"Good job, baby." Aaron took the rock beside mine. "So nice not to have Dean here."
"Did you know?"
I'd been hoping to sound casual, maybe even amused, but my words were loud and rough.
Aaron blinked. "Know what?"
I again tried for a relaxed tone. "Kent and Summer and the snuggling." If I'd just said, "Kent and Summer" I might have been okay, but my voice cracked on the last word.
Glances flew between them, and my fury rose in an instant. "You did. We talked all afternoon about what those women said last night, and nobody thought I might need to know?"
Jim and Greg looked to Aaron, who said, "That's right."
I stared at him. "Just like that. You guys, in your infinite wisdom, decided for me. Same with my face. I can't believe--"
"You know about your face?" Greg blurted out, and the other two glared at him. "I mean, what about your--"
"I know exactly how bad it is," I said, my voice rising to a near-scream, "and you had no right to keep it from me."
"That bastard told you?" Aaron said.
"No, that bas-- Kent didn't tell me. Didn't have to. Bathrooms have mirrors, you know. And you should have told me. I can handle stuff, I'm not completely pathetic."
At the worst possible time, my anger made its own escape into the jungle, leaving me drained and fighting back tears. "I can handle stuff," I said again, trying to convince myself as much as them.
"We know you can." Aaron put a gentle hand on my arm. "That's not why we didn't tell you. We figured you couldn't do anything about your face, and you had enough to deal with already. And with Kent and Summer, we didn't think you'd care."
Understandable, since I'd worked hard to give them that impression while we'd been talking through the events of the previous evening. When we'd returned to camp after the contest, Aaron had said, "So, baby, what craziness did you get up to last night?" I'd insisted Kent and I had spent the evening in dull conversation, and even Aaron had eventually accepted nothing had happened. I didn't like lying, but I couldn't open up those kisses to their potential mockery, to the teasing Greg had received for the time he'd spent off in the jungle kissing Lily.
"I don't care," I said, then added, "Kent can snuggle anyone he wants," pleased my voice came out strongly this time. "But it matters for the game. If she's a weak spot for him, we might be able to use that."
Jim said, "Could be. She told me, though, that they'd never get back together. Said they're too different and she wants a man who actually wants a social life."
A blast of indignation hit me. Summer shouldn't have been criticizing Kent to Jim.
"Why's she spending so much time with him, then?" Aaron said.
"I asked, actually, and she said you have to take comfort wherever you can in this game."
Aaron looked relieved but my stomach twisted and a wave of cold swept over me. Had Kent only been looking for comfort?
I couldn't stand being with the guys another minute. "I'm going to get water," I said, and bolted from the camp, canteens in both hands.
Water acquired, I leaned against a tree and closed my eyes, heedless of the hovering camera man. I didn't want to believe those kisses were only comfort. I'd felt Kent's hunger and seen him struggling not to kiss me again, and I truly didn't think he'd been faking.
But we'd always had chemistry, and given the situation it probably wasn't a surprise it had reignited. So, we'd reconnected physically, but there was no guarantee it meant anything.
But it had felt so real.
I sighed. It didn't matter anyhow. He'd spent one night with me and the other twenty would be with Summer, and there was no way I'd win him over her.
And of course, I didn't want him back anyhow.
Someone came stomping up the path toward me, making an incredible amount of noise.
"Baby, you okay?"
I nodded.
"Good stuff. I guess we should have told you, but do you get why we didn't?"
"Yeah, I suppose. But no more secrets," I said, waving a finger at him.
He laughed. "Promise." Then he stood looking at me, his amusement fading. "I was serious about teaching you to run when we get home, you know."
"You were?"
He nodded, looking embarrassed. "I... you know, I kind of like you."
"Only kind of?" I said, not at all sure where this was going.
"Well, it's weird. I keep expecting you to handle things one way and you do exactly the opposite, but you've done such an amazing job out here I can't help but be impressed. And how calm you were at that exile ceremony, even when Dean was being an ass, it surprised me. I've never felt like this about a woman before."
Liv would be disappointed, but I knew Aaron and I weren't meant to be together. "Aaron, look. I think you're great, really, but--"
He burst out laughing, cutting me off.
"It's not that funny," I said, annoyed.
"I don't mean it like that." He turned serious. "I mean I like you. As a friend."
I struggled to keep from laughing myself. "You like me as a friend."
"Yeah," he said. "I want to be your friend."
Then I remembered what he'd said earlier about women as friends and didn't feel like laughing any more. "Really?"
He swallowed hard and nodded. "Would you be my first ever girl friend?"
My eyes filled with tears. "I would be honored."
I didn't know what to say after that, and apparently he didn't either because we stood, both staring at the ground, until he said, "Friend, could you use a hug?"
Oh, so much. I was tempted to tell him what had happened between me and Kent, and find out what he thought, but I couldn't do it. Instead, I snuggled into him and drew comfort from his gentle stroking of my back.
"Okay, enough mushy stuff," he said, but gave me another squeeze before letting me go.
"You started it," I protested.
"Men." He shot me an evil grin. "What can you do?"
