Page 63 of Hawaii Can Suck It

But here they are, callingmea badass.

I swallow, pressing my lips together as if that will somehow contain the weirdly emotional reaction brewing in my ribcage. “I mean, you were the one performing the stunt in midair. I was—”

“Filming while skydiving,” Reece cuts in, deadpan. “That’s like saying, ‘I was only casually texting while riding a unicycle through a minefield.’”

I open my mouth to argue, but he barrels forward, eyes glinting like he’s only getting started.

“Actually, let’s put this into perspective. Cam, how many videos do you think we’ve filmed together in the last few years?”

“I don’t know. A hundred?”

Reece lets out a low whistle. “Yikes. That’s more than I thought.” A grin spreads across his face—the kind that usually means someone’s getting pushed into a pool dressed as a giant taco. “Then that’s what I have to make up for. One hundred sorries for being a prickwad douchecanoe.”

He winks at me, and my thighs press together like they’re muffling a secret.

“No editing. No take-backs. We’re continuing this live so you can see every second of my pain.”

“That’s… really not necessary.”

“Yes it is!” He bounds onto our circular bed, waving his hand by the sensor and making it spin. “So stay with me and smash thatLikebutton, because I’m spending the next twenty-four hours humiliating myself in today’s video, Camila Morales, Please Forgive Me for Being a Total Dick Challenge!”

“Oh no no no, you’re forgiven!” I flail my hands, stopping the bed from spinning. “Really. We’re good. Clean slate. Look, I’ll even pinky swear!”

“Nice try. I’m not getting off that easy. I must pay for my insults. Now, you better move. We have to be at the beach in twenty minutes.”

I stare at him, my stomach doing more flips than an Olympic gymnast.What on Earth is going on? Why is he apologizing to me?

Wait.

No.

He’s not apologizing. He isperformingan apology.

The realization is a rogue surfboard to the face. It’s not real. This is content. Prime clickbait material:Grumpy YouTuber’s Redemption ArcorWatch Me Grovel For Views!

I’m another prop in his latest viral video.

But then he smiles at me again, that genuine, unguarded smile where his eyes crinkle at the corners, and my heart straight-up ignores my brain’sTHIS IS FAKEwarning sirens.

Stupid heart.

It needs to re-read the fine print in our fake relationship contract.

***

Somethingisseriouslywrongwith Reece.

We’re walking to the beach—or rather, I’m walking while he pirouettes down the path. He’s a one-man musical number, twirling and leaping as if the guy’s on the lead float in a parade called Everything Is Awesome.

His phone is held high, livestreaming every over-the-top, horrifyingly wholesome second of what I’ve officially deemed his complete mental breakdown.

“Oh my gosh, is that a butterfly?” He gasps, stopping mid-spin and clutching his chest. “Everyone, check out its wings! Nature is… so incredible.”

His voice actually cracks with emotion.

I am terrified.

“Cam! Tell the chat what you love most about Hawaii!”

---