Page 101 of Surprisingly Us

“Colette, in a vast expanse of night sky, where countless stars twinkle, you are the one constant that guides me. The beacon of light that illuminates my darkest hours.”

That’s a little much. I’m going to have to tell Rhys he needs to tone it down or it won’t be believable.

And then, my heart trips over itself as Rhys drops to one knee and pulls out a small velvet box.

Wait.What?

“Colette Elaine Davenport. I’m the luckiest man in the world to have you by my side. Marry me?”

I can’t tell if those last two words are a statement or a question.

There are several gasps from the crowd around us, or maybe that was me. It takes a moment for me to remember how to breathe. To recover from the shock of his words.His proposal.

I know my eyes are huge as I stare at Rhys, searching for a clue about his intention.

What are you doing?I ask him silently. Pleading with my eyes for him to help me understand what is happening.

If his eyes were a magic 8 ball dice, they’d readreply hazy, try again.

So, I give up and shift my gaze to all the faces around me. Staring at me, waiting for an answer.

I should be used to this. All eyes on me. I’m a performer after all. But this is different. When I’m dancing, I know the steps, I’ve practiced them a thousand times before the curtain goes up. Rhys’s proposal is catching me completely off guard.

I look around at everyone’s expectant faces. Down at Rhys, who has no business looking that handsome in his suit. All the thoughts whirling in my head.What is happening right now? This isn’t real, right? Why didn’t he talk to me? My mom and dad are here. And Rhys’s grandfather. Our friends and family. What do I say?

“Lettie?” Rhys lifts his brows in encouragement. I see it there now. The way his eyes widen. Rhys’s usual bravado slips ever so slightly, allowing a touch of vulnerability to edge its way in.

Please.Those hazel eyes of his plead and my breath catches.

It’s part of a scheme. But it wasn’t part ofourdeal.

Anger flares in my belly. Rhys is fake proposing to me in front of our family and friends, banking on the fact that I will just go along with this plan he told me nothing about.

With dating being such an unfamiliar concept, I haven’t thought much about what it would be like to get engaged. To have a man I love kneeling on the ground and telling me I’m his world. But I know it wasn’t supposed to be Rhys Spencer with an obnoxiously large diamond asking me to fake an engagement for our already fake relationship.

No, this has gone too far.

And I’d trusted him. I’d seen a different side of him. The man who’d finished the tutus for the children’s hospital while I slept,ordered all my favorites so I didn’t have to grocery shop, picked me up from practice with my favorite snack, and helped me with my anxiety around dating. Over the past few weeks, we’d become good friends…maybe more?

God, I’d loved the way his touch lit up my body and the way his kiss made me forget my surroundings.

I’m such an idiot.

Because while I’ve been thinking there might be more to Rhys, he’s been plotting ways to one-up Jerrod. It’s not a coincidence his proposal is on the heels of Jerrod and Corrine’s engagement. Rhys wants to win and he doesn’t care about anyone else.

I should say no. Tell Rhys he’s insane and expose our arrangement.

My lips part to speak but nothing comes out because my brain is running through the aftermath of this moment, desperately trying to run a pros and cons analysis of each scenario while I feel the heat of hundreds of pairs of eyes on me.

One thing is certain. We can’t pretend todateif I reject his very public marriage proposal.

If I say no, everything ends. Right now, I’m not prepared to make that decision. Under duress, which has been placed upon me by my beloved fake boyfriend.

My eyes scan his face. His stupidly handsome, ridiculously gorgeous face.

The bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face is a momentary distraction until he says my name under his breath and I realize I haven’t responded yet.

I need to go along with this.For now.

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