Page 7 of Fake Engagement with my Brother's Best Friend

I stay quiet as Emily gushes about how happy she is for me, for us. Every word she says feels like another knot tightening in my chest, but I can’t bring myself to break it. How can I disappoint her when she’s so happy for me? The lie is too big now, too tangled up in everyone’s expectations. I force myself to nod and smile, hoping she doesn’t see the turmoil behind my eyes.

Finally, Emily gives me a warm hug. “I’m so excited for you, Grace. You deserve this.”

“Thanks,” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper. I hug her back, feeling like the worst kind of fraud.

With one last smile, she heads back inside to rejoin the others, leaving me alone on the terrace. I stay there for a moment,letting the cool breeze wash over me, trying to steady the storm of emotions swirling inside me. It’s no use. The guilt, the panic, the frustration—they’re all too much.

I’m about to slip away, to find some corner of this resort where I can be alone and think, when I hear footsteps behind me. I don’t need to turn around to know who it is.

“Grace,” Logan says, his voice low and measured, but there’s an edge to it, something that makes my pulse quicken.

I spin around to face him, my anger bubbling up before I can stop it. “What the hell was that, Logan? You told them we’re engaged? You practically announced it to the world!”

His eyes narrow, and he crosses his arms, not backing down. “It was your idea, Grace. You wanted this little charade, remember?”

“My idea?” I snap, taking a step closer. “I wanted to keep things low-key, not make some grand announcement! You’ve taken this way too far!”

We’re standing close now, too close, and the air between us is thick with tension. He doesn’t back down, doesn’t apologize. Instead, he stares at me, his jaw tight, his eyes dark with something I can’t quite read. It only makes me angrier, makes the frustration build until it’s ready to explode.

“Logan, this isn’t funny,” I say, my voice shaking with the effort to keep it under control. “This is my life you’re messing with.”

Then, without warning, he grabs me by the waist and pulls me against him. His lips crash down on mine, rough and urgent, and for a second, I’m too stunned to react. Then the shock wears off, and all the anger, all the tension that’s been building between us, explodes into something else entirely.

I kiss him back, hard, my hands tangling in his hair as I press closer, feeling the heat of his body against mine. It’s fierce, overwhelming, and it’s everything I’ve been trying to deny since we started this ridiculous game. The taste of him, the feel of his hands on my back, sends a shiver down my spine that’s part fury and part something much deeper.

As suddenly as it started, I pull away, panting, my heart racing in my chest. “Why?” I manage to gasp, searching his eyes for an answer. “Why did you do that?”

He’s breathing hard too, his eyes locked on mine, and for a moment, I see something raw and unguarded in his expression. He shrugs, trying to play it off, though his voice is rougher than usual. “For the act. It had to look real.”

I’m not convinced. Not for a second. There’s something more here, something we’re both avoiding. I can see it in the way his gaze lingers on my lips, the way his hands are still gripping my waist, reluctant to let go.

“For the act,” I repeat, my tone flat, disbelieving.

Logan’s grip tightens slightly, his jaw clenching, but he doesn’t say anything more. The silence between us is thick, charged with all the words neither of us is willing to say. I don’t know what game we’re playing anymore, but it’s clear this is no longer just pretend.

Chapter Four

Logan

I sit back down at the table, still feeling the heat of the moment with Grace lingering in my chest. I can’t quite shake the image of her—angry, flustered, and far more vulnerable than she’d probably care to admit. It was just supposed to be an act, a way to sell the engagement story, but that kiss felt… different. I’m not ready to unpack that, though, so I push it down, focusing on the conversation around me.

Joseph looks up from his coffee and glances around, then at me. “Where’s Grace? She was with you, right?”

I nod, trying to sound casual. “Yeah, she went back to her suite. Said she needed to rest for a bit.”

Joseph frowns slightly but then shrugs. “Fair enough. We’ve got that hike later, anyway. A good way to work off all this food.”

I nod, though I can’t help but feel a flicker of something—dread? Anticipation?—at the idea of being with Grace again, even in a group setting. I agree to the hike, knowing it’s better than sitting around overthinking everything.

“Listen,” Joseph says after a second, “there’s this weird rumor going around that you and Grace are engaged. What’s up with that?”

I swallow thickly. Well, I’d have to tell him eventually…

“We are,” I say, and try not to wince as the shock written across Joseph’s face. “I know it’s sudden, we decided to keep it under wraps until after the wedding, didn’t want to steal your spotlight. You know?”

He looks at me as if to sayno, I don’t know.

“Please don’t give me that look. Seriously, Grace and I have something special.”

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