Page 82 of Fake It For Glory

She gave me a reassuring smile. “The answer is simple, Merida. You do the right thing.”

I let out a sigh, knowing deep down that she would say that. “I knew you’d say that, Mom. I think I just needed to hear it.”

She nodded with a knowing look. “So, you have to tell him, right? You need to tell him how you accidentally ran into him or he ran into you. Even if you don’t run the article, you need to be honest with him.”

“What if he never talks to me again?” I asked. “He is going to feel so betrayed.”

“If you can explain the details to him, I think he might understand. You might have started out with one intention, but he won you over. Your feelings for him are real. Does he feel the same way about you?”

“I don’t know. I think there might be something there. He acts like he genuinely cares about me. We talk—a lot. He’s been very open and honest with me, which makes the article a million times worse. He has so much on his shoulders. I like being at his side. I like helping him navigate his crazy life. I know this thing started out as a job, but for me, it’s evolved.”

“Talk to him Merida,” she said. “I like seeing you happy and in love.”

“Mom, you keep saying I’m in love. I don’t know if that’s what this is.”

“I do,” she said, smiling. “You need to talk to him, sooner rather than later.”

I nodded in agreement. “You’re right. I think I’ll wait until after the launch. I don’t want to add to his pressure. This is going to be a surprise to him. I don’t want to stress him out. I haven’t run the article yet, so no harm has been done. I’ll tell him after his launch.”

My mother’s wisdom was a guiding light in my life, and her advice was always grounded in a strong sense of ethics. “You can’t go wrong when you do the right thing.”

Feeling a sense of resolution, I took out my phone and sent a quick message to Dalton. “Halt on the article,” I texted. “Don’t even read it. I’m not going forward with the story. I’ll explain more later.”

As I hit send, I knew that the road ahead wouldn’t be easy, but I already felt better. Jensen was a reasonable man. He would hear me out. I would explain everything between us was real. I wrote the article before I realized how I felt.

“I can’t wait to meet your young man,” she said, smiling. “You look happy. And I do like the outfit. After I saw the video of you, I did a little Googling. I saw a picture of you at an event. You looked gorgeous. You have really found your stride. I’m so glad you’re stepping away from the boxy clothes that hid your beautiful figure.”

I grinned at my mother’s words, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. It was true. I had finally found my confidence and style. And it was all because of Jensen. He had seen me, truly seen me, and had encouraged me to embrace my femininity and my curves.

“I owe it all to Jensen,” I admitted, blushing slightly.

“Well, he sounds like a keeper,” my mother said with a chuckle. “I can’t wait to meet him and see for myself.”

I smiled, feeling a sense of anticipation bubble up inside me. I couldn’t wait to introduce Jensen to my family and friends, to show them how happy he made me feel and how much he had changed my life. As I looked at my phone, waiting for a response from Dalton, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread. What if Jensen didn’t understand? What if he thought I was using him for a story?

But then I remembered my mother’s words, “You can’t go wrong when you do the right thing.” And I knew that telling Jensen the truth was the right thing to do. I just had to find the right words.