by Megyn Ward
Two hands clamp over my eyes from behind me. A subtle vanilla scent wafts to me and I smile, recognizing an ally. “Alicia. What are you doing here?”
She whisks her hands away and gives me a playful hug. “Who knows? Liesa called Mom and insisted we join the party. Niles is already on his way home, but we aren’t due to fly out for another couple of days.”
I sling my arm around her shoulders, surprised I’d missed her so much. “You’re hanging around longer than usual, aren’t you?”
She rolls her eyes, locating Mom among a trio of other middle-aged women. “Apparently, I’m too serious with Joel Kuxhauser and Niles hopes a separation will cool things off.”
Niles and his manipulations. At least Alicia is smart enough to avoid the extremes of being tossed in Jonas’s cage. “Is he right?”
She grabs a rum punch off the tray of a passing waiter and gives him a flirty smile before taking a sip. “Only partly. I couldn’t care less about Joel, so yeah, pretty cool about that. It’s Bryan Lewis I’d like to ride like a rodeo hero.”
“Oh, jeez.” I laugh anyway, knowing Alicia pays lip service to Mom and Niles and tends to get her way by flying under their radar.
Mom sidles up to me and takes my hands. “Oh, Zach. You look tired. Are you eating? I don’t think this is good for you. I’m going to tell Jonas you need to move back to the condo.”
I kiss Mom’s cheek, something she adores. “I’d love to move home.” I don’t tell her it’ll never happen. That whatever happens next, I’ll never live under Niles’ roof again.
Alicia tips the rum punch back and empties it. “Please do. It would give Mom someone else to focus on for a while.”
Mom pouts at Alicia. “I thought we were having a fun mother/daughter bonding time.”
Alicia plants a kiss on Mom’s other cheek. “I love you, but another high tea and I’m going to puke.”
“Oh, Alicia.” Mom giggles as if Alicia said something hilarious.
Alicia raises her eyebrows at me. “See? Tell me I’m not deserving of a rodeo. Right. Now.”
“Oh,” Mom brightens. “Excuse me, Loretta is on the patio and I need to talk to her about the hospital charity raffle.”
Alicia punches my arm. “And I’ve got to see a man about a horse.” She takes off for the waiter with the drinks tray.
The couple entering the party catch my attention and my stomach clenches. Jonas walks in from the foyer, Mrs. Knightly’s hand resting lightly on his arm. He doesn’t look happy.
At that moment, Liesa makes a grand entrance from the stairs. “Welcome everyone. I’m glad you could make it on such short notice.”
She pauses and sweeps the room with a radiant smile. “Because of the last-minute situation, I decided we’d go super-casual with a buffet and it’s being set up in the dining room. But for now, a bar is open on the patio and Ricky is a genius with all the favorite island cocktails and please help yourselves to the canapes.”
Liesa descends the last step and makes her way through the knots of guests.
In the corner of the room I notice Bob with the camera on his shoulder and Lurch doing his thing next to him. Bob aims the camera at Kylie. Next to him, Jeri watches me with gleaming eyes, as if sitting down to a banquet when she hasn’t eaten in months. Across the room, Jonas flashes a toothy grin and gives me a thumbs up.
Shit. They’re filming Kylie and me. My knee-jerk reaction is to grab Kylie and hide. But you know what, fuck that.
Fuck them.
I take a step in Kylie’s direction and her eyes brighten. Yep, this is the moment I’m going to take her hand and walk out. No big explanation, no drama for the cameras. Just me and Kylie.
What about Liesa?
She can take care of herself.
She’s as trapped as you are.
But Kylie.
Someone laces a hand through my arm and Liesa leans close. “It’s show time.”
I look into her sapphire-colored eyes. Have they always been that blue? So much like Kylies? “Where can we go? We need to talk.”
She runs her fingers down my arm to twine them with mine. “We’ll talk later. Right now, I’ve got something I want to say in front of all my friends.”
Kylie leans against the wall by the kitchen door. She keeps her eyes on us, never noticing Bob. I want to shout at her to run. Whatever Liesa has planned, it won’t be good for either of us.
