I snorted. "That'd be a miracle."
"I'm a miracle worker, baby, you know that."
We grinned at each other, and he got to his knees to leave the shelter then stopped. His cheeks turning pink, he said, "You know something else, right?"
"I do? What?"
"You were wrong yesterday. What you yelled at me. I do. Before maybe not so much, but now I do."
"Do what?" He was losing me, and I could tell it was important to him so I struggled to hold my eyes open.
He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "Think about it. You'll know." His face alarmingly red now, he left me.
My eyes slid closed. With my last bit of alertness, I thought back. What had I yelled?
You don't care. You never cared.
My mouth curved into a smile, and the lights went out.
Chapter Fourteen
"Much better, thanks." I smiled at Peter. "We'll see after I take the bandages off this afternoon, but I think I'll live."
After my wonderful nap the day before, I'd gone to bed early and slept like a particularly exhausted log. All the rest had done wonders for my mood and energy.
Between my sleeps, we'd actually talked. All of us. We weren't remotely one big happy family, but whatever Aaron had said while I'd been napping had helped. His genuine compliments of Dean's raft-making skill had helped too, leaving Dean embarrassed but pleased.
"You'd better. Don't want you stinking up the place."
I glared at Aaron, pulling my eyebrows together so tightly I could barely see him.
"What? I said I want you to live."
He grinned, and I shook my head but grinned back. I didn't know what he'd meant by saying he cared about me, but I couldn't ask and risk losing his helpfulness. He'd talked to the guys, made us dinner, and even washed the clothes I'd left under the rock. I'd been dreading scrubbing my blood from my shirt and skirt, so even though I felt weird about what he'd done I'd given him such a huge hug in thanks that he'd scuttled off to get water without looking at me.
Peter turned to Kent. "You're all right too, I hope?"
"Fine," he said, clearly not. He had indeed exiled Tara the night before, and I knew how little fun the exile ceremony was, but it was more than that. He and Summer again stood apart, and the rest of his exes shared an air of purpose.
Peter raised his eyebrows but didn't quiz him. "Glad to hear it. Now, let's find out how well you know each other. I have a list of fifteen emotions. The Courts have five minutes to present these emotions, and the Royal who gets the most right wins today's knowledge contest."
When he said "knowledge contest" Kent's exes shot glances back and forth, then Kayla grinned and the others did too. Except Summer, who looked confused.
Kent said, "Present them how?"
"Interpretive dance."
Giggles bubbled up inside me, but I managed to hold them back. At least, I did until I looked over at my guys. Their expressions were priceless.
"Dance?" Aaron and Greg said at the same time.
Peter smiled. "Courts, you have two minutes to plan. Royals, over here."
Still snickering, I followed Peter and a camera man to a spot a safe distance away, Kent trailing behind us. When Peter stopped, he turned to face the exes so Kent and I had our backs to them. "You'll have a crew member to tell you when you get one right. Good luck."
We nodded, and he walked away, calling, "One minute, Courts," as he went.
I wanted to thank Kent for helping me, wanted to ask why he and Summer were so isolated from his other exes. But with the camera man hovering, we stood in an uneasy silence.
"Princess, Prince," Peter called, and we set off in his direction. When we neared him, Kent said under his breath, "Aaron's taking good care of you, huh?"
I turned to him, startled, but he looked away. I put his words aside; I didn't have time to wonder about them. My guys stood in front of me and I had to laugh again at their expressions.
"Keep it up and you're sleeping in the latrine, missy," Aaron said.
"You and what army?"
He gestured to his fellow dancers.
Peter's voice cut off our foolishness. "The two Courts will present the emotions in different orders, so there's no benefit to seeing the other Court's dances. Ready?"
My guys gave reluctant nods, shooting glances at the cameras positioned on either side of me. No aspect of this would go unrecorded. They pulled on masks, silver fabric with eye holes, and their five blank mouth-less faces were surprisingly creepy.
