Page 125 of Maybe We Can Fake It

The dancers slow to a stop as the song ends.

Then without all the music and singing and dancing, the awkwardness quickly sets in. Everyone’s staring at me now. I mean, they were staring before, but they were the ones making fools of themselves, so I wasn’t embarrassed.

I’m not sure what’s supposed to happen now. All those videos of flash mobs you see on social media cut off right when the song ends.

Travis is still standing in the middle of the gazebo, so I focus on him. He smiles and gives me a tiny shrug. Like he didn’t just blow my mind. Then he raises the microphone again and speaks into it, his eyes locked on me. “Brenden, I know I messed up. So this is me saying I’m sorry. And I miss you. And I hope I can make things right.”

Oh my god, oh my god, ohmygod.

“I have a lot more I’d like to say,” he goes on, while I struggle with remembering how to breathe. “Though I hope you’ll comeup here and talk to me without this microphone, because I feel ridiculous. But if you want me to keep going for everyone to hear, I will.”

He raises his eyebrows in question, holding out a hand toward me. I want to go to him, but my feet won’t work. I might be a little bit in shock from everything that just happened.

Then May is behind me, shoving me. I turn my head to give her a dirty look as I stumble forward. But once my feet are moving, it’s like there’s nowhere else they can go except right to Travis.

Right where I belong.

My heart is beating wildly in my chest as I make my way up the gazebo steps.Is this real life?

Travis sets down the speaker and microphone and takes my hand. Now we’re standing up here together, with half the town watching us. Some people start murmuring quietly, but I can’t make out what anyone’s saying. And I don’t care.

In this moment, no one exists to me but this incredible man. This man who hates participating in crazy town things, yet organized the most ridiculous, crazy town thing for me as an apology. I would have taken a simple,I’m sorry, but this was way better.

This showed me how much he cares about me. I think he’s always shown me that, actually, in his small, everyday gestures.

But damn. Today he showedeveryone.

He lifts our joined hands and presses them to my chest. “So I know you weren’t entirely serious when you said you wanted a flash mob, but I hope you liked it.”

“Are you kidding?” I can’t stop grinning. “This was awesome! I loved it!”

For a second, he simply gazes at me with a fond expression that makes me feel all warm and gooey inside. Like a chocolate chip cookie fresh out of the oven. Ahomemadechocolate chip cookie.

Then he squeezes my hand tightly and says, “I loveyou.”

I very quickly stop thinking about cookies. “You... you do?”

“Were you not listening to the song?”

Unable to resist a chance to tease him, I say, “I mean, I was kind of distracted by your terrible voice.”

He frowns in classic Grumptopus style, and I laugh, reaching out to grip his shirt and tug him in even closer to me, our hands still clasped between us.

“I’m just kidding! Well, kind of. You really won’t be winning any Grammys, but it was the most amazing thing I’ve ever heard. That’s one of my favorite Skyler James songs. How did you know?”

His free hand comes around to my waist. “May picked it out. And helped recruit people and organize everything.”

Of course. God, I love my fucking daughter. I totally forgive her for scaring the crap out of me with that bogus phone call.

He lets go of my hand, and I almost whine at the loss, but then he reaches up to cradle my face. “I really am sorry. I was an idiot. But I need you to know that I want to be with you. You make my life better. You always have. And if you feel the same about me, then I promise I’ll do everything I can to keep that gorgeous smile on your face every day. I’ll always be there for you, for whatever you need. And May too, obviously. I love you.”

I open my mouth to tell him that I love him too. Because boy, I fucking do. But then I remember.

“What about your dad?” I ask cautiously, not wanting to ruin this but needing to know how it’s going to work.

Then it hits me that this wonderful grand gesture he just did for me was extremely public, and there’s absolutely no way his dad won’t find out about it. I glance around us, panicking, but he gently takes me by the chin and guides my eyes back to his.

“He was out there somewhere,” he says.

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