Chapter 6: String Lights

The neighborhood cookout puts the fake relationship in front of a live audience. Margot improvises a romantic meet-cute involving strawberries in the rain that surprises even Eli, and a slow dance under string lights turns into something neither of them can explain away as performance. On the walk home, a neighbor's comment lands hard — because Eli can no longer tell which part was the act.Close Enough — Book 1 of The Dolores Effect, by Elena Cross.New episodes every Wednesday and Sunday. Follow The Dolores Effect on Spotify.