Peter gave the countdown, and the guys formed a tight circle leaving Jim outside. He twirled, hands over his face, as they waved their arms in the air.
"Rejection? Body odor? Loneliness?"
"Next," the crew member said, and Kent muttered, "Damn it."
Looking over my shoulder I saw his exes, holding hands, walking slowly forward and backward. Summer, standing alone, had wrapped her arms around herself as if cuddling someone. I didn't know what it meant either.
I turned back to see all of my exes shaking their fists at me. "Anger."
"Next."
By the time Peter signaled the end of the five minutes I'd guessed thirteen emotions. The guys ripped off their masks.
"Which ones did I miss?"
"Acceptance." Jim reprised it by wrapping an arm around Greg's shoulder.
"Ah. I had no clue. And the other one?"
"Homesickness!"
"Oh, pardon me," I said, laughing. "I got the sick part, at least." Hard not to, as five masked men mimed barfing in unison.
Kent's loud "What was that?" got our attention, and we turned to see him glaring at Kayla. "I'd have had zero instead of ten if Summer hadn't done her own dances. At least she was trying. What were you guys doing, losing on purpose or something?"
"Yes," she said, her voice and eyes colder than the ice pack Aaron had held to my cheek.
Kent looked away, shaking his head.
"Why?" Summer said, but Kent raised a hand to silence her. "Never mind. I know why."
She looked at him, her brow wrinkled, then her face cleared. "Because of what you did?"
"Yeah."
"But you had to."
"He did not and you know it. Anyone else could have done it. Like maybe someone--"
"Stop." Kent squeezed the back of his neck as if its tension had become too much to bear. "I did something you didn't like, you did something I totally don't like, so we're even. And we don't need to discuss it. Especially not here. Right?"
He and Kayla stared at each other again, but this time she looked away first.
*****
"I wish we'd really won. We'll win the next one, right?" Greg got some agreement, but clearly not what he'd expected. "Come on. We're way more solid than that."
Maybe slightly more solid. Dean was still definitely an outsider, but at least we weren't fighting at contests.
"That's true," Aaron said, "but they might be fired up to win next time if they feel bad about losing this one."
"They should feel bad," Greg said. "I can't believe they were willing to lose like that."
I shrugged. "They're obviously really mad. I guess they think it's worth it."
"Any idea what it is?"
I shook my head. "He did something they don't like at camp, I guess, but I don't know what. What do you think?"
"Summer's not in on it, I know that much. She's the only one who tried."
"Might as well have given up. Can't do it on her own," I said.
Michael shook his head, his expression showing no hint of doubt. "You wouldn't have. Not in a million years."
Aaron started to agree but Michael talked over him, his eyes fixed on my face. "Now, Melvin, he might have."
The guys turned to him in confusion. My mouth fell open.
"You remember Melvin, don't you?" Michael's voice was shaky but he cleared his throat and kept going. "Melvin might have quit. Then again, he might not. It was hard to know what Melvin was thinking, wasn't it?"
> Even harder to know what Michael was thinking. When I didn't answer, still too surprised to speak, Jim said, "Dude, who's Melvin?"
"Someone we used to know," Michael said dismissively, still watching me intently. "Do you ever think about him, MC?"
I licked my lips, not sure what to say. "I... I haven't, not for years. Are you sure you mean Melvin? Wasn't his name--"
"It was Melvin," Michael said. Our eyes locked hard, and he added, "I thought about him occasionally before, but now that I'm here, I think about him all the time."
"Okay, fine, it was Melvin," Greg said. "He's not here, so who cares? Look, guys, do you think those women will bail out of another contest?"
"Even more important," Aaron said, turning to me, "weren't we great dancers?"
I smiled at him with an effort and forced myself to respond, and I laughed and joked with the guys until dinner while Michael continued to watch me and the back of my mind shuddered.
Melvin.
Our code word for "I love you".
What was Michael doing? He was married. He must have said it by mistake. But no, he'd kept saying it, and the looks he was giving me told me he'd meant it.
What was I going to do about it?
