Page 26 of Accidentally Falling for My Fake Wife

Finn:Call me when you’re on your way home.

Finn:There’s something I need to talk to you about.

My heart drops to my stomach, and my pulse races. The last time Finn sent me a cryptic message like this, he told me I was being traded.

I swallow against the lump in my throat and try to rub out the burning in my chest before responding.

Me:Is everything okay?

It feels like hours rather than seconds as I stare at the three dots before Finn finally responds.

Finn:Yeah, everything is fine.

I breathe out a sigh of relief. Then I get his next text.

Finn:Kind of.

Me:Kind of?

My stomach rolls and feels as if a volcano is about to erupt as I try to wrap my brain around what ‘kind of’ means. Either itis,or itisn’t.

Finn:There may be a little problem with your visa.

Problem with my visa?

I stare at the phone, re-reading the text, and a laugh bubbles up.

Traded at the beginning of the season, and now a problem with my visa. Anything else life wants to throw at me?

A hand cups my shoulder. “Everything okay, man?” Shaw, the Mavs starting running back, asks as he passes my locker.

“Yup, all good.” I nod stiffly. Staring at my phone, watching another message from Finn come through. “Just my agent. I’ll be heading over in a second.”

“Sounds good. See you in a bit.” I watch Shaw walk out of the locker room and turn right.

When I’m sure I’m alone, I rub my hand up and down my face. Finn’s messages are not lacking his normal lightness which tells me he’s worried. I swallow past the lump forming in my throat.

Finn:My assistant is looking into it now.

Finn:It should be fine.

Finn:Just make sure to call me after practice.

Me:Itshouldbe fine?

Finn:It will be fine.

Finn:We’ll talk after practice.

Finn:Don’t worry about it—I’ve got it covered.

I toss my phone in my locker, grab my playbook, and head to the film room. Chills run down my body, and my chest tightens.

I’m praying that Finn can handle whatever is going on, because I’m not sure how much more change I can handle.

It took every ounceof me to keep my focus on what my offensive line coach, Smitty, was saying during film review, and I’m pretty sure I wasn’t that focused, considering he had to call me more than once a few times.

My stomach is in knots, and I noticed that my pencil has a bunch of teeth marks all over it.

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