Page 89 of Summer Kisses

"What if I did the interview and told the reporter the real story. That I wanted Hazel to fall in love with me the whole time."

Mom placed a hand over her heart, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "That's so romantic."

"It could work because it's the truth. I supported Hazel's program because I believed in the cause, and I acted like her fiancée because I've been in love with her forever."

Mom wiped a tear from her eye. "I think you should do that. It's perfect."

Dad shook his head. "I'm happy with how you've worked with Dalton not being present, but I'm not sure how I feel about this plan."

"It could work," I said, excited to contact the reporter.

"I think you should do it," Mom said.

"Dad?" I asked him.

He finally nodded. "If you think it will work. It can't hurt."

I was moving before he finished his sentence, giving Mom a hug and then shaking his hand.

Dad covered my hand with his. "I'm proud of you, and I'm sorry that I haven't let you know that over the years."

"Thanks, Dad. That means a lot." It felt good to finally have his approval. But there was one person I was worried about right now, and that was Hazel. I had to fix this and fast, before she moved on forever.

I contacted the reporter who agreed to conduct a video interview once I explained the situation.

"I'm here today with Brady Kingston, one of the men who runs Kingston Construction. I previously reported that he'd supported his fiancée's after-school program at the local library, and then discovered their relationship was fake. So which is it? Is it real or fake?"

"Well, Colin, I've been friends with Hazel since we were kids, riding our bikes all over the island. I was fascinated by her, and I wanted to be close to her. Our friendship lasted through adulthood, and I always wondered if something else was there, but I was afraid to talk to her about it. I didn't want to lose our friendship."

"I think our viewers can understand that. What changed?"

"One day, we were at the senior center for bingo night, and Hazel found an engagement ring on the floor. She put it on her finger, and her grandmother assumed she was engaged. I'd just discovered that for my popular video-game show, Brady's Adventures, to get the family designation I wanted, being engaged would help. So I stepped forward and said I was her fiancé."

The reporter whistled. "That's quite the story. Everyone believed it?"

"Yeah, I guess people had held out hope that we would get together eventually."

"How far did you take this fake engagement?"

"We moved in together and acted like a couple. Being that close together, the chemistry was impossible to ignore. I thought it was my chance to finally show Hazel that we could be more than friends."

"Did you succeed?"

I shook my head. "I'm not sure. I never told her how I felt."

"Is that why you wanted to talk to me?" Colin asked.

"I wanted to explain our story, which is unconventional, but I also wanted to finally tell Hazel how I feel." I waited for him to give me the go-ahead.

"I think viewers will want to know how this turns out. Don't hold back."

"Hazel, at some point our fake arrangement became all too real. I couldn't resist you because I've been in love with you forever. My feelings only grew during this experiment. I can't deny it anymore. I love you, Hazel, and I want to make this fake relationship a real one. And I'm hoping you feel the same."

"I hope you get the answer you want," Colin finally said.

"Me too."

"So what's next for you?"

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