“It sucks,” Boone says in his growly voice.
“But it’s not bad that it’s Rand,” Liam counters. “At least he’s a good guy. It would have been really tough to see someone like Phillippe or the Lucs with her.”
“So it wasn’t just me with Phillippe?”
Liam shakes his head. “Slimy.”
“Douche,” Boone agrees.
“Who are we bad-mouthing?” Ashton offers me another bottle.
“Phillippe?” Tanner guesses as he joins us. “Or are we back to Lucas?”
I have to laugh. “No one liked him either?”
“Nah,” Ashton. “Small-town guys.”
“Your sister lives in a small town now,” I remind him, clinking bottles with him.
“To my dismay.”
“We have you to thank for getting rid of him,” Liam says. “You called him out about having a girlfriend.”
“I didn’t know for sure.”
“This is why the show gets a bad name,” Eliott grumbles. “Guys like him out for their fifteen minutes of fame.”
“Instead of the heart of a good woman.” Ashton rolls his eyes.
“Why are you here, then?” Boone demands.
“I think the more important question should be to this guy.” Ashton points his bottle at me. “What was with that dance?”
“Yeah! Dude,” Leo joins in. “It took me weeks to move like that and you walk about and show me up.”
“It wasn’t the first time,” I admit. “We went to a dance once and Lyra thought—”
“You take dance class with her or something?” Boone growls.
“Something. She took a lot of dance classes when she was younger, and it worked.”
“You think now is the time for it to work out for you?” Liam asks sadly.
I shrug. “Like everyone here, if I didn’t take the chance, I might never have another one. You guys—any one of you could make her fall in love with you, and if I was left at home watching that?” I shook my head. “I would regret it forever.”
It’s funny how I’m no longer regretting my decision to join the show.
34
Lyra
I
carrytheflowersRandgave me as we walk to a gazebo on the side of the hotel.
“These are beautiful,” I tell him for the third time.
“Not as beautiful as you.” It’s strange for him to sound so serious. I haven’t spent much time with him, but all of our interactions have been light-hearted and funny. Rand is a very funny guy.