Liesa tugs me toward the stairs, she wears a determined smile and she searches the room, her gaze finally lighting on Jonas. When they lock eyes, she raises her chin in a defiant gesture and yanks me through a collection of hangers-on and paid actors who hover around Liesa and pretend to be her friend for a weekly paycheck.
Worry lines crease Jonas’s forehead and he shoves through the packed great room as if to intercept us. Kylie stands tall with sudden tension, her focus flitting between Jonas and me, fear overcoming the earlier excitement.
Alicia stands in the middle of a group of Liesa’s friends, nibbling on a crab puff and gulping on a rum punch. Mom looks up from her circle of ladies, mildly irritated at the interruption.
Liesa drags me to the stairs and jumps up, pulling me behind her. She shoves me three steps up and still holding my hand, she raises her voice. “Everyone! I have something I want to say.”
All heads turn toward us. Jonas now stands directly below, seething. Whatever is about to happen, he’d give his left nut to stop it. Across the room, Simone stares at us, mimosa frozen halfway to her lips. Mrs. Knightly has found a chair in the middle of the room and balances a teacup with regal grace, an amused expression on her face.
I seek out Kylie. She’s out of place and so perfect all at once. I tug my hand away from Liesa but she doesn’t seem to notice.
She pauses, waiting for silence. When she seems satisfied she has every ounce of attention, she pivots toward me and dips to one knee.
What the fuck is she doing?
A muffled gasp rises from the guests.
“Zach, I’ve been trying to hold back, to take everything slowly so I’m sure it’s right. But it’s no secret how much I adore you. To my friends and family, it may not seem like we’ve known each other long, but I feel as though we’ve known each other forever. I’m ready to commit to you and don’t want to wait another minute.”
I feel as though I’m being sucked into a swirling vortex. The only way out is to humiliate and crush Liesa in front of everyone she knows. I can’t do that to her. Not this publicly. In desperation, I look out on the room. Several of Liesa’s friends stand teary-eyed, their hands to their mouths or breasts. Simone looks mad enough to bite her champagne flute in half. Mrs. Knightly looks like she can’t wait to see what going to happen next.
Kylie hasn’t moved. She looks mesmerized by the scene playing out in front of her. I want to explain that this is for the camera only. Liesa knows I love Kylie. That she’s who I want to be with. As hurtful as that might be, she’ll have to understand. But for now, we’re trapped in Liesa’s web.
Liesa fumbles in the pocket of her party dress and pulls out a velvet ring box. She lets go of my hand to open the box and pops out a band encrusted with diamond chips. The gaudiest ring available, I have no doubt.
Without waiting for my response and while I stand like the biggest dipshit on the planet, she slips it on my left ring finger. “I know there’s no such thing as engagement rings for guys, but it isn’t typical for the girl to pop the question like this, either. That’s one thing you know about me. I make my own rules.”
“Liesa,” I start. This has gone too far. I can’t do this to Kylie.
She tugs my hand and when I look down at her, I see a desperate girl. I can’t let her down this publicly.
She draws my hand to her chest. “Zach, will you marry me?”
With one last glance at Kylie, pleading for her to understand, I say, “Yes.”
Liesa throws herself into my arms and kisses me. Around the side of her head, I see the kitchen door swing and the
flash of Kylie’s ponytail.
Thirty-Nine
Zach
We spend the next two hours tied to each other. Every time I try to sneak off to find Kylie, Liesa grabs my hand or throws her arms around me to pose for a picture. She holds my hand up next to her face and makes sure all her friends snap shots for every social media outlet known to man. It probably gets telegraphed to outer space to circle the universe in perpetuity.
Jonas fumes on the patio, knocking back scotches and staring out at the ocean when he isn’t scowling at Liesa and me. Simone joins him with her bottomless mimosa. I manage to squeeze in two tequila sunrises.
Mom gives me hugs and kisses and tells me how happy she is for me and admonishes me for not letting her know how much I care for Liesa. She makes me promise we’ll have dinner in the next few days, so she can get to know her future daughter-in-law.
Alicia, clearly drunk, does not congratulate me. “This is seriously fucked.”
