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Knox was assigned as my mentor this season. In a nutshell, as a veteran on the team, his role is basically to keep me on the ‘straight and narrow’. But I’m pretty sure that keeping on the ‘straight and narrow’ does not include trading marriage vows with our team’s lawyer in the middle of the night at a 24-hour chapel.
Meanwhile, Jace just bursts out laughing. “Maxwell! Dude. Get your ass over here. You need to hear this.”
Great! Now he’s getting the team captain involved in my mess, too.This situation couldn’t get any worse.
“This better be good,” Maxwell bites, standing before us, arms folded across his chest and an unamused look on his face. “All I want to hear is why this asshole crashed and burned on the field today.”
“Oh, I think he has a pretty good reason for that disaster of a performance he just put on.” Jace chortles as he speaks, barely getting the words out. “Instead of getting a good night’s sleep after the gala, Harry here went out and accidentally married Nadia last night.”
Maxwell’s eyes widen and there’s a long, heavy silence.
But instead of yelling at me for being an idiot, my team captain just doubles over with laughter, too.
What the fuck?
I scowl at him. “What’s so funny?”
Jace and Maxwell are howling now, grabbing at their abs and slapping their knees. Every time they try to talk, they end up sputtering and laughing harder. We’re starting to attract a scene in our corner of the room.
Jude glances in our direction. “What’s so goddamned hilarious over there?” He snarls.
“Nothing!” Jace and Maxwell spit in unison. Then, they go back to laughing.
I blow out a breath of relief. I’m just relieved these assholes didn’t announce my accidental marriage to the entire locker room. Nope—Nadia wouldnotappreciate that.
I lower my voice, pinning my eyes on them. “Seriously. What is so goddamn funny?” When they don’t answer me, I turn to Knox, exasperated. “Can you please translate those idiots? ‘Cause I really don’t see what’s so funny here.”
Knox rolls his eyes. “They both accidentally married their own wives,” he explains. “For some reason, they think it’s hilarious. Personally, I don’t get it.”
Well, damn. This is news to me.
I’m not surprised that Maxwell or Jace would do something so stupid; that’s a given. They’re idiots. But they both seem to be ridiculously, blissfully, obnoxiously happy with their own hot wives. Both of their marriages really started as an accident?
Still chuckling, Maxwell claps my shoulder with a heavy hand. “Welcome to the club, my man.”
“Expect the rulebook and instruction manual in the mail in three to five business days,” Jace chimes in.
Knox shakes his head, his expression staying serious. “So, what do you plan on doing about this?” he asks me, always the voice of reason around here. I really appreciate him having a level head in this moment because right about now, I’m losing mine. But I’ll never let him know that. It’s always more fun giving him a hard time.
My phone rings again from the bottom of my duffel bag, taunting me. I pretend not to hear it.
“I…I don’t know. I was hoping…I was hoping we could just…Fuck, I don’t know what I was hoping.” I scrape both my hands down my face, past due for a shower.
I’ve suddenly never felt so tired. It could have a little to do with the fact that I partied all night and most of the morning with my Dream Girl. Or…the fact that my plan to help Nadia get her mind off her jerk of an ex has somehow morphed into way more than either of us ever bargained for.
Knox quirks a brow at me, realization dawning on his face. “Fuck…You want to keep her…You crazy little fucker, you want to keep her.”
Dammit—I’d only ever intended on getting married once. Ten-year-old me would have said the same damn thing. It’s been my plan just as long as my NFL goals. Divorce has never been in my future plans. The idea feels like the ultimate failure.
Plus, I really like Nadia. A lot. Like, a fucking lot. Who am I kidding? I fuckinglovethis woman. And I know it sounds crazy to want to just stay married after it happened by accident but…I don’t know.I do. I do want to keep her.
Jace gives me a shit-eating grin. I’m sure whatever I’m thinking is written on my face. “You’d better get ready for the fight of your life, Westbrook. Trust me, this won’t be easy.”
I cringe. He’s not wrong. Nadia is a fiery stubborn woman on her good days. Next time I see her, she’ll probably come at me with both cylinders blazing.
But I’m stubborn too.
And determined as hell.
