Page 60 of Insta Bride
“Like?”
“This thing with Elena and I.”
“It’s making for good TV.” Bree smiled, “That scene on the boat—priceless.”
“You heard that?” I felt my jaw tighten as I tried to remember how much we’d said.
“Of course, we heard it.”
“I thought the sound of the water would drown out—”
“Kye, for a smart guy, you can be so clueless. We’d had the boat mic’d up before we gave you the keys.
“So, you heard.”
“The declarations of love in the after reality TV life, yes, we heard. Cute stuff. Sounded sincere. Riveting romantic bullshit, but great TV.” Bree looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. Perhaps, I had.
“I didn’t mean for anyone but Elena to hear.”
“Which made it even better TV. Again, clueless.”
Damn, damn, double damn.
“Look, I don’t know how to convince Elena that I’m not the lying, cheating bastard that her ex was.”
“Well, you’ve been on your good behavior for how many days? Perhaps another one or two will take away the stench of your douchebag ways.”
“I need more.” I took a step towards her before checking around for witnesses. “And I’ve got a proposition.”
Quickly, I laid it out.
Of course, initially Bree thought I was mad.
Then she wanted more information about my idea.
“Is this even legal?” she asked, already texting off instructions.
“That’s up to your lawyers. I’m sure I signed my life away.”
After leaving Bree, and spending the day with Elena, I knew two things.
Firstly, I had to be certifiably insane for making the suggestion.
Secondly, I’d do it all again.
Elena had me in stitches, laughing in full body spasms, most of the day. She’d taken to doing impersonations of the other couples, the staff and crew. Knowing the editors would never use footage about the crew, she unleashed her wicked humor, and I couldn’t get enough.
Elena saw the world through tinted glasses that I wanted to beg, borrow or steal. When she was around, I didn’t feel the need for world domination. I was content—a word I’d never thought could apply to me. But, I was content to live in the moment.
As long as Elena was by my side.
“Kye to the diary tent.” The announcement we all dreaded came over the PA system.
“Oooh, Kye’s in trouble,” Georgia chanted, her legs sprawled over Harris in a perpetual state of visible togetherness. Only Elena and I heard them arguing most nights. Apparently, even Harris had gotten tired of the whole sweet on the outside and toxic on the inside that was Georgia. The only thing keeping them on the island was the possibility of winning.
“What are you, still in high school?” I spat out, kissing Elena’s cheek before heading off to the tent.
The suits had enough time to make a decision. If it was illegal and out of the question, they’d have told me within an hour or so. The longer it had taken to haul my ass back to the tent, the more confident I’d felt.