Page 10 of Accidentally Falling for My Fake Wife

“Better now that you’re here to help fill the gap in our offensive line. Here, let me introduce you to the guys.” He drags me intothe middle of the locker room with his arm around me and gets everyone’s attention. Still the same old Darius, I see.

“Hey, everyone! This here is Adam Daniels. Some of you may know him, and others may not. Those of you who do will also know his twin brother Steve, and they are known as the ‘Dynamic Duo’ on opposite sides of the line.”

My new teammates approach me one by one, and Darius introduces me to them. I do my best to remember their names, but sadly, I only remember the players I already know.

The Maverick’s team roster is filled with talent. That’s for sure.

“Here, let me show you your locker,” he says, tapping my arm to catch my attention. Then he points toward the front of the room, where I see Finn chatting with Josh Owens.

“Dude, I’m so happy to have you here to do battle with us. You’re gonna love the organization and the guys on the team.” He gives me that overly big smile that Darius is known for. He’s always looking on the bright side, and I’m grateful for that trait right now. “It’s one of the best. Not to mention me being here, so you know it’s the best.”

I’m surprised to catch myself laughing out loud at his comment, but Darius has that effect on people.

“Steve called me earlier,” Darius says softly as I place my duffel bag in my locker. “He’s worried about you. You running off for some alone time freaked him out.”

I shrug and start to unpack. “You know how he worries over every little thing.”

“Nah, he doesn’t,” Darius says before leaning in and whispering in my ear. “It’ll be fine, better than fine, once you settle in. But I’m here if you want to talk.”

I meet his gaze and nod. He slaps me on the shoulder and heads back to the guys, talking smack the entire way.

“Josh, you’ve met Adam, right?” Finn moves his body so we can see each other.

“Yeah, a time or two.” Josh reaches out his hand, and I shake it. “But I have more experience with Steve. If you’re anything like your brother, I am beyond happy to have you on our side of the line. Maybe we can even settle who the better half of that ‘dynamic duo’ people talk about is.”

“Oh, trust me, that’s already been established,” A cocky grin slides across my face, and Josh starts to laugh. “It’s me.”

“Adam met your sister today.” Finn gives me a mischievous grin, and everyone in the locker room goes silent.

“I know,” I raise my hands in surrender. “I have a sister too. Off-limits.”

The entire room laughs, and Josh slaps me on the back. “Glad that’s been settled.”

He winks at me to let me know he’s only partially kidding, but everyone in the room knows he’s completely serious, including me.

“Daniels!” Coach McGee’s voice rings out. “Once you’re settled over there, step into my office.”

I nod my head and finish what I’m doing. I can organize my stuff later.

“Go ahead, Adam,” Finn slaps my shoulder. “I’ll check in with you in the evening.”

“Thanks, Finn.”

The rest of the day went smoothly and better than expected. I throw my duffel bag in the back of my Jeep and toss the team's playbook on the passenger seat. As if on cue, my phone rings, and I see Steve’s name.

“Hey,” I answer, then put the phone on speaker.

“I am officially jealous,” Steve addresses the picture of the training facility. “Is the inside as impressive as the outside?”

“You know how good it looks on all the news broadcasts?” Of course he does. He and everyone in the NFL does. “It’s better.”

“Better?” Steve’s voice drops. “How is that even possible?”

I shrug one shoulder and put the key in the ignition, firing up the engine. I pull out of the parking lot and head toward the highway.

“How did your first day go?” I can hear a tinge of worry in my brother’s voice. At this moment, I decide to make the best of this situation. There is no sense in both of us struggling because I was unhappy about the trade.

“It went really well! Everyone was terrific, and I didn’t think about how good it would be to play with Darius again.”

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