Page 16 of (Not Really) Faking It With My Best Friend's Brother

"I'm telling you, it's a sham!" she hissed into the phone. "And I'm going to prove it."

My blood turned to ice. The peaceful solitude Susan and I had been in burst abruptly.

As Tiffany stalked off into the night, I met Susan's worried gaze. I had a feeling that our lives were about to get a lot more complicated.

Chapter seven

Susan

The moment we pulled up to the Rivermint Cove Couples Retreat, a gift from Mayor Tom Fletcher, I knew we were in for an exciting weekend. A huge banner greeted us, proclaiming, "Strengthen Your Bonds of Love!" Nate leaned over, his breath warm against my ear. "We may need super glue instead." His joke made me laugh nervously. Were we ready for this charade?

During the introductory session, the counselor asked each couple to share how they first started dating. Suddenly, all eyes were on us. Nate jumped in without missing a beat.

"Well, Susan and I reconnected at the library, of all places. I was browsing the shelves of books when I heard a yelp and the sound of squeaky wheels. This runaway library cart was careening right for Susan! I raced over and pulled her out of harm's way just in the nick of time. You should've seen the look in her eyes when her gaze met mine. It was like, this is my knight in shining armor!"

I had to stifle a laugh. Nate was hamming it up. When it was my turn to chime in, I wracked my brain, trying to play along.

"Oh yes, that day was positively...epic! My hero saved me from the perilous path of that book-filled chariot. I mean, cart."

Chariot? Did I really say chariot? I felt my cheeks flush as the other couples chuckled lightly. Nate shot me an amused grin and I couldn't help but smile back sheepishly. Well, at least our meet-cute might go down in Rivermint Cove history as one of the more creative ones.

We had fooled everyone with our expertly crafted lies, passing the first hurdle effortlessly. But doubts crept into my mind as I caught a glimpse of Nate's playful gaze. I wasn’t sure how long I could sustain this charade while guarding my heart.

Nate offered me his arm as we moved on to the next challenge: "The Trust Fall." I slid mine through his with an exaggerated sigh of relief. "So, my damsel in distress, shall we spin another tale for our audience?" His teasing tone made my heart flutter slightly. It was as if we were co-conspirators on a secret mission.

“Well, I am counting on you during this next exercise, my knight in shining armor.” We both let out a laugh as we arrived at the platform.

Nate's eyes widened comically at the sight of couples toppling back into the outstretched arms of their partners. "Oh, this will be fun," he murmured, his voice laced with sarcasm.

I took a deep breath as I stood at the platform's edge, hesitantly peering down. I was more than a little apprehensive.

"Just fall back, and I'll catch you," Nate encouraged gently. "I won't let you hit the ground."

I bit my lip, knots twisting my stomach. This required a level of faith I wasn't sure I could muster. But Nate's voice was soothing, his presence steady behind me.

Closing my eyes, I leaned back, my body rigid. For a brief moment, I felt a swooping sensation of free fall before strong, sturdy arms enveloped me. Nate caught me smoothly, cradling me against his firm chest before setting me down.

I released my held breath. As I turned to face Nate, his hands lingered at my waist. Our eyes locked, and despite myself, I felt a spark of warmth rush through me. For just a second, I forgot this was all pretend.

"See? I told you I'd catch you," he said, his voice low.

I smiled up at him, a new feeling fluttering in my chest. "I guess I can trust you after all."

We all went inside to have lunch before the next event. After lunch, we went outside to an obstacle course. One person was blindfolded while the other led them through the course.

I took a deep breath as I stood at the starting line, peering down the length of the obstacle course. Nate was blindfolded in front of me, waiting for my instructions.

"Okay, take five steps forward and then stop," I instructed, my voice wavering slightly.

He nodded, putting one foot steadily in front of the other as I counted down.

"Good, now turn a little to your left," I continued.

He pivoted and bumped straight into a foam block with a muffled thud.

I couldn't help the bubble of laughter that escaped me. "Sorry, I guess that was more than just a little left."

Nate chuckled, a grin spreading across his face. "It's alright; just point me in the right direction."

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