Page 59 of Official

The small clearing is lined with lush and healthy ferns, as well as other greenery, and the splash of the waterfall is even and powerful.

Breathtaking.

I inhale a deep breath like I’m absorbing the inspiration for my soul.

In a way, I am.

There’s nothing more fulfilling than adventure and natural beauty, but experiencing it with Xander elevates this to a whole new level.

Because I care about him, and it’s special to be on this life-changing trip together.

“Come on.” He leads me around the edge of the pool toward the waterfall, underneath which a few women pose for selfies.

While we wait our turn, we strip down to our swimsuits to get ready to wade into the water.

“It’s going to be hard when we go back, and I have to wear regular clothes. At this point, my bikini is my second skin,” I joke as I follow him into the shallow part.

He stops when the water reaches his hip and pulls me toward him, the edge of the ripples an inch way. “Island living looks good on you.” He pecks me on the mouth, and I suspect it’s a quick and chaste one because we’re not completely alone, even though it might’ve felt like it during most of the hike.

And this is how we spend the rest of our trek. Laughing, stealing kisses behind—and against—trees, and holding hands. We talk about his mom’s current projects—one of which has her filming in Paris for the next few weeks—and about his TV show coming up too.

Although I’m happy to get my fill of his life, it also reminds me of the reality waiting for us back in LA.

I’ve started to feel more like myself this week, especially since I took a break from social media. Even though it wasn’t planned, it was exactly what I needed to recharge. It’s given me perspective and urged me to live in the moment.

The encouragement from so many of my friends and followers has also been a huge relief, and it helps to know they’re in my corner. That they’ll be there when I get online in a full capacity again.

But I’m not ready to go home.

I want to stretch out this fantasy for as long as possible before we get back to the grind—and before Xander and I have to face our situation head-on.

It’s inevitable. He’s not some guy I met here on vacation and will never see again. He’s my brother’s best friend—Xander ismyfriend. He’s part of my life, and I want to keep it that way.

We might’ve crossed those platonic boundaries, but at our core, we have a connection beyond lust.

At least, I think we do.

I definitely hope it’s the same for him, anyway, because what I’m feeling is very real. The butterflies in my stomach are not figments of my imagination or conjured hallucinations from the island.

They’re fluttering for Xander.

The guy I let the world believe is my boyfriend.

And even though I was hesitant about the idea at first, it’s sounding pretty damn amazing to me now.

---