Ellie

We’re brushing our teeth when Paisley drops her bombshell. “I’ll cover for you if you want.”

My toothbrush goes still as I meet her blue eyes in the mirror.

“What?” I ask.

She gives me a foamy grin, then spits and wipes her mouth. “Tonight, with Eden. And every other night you sneak out.”

Toothpaste foam is now oozing down my chin, so I spit and rinse, and turn to face her. “You knew?”

“Yes, and you’re lucky it’s me who figured it out and not the Wicked Witch,” Paisley says, wagging a playful finger at me. “It’s to see him, isn’t it? You and Gage are having a secret affair.”

“No!” I exclaim. “I mean, yes, it’s Gage, but no on the secret affair.”

Her nose scrunches. “Then what are you doing?” I glance toward the open bathroom door, but she waves a hand. “Eden’s off gossiping with Aurora. Spill.”

I shut the bathroom door just in case Eden comes back in. “Okay, but you can’t tell.”

“I ugly-cry when I’m insulted, so you’d better stop that. Of course I won’t tell anyone.”

I take a deep breath. “I’m sort of…spying for him.”

Her eyes go wide. “Oh, that’s wonderfully scandalous. That’s how he seems to get rid of the ones with the crazy plans. You haven’t said anything about me, have you?”

“Of course not,” I scoff. “You’re my friend.”

“A spy,” she says, tapping her fingers against her mouth. “This is perfect. How do we get rid of Brooklyn?”

“What’s wrong with Brooklyn?”

“Um, did you not see what I saw tonight? She’s your competition, babe. She’s playing him exactly right, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her at their little balcony rendezvous that the rest of us had to watch from a distance.”

I flinch before I can help it. I’ve been trying to tell myself all night that it doesn’t matter. That I don’t care that he picked Brooklyn, or that they seemed so perfect together. But the knot in my stomach still hasn’t loosened.

It’s not so much that he chose her as that he seemed to enjoy being with her. I know the guy well enough to know by now when he’s got his fake laugh and smile firmly in place, and as I watched him and Brooklyn laugh over champagne, it was clear that it was for real.

I don’t care. I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care.

“Okay, first of all,” I tell Paisley, “I’m not going to sabotage anyone. I mean, yeah, I told him about Maria’s plan to turn him into a baby daddy, and that Naomi was married, because he deserved to know. But I’m not going to bash the contestants just because.”

She sighs. “Fiiiiiine. What’s the second of all?”

“What?”

“You said ‘first of all.’ That implies a second thing.”

“Oh, right. Second, Brooklyn’s not my competition, because I’m not competing.”

“We all are, hon. It’s why we’re here.”

I shake my head. “Not me. I don’t want him. I don’t want to win. In fact, I’ve been trying to go home since the very beginning.”

She studies me for a second. “You know, I sensed at the beginning that you didn’t want to be here. You did it to promote your company, huh?”

I nod.

“But are you sure that’s why you’re still here?”

“Well…he and I did make a deal. That I would stick around and help him out with the weirdos, and in exchange he’ll help me pimp my business.”

“And yet”—she holds up a finger, then gestures at my dress—“what are we wearing today, hon?”

I glance down at the strappy white sundress that Marjorie bought me when she found out I’d been accepted on the show. “So?”

“So this is about more than just your business,” she says softly. “And it’s about more than being a spy for him.”

I shake my head. “No.”

“Fine. Okay. Remember that you made me do this.” She opens the bathroom door and goes into the bedroom.

“Do what?” I follow her, then squeak in protest when she steps on the bottom bunk and rummages around under my pillow.

“I knew it.” She waves my cellphone at me, turns it on, then gives me a look. “Oh, honey. No passcode? Amateur hour.”

“I’m not used to people stealing it,” I say, making a dive for it. “Lesson learned, and I’ll remedy it immediately. Give it.”

She’s taller than me, and holds it over my head, her thumbs flying across the screen before giving me a triumphant smile. “There we go!”

“There we go what?” I say, grabbing the phone.

I groan when I see what she’s done. “Oh, Paisley.”

She’s texted Gage: Meet in fifteen?

“I can’t. It’s only ten-thirty. People will know.”

“I told you, I’ll cover with Eden. I’ll say you weren’t feeling well after dinner and took a walk. And everyone else will be going to sleep soon. You know how it’s been—I’ve never heard the phrase ‘beauty sleep’ uttered without irony as much as I have on this show.”

“I don’t have anything to say to him.”

She waggles her eyebrows. “Who said anything about talking?”

I tap my phone against my palm. “You know that I’m also your competition, right? You’re supposed to want him for yourself.”

“And if I thought there was even a chance he’d like me back, I might. But I see the way he looks at you, El. Like he can’t figure out what to do with you, but definitely wants to do something.”

“He’s just baffled because I’m one of the few women who can spend an extended amount of time without wanting to hang his poster above my bed or get his name tattooed on my butt.”

“Have you kissed him?”

“No.”

She lifts her eyebrows and crosses her arms.

“Okay, fine, once. But only because I goaded him. It didn’t mean anything, and—”

“Was there a camera?”

I shake my head.

“Exactly. Whatever’s going on with you two, it’s not about the show, Ellie.”

“I do like him,” I admit. “As a friend.”

“Well, then, if that’s all it is, take it! There are worse things in the world than befriending Gage Barrett.”

My phone buzzes, and I glance down to see an incoming message from Gage: On my way.

Paisley laughs, and I look up. “What?”

She merely shakes her head. “If you could only see the happiness on your face right now. ‘Just friends’ my ass.”

I roll my eyes. “Whatever. I need to change.”

I open my designated dresser drawer, but she closes it again. “Wear what you’re wearing.”

I glance down at the dress and sandals. “I usually wear my pajamas when I meet him.”

“Wear that,” she says again. “Now, give me your phone. I’ll hide it before Evil gets back.”

I laugh at the nickname for Eden, then reach out and give Paisley a spontaneous hug. “Thank you. It feels good to talk to someone about this.”

She hugs me back. “You’re welcome. You can pay me back by at least ensuring I stick around longer than Evil.”

“Done.”

Paisley pulls back and plucks my phone from my hand, then fluffs my hair. “Okay. Go.”

I roll my eyes and do as she instructs. And as I head toward our closet, I let myself acknowledge just how much I’m looking forward to seeing him again.

Almost like I’ve missed him.

Damn it. When did that happen?