𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗆𝖺𝗍𝖼𝗁

"  hmm,  "  her  gaze  drifted  toward  the  pool  as  she  considered  it  for  a  moment,  "  kiss  cameron,  marry  wyatt,  and  fuck  van  ...  but  kill  ?  that's  going  to  be  a  hard  one.  "  a  faint  blush  immediately  following  after her  confession,  as  she  lifts  her  wine  glass  in  this  half  hearted  attempt  to  hide  it,  "  and  in  my  defense,  it's  only  been  twenty  four  hours,  and  so  far  nobody  has  managed  to  get  on  my  bad  side.  though  ask  me  again  in  a  week,  I  might  have  a  completely  different  answer.  "

"okay, honest question. if somebody handed you a plane ticket right now and told you to disappear for a month, no responsibilities, no phones, no consequences... where are you going? and if you say paris, i'm judging you."

"  first  of  all,  paris  wasn't  even  in  my  top  five,  so  I  feel  a  little  attacked  right  now,  "  he  teases,  though  laugh  eludes  his  lips  as  he  shakes  his  head.  "  but,  honestly  ?  somewhere  in  new  zealand.  give  me  a  cabin  near  a  lake,  maybe  some  hiking  trails,  and  absolutely  no  one  expecting  me  to  answer  emails  or  make  decisions  for  a  month  ...  sounds  quite  reasonable  to  me,  and  what  about  you  ?  where  would  you  go  ?  "

"  honestly  ?  I  think  I  spend  so  much  time  trying  to  keep  the  peace  that  I  end  up  avoiding  conversations  I  should  have  probably  had,  "  the  corner  of  his  lips  lifting  into  this  crooked  grin,  "  turns  out  '  i'll  deal  with  it  later  '  isn't  actually  a  great  relationship  strategy.  who  knew  ?  "

"  and  that's  exactly  the  kind  of  answer  I  would  expect  from  somebody  who  spends  all  their  time  helpin'  everybody  else  figure  out  their  lives,  "  she  teases,  though  an  answer  that  provides  her  with  a  sense  of  insight  into  who  he  was.  she  smiles  as  she  glanced  down  at  the  bracelet  wrapped  around  her  wrist,  thumb  brushing  over  the  tiny  charms  hanging  from  it.  "  and  for  the  record,  I  don't  think  that's  a  flaw  ...  maybe  a  little  frustratin'  for  the  people  who  care  about  you  when  you  forget  to  point  it  back  at  yourself  ...  but  no,  definitely  not  a  flaw.  "  though,  her  nose  scrunches  slightly,  as  the  question  is  turned  back  on  her,  "  hmm  ...  I  think  I  would  make  for  a  good  pearl.  and  no,  not  because  they're  fancy  or  anythin',  before  you  say  it,  "  a  manicured  digit  pointing  at  him  to  give  a  playful  warning,  as  a  grin  tugs  at  her  lips  soon  after,  "  but  because  they  take  time  to  become  somethin'  worth  holdin'  onto  ...  plus  my  mama's  been  puttin'  pearls  on  me  since  I  could  speak.  feels  like  it  would  be  wrong  to  pick  anythin'  else.  "

"  well,  my  mama  always  taught  me  never  to  show  up  somewhere  empty  handed,  and  this  was  about  the  easiest  way  to  make  sure  I  didn't  ...  besides,  she  runs  her  own  little  jewelry  boutique  back  home,  "  a  soft  laugh  slipping  past  her  lips  as  she  thought  back  to  her  mother's  excitement  the  moment  she  told  her  she  was  coming  on  the  show.  truth  be  told,  brooks  had  always  made  it  sound  like  some  reality  television  train  wreck,  all  this  drama  and  bad  decision  making,  yet  somehow  he  had  walked  away  married.  and,  if  she  was  being  honest,  she  couldn't  have  been  prouder  of  him  for  it  ...  the  thought  alone  brought  a  smile  to  her  lips  as  she  settled  a  little  more  comfortably,  tucking  her  feet  beneath  her  frame  while  her  attention  remained  on  him.  "  well,  don't  you  worry,  i'm  holdin'  you  to  it  when  the  time  comes  and  you  end  up  with  your  match,  "  a  playful  wink  accompanying  her  words  before  curious  cerulean  hues  linger  on  his  wrist  for  a  moment.  "  but  tell  me  somethin'  ...  if  you  were  a  charm,  what  would  you  be  ?  "

