Page 63 of Accidentally Falling for My Fake Wife

That conversation also informed me that he knows Adam and I are a thing. Does he know we’re the Mr. and Mrs. type of thing? I didn’t ask.

“Susie?” Brie snaps in front of my face to get my attention. “It’s your turn.”

“Sorry. I was imagining the crazy dancing lady across from me isn’t actually my mother and just some random weirdo we picked up off the street.” I scrunch my face, but one look at the smile on Brie’s face, and I’m grateful for my mom and her crazy dancing ways.

“Ha. Ha. You’re just jealous that I put ‘example’ down on a triple word score.” And up from the couch, she goes again.

Marie and Brie are doubled over, and I’m working to stop the smile that wants to break free. My mom is still the woman who embarrasses me and loves doing it any chance she gets.

“Okay, okay.” I point to the couch, and she sits back down. “Thank you.”

I look over my letters and the board and decide to change a letter instead of trying to place something.

Scrabble requires more brain power than I have at the moment. After Adam left, I finished the rest of my book and sent it off to Norma. I was anticipating a very low-key, brain-numbing movie night.

“Hey, Mom?” I watch Marie place an S, P, A, and C on top of the E in “Example” to spell ‘space.’ She writes down Marie’s score and then looks up at me. “How long has everyone known that I’m Amelia Adams?”

Marie’s eyebrows fly to her hairline, and my mom freezes, pencil still hoovering over the paper. I pick one of my letters up and tap it on the table, narrowing my eyes at her.

She scrunches her face together before she lifts her arms in a shrug. “About four years, honey.”

“Four years?” I screech. “Everyone’s known for four years?”

“Well, almost everyone,” Brie’s Aunt Marie chimes in. “It’s not like you did a good job keeping it quiet. What, with you and Brie screeching every time one of your books hits the library shelves.”

My mouth is hanging open, and I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I look over at Brie and see the same expression on her face.

At the same time, we slap our palms over our mouths and start laughing.

“Speaking of secrets,” my mom says as she moves her tiles around. “Do you want to tell us about you and Adam?”

I feel all the color drain from my face, and my heart starts to ram itself around my chest. “Me and Adam?”

She calmly lifts her head, eyes narrowed. It’s the look that always says,‘Don’t lie to me;I know everything,’and heaven help me, she does.

I swallow hard like I just swallowed a cotton ball stuck in my throat. I reach over the table, grab my glass of sweet tea, and finish it in one gulp.

Looking up, I find everyone’s eyes on me. I look at Marie first, then my mom, and last, Brie. Each of them has a grin on it, and I panic.

“Well, he had a visa issue, and so I—”

“What?” Brie and her aunt yell, just as my mom says. “Visa issue?”

“Susie, you are just dating Adam, right?” My mouth opens and closes as I look at each one of their faces, full of surprise and shock—instantly regretting the words that fell out of my mouth.

“Kinda?” I shrug. Realization hits that the cat has popped its head out of the bag and refuses to go back in.

Well, Suse, that’s one way to keep the focus off of Josh.

I slowly inhale, feeling everyone’s eyes piercing me. I blow out my breath and dive in. “So. You know how I like my sports chat groups?”

Everyone nods, eyes wide. The room is so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“Well, there was this guy Chase…”

Forty-five minutes, and essentially the entirety of my new book, I tell them the story of Chase and Amelia, AKA Adam and Susie, and lastly, Mr. & Mrs. Daniels.

Brie is clapping her hands together, while my mom and Marie are staring at me with their mouths hanging open.

---