Page 82 of How Jenna Became My Dilemma

At three a.m., I splashed cold water on my face.

And by six a.m., when my alarm went off, I took an ice-cold shower to try and cool down my overheated body.

I earned these puffy bags under my eyes. But they’re nothing a little bit of concealer can’t hide.

Luckily, Cody and I slept on the plane ride from Calgary to Tampa. We arrived at Trey’s yacht an hour and a half ago. Winnie had a hair and makeup artist waiting for me on the dock. They whisked me to my room while Cody showered in one of the other guest bedrooms.

But now everything is quiet. I stare at myself in the mirror. I’m wearing a teal two-piece dress. The top is a spaghetti strap, fitted mid-drift, and the bottom is a high-waisted skirt with a deep slit over the right leg. I’m a bridesmaid for the wedding but not in the traditional sense. I picked out my own dress, and I don’t have to walk down the aisle or stand in a line next to Whitney. Since this is her second wedding, she just wants it to be her and Trey at the bow of the boat as they say their vows.

Two knocks rap on the door, and I turn. “Come in.”

“There she is.” Trey peeks his head around the door with a smile as giant as his frame.

I shake my head, looking him over as he steps inside. “You look so handsome.”

“You think?” His hands brush down the front of his three-piece black tuxedo. “I’m sweating a lot. Not because I’m nervous. Just excited.”

“You should be excited. This is a big day and a long time coming.”

He nods a few times, looking at me with a big-brother protectiveness I’ve always admired about him. “Thanks for being here.”

“You act as if I wouldn’t come.”

“I just know how busy you are, and I really appreciate you taking the time out of your—”

“Stop!” I groan. “I would never miss this day.”

“It looks like your fake boyfriend wouldn’t miss it either.” Trey’s smile teases.

“I’m the worst!” My eyes widen. “I forgot to tell you I was bringing Cody. I mean, Tawny made me, but I still should’ve warned you.”

“It’s fine. At least now I get to see your acting skills live. Not just on the big screen.”

“Oh, yeah, my acting skills.” I laugh, but it doesn’t sound too convincing.

“The relationship is still fake, right?”

“Yes.” I scratch the back of my neck. “I mean, I think so.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, we kissed.”

“Really?” His eyebrows jump to his hairline.

“In the episode, not in real life, but it didn’t feel like an on-screen kiss. It felt real, so now I don’t know what’s happening.”

“What do you want to happen?”

“I don’t know.”

“Three weeks ago, when this fake relationship started, you didn’t want to fall for Cody because you thought he’d just break your heart like every other guy.”

“He might.” I bite my lip, looking back at Trey. “But he might not. I’m starting to wonder if I’ve been wrong about him this whole time. He might actually be different than the others.”

“The only way to know for sure is to put your heart out there and see what happens.”

“How can I do that when I don’t even know what’s real between us and what’s fake?”

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