I stare at him, shocked, but not really, that he’d say all this. He doe
sn’t care at all that people are going to get hurt. That there are real feelings at stake here. He just keeps right on blathering about his precious viewers, not even bothering to look at me.
“Reports show that Madden has a slight lead with the viewers. They want to see him win. So, let’s give them what they want.”
I don’t move, furious at what he’s implying.
After a long moment, he looks up at me as if he doesn’t understand why I’m still standing here. “Do I need to spell it out for you, Maya? Push Megan toward Madden. She listens to you. Let her believe he’s in love with her and that he’s the one she needs to choose.” Then, as if he doesn’t see the look of disgust on my face, he keeps right on, leaning back in his chair and resting his hands behind his head, propping his feet on the desk.
“I’m can already see it.” He takes one hand and spreads it across the air in front of him as if he’s envisioning a marquee. “We’ll create a spinoff show about Megan and Madden, something about a wedding or some shit. Then we can put Tristan on his own show. The brooding, intense billionaire bachelor. Bring in a bunch of new women to win his heart after it was broken by Megan. The viewers will eat that shit up.”
I scoff, shaking my head. “There’s no way I can force Megan to choose. It has to be her decision.” It’s all I can think to say. He doesn’t care at all. This really is all a game to him.
Everett’s eyes harden and his takes his feet off the desk and stands, staring down at me with his beady eyes. “You’ll get the right results for this finale or you can find yourself a new job. Do you understand?”
I stare at him for a long moment, letting his words sink in. Then I lift my chin in acknowledgment and spin on my heel, walking out the door without another word. We’ll see.
Megan
“We have to stop meeting like this.”
Maya grins at my little joke. She’s pulled me into the bathroom yet again, but then she gets serious. “Megan, what are you doing?”
I can only assume she means what happened yesterday between me and Tristan and Madden. I feel like I should be embarrassed. I mean, that was all caught on camera. Me and two men. Them doing all kinds of wonderfully naughty things to me. But I’m not. It just felt…right.
I sigh. “What do you want me to say?”
“How about what’s going on in your head right now?”
I’m sure she’s just trying to look out for me. She’s become my friend after all this time in the house, and God knows I could use a friend right now with all the craziness.
“Honestly?” I say, lifting a shoulder. “I really like what happened yesterday. It felt good. It felt right. I think I’m most comfortable with Tristan and Madden sharing me. I can’t explain it. It was just perfect. I can’t decide between them, I want them both, so it just makes sense. I really want to choose them both.”
I stop and gauge Maya’s reaction. She just looks at me blankly. Obviously that won’t fly. And the finale is nearly here.
Rolling my shoulders, which are so tense all of a sudden—I try to make her feel better. “Don’t worry. I’m going to go talk to both of them and see where we stand and then I’ll make my decision.”
“Megan, I think you need to follow your heart.”
I nod. Of course. My heart. That crazy thing that’s so conflicted that the mere idea of having to say goodbye to either Tristan or Madden has it squeezing in my chest. What does following my heart even mean? Because right now, all my heart wants is both of them.
“I will.”
“But,” she continues, her voice cryptic, her eyes a mystery, “remember that rules are made to be broken. Maybe it’s time for you to make your own rules.” She gives me a sympathetic smile, then leaves me alone.
What the fuck does that even mean? I have no idea. Rules are made to be broken? Is she talking about the game? Is she talking about the fact that I want two men, when I should just be happy with one?
But I can’t be happy with one. I know that. I care about both of them. That’s the only thing I’m certain of at this point. I can’t imagine giving either of them up. I want to choose both.
Maya didn’t exactly say I couldn’t. But she didn’t say I could, either. I know it’s against the rules. But if she wants me to follow my heart, it’s telling me loud and clear that I’m falling for two men.
I need to do what I told her. I need to go talk to both of them. Figure things out. Get some kind of clarity and see if something stands out to me. If one of them stands out to me as the clear choice.
Even if I don’t want to. Even if the thought of saying goodbye nearly breaks my heart.
The Biggest Licker Season Update
Chase: Hello and welcome to another installment of our analysis of The Biggest Licker – the most popular reality show on TV. I’m your host, Chase Worthington.