Page 117 of Fake Out Hearts

“Holy shit, your ex-wife walked in on you having sex with your new one?” Reese asks in shock as the team is getting cleaned up and dressed after practice. His jaw hangs open as he stares at me.

“Yeah, that about sums it up,” I answer.

His brows furrow. “What did you do?”

I shrug. “I finished what I started, then kicked Valerie out.”

Noah bursts out laughing. “Are you serious?”

“One hundred percent. She walked into my house unannounced, so whatever she sees is on her.”

“I guess that’s fair,” Noah says with a chuckle. “I mean, your marriage with Valerie barely counted as real. She had one foot out the door the whole time, so it’s not like you owe her anything.”

I shake my head. “It’s crazy how this woman I’m supposed to be in a fake marriage with is more present in marriage than my ‘real’ ex-wife ever was.” Reese and Noah exchange looks, then laugh. “What the hell are you two laughing about?”

“You aren’t in a fake marriage, bro,” Reese answers. “Not anymore.”

“What do you mean? Yes, I am. Becca’s still going to divorce me at some point, whenever she gets her permanent residency.”

“You sure about that?” Noah asks with his brows raised. “She seems a lot more invested in you than that. And vice versa.”

“Yeah, face it, man. You’re head over heels for Becca. The way you’ve been playing lately proves that,” Reese adds, and although I want to push back, I can’t. Noah smiles and nods knowingly.

“I see the gears turning. So I’ll ask you again: you sure this is fake? Or are you falling for your wife of convenience?”

I don’t have an answer. I can’t deny that I have feelings for Becca, not least of all because every guy in the room would know I was a damn liar if I tried. But isn’t that normal? If you spend enough time with someone and get to know them well enough, of course you’ll develop some sort of feelings for them.

But I’d be even more of a liar if I said that the idea of Becca eventually leaving wouldn’t tear me apart. And that tells me everything I need to know. I can’t imagine life without her anymore, and I’m not sure I want to. So what does that mean for the future? I don’t know, but hopefully I won’t have to face that for at least another year or two.

“Fuck,” Sawyer cusses from the bench where he’s sitting, grabbing all our attention. He stares at his phone in his hand for a second before he slams it on the bench.

“What’s wrong?” Reese asks.

“Just had yet another babysitter cancel on me at the last second for this weekend. The day after a game.”

“Oof, that’s rough, bro. I’m sorry,” Reese says, although he turns to grin at me. “But maybe Theo and Becca could watch Jake for you?”

If Reese were any closer, I’d punch him. What in the world makes him think I’m qualified to babysit? But Sawyer looks up at me with hope in his eyes, and I know I’m cooked.

“Really? Would you really do that for me?” he asks, and I hear the desperation in his voice. I don’t know what he’s got going on over the weekend, but it must be something important, otherwise he wouldn’t be so pissed about the babysitter canceling. I sigh and pull out my phone.

“I’ve gotta check my calendar and ask Becca if she’s okay with it, but assuming she is, yeah, we’ve got you,” I say, and Sawyer’s face lights up.

“Now that’s what I call teamwork,” Noah says approvingly, nodding at me as I fire off a text to Becca.

ME: Hey, uh… do you have plans this weekend?

BECCA: That depends. The way you’re asking makes me nervous.

I laugh because I don’t blame her. I’d feel the same way if I got that kind of text.

ME: You aren’t gonna believe this, but Sawyer’s babysitter bailed on him at the last second so Reese volunteered me and you to watch Jake. I kind of already said yes, but if you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to.

The bubble indicating Becca’s typing appears and vanishes several times as she works on a reply. But finally my phone buzzes with a text.

BECCA: And here I thought you were going to whisk me away to Ibiza or something.

ME: Isn’t a weekend with a little boy basically the same thing?

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