Page 131 of The Fake Out Flex

"I love him so much. We all do. Our family and Tim's." Fraser drops his head and lets out a heavy breath. "I'm not proud to admit this, but when I first heard about his condition, a part of me worried that it would change things."

"What do you mean?"

"That it would somehow make it harder to connect or even love him. I've never been more wrong in my life." He looks over at Oakey, and I can see the love he has for his nephew. "Because that kid is the heart and soul of two families. I love him so much. We all do."

Fraser wipes away an errant tear, and I do the same.

Seeing his capacity to love, hearing him open up like this, being so vulnerable, admitting his most private thoughts, I'm totally blown away. He's letting me inside to the truest, deepest parts of himself.

In fact, he's been nothing but open and truthful with me the whole time we've been fake dating.

Guilt washes over me.

I wish I could say the same…but I can't.

I haven't told him I'm a virgin, and I haven't shared the idea of running a story about him, either.

I only made the decision after my disastrous attempt, that saw me flinging myself off a building, failed to move the needle. I thought about the group chat I had with the girls, when they said to keep it as a backup option and use it when needed.

That time is now.

I'm putting together a package to show Fraser what a potential story could look like. I'm confident he'll hate it, say no, and we can move on.

I'm hoping the v-issue will be just as easy for us to resolve.

I'd like to think it will be, but I'm anxious. Fraser has always been so respectful, allowing things to unfold between us slowly, naturally, always checking in with me to make sure I'm comfortable with everything we're doing.

But maybe the reason he's been going slow is because we're in this strange, uncharted limbo land of fake dating sprinkled with a few real kisses. Will he still be interested in me when I tell him I want to wait until my wedding night, or will it be a deal-breaker for him?

We sit in silence for a while, the squawks of a few birds overhead and the occasional holler from Oakey the only sounds in the chilly air.

I rub my arms. Fraser notices and pulls off his hoodie, placing it over my shoulders.

"Thanks."

"No problem. So…what do you think? It's a lot, right?"

"It is. I'm trying to put myself in your shoes. Or Dawn's. And I can't. I've got nothing to draw on that even comes close to what this must've been like for you and your family."

"It's not exactly a situation you can google," he says with a slight smile.

"No. It isn't. The closest family issues we have are the occasional chili-eating contests and Mom's constant disapproval of all my life choices. That's hardly in the same league as the bombshell you guys were dealing with."

"Don't underestimate how full-on terrifying your Mom can be."

"Believe me. I don't." I place my hand on his leg. "I have some questions."

"Thought you might. Go ahead."

Well actually, I have one main question. The others can wait. This question has been burning in my head since the very next day after that hot spring night.

I inhale and ask, "Why didn't you come over to see me and say goodbye?"

Fraser grimaces, scrubbing his hand down the side of his face. "I wanted to, Evie. I did. I even came up with a cover story about how I wanted to go over and say goodbye to Levi so I would have a reason to be at your house, but the idea was nixed. I'm sorry."

He turns to face me and takes hold of my hands. Squeezing them firmly, he repeats, "I am so sorry. Sorry for not seeing you. For not saying goodbye. For not thanking you for the bracelet you made."

The bracelet? He remembers the bracelet?

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