If I knew Cassie, those women would be gone by tomorrow—struck with some unexplainable rash and a creeping sense of dread.
Carter cleared his throat from the bench in front of us. What a pig. If I was the reason things hadn’t worked out between him and the sisters, I’d gladly own that one.
Maybe my guidebook wasn’t all bad.
Roman cast me a brief, furtive glance.
I could feel it—him silently begging me not to judge him for the circus this season had become.
It was strange. Just weeks ago, he couldn’t have cared less about what I thought. Now, my opinion seemed to matter. A lot.
I tried not to make it obvious that I was smiling at him.
A smile that said:I’m totally judging you.
But also:I still like you very much.
Probably not smart with cameras everywhere and half the internet convinced we were the hottest romance of the season. But I couldn’t help it. He was, after all, my other half.
Roman seemed at a loss for words when it came to Carter. But the way he shook his head said what we were all thinking.
And then—an unexpected twist.
A demure, beautiful Black woman stepped through the arch, her presence quiet but commanding. She had a whole Kerry Washington look going for her—elegant, composed, devastatingly beautiful. She was nothing like Carter’ssupposed type.
Before Roman could speak, she whispered, “Hi, Carter.”
Two tiny words. But they carried heartbreak. She loved him. I felt it instantly. And suddenly I knew that Carter loved her too but didn’t think he was good enough for her.
I didn’t know this woman. But I would second that motion—even though I knew, with everything I was, that they were a match.
Yikes.
Love is complicated sometimes.
“Hi, Laila,” Carter said, low and deep. Repentant. Even reverent.
Cassie rolled her eyes beside me.
The twins curled their lips and cast Laila dirty glances. But they were already looking paler. Apparently Cassie had cast her hex the moment they opened their mouths.
Roman stepped in gently. “Why are you here, Laila?”
She stared at Carter, eyes steady. “Honestly? I don’t know. I swore I’d never give Carter another chance. But love makes you do dumb things. Like reality TV shows.”
Amen, sister.
Roman didn’t flinch at the jab. “I hope for your sake you don’t regret your choice to come onLove Unscripted.More importantly, I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
“Me too,” she said quietly before slipping away to stand beside Fiona—putting as much distance as possible between herself and Gemma and Gia, who were now shooting daggers at her with their brown eyes.
Next up was Olivia.
She didn’t even make it through the arch before Todd jumped up like he’d been shot out of a cannon and shouted, “I love you!”
We all snickered. The guy had zero shame.
But honestly, I respected it. Well—except for the part where he missed her toenail clippings. That was still weird. But other than that, I admired how vocal he was. As women, we all wanted a man willing to shout from the rooftops how in love he was with us.
