Page 8 of Fake Engagement with my Brother's Best Friend

It sounds cringeworthy even to my own ears, but slowly he begins to relax. “Well, congrats. I always knew the two of you had something going on, I could just never place it. If you want to be with her, then by all means – but I would have appreciated a heads up, man. That’s my sister you’re engaged to.”

I manage an awkward smile, desperately hoping Joseph can’t see through it. He’s taking it remarkably well, though I have to admit half of that is probably because he’s distracted with his own wedding stuff.

Finally, with a grin, Joseph claps me on the shoulder. “Really, congrats; and good luck. I know Grace has been desperate for love since she was a little girl, so you’d better treat her right.”

My throat feels dry as I say, “I will.”

The conversation shifts to other things—wedding details, the weather, the usual stuff—but my mind keeps drifting back to Grace, to the way her lips felt against mine, to the way she looked at me like she wanted to figure me out but wasn’t sure she wanted the answers.

And to how I know Joseph will look at me when he finds out this is all a sham.

After a while, I get up to grab my gear for the hike. When I reach the reception, I’m surprised to find it nearly deserted. I check the time, thinking maybe I’m early, but I’m not. I scan the room, but the only familiar face I see is Grace’s, standing near the entrance with her backpack slung over one shoulder.

She catches my eye and walks over, a small, hesitant smile on her face. “Hey, where is everyone?”

I glance around again, then shrug. “Looks like they bailed. Figures. Joseph mentioned something about going to check out some local shops with Emily, and Jess probably got distracted by the spa.”

Grace sighs, clearly disappointed. “So, just us, then.”

“Yeah, just us.” I pause, considering my options. Part of me wants to suggest we forget the hike and do something else—anything else that doesn’t involve being alone with her again after what just happened. But another part of me, the part that still feels the electricity from that kiss, isn’t ready to walk away.

“I guess we could just call it off,” I say, the words hanging in the air as I test her reaction.

She surprises me. “No, let’s go. We should talk anyway, and this is a good chance to do it in private. Besides, it’ll be nice to get some fresh air.”

There’s something in her tone, a mix of determination and curiosity, that makes me nod in agreement. Maybe she’s right. We do need to talk, to figure out what the hell we’re doing and whether this fake engagement is something we can keep up without it spiraling even further out of control.

“Alright,” I say, adjusting the strap on my backpack. “Let’s go.”

***

We step onto the trail behind the resort, the path winding through a sprawling forest that seems to go on forever. The air is cool under the canopy of trees, the sunlight filtering throughin dappled patches that dance along the ground. It’s beautiful and should be peaceful, but the tension between us crackles like static in the air.

We walk in silence at first, the only sounds the rustle of leaves underfoot and the distant chirping of birds. I can feel Grace beside me, her presence almost magnetic, pulling my thoughts away from the trail and back to the mess we’ve found ourselves in.

After a while, the silence becomes too heavy, too charged with everything we’re not saying. I can’t take it anymore, so I finally speak up.

“You know there are consequences for this stupid plan of yours,” I say, my tone sharper than I intended. “You dragged me into this, and now we’re in deep. What did you think was going to happen?”

Grace doesn’t miss a beat. She stops walking, turning to face me with fire in her eyes. “My stupid plan? You’re the one who blew it out of proportion! I suggested we keep things low-key, just enough to keep everyone off our backs. No, you had to go and make some grand announcement at brunch like it was real.”

I stop too, crossing my arms and meeting her glare with one of my own. “We were both drunk, Grace.”

“This whole thing shouldn’t have happened in the first place but you were the one who went through with it.” Her eyes flash with anger, and she steps closer, her voice rising. “You could have said no, Logan! You didn’t have to play along, didn’t have to kiss me this morning like—like it meant something!”

I feel my pulse quicken, her words igniting something deep inside me—anger, yes, but also a desire I’ve been trying to bury.“You think I’m the only one to blame here? You kissed me back, Grace. Let’s be honest, you wanted it.”

Her breath hitches, and I see the flicker of confusion, of desire, in her eyes. But she’s not backing down. “You don’t get to twist this around on me. I didn’t ask for this… for whatever the hell this is between us.”

I take a step closer, closing the distance between us until we’re almost touching, my voice dropping to a low, dangerous whisper. “You want it, don’t you? You’re just scared to admit it.”

Grace glares at me, her chest rising and falling quickly, and I can see the conflict in her eyes—anger, frustration, but also something else, something deeper. She opens her mouth to argue, but no words come out. Instead, she looks at me with a mix of fury and need, and before I can stop myself, I grab her by the waist and pull her to me.

Her gasp is the only sound before our lips crash together, and it’s not gentle this time. It’s rough, desperate, fueled by all the emotions we’ve been holding back. She kisses me back with equal intensity, her hands gripping the front of my shirt as if she can’t decide whether to push me away or pull me closer.

I can’t think, can’t breathe, all I can do is feel—feel the heat of her body pressed against mine, the taste of her lips, the way she melts into me even as she fights it. The forest around us disappears, the world narrowing down to just this moment, just us.

Then, just as suddenly as it started, she pulls back, her breathing ragged, her lips swollen from the kiss. She stares at me, her eyes wide and searching, as if trying to make sense of what just happened.

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