After Lacey leaves us, I assume to tell the entire crew and Chris that I am pregnant. I assume it’s because they would have to know just in case, I can’t make it on the stage. Though I know that won’t happen.
My morning sickness ended about a month ago and I was so grateful to eat a solid meal again. I ate everything in sight. I quickly gained any weight I lost back in a matter of weeks. My doctor was quite happy about that.
Ryder and I have spent so much time being careful while out in public. We have been recognized a handful of times lately and its harder and harder to hide my pregnancy from them. But after tonight, I won’t have to hide it.
Lacey was the first of many people to freak out over my pregnancy. Farrah, Abby, Meredith, and Sandra all freaked out when they walked in. I have never had to say the same thing as many times as I have today. They wanted my due date, when I found out, when I got pregnant. Answering those questions generated more questions because of course a few of them figured out before I told them when I got pregnant and that it happened on the show. It was like revealing my pregnancy all over again.
****
The show begins and one by one each of us are called onto the stage. Of course, in the order of our eliminations. The rest of us can see the show from the green room. Watching each of them go before me, makes me a tiny bit nervous. I don’t tell Ryder because he would freak out over the fact that I am nervous, and he would make me stay in the green room.
“Ari, you are next. Come with me.” Lacey says.
I kiss Ryder and follow her out of the room. I follow her through the halls and to a small area where I can see the stage and Chris. When, Brad is done with his turn, I am called on stage. The crowd is massive and as soon as I step on the stage cheers erupt. My name is called over and over again. The noise makes my head hurt a bit, but I don’t let it show. I just paste on a smile and join Chris at the front of the stage.
“Well, hello there Ari. How are you doing tonight?” Chris asks me.
“Perfect. Thank you for asking.” I say.
“Let’s talk about the show. Did you really not know anything about the show?”
I smile and chuckle. “I didn’t know anything. Just the name of the show.”
He smiles at me. “At least you are honest.”
I just smile in return. The line of questioning follows my journey through the show. How I felt about the twists and how I liked being partnered with Ryder. Eventually the questions spin around to Ryder and our romance on the screen. Which, to my surprise, was portrayed in a positive way.
“So, tell me, what is your relationship with Ryder now?” Chris asks me.
“Well, we live together and are expecting our first child in February.” I say with a smile.
“Really? You are pregnant?” Chris smiles, “I thought I saw a bump.”
“You did. It’s not that big right now, but I am sure it will be soon.”
“Do you know what you are having?”
“I think that is something I should say in front of Ryder.”
Chris’s eyes light up. He smiles and turns to the crowd. Asking if we should call Ryder out to find out the answer. Of course, the crowd wants to know. But luckily for them, I came prepared. I was in contact with Lacey’s boss and the producer of the show and told him what I wanted to have done. Thankfully, this was going to plan.
A few moments pass and Ryder finally comes out onto the stage. I smile at him. He grabs my hand and pulls me in for a quick on camera kiss. I smile up at him.
“So, how does it feel to know you are about to be a dad?” Chris asks him.
“Amazing, I never knew I wanted to be a father.” Ryder says.
“Do you know why you were called out here?” Chris asks him.
“Not really, I wasn’t in the green room. I was in the um… bathroom.” Ryder says with a blush.
He never blushes, what was he doing? Going to the bathroom doesn’t make someone blush like he is now. Well, I guess it could, since this is live and the whole country is watching,
“Well, I asked Ari if she knew what she was having and she said she wanted to answer that in front of you.” Chris says.
I see Ryder gaping down at me. I kept this secret very well.
“You know?” He asks me.
I nod and on the screen behind us starts the video of our ultrasound. Ryder is glued to the screen. I feel him pull me against his chest. We watch as the doctor gets as many angles of the baby as possible. We hear its heartbeat and see it moving all around. Then the screen pauses on the shot between the legs. Slowly words are out on the screen.
It reads:
I am a boy!
The crowd goes wild. Ryder spins me around and hugs me tightly. I don’t tell him it’s a bit too hard, but I just let him hold me. We are having a son. A boy. My baby is a boy. I still am in shock over it, a week later.
Ryder kisses me, and the sounds of the crowd cheering fall away. Suddenly it’s just Ryder and I. Suddenly there is nothing left around us, just him surrounding me, with his lips crushing mine. I cling to him, because if I didn’t, I fear I would float away too.
With that we are dismissed from the stage so that Rachel and Zach can have their interviews.
****
Finally, it is time for the votes. I am excited to see who wins the money. Either way I will be happy. I won’t care if Ryder wins or not, because he has already won. Or so he says. He says he has won his lottery because he has me. Now he can add our son to the mix.
After the announcement of the gender, everyone in the green room was in tears when we got back. They all congratulated us. Of course, they wanted to know if we had decided on a name. Which, of course, we haven’t. Not because we haven’t tried, but because we can’t agree. He likes traditional names, where I like more unique names. Of course, we will eventually have to agree on a name, but it won’t be right now.