"you didn't have to do that, sutton, but i appreciate it." king said, smiling warmly. "gotta tell you, though, the last time i wore a tiny charm bracelet like this was when i was a kid and my older sister decided it was a good idea to dress me up how she would if she got a little sister instead of a little brother." he chuckled. however, the man was very comfortable with this, and didn't really care that these bracelets were considered 'girly'. "you're like this house's own good luck charm." king added, squeezing her hand out of gratitude before nodding. "can you believe they won without ever bringing a couple to the honeymoon suite? and yes, i watched it and the season before it too. i'd say it's my sister's guilty pleasure but it's also as much mine as it is hers."

"  look  my  mama  always  taught  me  never  to  show  up  anywhere  empty  handed,  "  a  grin  tugging  at  glossed  lips,  "  besides,  it  was  either  these  or  homemade  cookies,  and  let's  just  say  only  one  of  them  made  it  through  airport  security.  "  she recalls just how eager airport security was about throwing the tubberware away ... still, a  laugh  escapes  her  at  the  image  he  painted  of  his  childhood.  "  honestly,  I probably would have died seeing you in a princess dress, king ... but also sounds  like  somethin'  my  brothers  would  have  gotten  a  kick  out  of  if  given  the  chance. though  I  spent  most  of  my  childhood  runnin'  around  in  hand  me  down  overalls  and  cowboy  boots  that  were  way  too  big  thanks  to  brooks,  so  I  don't  know  that  I  got  off  much  easier.  "  still,  the  compliment  caught  her  off  guard,  a  faint  blush  warming  her  cheeks.  "  now  hold  on,  darlin',  a  good  luck  charm  ?  I  think  i'd  look  pretty  cute  as  one,  if  we're  bein'  honest.  "  teasing  words  accompanied  by  a  soft nudge  of  his  shoulder  before  her  expression  softened  at  the  mention  of  last  season.  "  don't  even  remind  me.  I  was  rootin'  for  my  brother  and  bella  the  whole  time  back  home,  but  people  seemed  a  whole  lot  more  interested  in  playin'  games  than  actually  findin'  their  match  until  the  end,  "  a  dramatic  groan  following,  though  amusement  lingered  in  her  voice,  "  i'm  just  hopin'  this  season  gives  us  a  few  honeymoon  suite  couples.  preferably  me  included,  because  I  refuse  to  walk  away  with  all  the  emotional  damage  and  none  of  the  romance.  "

"  i'm  gonna  go  with  candace  and  libby,  "  he  smirks,  rubbing  stubby  chin,  "  but  honestly  all  the  women  here  are  beautiful.  "

"  sugar  honey  ice  tea  !  ... we  have  twins  this  season  ? "  exclaiming  loudly  with  bottom  lip  being captured  between  pearly  whites  after,  "  uhmmm  can  I  say  the  sterling  twins  and  cammie.  "

