“Always are,” he mutters under his breath.
After we decided to commit to the showmance, we both knew we’d have to make sure everyone really believes we’re together. There can’t be any room for speculation. Since then, I’ve been brainstorming all the ways we can convince the others we’re more than bunkmates and reluctant allies. As someone who’s never been in a relationship—arealone, anyway, Emmanuel doesn’t really count—I had a tough time figuring it out. But then when I found out we were going to be corralled together all day for filming, the perfect idea plopped itself into my head.
We finish our short trek from the cabin to the lake, where a million pool toys have spawned overnight. I grimace at all the cameras stationed nearby. It’s not just the other campers who will witness this stunt we’re about to pull—it’s also everyone who’ll watch this back at home. Umma. Appa. Amelia. My skin tries to break out in shivers, but I rub them away. Now is not the time to be getting cold feet.
“Fuck, it’s cold,” Dean says as he dips his toes into the water.
Blake starts directing us to do different activities, grouping people in one area, then changing her mind and switching the pairs around. I raise my hand and ask if me and Dean can go paddleboarding.
“Great idea. Carter, tag along with them,” she says. “We need more interactions between the three of you.”
“No,” I interrupt. “Um… me and Dean want to have some privacy, actually.”
It’s mortifying, but it works; everyone pays attention. Adin snickers. Vendredi leans behind Blake and shoots me two thumbs-up, mouthingNice.Garrett, who’s been more preoccupied with lathering himself up with sunscreen than helping Blake stage the scene, does a double-take.
“Well, alright then,” Blake says nonchalantly, but I see her perk up, interested.
We cling to a paddleboard and begin swimming out—but not too far. We have to make sure the others have a perfect view of us. I climb up on the paddleboard first, straddling it with both my legs hanging off the sides. Dean clambers up to join me. His expression scrunches in a way I’m starting to recognize as his embarrassed face. He carefully scoots closer to meet me in the middle of the board. Water drips from his curls and down the plane of his bare chest. Finally, he sits close enough that his knee bumps mine. The waves rock us gently from side to side. The surface of the water glistens like sparks of a campfire.
“Alright,” he says. “We’re out here. What’s your brilliant plan? It’s got to convince the othersandthe viewers at home because, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be known as the douche whopretendedto be in love just to get ahead in a game.”
I scrunch my nose in distaste. I know that’s exactly what we’re doing but… no one else needs to know that. “Neither do I. But don’t worry, I have the perfect idea.”
As Dean stares at me expectantly, a foreign feeling implants in my belly. Kind of like the nerves I get at the starting line of a race, but worse. I flatten my palms against the textured rubber of the paddleboard to ground myself, then paste a smile on my face to hide any hesitation that might crack through my expression.
“We pretend to kiss,” I say.
He blinks. The sunshine against his eyelashes casts long shadows on his cheeks.
“Hmm,” he hums.
“What?”
“I’m just perplexed by what goes on inside that brain of yours.”
“Is it or is it not convincing?” I reply. “We mash the sides of our face together, and from this far, it looks like we’re making out. Foolproof.”
“You seemed awfully confident about this idea, and the whole plan is to pretend to kiss?”
“Well ifyouhave more experience in the romance department that you’re keeping a secret, I’m open to ideas.”
His lips flatten into a thin line. “Seyoon, I’m president of my school’s literature club. No, I don’t have more experience in that department.”
“Really?”
“Rude.”
“I’m not being sarcastic. I’m surprised.”
He squints suspiciously. “Why?”
My gaze roams over him. In the privacy of my own mind, I can admit that Dean isn’t ugly. Fine, he’sokay-looking.
Alright, he’s really hot. There, happy? Jesus Christ.
There’s something undeniably charming about Dean’s bright eyes and mousy features, and it’s pretty cute when he grins all shy, dimples peeking out. And when he’s really getting into the heat of the competition, and his smile turns into something wicked, it’s downright—
Alright. That’s enough. I shift uncomfortably on the paddleboard.
