Bella and Lennon have to pick each other.
Game over.
We win.
Well, Bella and Lennon win, actually. I lost last week when Jace was sent home, but that’s fine. My prize is waiting for me in Miami.
“I like it,” Milo finally says.
After we all agree, we finalize the details of the plan and sneak back out of Gage’s villa and into our own. Lennon and I have a hot date tonight, but before that happens, I have to text Jace. We swore not to tell anyone what we were up to, but I’m afraid what he’s about to see will break his heart if he’s not warned.
ME: Whatever you see or hear, don’t put too much stock in it. I’ll explain why later. Just remember I love you and only you.
Changing into a skimpy black dress, I’m about to step into my heels when there’s a knock at my door. Looking at the clock, I notice Lennon is a few minutes early. I’m still mentally preparing but force a sinister grin on my face as I open the door.
Only it’s not Lennon.
It’s Courtney.
“Long time no see,” she coos, pushing past me and into my villa, inviting herself in.
“Not long enough. What do you want? Shouldn’t you be shacking up with the rest of the contestants that have been voted off?”
We decided we would play stupid to Courtney’s part in all of this. I didn’t see her face, only recognized her voice. Her showing up here is confirmation, not that I needed it.
“I think you know why I’m here. Who did you tell?”
“Tell what?” I ask, tilting my head for dramatic effect.
“Don’t play dumb, Presley. It’s not an attractive quality.”
“Neither is acting like a bitch, but you make it look so easy it’s hard to tell if it’s real or fake. Kind of like your tits.”
The petty remark slips past my lips before I can stop myself.
She moves so quickly I barely have time to take a step back as she thrusts her face in mine. “Keep your trap shut, Presley, or losing this game won’t be the only consequence of your actions.”
She slams the door shut on her way out before I can reply. There has to be a bigger reason she wants to keep her involvement quiet, and I can’t wait to find out what it is.
Chapter Twelve
Day 41
My date with Lennon was filled with intense stares, inappropriate touching, and a lot of tongue. Hell, we ended the night rolling around on my bed, making out for the cameras.
And as soon as he left, I went in the bathroom and cried. Not because I didn’t enjoy kissing Lennon or felt anything for him, but because Jace is going to see the footage at some point in time, and it’s going to hurt him. He’s not going to understand. My only hope is that he’ll give me a chance to explain. That he’ll put two and two together and my text will be enough to keep him from shutting me out.
It’s a risk.
One I have to take.
I only hope I don’t lose more than I gain in the process.
At least today I don’t have to kiss anyone. My date is with Milo. He and I are just friends, and that’s how we are expected to play this the rest of the week. I can’t wait to hear how his date with Bella went last night. They were both nervous about pretending to start something.
I get it.
It’s out of the blue, and no one will be expecting it.
Which is why it works.
Viewers won’t bat an eye at Lennon and I getting together. But Bella and Milo . . . they won’t see that coming. That’s the point, though. To catch them off guard and then, when we make our final selections, rock everyone’s world.
We just have to keep our eye on the prize at this point. It’s the last day to make an impression. Lennon and I are sneaking out to meet each other later tonight and letting the cameramen follow us on purpose. Milo is sneaking into Bella’s villa and sleeping over. We have to make the most of this, and our time is limited.
But first I need to check on Bella. I was rattled after Lennon last night, and it’s my plan. I’ve kissed him before. Multiple times. Contemplated choosing him over Jace.
She has no interest in Milo.
Knocking on her door, I hear her holler for me to come in. When I open the door, I’m surprised to find not only her inside, wearing a skimpy tank top and short running shorts, but Milo. Shirtless. Looking like he just woke up.
“Good morning?” It comes out sounding more like a question than a statement.
“Hey,” Bella greets me, turning away and pouring a cup of coffee.
“What’s up?” Milo asks, leaning back against the couch, acting as cool as a cucumber.
Either they’re very good at acting or something between them has changed in the last twelve hours.
“I just came over to talk to Bella and see if she wanted to hang out by the pool for a little while,” I explain, taking the cup of coffee she’s handing me.
“That sounds like fun. I could use a relaxing day by the pool after yesterday,” she notes, making eye contact with Milo for a brief moment before averting her eyes.
Yeah, something has definitely changed or at least that’s what they want people to think. And if that’s the case, their acting skills are far better than I expected.
Bella slips into her room to change, but before she closes the door, I notice Milo’s discarded shirt on her floor. The same shirt he was wearing when we were at Gage’s villa yesterday.
“So how was last night? You two have fun?” I inquire, taking the seat next to him and lowering my voice.
“Yup.”
“Want to elaborate on that?”
“Nope.”
“Later?”
“Maybe.”
Our conversation is cut short when Bella reappears and tosses Milo’s shirt at his head. It covers part of his face but not his sinister smile.
After Bella and I have been situated at the pool long enough to flip over twice, not conversing at all, the cameraman takes a break, giving us a moment alone.