www.instagram.com/officialnatalina

for  a  moment,  she  says  nothing  because  the  honesty  of  it  settles  heavily  between  them.  because  somehow  hearing  him  admit  it  outright  hurt  less  than  all  the  guessing  had.  cerulean  hues  fixed  on  him  as  he  speaks,  watching  the  way  the  walls  had  finally  come  down  around  somebody  who  spent  most  of  his  time  pretending  nothing  could  touch  him.  and  maybe  that  was  why  she  couldn't  bring  herself  to  hate  him  completely.  because  she  understood  it  more  than  she  wanted  to.  a  slow  exhale  leaves  her  before  she  finally  looks  back  toward  the  water  again,  lips  pressed  together  faintly.  "  I  think  that's  the  part  I  understand  now,  "  voice  low.  "  because  I  don't  think  you  were  trying  to  make  me  feel  disposable.  "  fingers  skim  across  the  surface  of  the  pool,  watching  the  ripples  distort  beneath  them.  "  I  just  think  we  both  got  caught  somewhere  in  between  feelings  and  this  place.  "  and  this  place  complicated  everything  ...  but  at  same  time  she  felt  as  though  she  was fueled  by  it  just  the  same.  every  connection  moved  too  fast,  every  emotion  felt  magnified  and  the  constant  pressure  of  finding  the  right  person  before  the  entire  house  imploded.  a  small  laugh  escapes  her  then,  as  she  leans  back.  her  gaze  following  his  to  sydney  in  the  distance,  as  if  that  didn't  hurt  either  ...  but  she  was  fine  with  it.  "  and  for  what  it's  worth,  I  met  somebody  that  made  things  feel  rather  amazing.  "  feet  almost  curling  with  excitement,  though  maybe  if  she  would  have  met  leo  first  ...  she  wouldn't  have  been  caught  in  all  this.  still,  it  was  an  experience  that  she  could  only  live  through.  it  was  enough  to  remind  her  that  she  didn't  have  to  keep  chasing  clarity  from  someone  who  couldn't  give  it  to  her.  her  gaze  finally  lifts  back  toward  him, "  but  i'm  still  here  to  play  the  game  too,  remy.  i'm  not  gonna  blow  everything  up  just  because  feelings  got  involved.  "  there's  no  bitterness  behind  it  now,  just  honesty  ...  acceptance.  "  I  cared  about  you,  but  maybe  it  was  just  me  needing  to  cling  to  something  while  I  was  in  this  house  ...  but  I  think  I  finally  stopped  looking  at  this  like  I  lost  you.  besides,  you  look  happy  with  her.  "

remy found her by accident . or at least that’s what he’d tell anybody who asked . truthfully, he’d been avoiding this exact moment for days now , ducking out of rooms when sienna walked in, throwing himself into noise and distractions and sydney’s orbit so he didn’t have to deal with the wreckage of whatever this was supposed to be now . cecause the worst part wasn’t that he’d hurt her . it was that she’d mattered enough for him to know exactly how badly . the villa was quieter tonight, most people downstairs drinking away another brutal matchup ceremony , but remy couldn’t stomach the sound of everyone pretending things weren’t falling apart around them . he’d escaped outside for air , only to stop short when he spotted her sitting alone near the edge of the pool , legs dangling over the water . for a second, he genuinely considered turning around . coward . but maybe not . " guess the universe finally got tired of us avoiding each other , huh ? " he said quietly as he stepped closer , voice rougher than usual . there was no easy grin tonight . no charm to hide behind . just exhaustion . regret . remy shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie , lingering a few feet away from her like he wasn’t sure he still had the right to get any closer . " i know an apology probably feels useless at this point . " he admitted after a beat , eyes fixed somewhere past her instead of directly at her face . " but I am sorry , sienna. " the night air sat heavy between them . " i never meant to make you feel like ... almost . "

the  apology  hits  harder  than  she  expected  it  too.  not  because  she  didn't  imagined  this  conversation  a  hundred  different  ways  already,  but  none  of  those  versions  included  remy  standing  there  looking  tired  enough  to  break  her  heart  all  over  again.  cerulean  hues  remain  fixed  on  the  darkened  water  below,  jaw  tightening  faintly  as  she  lets  his  words  settle  into  all  the  places  she  had  been  trying  not  to  feel  them.  "  almost,  "  she  repeats  softly,  though  there's  no  real  bite  behind  it  .  just  exhaustion  .  fingers  skim  along  the  surface  of  the  pool,  watching  the  ripples  before  finally  glancing  back  at  him.  "  you  know  what  the  worst  part  is  ?  "  a  humorless  laugh  falls  from  glossed  lips,  "  I  think  I  would  have  handled  you  not  choosing  me  better  than  all  the  in  between  stuff.  "  because  that  was  the  part  that  hurt.  the  lingering  touches  .  the  late  night  conversations  .  the  way  he  made  her  feel  seen  until  suddenly  she  wasn't  anymore.  her  throat  tightens  slightly  before  she  exhales  deeply.  "  you  don't  get  to  act  like  somebody  means  everything  to  you  one  minute  and  then  disappear  the  next,  remy.  that's  the  part  that  confused  me.  "  voice  low,  more  vulnerable  than  she  intended  .  knees  pulling  slightly  closer  to  her  chest  as  she  looks  away  again,  "  but,  if  you're  feeling  guilty  ?  don't  worry  I  forgive  you  ...  after  all  it's  just a  show,  right  ?  "

heavy gaze continues to linger on her . over her features , a fleeting glance down at slender frame . as the smirk that sits comfortably , yet subtly , on his lips threatens to grow as she edges closer . " i don't think you need me to tell you ... " he speaks with confidence , finding himself inching towards the femme until lips find her ear and tone drops to barely a whisper for words that are meant only for her , " — i think you already know you're mine , sienna . "

