Stay Real

Courtney: Maybe blurting out my imaginary relationship status to my nagging mother wasn't the best idea. Declaring that I'm dating my boss's brother-in-law, well, that was just wishful thinking.

To my embarrassment, they both overheard me. But Merrick not only offers to be my plus one, he agrees to fake date me for the next couple of months leading up to my sister's wedding.

The more time we spend together, the harder it becomes to deny that every look, every touch, is making him more a part of my life than I'm prepared for.

The pain of thinking about walking away from him when it's time doesn't feel pretend. It feels real.

Merrick: Courtney's sister is tying the knot, and her mom is relentless about her finding a date. In a moment of panic, she claims she's dating me.

To save her from the awkward situation, I suggest we fake a relationship. I figure we can hang out, show up to the wedding, and go our separate ways. But as we start spending more time together, the lines between real and pretend blur.

What was supposed to be a simple agreement starts to feel genuine. I'm unsure when it happened, but this relationship is suddenly the real deal, and I don't want it to end.