Chapter Fourteen
Piper
As soon as Lakeside Serenity Glamping Haven comes into view, my stomach twists. We’ve still got a few miles to cover, but I can already make out the tops of my tents below, barely visible from our vantage point. I thought I’d be relieved to be back, but already know I’m going to miss Benson. And it’s not just a passing thought—it’s a realization I can’t shake.
Last week, if someone had told me I’d feel like this, I would’ve laughed in their face. Maybe even told them they were delusional. Yet, here I am, wishing this hike would stretch on forever.
Benson himself has been acting strange all morning. Quiet. Too quiet. No teasing, no goofy jokes, not even the usual ‘Pip’ comments that he knows drive me up the wall. He hasn’t said much about the mushrooms growing alongside the trail or pointed out random animal tracks like he did on the hike up. What’s wrong with him?
My mother also hasn’t said a word, but that’s less concerning. She’s probably not feeling too well after a night in the woods where she didn’t sleep a lot.
We take our last break at a clearing with a view of Fog Harbor below. Instead of handing out snacks and water and jokes like he normally does, Benson just stands there, his jaw clenched, and his brows furrowed.
Mom and I slide our backpacks off, and Benson suddenly turns to me with a serious expression on his face.
What’s going on?
“Piper,” he starts.
His voice sounds way lower than I’m used to.
“Yeah?”
He reaches into his pocket, and my breath catches in my throat. It’s happening. He’s going to fake propose and I’m not ready. My heart pounds and I can already feel the words forming, but they’re stuck in my throat. I can’t let him do this—not when my mother thinks all of this is real.
I quickly glance at her. Her jaw drops to the ground and her eyes grow wide. We have to stop this.
“Piper, I’ve been thinking… about us. And this whole weekend.” His hand hovers over his pocket. “And I realized something.”
“Benson, wait—” I interrupt, my voice trembling.
He kneels down on one knee, pulling out a small box, and I swear the world stops spinning.
“Piper—”
“I can’t,” I blurt out, backing up instinctively. “I can’t do this. I’m sorry, I know we said we were going to, but now that the moment has become a reality, I can’t.”
“Piper? What’s going on?” Mom asks.
I wipe a tear away, trying not to let my voice break as I start explaining. “I’m so sorry, Mom. I lied to you. Benson and I, we… none of this was real. It’s all fake. It always has been. I was desperate because you kept setting me up with these boring guys that have nothing in common with me, and I thought you’d never find out that Benson and I weren’t really together. And then, things escalated, and Benson and I were desperate to get that plot of land. We weren’t thinking straight. We never should’ve lied to you like this. I’m so sorry. Please, forgive me, Mom.”
After my stream of words, some of them probably incoherent, Mom’s mouth lifts into a smile. “I was wondering how long you’d keep up the act.”
Benson and I stare at her in bewilderment.
She gives us both a smug smile. “I knew all along. Well, not all along, but I knew the moment I saw you and Benson together. You were terrible at hiding it.”
Benson slowly stands up, slipping the ring back into his pocket. “You… knew?”
I frown. “How?”
“Oh, come on,” Mom continues, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “I might be your mother, Piper, but I’m not blind. The way you both kept pining after each other, the awkward tension—it was obvious. There’s something going on between the two of you, but it’s new. I wasn’t buying the whole ‘perfect couple’ act for a second.”
I stare at her, dumbfounded. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
She laughs softly. “Because I wanted to see how long it would take for you both to figure it out for yourselves. Honestly, it’s been entertaining watching you two stumble through this whole charade. I knew you weren’t in a long-term relationship, but that didn’t stop me from seeing how much you two clearly like each other.”
I blink, the weight of her words sinking in. “You think we… like each other?”
Claire chuckles. “Oh, honey. Anyone with eyes could see it. The way you two banter back and forth but then look at each other like you’re dying for the other one to make the first move? That’s not something you can fake. That’s real.”
I glance over at Benson, who’s still standing there looking stunned. I feel my cheeks burn as the truth of her words sinks in. All this time, I thought we were pulling off this big charade—that we were fooling her. But maybe… maybe we were the ones being fooled.
Benson finally speaks, his voice low and hesitant. “So… you’re not mad? About all the lying?”
Mom shakes her head, still smiling. “No, Benson. I’m not mad. I know why you did it, and honestly, I think you two needed this little push to see what’s right in front of you.”
She slides her backpack back over her shoulders. “Now, it’s two miles down this trail, right? I’m going to get a head start and call a taxi to bring me back to my B&B. I need to call my lawyer about the land. I won’t let someone outbid me without a fight. But you two should stay here and talk.”
“Are you sure, Mom?”