"  yours  ?  "  she  echoes  softly,  like  she's  testing  the  word  on  her  tongue,  "  that's  a  pretty  dangerous  thing  to  say  with  that  much  confidence.  "  .  head  tilting  just  enough,  as  the  corner  of  glossed  lips  curl  upward.  a  quiet  pause  follows,  playful  and  almost  deliberate  as  she  looks  at  him  through  lowered  lashes.  "  and  you  really  think  i'm  not  gonna  make  you  work  for  it  ?  "  voice  low  and  teasing.  "  besides  …  "  her  gaze  drifts  briefly  toward  the  living  area  where  the  rest  of  the  house  seemed  to  find  comfort  in.  "  it's  not  like  you  only  have  me  to  play  with  in  here,  "  she  continues,  eyes  flicking  back  to  his  with  that  same  challenge  lingering  beneath  her  tone,  "  could  be  any  one  of  those  other  girls  walking  around  that  ends  up  being  your  perfect  match,  freddie.  "

"  you  think  ?  "  she  tries  to  follow  the  same  thought process  as  him,  though  a  soft  laugh  slips  from  glossed  lips  soon  after,  "  honestly,  I  don't  really  know  what  goes  on  in  that  head  of  his.  "  and  maybe  that  was  part  of  the  appeal.  unpredictable  recognized  unpredictable,  after  all.  stretching  her  limbs  over  her  head,  cerulean  hues  linger  on  sal  for  a  moment  before  she  eases  back  into  the  next  pose.  "  you  shouldn’t  be  worried  about  smothering  us,  "  amusement  woven  easily  into  her  tone,  "  as  long  as  it's  not  the  clingy  kind.  "  a  playful  smile  tugs  at  her  lips  as  she  glances  back  over  her  shoulder  at  him,  "  besides,  I  think  all  the  girls  here  would  want  to  get  to  know  sal  ...  especially  me.  "

he found himself standing up and moving closer towards her, eyes on her smaller frame and the curves he had his hands all over when he dared her to give him a lap dance in the boom boom room during lingerie night, a night he won't ever forget. "because you, sienna, are looking for something else." he murmured, his voice turning into a dangerous low, a hint, a promise of something else tainting his tone. "no, you..." leo said, showing her a smirk of his own as a hand cupped her face, gentle almost, to make her look at him, before it moved to the back of her head where he wrapped her hair around said hand and pulled. controlled. teasing. not painful but done with a promise. "you need to let me know what you want before i put you over my shoulder and go back to the room to finish what we started that night." leo breathed out, not looking rattled or frazzled. just patiently waiting.

"  and  how  are  you  so  sure  ?  "  a  soft  laugh  slips  from  her  lips,  "  hence  the  word  cocky really fits you,  sir.  "  mischief  dances  across  her  features  as  she  takes  bite  of  her  toast,  though  the  moment  he  closes  the  distance  between  them,  it  catches  her  off  guard  in  the  worst  possible  way.  warmth  radiates  from  him,  near  enough  to  make  her  flustered,  but  she's  far  too  proud  to  fold  beneath  it.  not  yet,  anyway.  his  words  settle  against  the  curve  of  her  ear,  breath  gliding  over  her  skin  as  smooth  as  silk,  and  dangerous  in  a  way  she  refuses  to  acknowledge  out  loud.  he  towers  over  her  so  effortlessly,  like  he  could  unravel  every  guarded  part  of  her  without  even  trying,  and  maybe  that's  what  makes  it  impossible  to  pull  away.  there's  something  magnetic  about  him,  something  reckless  ...  that  she  wanted  to  explore  with  him.  the  way  his  hand  cups  her  chin  and  pulls  her  gaze  back  to  his  nearly  undoes  her.  fuck.  she  was  playing  with  fire,  and  he  looked  more  than  willing  to  let  her  burn.  pearly  whites  catch  her  bottom  lip  as  cerulean  hues  stay  fixed  on  him,  trapped  there  without  him  ever  truly  holding  her  hostage.  the  soft  sound  that  leaves  her  is  involuntary,  breath  hitching  the  second  his  grip  finds  her  hair.  surprise  flickers  across  her  features,  fingers  curling  slowly  into  the  edge  of  his  t-shirt  before  tugging  him  closer  with  a  sharpness  that  almost  betrays  her  composure.  "  and  you  think  you  can  satisfy  what  I  want  ?  "  voice  low,  playful  in  the  way  she  sizes  him  up  before  slipping  her  chin  from  his  grasp.  she  turns  from  him,  but  not  fully,  glancing  back  over  her  shoulder  like  a  challenge  she  fully  expects  him  to  win.  in  a  house  full  of  people  pretending,  he  had  become  the  only  thing  that  ever  felt  real  to  her,  and  that  alone  made  him  dangerous.

