When my alarm goes off, I’m in a foul mood. I didn’t sleep well and could never fully fall asleep. Each time I closed my eyes, visions of Allison filled my mind. I hate the way I left things and I should’ve played the whole thing off. But I didn’t and now I’m paying for it.
Once I’m dressed, I make my way to the dining hall. This is the only time the cameras are off, which I’m thankful for. Allison is already sitting, and I make my way to her. She’s wearing a white dress, her hair is curled and pinned off to the side. I officially hate her make-up team because they’re making her look irresistible. I suppose that means they’re doing their job.
“Once again, you look beautiful,” I tell her as I sit down.
“Thank you. Is everything okay?” she asks in a hushed tone.
“Yeah, I needed a nap. I get cranky when I’m tired.”
She laughs. “Me too, although I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about what I said . . . well, almost said. I didn’t mean it, Hudson. I’m really enjoying our time together.”
“Me too.” I reach for the box in front of me and shake it. “What’s this?”
“I’m not sure. Each couple has one.”
When the servers arrive with our dinner, I put the box down and dig in. Allie and I make small talk until Ryan enters the room. He stands at edge of the room and taps a fork against his glass.
“Gentlemen, nothing is as it seems. Each of you have a box. Inside the box is an opportunity, a chance to switch things up. The question before you is this—do you want to stay with your match or swap? If you want to swap, open your box now.”
What the actual fuck?
The room is quiet.
The women look pissed.
And the men are confused.
8
Allison
There’s a box on the table that has me nervous, but I try to ignore it. Each couple has one on their table, but nobody else opens theirs. From what I can see, everyone is curious about it. Hudson and I talk about our Jeep tour and how much fun we had. I’m starting to really enjoy being around him, but I can’t help but feel like something’s about to happen. We’re on a reality TV show. Everyone knows there’s going to be some kind of drama mixed in at some point.
And just like clockwork, Ryan walks into the dining room with a mischievous smile on his lips, followed by his camera crew. Oh yeah, something’s up. He stands at the edge of the room and taps a fork against his glass.
“Gentlemen, nothing is at it seems. Each of you have a box. Inside the box is an opportunity, a chance to switch things up. The question before you is this—do you want to stay with your match or swap? If you want to swap, open your box now.”
The room falls silent and I’m in shock. Is this what Erin was talking about when she mentioned switching things up? Under normal circumstances, I would’ve been all for Hudson getting rid of me, but now? The thought of him being with one of the other women infuriates me. I don’t like it. There are mixed feelings throughout the room. Some of the men look as if they’ve won the lottery while some of the women are livid. In all reality, I don’t care what any of them decide. My only concern is Hudson. I’m afraid to look at him. I don’t want to see the excitement in his eyes about being with someone else like some of the other men. I search out the room for Makayla and once her dark red hair comes into view, I focus on her face. She’s upset. It’s obvious the douchebag she’s with wants to be with someone else. His hands are on the box and he starts to open it. The same goes for four of the other men. When they open the boxes, there are eggs inside with their names on it.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and open my eyes back up, slowly sliding my gaze toward the dreaded box on the table. I half expect to see Hudson’s hands on the box and the look of contemplation on his face … but that’s not what happens. The silver box has been pushed to the side of the table with the ribbon perfectly intact. When I meet his gaze, he smiles at me with that devilish smirk of his.
“Worried?” he asks, grinning wider.
The knot in my stomach eases and I breathe a sigh of relief. “I hate you right now.”
He laughs quietly, but abruptly stops when arguments erupt in the room. A couple of the women storm out, their heels clanking on the marble floor. The four guys who opened the boxes stand together with Ryan while Makayla and one of the other women whose guy picked the box instead of her sit together quietly in the corner.
“I feel terrible for her,” I whisper, nodding over at Makayla. “She’s really nice.”
Hudson glances over at her. “The guy she was with is a jackass. She deserves better.” That gives me some relief, but I still feel bad. It has to be embarrassing to be dumped on TV with millions of viewers watching. “Did you think I was going to trade you in?” he wonders, picking up a piece of his steamed broccoli. He takes a bite and smiles while he chews it. I’m about to speak when he takes another bite, obviously amused with my reaction. “You should know I wasn’t about to let you go. I look forward to showing off my back tattoo with you by my side. Besides,”