“I’m sure, Sweetheart. And I’m happy you finally found a man that suits you. I’m happy it’s someone like Benson. I quite like him. So, get out of your own way and see what happens,” she says with a smile.
“Thank you. That means a lot,” Benson tells her before she turns around and heads down the trail.
For a few moments, neither of us speaks. The air between Benson and me feels thick with all the unsaid things we’ve both been avoiding. I stare at the spot where my mom vanished, trying to absorb everything she just said. She really believed in us, even before we did.
Benson clears his throat, breaking the silence. “It’s amazing your mother is going to try and buy the land even though we lied to her. She’s pretty cool, you know?”
“Yeah,” I agree. “She is.” I bite my lip. “So, I guess we should talk?”
Benson grins. “Or… I could finally kiss you. I’ve waited long enough.”
“Kiss me?” I manage to say, though it sounds more like a question than a statement.
He takes a step closer, and I’m suddenly very aware of how little space there is between us. “Yeah,” he says softly. “Because if we’re being honest, this whole fake-dating thing stopped feeling fake a while ago, and all I can think about is kissing you.”
I blink up at him, unsure of how to process everything. The pining, the teasing, the stupid little arguments—it wasn’t just for show. I’d been falling for him without even realizing it.
“Well?” Benson says, his voice a little lower, a little rougher. “What do you say, Pip?”
The old me would’ve thrown a sarcastic retort at him for calling me Pip, but I don’t want to anymore. I quite like him calling me that if I’m being honest.
“I say…” I begin, my voice shaky but determined. “I think you should finally kiss me.”
Benson’s grin fades as his expression turns more serious, his eyes darkening in that way they do when he’s focused. Slowly, almost as if he’s giving me time to change my mind, he reaches up and cups my cheek. His thumb brushes against my skin, and I feel a shiver run through me. My heart hammers in my chest.
“Pip,” he whispers, his voice rough and soft all at once. I can barely breathe, let alone respond.
Then, he closes the distance between us.
The moment his lips touch mine, it’s like the world stops. There’s no sound, no wind, no trail beneath our feet—just Benson and me. His kiss is gentle at first, testing the waters, but there’s a softness to it that catches me off guard. It’s like he’s been waiting for this moment, just like I have, and now that it’s finally here, neither of us wants to rush it.
I melt into him, my hands instinctively reaching up to rest on his chest. His heartbeat is steady beneath my fingers and his other hand slides around my waist, pulling me closer. The warmth of his body against mine feels like home.
As the kiss deepens, there’s a shift. What started as hesitant and careful turns into something more urgent, more real. I can feel all the unsaid things between us—the pining, the longing, the tension we’ve been dancing around for so long—pouring out in the way his lips move against mine. It’s overwhelming, like I’ve finally found the answer to a question I didn’t even know I was asking.
When we finally pull apart, I’m breathless. My forehead leans against his, and for a second, neither of us says anything. We’re just standing here, caught in the moment, the world slowly creeping back in around us. The rustle of the trees, the distant chirp of birds—it’s all here, but different somehow, like the whole world is different now.
Benson’s hand stays at my waist, holding me close as if he’s afraid I’ll slip away. “So…” he says, his voice rough with emotion, “was that everything you hoped for? Because it was for me, Pip.”
I manage a shaky laugh, still trying to catch my breath. “To be absolutely sure, I think I need another kiss. You know, just to have all the facts. It’s an important decision, after all.”
Benson grins, the corners of his eyes crinkling in that familiar way, and I feel my heart flutter. "Well, I’m all about making sure you have all the facts, Pip."
Without hesitation, he leans in again, this time with a little more confidence, a little more certainty. His lips find mine, and it’s like the first kiss was just the beginning—a preview of something even better. This one is deeper, slower, like we’re both taking the time to memorize the way it feels, the way we fit together.
I lose myself in it, in him. His hand slides up my back, fingers tangling in my hair, pulling me closer as if there’s nothing in the world that could keep us apart now. My hands, which had been resting on his chest, find their way around his neck, and I hold on, not wanting this moment to end.
When we finally break apart, I’m laughing softly. “Okay,” I whisper, my voice breathless and light. “Now I have all the facts.”
“And?” he asks, his lips curving into a smile that sends warmth spreading through me. “What’s the verdict?”
I look up at him, feeling the truth of my words before I even speak them. “I think I’ve known for a while. I just didn’t want to admit it… but I’m yours, Benson.”
He smiles, his thumb tracing a soft line along my jaw. “Good. Because I’ve been yours since the day we met, Pip. Even if I didn’t know it.”
We stand there, wrapped in each other, the rest of the world fading away. Nothing feels fake now—there’s no pretending, no charade.
Just us. Benson and Piper. Together.
Finally.