Chapter Fifteen
I avoided Michael the rest of the day, but the next morning he cut Aaron off and took the last seat on my boat, right beside me.
"I need to talk to you," he said once we were flying over the water.
I turned to face him, so close I could have kissed him. If I'd wanted to. I cupped my hands around my mouth to hide my words from the camera. "No, you don't. You shouldn't have said that. You can't possibly mean it."
"I do mean it." He moved even closer and put a hand on my arm.
I shook his hand off me. "You don't. You can't. You're married."
He jerked forward and said into my ear, "You were the best thing that ever happened to me. If you wanted me back--"
I pulled away before he could finish the sentence and turned my back on him. I had no choice: Michael had to be exiled next. But how to explain that to the rest of the guys, who expected me to get rid of Dean?
The boats pulled into the shore and we climbed out. Aaron kept looking at me as we walked to the clearing. He couldn't have heard our words from the other boat, but he'd obviously noticed our reactions. I looked straight ahead, not acknowledging his glances.
Peter said, "Today, only the Court members are participating."
Good, given my battered self. I couldn't stand anything touching my raw knees, so I'd had to keep the blanket off my legs at night, leaving me chilly and unable to sleep well. But the wounds didn't seem infected, and the guys assured me my face was getting better.
"You will run to the shore and swim to a raft, where you'll find baby pictures. Decide which is of your Royal, and remember the number on the picture. When you return to me, the next person goes and you write down the number."
Peter directed Kent and me to sit on a nearby log then tipped his head to the side. "Would anyone like to know what the prize is for today's contest?"
He didn't usually offer that information, and I felt a flutter of excitement. "Of course," we all said, and he called, "Send them in, please," turning his head toward a path we'd never used.
Liv and Ron walked into the clearing. I stared at Liv, excitement filling me until I couldn't breathe, and she stared back, shock rapidly replacing her initial delight at seeing me. Was I that filthy? Probably.
Ron bellowed, "Get over here, bro!" and Kent stood up, but Peter held out an arm to block him. "Sorry, not unless you win."
As Kent sat down, Peter said, "Each of you was asked to name the most important people in your life. One of them is here. The winning Court will spend twelve hours with their people."
My legs started to shake. We had to win this. Being with Liv until tonight?
Peter said, "Thank you, Liv and Ron," and crew members drew them gently out of our view. Turning back to us, he said, "Worth trying for?"
Instant and universal agreement, especially from Dean. Who was waiting for him?
"All right, then," Peter said. "Three... two... one..."
Aaron took off, Faith in hot pursuit. I sat and prayed the guys had paid attention. Dad liked meeting my boyfriends, so they'd all been to his house where the very baby picture I'd provided to the show had been prominently displayed. Would they remember it?
I sent mental images of the picture out to my exes. None of us had ever shown the slightest hint of telepathic ability before, but it couldn't hurt.
Aaron returned, dripping wet, and Jim raced out of the clearing. After writing down the number and handing it to Peter, Aaron was told to sit away from the rest of my exes with his back to them. As he took his seat, Jim arrived right behind Faith.
We were making great time. We'd win for sure.
A thought struck me, and I called to Peter, "Does it matter which Court finishes first?"
He looked over his shoulder, a half-smile on his face, and shook his head. I made "slow down and take it easy" gestures at my exes. They nodded.
They'd understood, too: the rest of the guys still ran but the desperate panic of Aaron and Jim's trips to the raft wasn't there. I hoped the relative calmness would help them remember.
One by one, the exes covered the course and gave Peter their numbers, and I clenched my hands so tightly my fingers throbbed. At last everyone was done.
"Now, the Princess was number four, and the Prince was number three."
Groans from both Courts, but some muted cheers as well.
Slowly, so slowly, Peter revealed the answers. "A five for the Princess. That's incorrect. Six for the Prince. Also incorrect."
What if we tied? He hadn't mentioned that possibility but surely they'd thought about it. Maybe we'd each get six hours?