I laughed even though I didn't want to. What can you do, indeed. I didn't have a clue.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The distant roar of motors woke me from a fitful sleep. I hadn't been able to eat after returning to camp, still sickened by the monkey brains and the exile ceremony, and my growling stomach had kept me awake most of the night. Though I still felt gross, I forced myself to eat a few bites of rice before the boat arrived.
A single boat. With Dean gone, we didn't need two. We watched this evidence of our failures approaching our shore, until Aaron said, his voice strong, "We do not lose again."
Michael, who'd been silent all the previous evening, said, "I promise you, I'm with you."
I looked at him and he looked calmly back. The pain that had filled his eyes before was gone, replaced by resolve. Had his demand to be exiled from the show he'd longed to be on for years shocked him into thinking straight? Maybe.
"Then let's do this," I said. We high-fived each other and boarded the boat.
Once we were all in the clearing, Peter said, "Glad to be back with your Courts?"
"There's no place like home." I made my voice as sappy as I could, and Kent chuckled.
"Funny you mention home, Princess," Peter said, "because that's today's prize. Specifically, each member of the winning Court gets a two-minute phone call anywhere in the world, courtesy of Sapphire Satellite Networks."
Several of Kent's exes gasped, and I did too. A day late, yes, but I could talk to Dad.
"This contest tests how well you know each other. You've had several opportunities to get acquainted with the members of the opposite Court. Let's see what you've learned."
I glanced at Kent as Peter gathered his question cards. To my surprise, he was watching me, looking like he might burst into tears and burst out laughing at the same time. Confused, I blinked three times, but he held my gaze and didn't answer. Was he afraid I'd told the guys about our kisses? He didn't know me at all if he was.
The contest began, and it was soon obvious h
e didn't know me. His first question was, "Is the Princess's godchild male or female?" Despite how much we'd talked about Colin at our private lunch and on our island, he couldn't remember.
When Peter was about to give up on him, Lily blurted, "It's Colin or Craig. A boy."
"Oh, right," Kent said, and they scored the point. Still, how could he not have known?
At least he knew my eyes were brown, although he had to think for ages. But he had huge gaps in his knowledge of what we'd discussed when we'd been alone, and his exes saved him on several occasions just by what they'd learned from my guys.
The lead went back and forth throughout the contest, but we were never more than a few points apart. I knew everything about him, although I wished I didn't when he knew so little about me, and my guys had learned a lot about the women, so...
"The Princess's Court wins by two points."
My guys cheered, and I made myself join in but my heart wasn't in it. Kent hadn't listened to a word I'd said. Did our kisses mean nothing too? I'd been dreading a question about those kisses, but the producers had given me a break. Surprisingly kind of them.
"Prince, Ladies, you can go. Princess, are you ready for your call?"
I nodded, tears rising already. The women stormed from the clearing, even Summer seeming furious. He'd sat her out, even though she'd insisted she'd know all the answers, so maybe she was offended. Kent followed them at a much slower pace.
I dialed and waited, my hands shaking, until I heard my father's voice come through the speakerphone.
"Hi, Dad, it's me."
"MC! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. It's so great to talk to you."
"Ditto," he said. "How are you doing on that ridiculous island?"
I laughed shakily. "Surviving. We won a prize to call people."
Kent stood at the entrance to the clearing, watching me.
"And you called me? You're so sweet. Your grandmother's here today, let me--"
"No, wait. I wanted to say--" The tears swelled but I forced them back. I didn't have time. "I was thinking about Trevor and Mom yesterday, Dad. I didn't forget."
"Oh, honey." The warmth in his voice set me sobbing in earnest. "I know you wouldn't. Don't cry. Grandma's here, hold on."
During the precious moments my dad's arthritic mother took to reach the phone, Aaron wrapped both arms around my waist, drawing me back against him. My tears stopped me seeing Kent's face, but he was still there. Then he turned and left the clearing as my grandmother said, "Are they feeding you okay?"
"Too much rice and some fish," I said, and laughed at her gasp of outrage.
"But that's not enough. Are the boys at least being nice to you?"
I gave my exes a watery smile and leaned into Aaron. "They're not too bad."
"Good girl. Don't get walked on, you hear me? Fight for what you want."
"I will. I am. How are you and Dad?"
"We're fine. Don't worry about us. Will we get to see you when you come home?"
"For sure."
"Five seconds, Princess."
My tears rose again. "I have to go, Grandma. I love you."
After she said it back, Peter gently took the phone from my hand and ended the call. "Trevor is..."
"My brother. He and my mom were killed by a drunk driver when I was six and he was eight. It's been me and my dad ever since."
"I'm glad you got to call your father."
"Me too," I managed to get out before I lost control. Aaron pulled me into a proper hug and stroked my hair, but his tenderness made me cry even harder, in great painful sobs against his chest.
"And last but not least, Aaron," Peter said. I hadn't heard a word of the others' calls, had barely noticed the time passing. I hadn't cried like this for a long time.
"I can skip it."
I took a deep shuddering breath to calm myself. "You can not. Why, because of me?"
He shrugged. "No, I don't need it."
"Who were you going to call?"
"Mom. But it's okay."
"It's not. Your mom scares me."
