Summer's POV
When the host announced the day's twist, Summer nearly choked on her coconut water.
"Today," he said cheerfully, "each contestant will spend five minutes alone in the Confession Cam! You'll talk about your experience, your teammates, and… your true feelings."
The crowd groaned collectively.
"True feelings?" Summer muttered. "That's code for 'make good TV.'"
Ethan smirked. "Maybe they just want honesty."
"Oh, please. You'll probably flirt with the camera."
"I don't flirt with cameras."
"Ethan, you literally winked at one yesterday."
"That was a mosquito."
"Sure it was."
The producer clapped his hands. "Ethan, you're first!"
Summer grinned. "Good luck telling your truth, Mr. Perfect."
He shot her a look. "Don't worry, I'll make you sound amazing."
---
Ethan's POV
The Confession Cam was just a small hut made of bamboo, with a camera pointed directly at the chair. No crew inside, just the faint hum of recording equipment and a single light.
He sat down, cleared his throat.
"Uh… hi," he said awkwardly. "I'm Ethan Reid. Apparently I have to 'share my true feelings.'"
He smiled faintly, then sighed. "Okay, fine."
Long pause.
"Summer Hayes."
Just saying her name made him grin, which was ridiculous.
"She's… impossible," he said, chuckling softly. "Bossy, sarcastic, stubborn as hell. But also… she's the only reason this island doesn't drive me insane."
He leaned back, rubbing his neck. "We dated three years ago. It didn't end well. My fault, mostly. I thought we wanted different things. Turns out, maybe I just didn't fight hard enough."
The camera light blinked red. Recording.
"I keep telling myself we're just doing this for the show," he continued, voice lower now. "But every time she laughs, or rolls her eyes, or argues with me about coconuts…"
He exhaled slowly. "It doesn't feel like pretending anymore."
He hesitated, then looked straight into the lens.
"If you're watching this, Summer—yeah, I still care. Probably more than I should."
He smiled wryly. "Great. Now the whole world's gonna see that."
---
Summer's POV
Summer waited outside the hut, tapping her foot.
When Ethan finally came out, his expression was unreadable. Calm. Too calm.
"How was your therapy session?" she teased.
"Enlightening," he said.
"Did you confess your undying love for coconuts?"
"Something like that."
She rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."
"I know."
Then he smiled—soft, small, annoyingly warm—and walked away.
Something in her chest tightened.
---
Later that evening, it was her turn.
She sat in front of the camera, crossed her arms, and said, "This is ridiculous."
Silence.
She sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll play along."
"Ethan and I…" She stopped, searching for words. "We used to date. It was messy. I thought I was over it. Then this show happened."
A humorless laugh. "Now we're stuck together again, pretending everything's fine. And somehow… it's not as terrible as I expected."
Her voice softened. "He still drives me crazy. Still argues about everything. But he's also… patient. Kind. And maybe I hate how familiar that feels."
She looked directly into the camera. "Do I still have feelings for him? No."
Pause.
"…Maybe."
She groaned, covering her face. "Can we delete that?"
---
Ethan's POV
Two days later, the episode aired.
The cast gathered around the campfire, watching on a projector screen. The "Confession Cam Special" logo flashed, and then—his face appeared.
"Summer Hayes," TV-Ethan said, smiling at the camera. "She's impossible. But also the only reason this island doesn't drive me insane…"
Summer froze.
"Oh my god," she whispered.
As the clip continued, his real confession played out word for word. By the time he said, 'Yeah, I still care. Probably more than I should,' the entire crew was holding their breath.
Summer turned slowly toward him. "You—did you—why would you—"
Ethan winced. "They said it was private!"
The host cheerfully announced, "And the internet loves it! #EthanStillLovesSummer is trending worldwide!"
The beach erupted with laughter and applause. Summer wanted to crawl into the ocean.
She grabbed her hat, pulled it low, and hissed, "I'm going to kill you."
Ethan raised both hands defensively. "In my defense, I meant every word."
She blinked. "That's not helping!"
"Not trying to help."
Her heart raced—part fury, part something dangerously close to hope.
---
Summer's POV
That night, she couldn't sleep.
The whole island buzzed with gossip. The internet was on fire. And somewhere between humiliation and confusion, she caught herself replaying Ethan's words in her mind.
'It doesn't feel like pretending anymore.'
She stared up at the stars. The ocean whispered nearby, steady and soft.
Finally, she whispered back, "Me neither."