour gummy candy over chocolate, I can’t hide what I’m thinking, I love sparkly things, I burn popcorn every time I make it, and I adore boy bands to this day.

That’s it. That’s me in a nutshell.

Miller shares a lot of those same things in common with me, but there’s a huge difference.

He’s a professional athlete for arguably the biggest sport in the US, and since he’s a star on his team and an attractive guy, that elevates him into a different stratosphere entirely.

Which means that I’m engaged to a celebrity.

I don’t have any training on this. I don’t know how to handle the media or people firing questions at me. I don’t know how to smile on command for hours at a time or how to act like I’m happy if I’m not.

And I don’t know what to wear when I go ring shopping.

I don’t have enough clothes to play the part of a celebrity’s girlfriend. Maybe I can go shopping this weekend and dig into some of my savings since I’m not paying rent right now.

I also need to learn how to cook, but I can only tackle one issue at a time here.

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