Soon enough, there were only two left. Skye felt queasy as her fingers closed around the final flowered strand. She had to choose between two contestants, Lucy and Veronica. The choicewas simple. Easy.Not at all complicated. Logically, Skye knew what made sense. She was well aware which of the two was the safer option.
Veronica had been nice enough, made small talk, and complimented her dress. Lucy clearly wasn’t safe. Lucy made her stomach drop, her palms sweat, and she made Skye feel like she couldn’t catch her breath.
Skye inhaled through her nose and connected her gaze with Lucy. The woman was already watching with a stony gaze that was unreadable.
She brought the lei forward and, with a burst of courage, she said, “Lucy.”
The name came out a little quieter than the others. But no one seemed to notice.
Skye forced herself to hold eye contact as Lucy stepped forward. Her face didn’t change, but her shoulders dipped in relief. Or disappointment. Skye couldn’t tell.
She placed the lei around Lucy’s neck, her fingers brushing for a split second. It was too quick to mean anything. And then she took half a step back and forced a smile, knowing the cameras would still be on her face.
“Thank you,” Lucy said quietly, her voice far more composed than Skye felt.
And then Lucy walked away, taking her seat with the others, leaving only Veronica standing. The cameras stayed trained on her face. She blinked fast as her eyes filled with tears. Skye hated this part. She didn’t know Veronica well, didn’t know if she’d made friends in the villa or if she was just hoping to stay long enough to get more screen time. Still, getting rejected on national television couldn’t be easy.
“I’m sorry,” Skye said, stepping forward. “This isn’t a reflection of who you are. You’re great. Really.”
Veronica nodded, biting at her lip hard. She was clearly trying not to cry. “It’s okay. I had a feeling,”she said with a tight, unconvincing smile.
“I hope you find what you’re looking for,” Skye added. Every season the bachelorette said the same thing, and every season Skye wondered why they said that, but now, saying it out loud, she understood. She really did mean it. She really did want Veronica to find the right woman. If that indeed was what she was looking for.
Veronica’s exit was filmed in silence. One of the PAs led her down the path, but her mic had already been turned off. Skye knew it would only be turned on again once Veronica got back to the villa to pack her bag. Skye would be asked to speak as well, but she couldn’t think about that now, not when eleven women remained.
Including the one she couldn’t stop thinking about.
Chapter Twelve
Lucy poked a piece of pineapple on her plate and then stuffed it into her mouth.It was hot out. She was sitting around the pool, sweating through her Nike shorts. Out of all the loungers she could have chosen, she’d ended up on the one with a broken recline hinge. But by the time she’d figured it out, the rest had all been taken. Which was rather annoying, actually, since she was lying back at an unfortunate forty-three-degree angle. It was too low to sit upright properly and too upright to nap.
Across from her, Amy was sitting at the edge of the pool. She had one leg dangling into the water, the other bent, balancing a bowl of yogurt on her knee.
“She’s avoiding me,” Lucy said, wiping sweat off the back of her neck and adjusting her position for the umpteenth time to get comfortable.
Amy looked up from her bowl. “Who?” she asked, looking as concerned as a peach pit.
“Skye,” Lucy said straight-faced. “She’s been ignoring me for the last three days.”
That earned a reaction. Amy blinked and cocked her head with mild curiosity. “What do you mean Skye is ignoring you? Don’t you think if that were true, she would’ve sent you home last night? Instead, Veronica went home.”
Amy made a good point. But still.
“She didn’t choose me for the sunrise kayak date. Or for the stargazing thing the night after.”
“She didn’t choose me either,” Amy replied. “That doesn’t mean anything.”
“But what about the private beach picnic? Eight girls got to go. It was only me, Alexis, and Nova left behind, butbothof them had gotten a lunch date the day before.” Lucy huffed out a breath. “I’m the only one who hasn’t gotten a date in the last three days. Doesn’t that tell you something?”
“It tells me that you’re spiraling a little,” Amy said, squinting a little.
“I’m not spiraling.” Lucy pulled her legs up onto the lounge chair and wrapped her arms around her knees. “I just…” she paused, not sure how to phrase it without giving anything away. Amy didn’t know that Lucy had slept with Skye. No one did. And that was exactly how it had to remain. But goodness, it was hard to keep it a secret.
“It’s just that when I got here, I wasn’t expecting anything. I thought I’d be the first to go, and I’d be heading home with a suntan and a few free drinks. But now…” she exhaled. “But now, well, I think the bachelorette is kind of amazing, even if she’s not taking me on any dates.”
“Sheisamazing,” Amy said, smirking. “We all think so. That’s why we’re here, isn’t it? To win her heart.”
Lucy pulled a face. “Why aren’t you a ball of nerves like the rest of us?”
