The Accidental Wife (Emily and Julian)

"Silas, you zoned out again," I say, looking at him. Something is definitely wrong with him, but I don't know what is wrong exactly. He was in a better mood this morning, so something must have happened later to make him seem like that. going to worry.

He is silent in a worrying way. Silas is never silent. He is the one who knows how to start conversations. He can talk about the weirdest topics and manage to make them seem interesting. So, when I see him like that, with billions of thoughts roaming his head, I'm surely "Sorry," he mumbles, as he pushes his food around the plate. He had a three-hour practice, yet he doesn't have the appetite to eat? That doesn't sound like him at all.

"Spill the beans." I drop my fork and pause the episode we're watching. I twist my whole body to face him and crouched. "I'm not blind. I can tell something is bothering you."

"I've been trying to build this friendship with you for over a month and... I guess I ruined it today," he says, not looking at me. My heart sinks at his words. What is he talking about? What has he done?

"What t do

you mean?" I calmly ask although I was nowhere near calm. I can feel my heart hammering in my chest. My mind is already playing the worst scenarios I could ever think of. Has all of this been one hell of a big prank? Has he betrayed me in any way? "I got you into something without thinking and I don't know how to fix it." He finally looks at me. He gives me an apologetic look and I can't help but expect the worst.

Silas has always been a good person. He has never done anything illegal except drinking under twenty-one and I'm sure that this is something very common. I have never heard that he was into drugs or anything fishy. How am I suddenly involved in something I know nothing about? Tue, Sep

Chapter os

"Okay, I'm starting to get really worried, so I think I need you to start talking," I say, taking a deep breath. I'm trying my best to mentally prepare myself for whatever is about to come out of his mouth.

"After practice, the guys in the locker room mentioned you. They asked about who you are, commenting that we spend a lot of time together." His tone is nervous. I don't know what could result from locker room talk, but the way his

>. "One of them eyes keep escaping mine is telling me I should be worried recognized you as Rosie Kensington. I told them you were off limits and to stop talking about you."

I still don't understand where the problem is. Has anybody said something bad about me? Is there a lie about me I'm not aware of that is being spread around the football team? I don't know any of them except for Knox whom I have spoken shortly to twice when I saw him with "What happened afterward?" I inquire. The way his anxiousness keeps increasing makes me close to losing the last bits of control I have over myCcontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

with Silas.

nerves.

"Another teammate said that he wanted to ask you out and I... something took over me. I saw red. I couldn't handle the idea of seeing you with him," he says and I can't help but frown.

"Why? Is he that bad?" I wonder. Why would Silas react in that way? There must be a valid reason for his reaction.

"He's not bad, Rosie, but...you're out of their league, You're so much better than all of us combined." Something shifts inside of me when he says that. Is that how he sees me? Am I that valuable to him? The thought itself makes me want to dance around like a happy child with no care in the world.

"So... until now, I don't understand what's that thing that irks you that much. What's that horrible thing you've done that makes you feel this guilty?" I ask. The worry I once had inside of me begins to lessen, because I have a strong feeling that Silas is exaggerating and whatever he has done is not as bad as he thinks it is. 2/4

Tue, Sep 14 63%

"All I wanted at that time was to stop them from talking about you without losing my teammates, so I said the most irrational thing ever." He looks down and I wait. I no longer know what to expect. "I told that teammate who wanted to ask you out that he could not do that because... because I was dating you."

My eyes widen when he says that. What the hell? I couldn't expect anything; however, this exceeds any expectations I have in mind.

"Let me get this straight. Now your teammates think that we're dating, right?" I slowly ask, looking at him and he nods.

"And they want you to

to attend the next outing with us," he adds and I throw my body back on the couch and stare at the ceiling. What has he gotten me into? I'm surely glad that it's not something illegal and I have to admit that I was very s** of me to think that Silas would do something like that; however, this i is quite absurd. What was he e thinking? How am I supposed to act around him? Technically, I know the answer to that question because I have read a lot of novels with this trope, but I never thought that it would happen to me.

Suddenly, I burst into laughter and cover my face with my hands, trying to gain whatever control I still have over myself.

"Rosie, I'm aware that you're shocked, but I don't really understand why you're laughing hysterically like that," Silas cautiously says. I force myself to sit up and look at him. He thinks that my reaction is purely out of a shock, but it's something else.

"Do you know the saying 'Be careful what you wish for'? I have just learned what it truly means now," I say, attempting to conceal my laughter.

"You wished to fake-date me?" And he thinks I'm the adorable one? He should see the look on his face. I want to squish his cheeks and kiss him for being this

cute. "Not you in particular, but I was reading a book with this trope. Fake-dating. I taught you what trope means, right?" He slowly nods. "Well, I found myself thinking that it would be quite interesting to fake-date somebody and I

thought that it would be quite interesting," I explain. "So, four days later, you come to my place and tell me that you told your teammates that we're dating because you wanted to push them away from me. It's like there was a shooting star when I wished for the whole fake- dating thing. He stays silent for around five seconds, then it's his turn to burst into laughter. It doesn't take me long to join him and I wonder if something is wrong with our pasta. It's like we're high without taking any drugs.

"I'm done eating, but I do need hot chocolate," I say, wiping the tears from my eyes as I stand up. "Would you like some?"

"And I thought that you were going to kick me out, but in reality, you're asking me if I want hot chocolate. I'm in love with this version of you, Rosie," he admits. "I do want hot chocolate."

"Trust me I'm very surprised and I can't believe my own reaction, but I think I need to take it all in to know what we're supposed to do," I reply, taking out the milk from the refrigerator.

"You don't need to worry." He stands up. "You mean so much to me and I don't want to lose you because of a lie I made up in the heat of the moment. I will tell them I lied," he says as he walks over to me. "What if," I grip the kitchen island with my palms, letting the heels of my hands be on the top while my fingers curl around the curve, "I'm willing to act?"

Oh how I love the surprise on his flawless face.

B.