Page 37 of Forever is the Sweetest Con
Wait, is that right? Did I almost just kiss him? He was so close to me. I could feel the heat coming off his body, and smell that scent, that signature mix of sweat and coconuts that I’ve come to know as purelyhim. He was so close that I could see the faint shadow of stubble on his jaw, so close that I could breathe him in, take in every detail, take in all of him…
Nope, this is not okay. I have to keep a clear head. Whatever this is that I’m feeling—I have to put a lid on it. That’s the only way our plan can work. Falling for him would only make me weak and stupid. It would dull my intuition and lead to bad choices. And if I want to win, if I want to save my mom’s house and pay off Dylan’s debts, then I need to stay razor sharp, my eye on the prize at all times.
And plus, he was pretty clear that he’s not over his ex, so there’s no way he would fall for me, anyway. Which is good.
Because falling in love would be a disaster.
Chapter Fifteen
The afternoon Bunk Shuffle pairs me with Giovanni. I stumble through Laundry Duty with him, half listening as he ponders how many babies Valeria would be willing to “pop out,” but my mind is still on my conversation with Kei.
We lose horribly at a tug-of-war challenge—which Giovanni is unreasonably pissed about—so when Tyler announces we have a couple of hours of free time, I’m relieved to get some space from him.
I have a leisurely swim, and on my way back to the Bunkhouse I come across Gabby. She’s alone, with an air of aimlessness, and I try my best to dodge her with a quick smile and wave, but she’s oblivious.
“Cleo! How are things going?” She ratchets up the sweetness in her voice.
“Good, thanks.” I try to skirt around her but she blocks me.
“So you’re slowing things down with Isa, huh?”
“Yeah. I guess so.”
“You don’t sound very sure about that.”
“No, I am. Just worried it’s not the right thing.”
“Listen to your heart, that’s what I always say,” she says, with zero trace of irony. “But I wouldn’t worry about it. Between us—” she leans in and lowers her voice “—the audience islovingyou.”
“They are?”
“Absolutely. You’re a fan favourite.”
My instinct is to not believe her, but to my own credit, I’ve been impeccable on screen. “Really?”
“Yup. And you know who else they’re loving?” She glances around. “Kei.” She leans back, a conspiratorial smile spreading across her face. “So why don’t you put some energy into getting to know him.”
I open my mouth to speak, but I don’t know how to respond. Gabby is smiling, and her chipmunk voice is as sweet and sugary as ever, but there’s a tension in her body that makes me feel uneasy.
She places a hand on my arm and gently pushes me. “Go find Kei.”
Kei is playing horseshoes with Damian and Valeria. I drift over, trying to look casual. This is essentially my and Kei’s on-camera debut, so we have to get it right.
“Cleopatra Jones!” Damian says, as I approach.
I wave. “Kei, can I pull you for a chat? Maybe at the lounge?”
He grins, dropping his horseshoes. “Sure, let’s go.”
We share a beanbag, our bodies sinking together. I’m acutely aware of every point that my skin touches his.
“So,” I say, my nerves jangling. “I guess I was, um, surprised the other night at the campfire, and I just wanted to talk to you about it.”
“What were you surprised by?” His smile is so warm, and I feel myself soften.
“When you said I was your secret crush, and then when you, um—”
“When I kissed you?”
