“Surprise!”
The chorus of shouts erupts from every corner of the living room, and suddenly, people are rushing toward us. Familiar faces I haven’t seen in days, some of them weeks. The energy hits me like stepping into sunlight after a long winter. Bright and overwhelming in the best way.
I barely have time to breathe before RaeAnn barrels into me. “Holy shit, you made it!”
Her arms wrap around me so tightly I nearly lose my balance. I hug her back just as fiercely, the sadness that’s been coiled in my chest since her elimination finally loosens like a knot coming undone.
“I missed you,” I say into her hair.
“You better have.”
When she pulls back, her eyes flick past me toward Alex and then back again, a slow grin spreading across her face as she connects our very obvious dots.
“Oh my God,” she whispers. “It’s really happening, huh?”
“I have so much to tell you,” I say quickly, keeping my voice barely above a whisper, because I absolutely cannot have thisconversation with an audience. The mere thought of someone overhearing all the details has heat creeping up my neck.
RaeAnn snorts a laugh.
Before she can interrogate me further, Ace claps his hands loud enough to cut through the chatter.
“Alright, alright,” he announces, stepping into the center of the room like a self-appointed master of ceremonies. “First, cheers to the final three. You all are the GOATS!”
Everyone raises their drinks toward us.
After taking a gulp from his cup, Ace gestures toward the back doors. “It’s warm outside. Let’s take this party to the pool and celebrate in true LA fashion!”
That’s all the encouragement the group needs.
Within seconds, the energy shifts, the house erupting into movement as people head in different directions to refill drinks, change into swimwear, or snag one of the few lounge chairs beside the pool.
Jasper turns some music on, and suddenly the whole place feels like it’s remembering how to be fun again. Brandon is already arguing with Chloe about who makes the best margarita, which honestly feels more on brand now than ever before.
I hang back for a moment, leaning against the archway near the foyer with a soft smile. It’s strange seeing everyone again like this, outside the pressure cooker of eliminations and challenges. Like the house has reverted to some earlier version of itself, before alliances and goodbyes started carving holes into it.
After I change, I step out onto the patio just as laughter erupts near the pool. With a towel wrapped around me, I slide next to RaeAnn on the lounger she was able to claim. My body settles, but my brain is still playing catch up.
My gaze immediately searches for Alex.
He’s already found a spot at the edge of the pool with Julian, feet dipped in the water. His eyes meet mine with a smirk and a wink before he turns his attention back to his cousin.
The evening air is still warm, carrying the faint scent of chlorine from the pool. String lights glow overhead, reflecting in the water in long, wavering lines.
Closing my eyes, I nestle into RaeAnn’s side as she tells me all about her kids’ newest shenanigans.
This is exactly what I needed. A night that is simply about being present with people I absolutely adore.
I’m halfway through that thought when Lila appears beside Alex.
I don’t know where she came from. One minute she’s near the patio railing talking to Ace, and the next she’s there—leaning casually against his shoulder like she’s done it a hundred times. Which is exactly the problem.
He shifts over, subtly creating space that she immediately takes back like it belongs to her. Her laugh carries across the pool, and my eyes narrow on instinct.
“You know,” she says, tilting her head up at him, voice light and way too confident. “Now that I’m off the show, things are a lot less complicated.”
She isn’t… flirting with him right in front of me, right?
Alex’s posture stiffens, eyes darting to mine.
