Page 47 of Insta Bride
“Or you could act like human beings and leave us alone for two hours, please.” Elena said before slamming the bathroom door behind her.
“Since you asked so nicely, your two hours start now.”
The red light from the camera had blackened by the time Elena re-joined me on our bed.
I stripped out of my clothes, and she came back wearing a tiger print pyjama top. We’d gotten used to half undressing in case the cameras came on early.
I’d expected to talk like reasonable adults. Instead, I sat next to Elena on the bed, our hips almost touching. Sighing, I faced her. “How could you fucking do that to me?”
“What do you mean?”
“How could you fucking embarrass me like that?”
“Embarrass you?” she snorted, matching my rage. “This wasn’t about you.”
“Then tell me what it was about, Elena because I’ve been trying in this relationship. I keep feeling our connection when we’re around other people, but the moment we walk in the door, you turn that off.”
She sucked at her bottom lip and I could see her eyes begin to glisten. I knew I was pushing too hard, but I knew what we’d had. We could have it again if she’d only trust me. Listen to me. Put her ego aside and realize how good we were together.
This had stopped being a TV show or game days ago.
We still had a chance, but I needed her to find that breaking point so we could rebuild together.
“I thought that you would have chosen someone else,” she stuttered. “I thought in all of those speed dates, they would pick you.”
“Who?” Elena had seen something that I hadn’t, or didn’t exist. “I’ve been all in with you.”
“All of them. They all picked you in their top two in the interviews. This was your chance to convince them to swap. To be with you. You wanted fame; well, you could have had it. Half a dozen women writing your name.”
“Yeah, it would have been a smart move. It would have gotten me more commentary than I’d dreamed, but I didn’t. I didn’t flirt with them. I didn’t even suggest anything other than I’d be writing your name down.”
“You’re telling the truth,” she said after a long pause.
“Yeah.”
“But aren’t you supposed to be the ultimate gameplayer?”
“It stopped being a game.”
“When?”
How could I say that it’s stopped being a game after making love to her the first time? Yeah, not being a dick had been about appeasing Bree and the producers. But I’d developed genuine feels.
“You and I didn’t start off in the right foot but I’m telling you.” I slowly inhaled, trying to calm my frustration. I needed her to hear my words, “I haven’t flirted with another woman since we hooked up. It didn’t occur to me to write down anyone’s name but yours. Although, I couldn’t remember how you spelt it.”
“E. L. E.—”
“Yeah, it was the second E that I didn’t know about.”
“How else would you spell it?”
“E. L. A. N. A.”
“Hmm. You risked spelling my name the wrong way.”
“I’ve risked a hell of a lot more than that. I’ve got your back. The whole speed dating challenge only reminded me that Randi, Georgia, Kenzie and even Darnelia are all one-serve women. After I’ve had a taste, I want something different.”
“And me?”