I waited until Elva’s snores became more consistent, and then, after checking the nanny and the guard would keep watch over her while she slept, I made my way back downstairs. By now the bonfire had started, and I saw the flicker of flames through the sliding glass door before I ever opened it to
Everyone was starting to unwind. I glanced at Nicholas. He was staring hard now into the fire. It made the shadows flicker and dance over the hard plains of his face. “I wouldn’t want you to be a stranger,” I told him. He glanced back at me. “To become strangers means I would have to forget
Bridget watched me expectantly, waiting for an answer. An answer I was far too stunned to give. Which brother did I love? Was there any way to answer that wouldn’t implicate me? Veronica knew that my relationship with Julian was just for show, while my feelings leaned toward Nicholas. But neither
I followed Julian back up the beach, but when he returned to the mansion, I veered back to the bonfire. By now, the fire was dying down. Veronica and Jessica were sitting with their backs to it, facing the ocean. They each had a glass of wine and a marshmallow in hand. The opened bag sat between the
My feelings for Nicholas, however, were not likely to change any time soon. If I had free reign here, Nicholas was the one I would pursue. But the fact was, the cards were stacked against me from the start. I was only in this competition to increase the viewership. I never had a chance of actually
The next morning, I awoke to a knock on the door. Beside me Elva began to rub her eyes. I hadn’t indulged in too much alcohol, unlike some of the other girls, but I still felt a pressure in my head, probably from having stayed up too late. I wanted to turn over in bed and ignore the knocking, bu
“Excuse me,” Nicholas said to Bridget and walked away from her. He met me at the base of the stairs. Behind his back, Bridget narrowed her eyes slightly, but then shrugged and walked back into the kitchen. I still had no idea how she could be so bright. Maybe she’s slipped some liquor into her cof
He was entirely keeping his word when he’d promised to pretend the kiss never happened. I needed to get better at doing the same. I looked back to Nicholas, but a servant interrupted us next. “Please excuse me,” she said. “Nathan is calling everyone out onto the deck for a meeting.” “He’s no