Page 13 of Rule 3: Never Fake Marry the Coach's Son

I open the door to his bedroom, and my gaze falls on his bed. A stuffed bear is in the middle, and my eyes widen.

“That’s, um—” He wets his lips.

“Your bedtime companion?”

He slinks back as if he thinks I’ll hate it.

“Bears are good companions,” I say solemnly. “Very tough. Good protectors.”

I pick up the bear. It’s brown and worn, and I realize that this wasn’t bought at a gift shop in Yellowstone as a joke. I imagine younger versions of Oskar grabbing it. Caring for it.

I find myself grinning.

I turn to Oskar’s blushing face. I set down the bear on the bed. “Where is suitcase?”

He points toward the closet, and I grab a silver hard-cased carry-on from the top shelf and unzip it.

He blinks.

“Need suit. Marriage is serious.”

“But we’re not serious, Dmitri,” Oskar says. “You’re not gay. Or bisexual. Or pansexual.”

I blink. “I am serious person too, Oskar. I will be good husband. Until I get green card. Then we divorce.”

“You’ve researched it?” he asks faintly.

I nod. “Shouldn’t have trusted my agent. Would have done a better job myself.”

“I’m so sorry about that.” Oskar inhales. “But I can’t marry you.”

I halt. Molasses trudges through my body, making each limb lifeless.

I worried he’d say no. I told myself he’d say yes.

“Why?” My voice is hoarse. Molasses effect vocal cords too.

“It’s not right.”

“Am your best friend. Don’t best friends help each other?”

“I-I didn’t know you considered me your best friend.”

My jaw drops. “We spend all our time together! Is not that best friend relationship?” My spine straightens. I narrow the distance between us. “You have other best friend? Someone not on team?” I swing my gaze around. “A neighbor?”

“No.” He backs away. “No. I don’t spend time with anyone outside the team.”

Something in my chest loosens.

I toss Oskar’s suit into his suitcase, then add pajamas and briefs. My fingers tingle, but that’s probably because he’s staring at me like I’m crazy. At least he’s no longer protesting.

Though maybe he’s frozen from shock.

I tilt my head to him. “We marry. I stay in country. We still hang out. And you don’t have boyfriend, so no jealousy. Finn and Noah are already married to each other. Luke has boyfriend. I cannot marry him. Must be you.”

Oskar blinks.

Finally, he grins. “Yeah, you’re right. Sebastian would kill you if you married Luke. Poison you at the first opportunity.”