I grab her in an unexpected hug and whisper in her ear. “Find Kylie. Tell her I’m sorry.”
She jerks away from my embrace. “You’re an asshole.” She disappears into the foyer. So much for an ally.
The buffet is served, people eat and drink and Liesa and I pose for pictures. Where is Kylie?
We stand together on the curved drive while the guests filter out, Mrs. Knightly approaches us. She grabs my hand in her right and Liesa’s in her left. With flashing blue eyes, she speaks directly to Liesa. “I’ve developed a fondness for you over these past few months. After all you’ve been through, you deserve to find the love of your life.”
Despite what seems like a congratulatory statement from Mrs. Knightly, Liesa’s glowing smiles fades.
Mrs. Knightly lets go of my hand and taps a hard nail into my chest. “Pull your head out of your ass, son. Time is running out.”
Mrs. Knightly tugs on Liesa’s hand. “I trust you, my dear. But I can’t say I’m not concerned by the suddenness of this play.”
Liesa hugs Mrs. Knightly in what appears to be spontaneous affection. “It’s for the best.”
“Hmf.” Mrs. Knightly doesn’t seem convinced.
A black town car purrs up the curved driveway and the chauffeur jumps out to open the door for Mrs. Knightly. He helps her into the back seat. “Thank you, Mac. You can return for Mr. Knightly later.”
When the driver scurries behind the wheel and drives off, I scan the driveway for Bob or Jeri. With no one in sight, I lean into Liesa and quietly start. “Why didn’t you tell me you planned this?”
Her lip turns up in a snarl. “Because I can’t trust you. Because despite my every warning, you can’t seem to keep it in your pants. Because the only way out for Kylie is to dig ourselves in deeper.”
I stand with my mouth open.
With her voice quiet, but full of fury, she shoots words like an automatic rifle. “Do you think I want this? Believe it or not my dreams of a wedding don’t involve a reluctant bridegroom and a rushed ceremony. But you and your Can’t-Keep-My-Hands-Off-You girlfriend have fucked everything up. If you can think of another way to keep Jonas from airing that clip, do it. All I know is that if we’ve got drama enough to keep viewers entertained, he’ll back off from Kylie.”
Forty
Zach
We enter the house to my worst nightmare. Jonas, Simone, and Jeri sit in the great room. Liesa and I try to skirt them and go directly to the stairs and up to our rooms, but Jonas’s voice stops us.
“Now. In here.”
Liesa and I hesitate, eyes locked on each other. How will we get through this? Without much thought we hold hands and walk slowly to our execution. I would gladly shoot myself between the eyes when I see Kylie.
She sits in a white leather chair a few feet from the conversation arrangement where the sharks await us. She focuses on the window to the patio and doesn’t look at us when we walk in. Red circles rim her eyes and she clasps her hands in her lap, her flip-flops are kicked off and her feet twist together on the tile floor. She looks pale and wrung out. Liesa’s right. We need to do whatever it takes to push Kylie out of this life.
Liesa inhales sharply when she sees Kylie and quickly addresses Jonas in a curt voice. “Can this wait? After the surprise party and all the emotional excitement, I’m exhausted and have a headache.”
“Sit down,” Simone says, all trace of drunkenness gone.
Liesa huffs an irritated breath and flounces in, throwing herself on the sofa next to her mother. She holds her hand out to me and I pull my attention from Kylie to take it and prop myself on the arm of the sofa next to Liesa.
“Okay, Zach.” Jonas jumps up from his chair as if too angry to sit still. “What the fuck was that?”
My last chance to save you, Kylie. Please understand I didn’t betray you. I hold firm against Jonas’s rage. “The storyline is stale. Will Liesa and I get together? Will the virgin succumb? People aren’t tuning in for that bullshit. So, let’s go Bridezilla on them. Think of product placement. Everyone loves a wedding.”
Simone folds her arms, a long fingernail tapping against her elbow. “I think Liesa should recant. The competition story had legs. We barely got started on it. If Zach and I actually have sex, it would really add some heat.”
Kylie jerks as if someone stuck her with a pin.
Liesa glares at Simone. “No one wants to see you seduce Zach, except you.”
