Ivan holds one of my hands, and Derrick the other, with Grant on the other side of him. Drew looks at me for confirmation that I understand.
“Got it, Drew. We know the drill. Bridgette and Bradley drilled it into us after the interview.”
“I just don’t want to see you get sued. Better to be told too many times than not enough.”
As we reach the gate, a large, black SUV waits for us right outside it. Our ride to the airport.
Where all three of them are flying home with me.
Holy shit, they’re flying home with me.
Is my house a mess? I can’t remember how I left it.
Do I have any food for us to eat? I probably should do a grocery order.
And my nest. I need to prioritize getting that set up, even if the idea of it makes my stomach churn a little.
Before I can spiral any more, Drew pulls me away from the guys and into a hug. “I told you this was going to be a good thing, didn’t I?”
“You sure did.”
“Things were touch-and-go for a minute there. I didn’t want those boys to make a liar out of me.” He pats me on the back and pulls away, a fatherly grin touching his lips. “I’m proud of you, Ariana. You faced a lot of fears this week, and I’m sure you’ll inspire plenty of people to face theirs.”
We all say our goodbyes to Drew and pile into the SUV, tired but happy in our silence on the way to the airport.
Audience Reactions
EPISODE EIGHT
boys.with.knots.lost.the.plot.>Knot What You Expected
Honestly, this is an award-winning season. It was everything that the show claims to be about, and it didn’t feel exploitative or cheesy at all. I can’t wait for the reunion show. I already applied for the lottery in hopes of scoring a ticket!
stefkittykat>Knot What You Expected
I’m glad they saved Derrick’s phone call for the finale. I think seeing him at the end of the episode made it that much more powerful. The four of them belong with each other.
SwiftPhantom >Knot What You Expected
Okay, but did Sax and Onion make anyone else want to watchUnexplainable and Bizarre? I had neverheard of it before this, and now I wanna go binge it all.
micachu.reads>Knot What You Expected
POLL: Do you think Derrick has groveled enough for Ariana to bond with him?
Yes
No
Someone was supposed to get pegged
Chapter Thirty-Seven
The flight is short.It’s only about two hours in the air. I don’t know how, but I’m simultaneously amped up and bone tired.
I still can’t get over the fact that they’re flying us on a private plane. It was surreal on the way here, and even more so with the guys beside me. It’s much bigger than we need, so I have to imagine it’s the network’s and usually transports executives. The interior is chic and modern, with chairs facing one another around a table.
After we’ve leveled out and can move around, Derrick grabs my hand and tugs me out of my seat.