"That's because you're a smart cookie," he said, and took the phone from Peter.
He kept an arm around me while he talked to Louisa. I leaned against his shoulder, my eyes closed but tears still sliding steadily out beneath my lashes, and hoped Kent's exes weren't abusing him too much. They'd probably wanted the phone call nearly as much as I had.
Nearly.
Back at camp, my guys insisted I rest while they worked, and I did as they said because I wanted to think. The call's timing had been pretty much perfect for me. Had the producers decided to make it a prize after hearing about the date's meaning? It could have been planned all along, but it seemed rather coincidental.
As did Kent's sudden lack of knowledge about me, and about things we'd discussed only a few days before. Had he lost on purpose? Some of the questions he'd missed should have been easy, but then he'd answered some of the hardest ones correctly.
When the rice was ready, I picked at mine, still deep in thought, while the guys ate.
"You need to eat more than that," Aaron said. "Don't make me force-feed you."
"I'm so sick of rice." I managed one more bite, then gave up and put down my plate. "I'll eat more tomorrow."
"Weird talking to your dad, huh?"
I nodded at Greg. It was easier than saying what I was really thinking, and it had been weird to talk to him and then go back to our usual lives.
Jim said, "Did Kent know about your... that the date was important to you?"
"Yeah, we talked about it when we were away together." I didn't want to go in this direction but couldn't see how to prevent it.
Aaron raised his eyebrows. "Dude threw that contest."
"Oh, he did not."
"You're pretty definite, baby, but it makes sense to me. When they offered the phone call, suddenly he forgets everything about you?"
"Not everything. He got a bunch right. And why would he give me a phone call?"
"Because he knew the date," Greg said as if it were obvious.
Which it was. But if he'd thrown it, he wouldn't want everyone to know, I was sure of it. "We'll be home in less than a week and I'll see my dad then. Kent had nothing to gain by losing on purpose, and a lot to lose."
"Yeah, that's for sure," Jim said. "Can you imagine how mad they'd be if they thought he'd denied them phone calls?"
We laughed, and I said, driving the point home, "And he has to live with them, not me, so he'd be sure to make them happy. He doesn't care how I feel anyhow."
They nodded and we moved on, but I still wondered.
*****
Kent and Summer arrived at the next day's contest holding hands. His other exes looked as unimpressed as I felt, although they probably didn't feel the pain that ripped through me. He dropped Summer's hand as they approached, but she took his arm instead. Not an improvement.
Day seventeen. After this, I'd see him four more times, then the final episode, then no more Kent. Not seeing him couldn't hurt more than seeing him with Summer. Could it?
"I hope you enjoyed your calls," Peter said to me and my guys, and we nodded.
We'd turned our five collective minutes of phone time into hours of chatting around the fire, rehashing every last second of our conversations. Even Michael had opened up, telling us all about Paige, from how they met to how excited she was about his imminent homecoming. His stories made it clear how much he loved her, and equally clear that somehow he'd managed to get his heart back to where it belonged.
I wished I could too, but my reaction to Kent with Summer told me I wasn't even close.
After Kent sent Kayla to wait on the sidelines, Peter said, "We've been doing a survey on our web site, asking how people would handle some common dating dilemmas. If you give the popular responses, you'll get to move forward. Got it?"
We did, so Peter handed out chalkboards and directed us into the first square of a board-game-like path. The square was a tight f
it, especially since only Summer would stand near Kent on their side, but we were eventually all packed in and Peter read the first question.
"You see a friend's partner out for an apparently romantic dinner with someone else. What do you do?"
Since I'd be afraid I was misreading the situation, I wrote, "Nothing without more proof."
After giving us time to answer, Peter said, "All right. Hold 'em up high, facing me."
Once the clipboards were all in the air, he said, "Confronting the partner was the number one answer. If you have that, three steps forward."
Aaron and Summer moved up three squares, and so did Ashley and Faith.
"Second most popular was telling your friend and letting him or her deal with it."
The rest of my guys moved forward two spaces, and Lily did too, immediately cuddling up to Greg, who slid his arm around her shoulders.
"Traitor," I muttered.
"Third," Peter said, "was doing nothing."
Kent and I took one step forward.
Aaron looked back at me. "You don't know much about dating, baby."
"If I did, I wouldn't be here," I said, and he laughed.
"We're setting them up," Kent said to me, his tone conspiratorial. "Then they'll be more surprised when we win."
"What's this 'we' stuff?" Aaron said.
"That's why it'll surprise you," Kent said, and everyone laughed. I grinned at him, loving how quick he was, and he reached out and brushed his fingers over my good cheek.
"Sorry, you had a bug," he said, his face reddening.
"Th-thanks." My skin blazed where he'd touched it. Had there really been a bug?
Aaron moved into first on the second question, and after that it was all him and Summer. They traded the lead, joking and flirting and trying to hold each other back from taking the next square, but they knew their dating rules and were soon tied two points from the end.
He wrapped his arm around her. "It's been a pleasure. We make a great team."
"We sure do." She snuggled close and smiled up at him.
Kent and I, again in the same square, called, "What's this 'we' stuff?" in near-unison, then looked at each other and laughed.
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