Slicing through the center of my steak, I find that Lennon is right. I’ve cooked a perfectly medium steak, just the way he wanted them.
“Back to that little bikini you were wearing...”
Lennon’s voice trails off as his smile grows.
“It’s not that tiny.”
“It barely covered your nipples, not that I’m complaining. You looked gorgeous.”
Gorgeous. Not hot. Not sexy. Gorgeous.
“Well, thank you. I won’t be wearing it again any time soon. I don’t think the girls were very happy with me.”
“Who cares? They’re just jealous. Let them be. It’s not your fault that we all enjoy your company. Hell, I’m pretty sure any of us would be happy as hell if you were the last one standing at the end.” I can see the sincerity in his gaze as it penetrates deep into my soul.
“Well, if Teegan or Courtney have their way, I’ll be going home sooner rather than later.”
“Yeah, I may have heard something about that.” He averts his eyes, focusing on cutting his steak.
“Care to share with the rest of the room what you may or may not have heard?”
“Let’s just say Courtney was pulling people aside and talking with them today.”
“Did she pull you aside?” I ask, wondering how far she was willing to go to put their plan into motion.
“Yeah, but she didn’t get far. As soon as I caught on to what she was asking, I dismissed her. Jace wouldn’t even talk to her when she tried after I told him what was going on.”
“That doesn’t mean Milo or Drake didn’t listen. Maybe they like the idea.”
“Doubtful. You realize all of us are close, right? We talk. Daily. The four of us. We have since the beginning.”
“Oh yeah. And what do boys gossip about when they’re alone?”
“The same things girls do, I imagine. The opposite sex.”
Rolling my eyes, I attempt to dig a little deeper. “Like what? Who you think is pretty?”
“Something like that. More like, who’s manipulative. Who’s trying to rig the game. We don’t do alliances, Presley. That’s not how any of us want to play the game.”
That’s good news for me considering that’s the only way Teegan and Courtney can get rid of me.
“Exactly.”
Shit. I said that out loud.
“Look, we all like you. As a person. As a friend. Some of us in more ways than just that. We also respect you. You’re playing fair. You’re letting the chips fall wherever they fall.”
“I know this is a game, that we’re all after the same thing, but I wish it didn’t feel like that sometimes.”
“We’re not all after the money, Presley. Some of us came here for other reasons.”
The way he’s looking at me tells me everything I need to know about Lennon’s reasons for being here. He came looking for love. He might be the only one.
His phone begins ringing in his pocket. When he glances at the screen, his face falls.
“I have to take this. I’m sorry,” he says as he stands, walking out my front door without looking back.