CHAPTER 4: THE SPEECH
999 Words
Day 4. 2:45 PM. The Mic.
The courtyard was too quiet.
Zoe and Mateo had already said Rings. Tears. Done.
Now the reception. Chairs moved. Tables set. Band tuning up.
Maya stood near the back in blue. The dress Levi told her to wear.
Her phone buzzed. Aunt Carol’s envelope. She opened it.
Maya folded it. Put it away.
The MC tapped the mic. “And now, a toast from the groom’s brother, Levi Cross.”
Levi walked up.
No notes. No phone. Just him.
His eyes found hers.
Day 4. 2:46 PM. The Start.
“I was supposed to keep this fake,” he said.
The mic picked up every word.
Aunt Carol stopped mid-sip. Mom’s hand went to her mouth. Dad frowned.
“I was hired for 72 hours,” Levi said. “To be her plus one. To pretend. To lie.”
Maya’s stomach dropped.
Mateo went still. Zoe’s smile froze.
“But I’m bad at lying,” Levi said. “Especially to her.”
He didn’t look away from Maya.
“Rule #1 was no kissing. I broke it. On day three.”
Someone gasped. Aunt Carol, probably.
“Rule #2 was no feelings. I broke that too.”
Maya couldn’t breathe.
“So this isn’t pretend anymore,” he said. “Mateo, Zoe… you got real. Messy. Loud. Real love. I’m trying to.”
Silence.
Then clapping. Slow. Then more.
Mateo nodded once. Just once. Zoe was crying again, but smiling.
Levi put the mic down.
Day 4. 2:48 PM. The Walk.
He didn’t leave the front.
He waited.
Everyone turned to look at her.
Maya stood there. Blue dress. Shaking hands.
he’d said last night.
So she did.
One step. Then another.
Past chairs. Past Mom. Past Dad.
Aunt Carol grabbed her wrist on the way by. “Go,” she whispered.
Maya kept walking.
Right to him.
The band didn’t play. No one talked.
“Maya,” Levi said. Quiet. Only for her.
“Real,” she said. Loud enough for the mic behind him.
She kissed him.
Not 2 seconds.
Not off-script.
On-script. In front of everyone.
Day 4. 2:49 PM. The Chaos.
Aunt Carol: “I KNEW IT!”
Mom: “Oh my god.”
Dad: “Well.”
Mateo laughed into his hand. Zoe clapped over her mouth.
Levi pulled back. Forehead to hers. “You chose.”
“Yeah,” Maya said. “I’m terrified. But I chose.”
“Good,” he said. “Me too.”
He took her hand. Didn’t let go.
Day 4. 3:15 PM. The Questions.
They got dragged to a table.
Mom: “So it was fake?”
Maya: “It was.”
Mom: “And now?”
Levi: “Now it’s not.”
Dad: “CrossTech is going to have opinions.”
Levi: “Let them.”
Aunt Carol: “Wedding next?”
Maya + Levi, together: “No.”
Aunt Carol: “Good. Real is better than fast.”
Day 4. 4:00 PM. The Photos.
Aunt Carol dragged them to the photo booth. Again.
Curtain closed. Small space.
“Smile like you mean it,” Aunt Carol yelled through the curtain.
They did.
Flash.
Flash.
Flash.
Maya kept his hand the whole time.
Day 4. 6:00 PM. The Cake.
Maya cut a slice. Levi held the plate.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said.
“I know,” he said. “I wanted to.”
“Even if it ruins you at CrossTech?” she asked.
Levi: “I’d rather be fired and real than CEO and lying.”
Maya took his hand under the table. Laced their fingers.
Day 4. 9:00 PM. The Last Dance.
Slow song. Lights down.
Levi pulled her in. No space between them.
“72 hours are over,” Maya said.
“I know,” he said.
“So what now?” she asked.
“Now we start,” he said. “No contract. No pretend.”
Maya rested her head on his chest. “That’s scary.”
“Real usually is,” he said.
Day 4. 11:00 PM. The Hotel.
One room key. Not two.
Maya’s bag by the door. His jacket over a chair.
Levi: “We don’t have to.”
Maya: “I know.”
Levi: “But I want to.”
Maya: “Me too.”
No rules left to break.
Day 5. 8:00 AM. The Morning After.
Coffee. His room. Sunlight through the blinds.
Levi: “So. Real.”
Maya: “Real.”
Levi: “Terrifying.”
Maya: “Yeah.”
He reached out. Took her hand.
No agenda.
“Now we start,” he said. “No contract. No pretend.”
Maya rested her head on his chest. “That’s scary.”
“Real usually is,” he said. His hand was in her hair.
Day 4. 11:00 PM. The Hotel.
One room key. Not two.
Maya’s bag by the door. His jacket over a chair.
Levi: “We don’t have to.”
Maya: “I know.”
Levi: “But I want to.”
Maya: “Me too.”
No rules left to break.
He kissed her forehead first. Slow. Then her mouth. Like he had time.
They didn’t rush. The contract was over. There was no clock.
Day 5. 8:00 AM. The Morning After.
Coffee. His room. Sunlight through the blinds.
Levi: “So. Real.”
Maya: “Real.”
Levi: “Terrifying.”
Maya: “Yeah.”
He reached out. Took her hand.
No agenda.
Day 7. CrossTech.
They didn’t hide it. They didn’t flaunt it.
Meeting. Levi: “Maya, your slide.”
Maya: “Levi, your tone.”
Everyone stared.
Then they both smiled. Small.
Boss: “...Continue.”
Day 10. Family Dinner.
“Maya brought Levi,” Mom said. Like it was normal.
Because it was now.
Aunt Carol: “So. Wedding next?”
Maya + Levi: “No.”
Aunt Carol: “Good. Real is better than fast.”
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- Writer