she could sense it immediately . the sudden shift in demeanor , the change in his tone as her name falls from his lips in a way she's never heard him utter it before . sculpted brows furrow as hues remain locked with his , first out of confusion . equally unsure where this was going , and dreading where it might end . but the admittance comes with an unwelcome flush of heat that reaches her cheeks , an uncomfortable feeling that felt like several emotions in one . hurt , embarrassment . some that bronte didn't even feel entitled to be experiencing . only moments ago the brunette was insisting that he had to do what was necessary for him , allowing him to explore even if it left a bitter taste in her mouth . but hearing it , knowing something was happening that she'd been oblivious to , was a harder pill to swallow . it's almost instinctive , the way her frame pulls back to create a space between them though she allows his hands to remain on her waist , gaze scanning his features as expression on her own delicate features faltered . " right ... " a beat , as if to process , to think before she speaks . " so what are you telling me , brooks ? that this ... you and bella , this is a thing ? " composure is held , though little warmth is left in her tone , " — because just a minute ago you were telling me that being here with me ' felt right ' . "

he  feels  the  shift  the  second  she  pulls  back,  even  though  she  is  not  fully  out  of  his  grasp.  his  hands  remain  at  her  waist,  though  the  grip  softens,  thumbs  brushing  lightly  against  her  sides  like  he's  debating  whether  he  still  has  the  right  to  touch  her  at  all.  a  quiet  exhale  leaves  him  as  his  gaze  drops  briefly  to  the  space  between  them.  "  I  know  what  I  said,  "  voice  lower  now,  stripped  of  most  of  the  teasing  that  usually  comes  so  easily  between  them,  "  and  I  meant  it,  bronte.  "  his  jaw  tightening  slightly,  frustration  flickering  there  ...  though  not  at  her,  but  at  the  situation,  at  himself,  "  that's  what's  making  this  so  messed  up  ...  I  just  didn't  wanna  start  pretendin'  with  you.  "  he  lets  out  a  humorless  laugh  under  his  breath,  head  shaking  once.  "  I  didn't  plan  for  bella  to  become  …  important  to  me,  "  like  even  saying  it  aloud  feels  dangerous,  "  it  wasn't  supposed  to  turn  into  something  like  this.  "  hues  searching  her  own,  trying  to  read  how  much  damage  he's  already  done.  "  and  yes  being  here  with  you  does  feels  right,  "  voice  low,  confirming  his  words  were  true,  "  but,  also  I  didn't  want  you  to  feel  like  I  was  like  either  ...  I  wanted  to  be  upfront  about  this  ...  us.  "  a  pause  following,  "  but  that's  the  part  I  haven't  been  able  to  figure  out.  "  his  jaw  clenches,  before  his  hands  finally  fall  from  her  waist  completely.  he  wanted  to  give  her  the  space  she  had  started  asking  for  without  saying  outright.  "  I'm  not  trying  to  play  games  with  you,  "  hues  remaining  steady  on  her  now,  "  I  just  didn't  want  to  pretend  there  wasn't  something  happening  between  bella  and  I,  and  be  lying  to  you  at  the  same  time.  "