Right now, I am sitting among the jury, across the stage from Ryder and Caleb, waiting for the winner to be announced.
“Before we announce the winner.” Chris begins. “Every season, as you all know, we let America vote for their favorite player of the season. The winner of this award gets fifty thousand dollars.” He smiles at the crowd. “Now, unlike other seasons, because we had America vote for the favorite player as well as the winner of this season, we had a bit of an issue.”
I frown, what is he trying to say? Are they not going to be able to announce the winner? Was there a tie? What would happen if there was a tie? What would the show do if there was a tie? Split the million between the two players? My mind is reeling trying to figure it out, not really paying attention.
“The voting website crashed three times this past week. Though, don’t worry, there were plenty of other ways to cast your vote. So, we have spent countless hours going over each of the ways to vote and calculating the winner of the favorite player and the million-dollar winner.” Chris says. “Now, who wants to know who the favorite player was this year?”
The crowd once again goes wild. I can barely hold myself back from covering my ears. My head is starting to hurt. A pregnancy symptom that I wish I didn’t have. The headaches come out of nowhere and instantly take hold, rendering me useless. I focus on Ryder across the stage from me, hoping that it will help my head.
“The winner of this seasons Fan Favorite Award is…” Chris calls out. “Ari Harper.”
My mouth drops open and I slowly stand. I am motioned across the stage to join Chris at the center to smile and play up my surprise for the crowd. Which is deafeningly loud. My headache just amps up. I try to handle not covering my ears, but it’s hard not to. I don’t want to leave the stage. I want to remain on stage and hear who the winner is.
“You are this year’s Fan Favorite. How does that make you feel?” Chris asks me.
“Honestly, honored. I didn’t think it would be me. Even if I only just found out about this award when watching the show. But I didn’t think it would be me.” I say. “I am honored th
at the fans decided I was their favorite.”
“What will you do with the money?” He asks me.
“Probably furnish the nursery and start his college fund.” I say. “Maybe use a bit of it for a trip before baby comes.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Chris says. “After this short break we will be announcing the winner of this season of Survival Instincts. Stay tuned.”
As soon as we have the all clear signal, Ryder and Caleb come rushing across the stage to me. They lead me off and into the wings. Lacey is right there with a concerned look on her face. I just shake my head.
“The medicine. Just get me the medicine. I want to be on stage for the announcement.” I say.
“No, you are in pain. You need to be relaxing.” Ryder says as Lacey produces my clutch.
I reach inside and grab the medicine the doctor gave me for my headaches. I take it and leave Ryder and Caleb standing there with Lacey, as I go back onto the stage, fully aware that my head will most likely last for a while more. Everyone in the jury asks if I am alright. I just tell them it’s a headache, but I will be fine. Shortly after I rejoin the others, Caleb and Ryder come back out on stage. Just in time too because Chris is back on stage and ready to move on.
“Now for the moment you all have been waiting for.” Chris says. “The winner of this season of Survival Instincts is… Caleb Harper.”
I race across the stage and hug Caleb. I cannot believe that he won. Good for him. I am so happy that he won. He did play an amazing game. Ryder joins me in congratulating Caleb. The jury join in and soon Caleb is pulled away from us to answer a few questions from Chris.
After everything that happened this last four months, I am glad that it is finally over. I am glad that Caleb won, I am glad that I was Americas favorite. I am glad that I am having a son. I am just so happy. Everything may not have happened the way I wanted it to happen but happen it did. It happened just like it should have.
I may not have one the million-dollar prize, but I did win something so much better. I found love. I found myself. I found things I didn’t know I wanted. I am with an amazing guy and about to be the mother to a little boy. What more could I ask for?
Joining this season of Survival Instincts was something that pushed me so far out of my comfort zone. I would do it all over again.
Acknowledgements
I want to thank my loving husband, Greg, for helping me through the touch journey that is called writing. Without him, I doubt that I would have published any of my books.
I want to thank my neighbor, Millie, because without her I wouldn’t have been strong enough to push publish. I wouldn’t have been confident enough to write this book. I wouldn’t be sitting here writing this book, something I have wanted to do for years, without her.
I want to thank all of you for reading my books and loving them just the same. I couldn’t have done this without you.
I couldn’t have done this at all without everyone I have thanked. I couldn’t have written this book without the help of my support group. I am so incredibly grateful for all they have done to help me. I am so grateful for everything.
Thank you all!
About the Author
Brittani Rose is a married mother of two. She has been married for four and a half years. Together they have two wonderful daughters, ages three and seven, and two dogs. A bichon fries name Stella, and a chocolate lab pit bull mix named Rusty.
While being a published author is her dream, Brittani also writes fan fictions and other short original stories on Wattpad.
Follow Brittani on Social Media
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Playing For Keeps (Romancing The Games Book 1) Page 20