“So how did part one of the plan go?” I ask, keeping my voice low as I turn my head in her direction but not moving otherwise.
“Great. We never left my place. He stayed over. We gave the cameras a little show and had fun with it. Milo was such a gentleman. He made me feel comfortable when I was freaking out. I’m pretty sure there’s no way people won’t buy it.”
“Perfect.”
“What about you?” Bella’s voice is hesitant. I know she has feelings for Lennon, the main reason I want them to choose each other in the end, but it won’t be easy for her to hear about him with me. Especially knowing she’s still concerned he’ll choose me over her.
“The same except he didn’t stay over. I was a hot mess by the time we said goodnight. I cried in the bathroom for almost an hour before I pulled myself together.”
“Why?”
“Because I know Jace will see us making out, and I know that’s going to hurt him.”
“Don’t worry about that. You’ll explain what we’re doing, and we all have your back, including Lennon. Everything is going to be fine, and we’re going to pull the rug out from under the producers. It’s going to be epic.”
“Courtney came to see me,” I quickly say when I spot the cameraman headed in our direction. “She knows I know and threatened me. I played dumb, but she didn’t buy it.”
Bella grins at me before closing her eyes and pretending to be asleep as the cameraman hoists his camera back on his shoulder, pointing it directly at us. I place my hand on Bella’s shoulder and act like I’m shaking her awake, asking if she wants to jump in the pool. She bats her eyes a few times, feigning sleepiness, and then agrees.
We spend the rest of the afternoon in the pool, hanging close to the cameraman, fawning all over the guys as if we are in love and nothing is going to change our minds.
Selling our stories.
It’s actually kind of fun. Until it’s not anymore when Claudia breezes through the gates with a look of hatred on her face d
irected at me.
“A moment of your time, Presley,” she seethes.
“Of course,” I reply, chipper than ever.
It’s not until we’re back at my villa, behind closed doors, that she says anything else.
“What did you hear?”
How do I want to play this? I could tell her the truth and blackmail her to let the chips fall where they fall. Which will be exactly where we want them to. Or I can bribe her for more information. Or I can do what I did yesterday with Courtney and play dumb.
I wasn’t able to convince Courtney, and lying isn’t my specialty, so I opt for somewhere in the middle.
“Enough to know that Jace was eliminated without cause.”
“He was eliminated because of his actions.”
“So, it had nothing to do with a trending hashtag that in turn caused decreased ratings because the show had become predictable?” I counter, challenging her statement.
“No. He broke the rules, and we removed him. I won’t lie and say it doesn’t help our ratings now that the finale is up in the air.”
“Tell me what he did and I’ll drop it, pretend I didn’t hear anything.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Then I can’t keep my mouth shut about how this show is rigged.”
“You can and you will. You signed a non-disclosure agreement.”
“An agreement that ends the second the cameras stop rolling. Or did you forget that we were all given permission to discuss the show after it was over should anyone be interested in contacting us for interviews?”
Claudia opens and shuts her mouth quickly, surprised I’m aware of the fine print of my contract. Not that I read it. Lennon may have been whispering details in my ear last night while he pretended to kiss my neck.
“That’s right. This can be our little secret for the next few days or forever. Your choice,” I continue when she doesn’t reply.
“He posted a picture on his social media after he arrived. Happy now?”
“No, I’m not. Because if he posted it after he arrived, that means you guys have been sitting on that information for the past few weeks waiting to kick him off the shows when it suited you.”
Again, she’s silent, and I take her silence as confirmation of my accusation. Not that it matters. I already agreed to keep her little secret, and she gave me the information I needed. As soon as she slams my door behind her, I let out a sigh and plop down on the sofa in defeat.
Because I didn’t win. Not even close.
At least it doesn’t feel that way right now.
Sure, I know why Jace isn’t here anymore, but I still feel like our relationship was controlled by the producers. We were allowed to be together until it didn’t suit them anymore. Then we were ripped apart.
I’m sick of them scripting my life. I’m sick of pretending to follow that script and fighting them at every turn. I want more than making out with Lennon to bring them down. More than a cheap trick to pay them back for the inhumanity they’ve shown me. Shown all of us.
Pulling out my phone, I shoot Claudia a text.
ME: The finale is going to blow up in your face unless the producers find a way to fix the mistakes they’ve made. Courtney, Jace, Gage . . . I suggest you start rewriting the script before it’s too late and they discontinue any talk of another season.
It’s a shot in the dark mentioning Gage especially without any proof, but I take it anyway.
“Are you serious?” Milo asks as the waiter pours us each another glass of wine.
All four of us were ushered off the ranch shortly after I sent my text to Claudia and dropped at the bowling alley. An hour after arriving, Bella and Lennon were picked up and told they were going to be taken to a restaurant for dinner. The same driver came back for me and Milo shortly after.
