Page 27 of (Not Really) Faking It With My Best Friend's Brother

During a brief lull, Nate turned to me. "You're doing amazing, Susan. This whole day is a testament to you."

His praise filled me with pride. Together, Nate and I had turned my vision into reality.

Families gathered around tables, exploring collections of books while children took turns petting Baxter, who looked majestic in his donated doggy vest emblazoned with 'Library Dog' across the back.

Glancing towards the center of all the excitement, I spotted Frances helping a line of children choose colors for their face paints, her face mirroring their own excitement and anticipation as they decided between a rainbow butterfly, a roaring dinosaur, or a sparkling unicorn.

I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Just as the event seemed to be hitting its peak, the door to the community center swung open, and Mr. Johnson, owner of Johnson's Juices, a successful local business known for its fresh-pressed organic juice, walked in. Frances was the first to spot him and rushed over, her face painted like a tiger.

"Mr. Johnson!" she exclaimed, reaching for his hand. "So glad you could join us!"

Taken aback by her enthusiasm, Mr. Johnson chuckled. "I wouldn't miss it! Johnson's Juices is always ready to support their local community. I want to give a considerable donation to the library and the literacy program."

Nate and I smiled as we overheard the exchange, and I felt a rush of pride.

As the day was winding down, it was time for my speech. My palms were sweaty, and I felt a lump forming in my throat as I stepped onto the stage.

I took a deep breath and approached the microphone. A sea of expectant faces looked up at me from the crowd. Parents and children alike waited to hear my speech about the importance of literacy.

My hands trembled slightly as I adjusted the mic. Public speaking still didn't come naturally to me. But when I caught Nate's eye in the audience, he gave me a thumbs up.

Drawing strength from his presence, I began.

"Reading opens doors to new worlds for children. It fosters creativity, empathy, and a lifelong love of learning..."

I spoke from the heart about my passion for helping children discover the magic of books. The community center fell silent as I shared stories and statistics on literacy.

Slowly, my nerves melted away. I felt myself speaking with conviction about the library's essential role in our community.

I ended my speech with, "If we nurture their ability to dream, imagine, and explore through reading, think of the world we could create for our children and for us. Let's give them that power."

The applause that followed was deafening. A tide of pride washed over me as I looked out over the crowd, and then I saw Tiffany standing at the back of the room.

I don’t know what possessed me, but I suddenly found myself speaking, almost as if I was looking at myself from outside my own body. The words spilled out of my mouth, and I couldn’t stop them.

“Before we wrap up, I must give a special shoutout to my fiancé, Dr. Nate Reynolds. He has been my rock and my cheerleader through it all, and I am eternally grateful. Love ya, babe!”

The crowd erupted into wild applause and cheers as I gestured to a stunned Nate. His initial look of surprise quickly turned into a wide grin that lit up his entire face, his eyes twinkling with pride and maybe something more.

Looking down at my feet to hide the blush creeping up my cheeks, I exited the stage and glanced up in time to see Tiffany stomping out the exit door.

The applause faded as people began gathering their children and leaving. Frances helped the face-painting lady load up, and Nate and I started packing the books and decorations.

"You were amazing up there," Nate remarked with a sly grin. "That was some ending."

I cringed, biting my lip as I looked at him. "Was it too much? I just… I don't know what came over me. I saw Tiffany in the back and…"

Nate chuckled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "It was unexpected. And it got Tiffany off our backs for now."

I forced a small smile and tried to say it lightly, "Yeah, gotta keep up the act." But deep down, I wished he would tell me it was no longer an act.

“Yeah,” Nate muttered and retreated to the other side of the room, resuming packing with noticeable intensity. The rest of the cleanup felt a little strained, the air between us thick with unspoken words and unresolved tension.

With a sigh, I gathered the last of the books, feeling both excited about how well the event had gone and confused about my relationship with Nate.

"Do you need some help carrying the boxes to your car?" Nate's voice echoed in the now-empty community center.

"Sure," I replied, my voice slightly shaky. I gathered up my courage and added, "Nate, can we talk... about what happened on stage?"

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