Page 70 of Summer Kisses

Talk turned to Hudson and Elena's relationship, and I enjoyed the attention being on them for a bit. The game took a lot out of me. It was stressful with everyone's attention on me. I was worried they could see right through us, knowing that we weren't real.

"I'm happy that my only grandchild is getting married. Your parents would be so proud of you," Grandma said.

I got up to hug her. "Thanks, Grandma. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you and Grandpa." They took me in when I had no one. They raised me as if they weren't my grandparents but my parents. It was amazingly selfless of them, and I'd never forget it.

I returned to my seat, and we finished the meal. Brady reached for my hand under the table. I looked at him, but he was watching Elena, who was talking animatedly about whatever writing assignment she was working on.

When she finished, she looked at us. "Do you want to cut the cake?"

"Sure," I said standing and following her to the table where the white cake stood. The cascading flowers were absolutely gorgeous, something I would have expected to see at my wedding, not an engagement party.

Elena handed me the knife, and Brady covered my hand with his. It felt intimate, almost as if this were our wedding. The photographer hovered nearby, ready to get the money shot. We sliced easily through the layer, once and then twice. I lifted the cake and placed it on a plate.

"You have to take a bite," Elena encouraged us.

Before I could ask any questions about how we were supposed to do that without forks, Brady picked up a piece of cake and fed it to me. I did the same for him. It was intimate to have him feeding me. Not something we'd ever done before.

A server took over then, cutting slices for everyone.

Brady leaned in and said, "Let's take our cake somewhere more private." He grabbed two plates and winked in Elena's direction before he led the way to the balcony. He found a spot where we couldn't be seen by our guests and set our plates on a table in front of a fireplace.

"Won't people care that we disappeared?" I asked him, sitting next to him.

"They won't notice, and we won't be gone long. I just wanted a few minutes alone with you."

"The pressure was intense during the game," I finally said, still feeling unsettled.

"Whatever we decide to do is between us. We're not a game show. It doesn't matter what anyone in there thinks about the decisions we make in our life."

My shoulders lowered. "You're right."

He took my hand. "If we were engaged for real, I'd want to make these tough decisions with you. I wouldn't reduce us to a game or a show for our friends and family."

I blew out a breath. "That's what I needed to hear."

"I don't want you to worry about anything. Even if we were just friends, I wouldn't stand by while you moved off the island. I couldn't live without you."

Tears stung my eyes. He'd said if we were friends, but I was fixated on the latter half of his sentence. He couldn't live without me? What every woman longed to hear. It didn't answer all my questions, but it went a long way to soothe my nerves.

Chapter Eighteen

BRADY

Icouldn't imagine not living near my family. I was so close to everyone, especially Dalton. I couldn't leave him when he was about to have a baby. But at the same time, I knew Hazel was upset about my hesitancy to move.

I'd like to say I'd follow her wherever, but my family ties were too knotted on the island for me to even consider that option. On the other hand, I couldn't live without Hazel. I'd never even had to try.

The only time we were apart from each other was college, and even then, we kept in touch via email and text messages.

If we were officially together, would I move to be with her? I wasn't sure, and I didn't want to tell her something that wasn't true. But if I went with my feelings, I didn't want to be apart from her.

This entire situation was messing with my head. I wanted to forget about the details and get lost in her.

The music started to play, and Elena shooed us on the dance floor. We were alone for a few seconds before other couples joined us.

Despite the game we'd played, it was the perfect night. We were on the same page when it came to most of our lifedecisions. The difference was that I came from a large family, and she only had her grandmother.

She didn't understand the ties that bound me here or the responsibilities that weighed me down like an anchor on a boat. "It's easy to get caught up in all of this, isn't it?"

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