To my surprise, there’s not a camera in sight. No one followed us into the restaurant. The driver didn’t even wait outside for us to finish. We are on our own for the next few hours.
And it feels freeing.
“Yup. She basically admitted they sat on the info until it suited them to use it.”
I was going to tell everyone at the bowling alley about my conversation with Claudia, but we weren’t sure if we were being watched or not. I didn’t want someone to overhear us.
“What a bitch. Not that I’m surprised. The more we learn, the more I see what’s been going on over the past few weeks.” Milo’s statement catches me off guard.
“Like what?”
“Like when I saw Gage and Claudia laughing the first day.”
Thinking back, I remember seeing Gage for the first time. He was with Claudia, walking to his villa. Milo hadn’t arrived yet. It was only me and Jace.
“When was that? Jace and I saw him when he arrived, and they were laughing together, but you hadn’t shown up.”
“It was when I showed up. She showed me to my villa, and he was standing outside his. He called her over, and they had a short conversation, but they were laughing together. She struck me as a serious bitch from the get-go, so I remember how odd it seemed.”
“So, Gage was the insider.”
“It makes sense now, but he gave us no reason to assume that when he was here.”
“Neither did Courtney,” I reply flippantly.
Milo nods as he takes a small sip of his wine. When he sets his glass down, he reaches across the table and takes my hands in his, caressing my knuckles with his thumbs.
“I know you’re ready for this to be over and everything, but I really hope we can stay friends after this, Presley. I like you, and if for some reason things don’t work out with Jace, I was kind of hoping we might be able to see if we could explore being more than friends.” The sincerity in his voice causes me to tear up. My emotions are all over the place right now.
“You’re sweet, Milo, but if things don’t work out with Jace, I think I’m going to need a break from dating for a while. A long while, in fact.”
“Because of your ex?” he asks, still caressing my hands.
“No, because I love Jace more than I ever loved my ex. Because I only see myself with him. Maybe I’m delusional or blinded by what I think we feel for each other, but right now the idea of not being with him is devastating. I’ve felt my heart shatter once before or so I thought. I have a feeling that was mild in comparison to how I’d feel if I lost him.”
“Wow,” he exclaims, releasing my hands and sitting back in his chair. “I can only hope to find something like that someday. I’m happy for you, Presley, I really am. I pray he realizes how lucky he is.”
“Me too. Me. Too.”
Milo changes the conversation easily back to Claudia, the show, and how we’re going to blow up their finale with our little scheme. He gives me more details about his evening with Bella and admits that he enjoyed kissing her but didn’t feel a spark. She said as much earlier, but I knew she wouldn’t feel anything. Her heart has already been claimed, and it doesn’t matter who else she kisses, once given the chance, she’ll jump into Lennon’s arms.
Which will hopefully be Sunday night.
At the finale.
As long as everyone sticks to the plan.
This part concerns me since Milo is supposed to choose Bella and I’m choosing him. If he changes his mind and picks me, the entire plan fails. There can’t be two winners. I need the chips to fall where they are supposed to for us to get the results we want.
As we’re waiting out front for the town car, I reiterate that point to Milo.
“Don’t forget the plan for Sunday. Bella and I are shopping tomorrow, so we may not see you guys. We won’t have time to adjust anything before the ceremony.”
“I know. I’m still on board, I swear. I didn’t mean to make you doubt me.”
“So, you’re going to vote for Bella.”
“Yeah,” he replies, letting out a defeated sigh.
“We’ll always be friends, Milo. I know that’s not what you want to hear right now, but it’s
all I have to give. Let’s end this, go back to our lives, and we can figure things out from there, okay?”
He nods as the car pulls up to the curb.
“For the record, Presley, all of us wanted your attention. From day one. I’m not sure what Jace did to win you over, but I think we all wish we had beat him to it.”
I can’t help but smile. Most of the guys made me feel special, loved in their own way. They’ve all treated me with kindness. I had fun on almost every date, even when I didn’t think I would.
But Jace . . . There was just something about him. Even when I was considering Lennon, I think that was just me trying to deny the strong attraction I felt for Jace.
“He saw me first,” I state with a shrug.
Chapter Thirteen
Day 42
Two more days.
I feel like I should be making large red slash marks on a calendar, counting down until I can leave. Until this is over.
Especially after last night.
Lennon came over after he got back from dinner with Bella as planned. We were making out on the sofa when things started to get a little hot and heavy. I couldn’t tell if he was acting or if it was real, so I pulled back, wanting to put space between us.
It felt real.
More real than the kisses we shared the night before.
Hell, if I’m being honest with myself, the way he was kissing me was more passionate than when he was vying for my attention. And those kisses . . . those drove me crazy.
I would get caught up in the moment kissing Lennon.
Not this time.
This time I was thinking about Jace and how kissing Lennon felt wrong. How it felt like I was cheating on him. Which, in turn, made me think about Wren. About how he cheated on me.
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