Jeri considers this. “She’s right. The last test group lost interest when the storyline turned to Simone.”
“That’s because Zach won’t do his part. He refuses to play to the chemistry between us.” Simone throws herself back against the sofa cushion.
Jeri leans forward, focused on Kylie. “We can drag this wedding thing into next season. We do a few episodes now, picking bridesmaids and colors. The dress itself will be fantastic. But our cliffhanger at season end can be Liesa discovering the whole time Zach and Kylie have been screwing in Kylie’s room.”
All eyes turn to Kylie. Her chin juts out and she sits as if turned into a pillar of salt.
Simone curls her lip. “You’re playing her like some kind of slutty Cinderella. All big blue eyes and struggling. But she’s not attractive and has the personality of a dirty dishrag. I say drop her. There’s way more interest in a mother/daughter battle.”
Kylie’s eyes glitter, but not with tears. She looks on the verge of exploding in molten rage.
“No.” Liesa stands up. “We’re not dragging out the wedding. Viewers are going to expect that. We’re going to get married in two weeks. One episode for the planning and the next is the ceremony.”
Everyone stares at her. Jeri starts to speak. “We’ll be missing a great opportun—”
Jonas slashes a hand through the air to silence her. His attention settles on Liesa as he considers. If there was a clock in the room, we would hear it tick.
I ach to take Kylie in my arms and protect her from these vultures treating her like a commodity. It’s my fault she’s sucked into this and I need to make sure she escapes.
I open my mouth to speak. Liesa tugs on my hand and when I shift to look at her, she reaches up and kisses me, effectively muzzling my comment.
Jonas nods. “Okay. Sure. But I want you two to up the love and devotion. Let’s go two-hundred percent romance.”
Simone pushes herself to stand. “This is a mistake. I say Zach and I fuck and make it all explode on the screen. Then bring in little doe-eyes. Maybe do a three-way.”
In the silence that follows her outburst, Liesa speaks in deadpan. “Shut up, Mother. You’re drunk.”
Jeri smirks and Jonas ignores them both.
Liesa stands. “The wedding will make good TV. But the truth is I love Zach and for once in my life, I want to do something real. I’m going to marry Zach in two weeks. You can either run with it or mask it. I don’t give a shit.”
Kylie finally shifts from her study of the ocean and focuses on me. Pure hate shoots across the room and scalds me. I can’t blam
e her. But hate is better than tears. Jonas still has the shower scene and, according to Liesa, last night’s record of what happened in Kylie’s bed. But Jonas can’t use it until next season. I’ll come up with something else by then.
In the meantime, I’m about to become a groom.
Forty-One
Kylie
How could I be so stupid? What part of me believed Zach really wants me? Liesa was right all along. It’s my own fault for letting my heart rule my head. But damn it, I honestly believed Zach cared. Like Mom always told me, boys will say anything to get you into bed. Why had I thought Zach was any different?
Guard your heart.
Good job of that, Kylie.
What’s worse? The video of me and Zach in the shower playing on America’s screens, or Zach and Liesa getting married? Why should I care? Zach is an asshat I wouldn’t want to be with anyway. He and Liesa might as well spend the rest of their lives making each other miserable. Good riddance.
Those are not tears I swipe off my face as I enter the hospital, just sweat from the island air. I make my way through the busy hallway to Diana’s room. There’s laughter and music wafting down the hall. I walk into what appears to be a party in full swing. The woman in the bed next to Diana’s sits on her mattress, legs swinging over the side, a bright orange and black scarf wrapped around her head. She laughs and directs others to pack up her things, the food containers, the pillows and blankets.
No one occupies the last bed by the window and a pang of sadness hits me before I turn my attention back to the celebration.
Diana is also sitting on her bed, dressed in a sundress and flip-flops. The swelling has mostly receded and she doesn’t look as pale and sickly as yesterday. A shy smile flits on her face when she sees me.
I stop between the two beds. “Is it a mass exodus?”
Diana nods. “They’re springing us both. Marguerite’s mother is moving in to help for the rest of the recovery, Wanda healed up, and Dr. Bodden says I’m good to go, too. Blake is finishing the paperwork and we’re out of here.”