But in the end, we didn't tie.
*****
Ron shouted, "You loser, what did you get yourself into?" and grabbed Kent in a rough hug. Kent's response, too quiet for me to hear from across the clearing, made them both laugh and slap each other on the back.
Michael put his hand on my shoulder. "I'm so sorry," he began, but I couldn't stand to hear it. He'd seen that picture more often than anyone else on my team but still got it wrong. A wave of anger swept me and I turned my back on him and his anguished expression, looking for someone to make me feel better.
"Need a hug, baby?"
I nodded, and Aaron slid his arms around my waist. "Consider me your teddy bear," he said into my ear, and I sighed and snuggled into him. Resting my head on his shoulder, I tried to put things into perspective. I'd be home in less than two weeks, able to see Liv all I wanted, and at least she'd got the trip to the island, which she'd love.
"Cross your fingers," Aaron said.
I did, automatically. "Why?"
He was staring past me, and I turned in his arms to see Ron and Kent. Talking to Peter.
"One," Peter said.
The brothers exchanged glances then Kent shook his head. "All."
Peter laughed. "Absolutely not."
"Okay, four."
Peter pressed his earpiece in more firmly. After a moment, he said, "Two."
Ron's eyes met mine, he raised his eyebrows, and I found myself hastily stepping out of Aaron's embrace. Turning back to Kent, Ron said, "Split the difference?"
Kent nodded. "Three."
Peter held his gaze. "To confirm, you're offering to give up six of your hours so the Princess's Court gets three, correct?"
Kent nodded again and I stared at him. He couldn't do it, his exes would kill him.
"You're letting flies in," Aaron said quietly, and I closed my mouth.
Peter turned to me. "There is a catch, though, Princess. Could you come here, please?"
Of course there was a catch. What on this show had come without strings?
Ron said, "Holy shi--" as I neared them, cutting off the last bit when Kent elbowed him.
"We only have enough foo
d prepared for the Prince's Court and their guests," Peter went on. "If you want to accept the Prince's offer, you'll need to give up all your fruit."
I looked over my shoulder at my guys. Aaron said, "Hell, yeah," echoing my own opinion. Grinning, I turned back to Peter. "We accept."
Peter smiled. "All right, then." He pulled his walkie-talkie from his pocket. "Send in the rest, please, and all boats now go to Prince Island."
I stared at Peter, and Kent said, "They do?"
"Oh, did I forget to mention that part?" Peter gave the oh-so-innocent smile from the first day. "You don't mind, do you?"
Ron threw an arm around my shoulders then gave Kent the same treatment. "Of course not. It'll be just like old times."
Yeah. Just.
Liv burst into the clearing, and I raced over. She stopped dead as I neared her. "It's even worse than I thought. What have you done to yourself? Your poor face! And your knees!"
Laughing and crying at the same time, I threw myself at her and into her arms. "It's a long story. I'm so glad to see you."
She squeezed me hard. "I'm not thrilled to smell you, I must admit, but it's great to see you."
We stepped back from each other, and I surveyed my exes. Jim and Greg stood with men I didn't know. Dean was with a woman, vaguely familiar to me, who could be Summer's younger sister, Michael had a delicately pretty blonde clinging to his arm, and Aaron was with, of all people, his mother. I'd met her once, in a chance encounter at the mall, and had been impressed by how thoroughly she kept Aaron in line.
I wiped my tears and looked over at Peter. He smiled. "Congratulations, Princess."
Liv made a noise as if something was choking her. I turned to her. "That's right, you have to call me Princess."
"In your dreams."
Peter cleared his throat. "All right, everyone head down to the shore, please."
"Coming, baby?" Aaron called.
"Yup," I called back, then murmured to Liv, "I want to be last out. Take your time."
Liv, as always quick on the draw, sat down on a rock and began retying her running shoes, giving great attention to making sure the laces ended up exactly the same length.
"Go on without us, Aaron."
He gave me a thumbs-up sign and departed with his mother.
Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many Page 14
