Page 21 of The Husband Game

But he felt a sudden weight in the pit of his stomach, like maybe he’d bitten off more than he could chew.

* * *

Charlie shook out another blouse and carefully rolled it before tucking it into a packing cube.

“I can’t believe you got married without me!” Taylor grumbled. He flopped onto the bed, toppling over a neat stack of already-packed cubes.

Charlie huffed and straightened them. “You do know it’s a sham don’t you?”

“I dunno, babe. That looked like a pretty passionate kiss on Instagram.”

“We have sexual chemistry,” Charlie said tartly. “That doesn’t make the marriage real.”

“I know. But it’s weird to think about you married.”

“Tell me about it, honey. I’m a little shell-shocked myself.” Charlie went into the bathroom, gathering up his toiletries and cosmetics.

When he came out, Taylor was still lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Charlie set down the bags and crawled onto the bed beside Taylor, tucking himself close.

“Are you mad at me?”

Taylor lifted his head, squinting at him. “Mad at you? Why would I be mad at you?”

“Cause I got married without you?”

“No. If I thought it was a real marriage, I would be. I’m mostly worried about you.”

“And my eating disorder?” Charlie’s voice was small.

“Yes. And your eating disorder. You hit that rough patch last winter and …”

“I’ve been doing so good since then though,” Charlie protested.

“You have. And your new therapist seems great. I guess that’s what worries me. This is a huge upheaval to your life. You’ll have to find someone new and …”

Charlie felt a jolt go through him. “I will? I thought maybe I could do virtual appointments.”

“No, they can’t do that.” Taylor flipped on his side so they faced each other. “Remember when Jamie ran into that issue with his therapist? He couldn’t do virtual appointments when he was on the road because the therapist isn’t licensed in those states. Or in Canada.”

“Fuck, and I’m moving to Canada for a year.”

“Uhh, yeah.”

“Shit. I guess I’ll have to find someone new.”

“Just … don’t put it off, okay? Promise me you won’t.”

“I won’t. I swear. I’ll take care of it as soon as I’m on Dustin’s insurance.”

“Are you going to have any issues with getting into Canada?”

“No. My passport’s all up to date and Wade said the NHL has a protocol and shit for dealing with work visa stuff or whatever for spouses.”

“God, you’re somebody’s spouse.”

Charlie grimaced. “Weird, isn’t it? I swore I’d never get married and whoopsie, here I am!”

---