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“So, we have breakfast and dinner taken care of between us. That’s helpful,” Avery said as she transferred everything to serving plates. It took two trips to get everything on the table, including garlic bread and the quick salad she threw together.
“Everything looks amazing.” Quinn scanned the table full of dishes. “It smells even better. Thanks, Avery.” She held up her wine glass to cheers over the table.
“To the final three. This has been a wild ride, but I’m glad to have gotten to know you better. Cheers.” Avery clinked glasses.
“I probably shouldn’t say this, but I’m glad Jasmine opted out that first elimination. I can’t imagine someone else being in the top three.” Quinn’s blush matched the wine that was now tipped at her lips.
“To Jasmine then. A touch of fate brought us together. May she always have toilet paper.”
Quinn tilted her head. “You’ll have to walk me through that one.”
“It’s self-explanatory. One of the worst things is running out of paper while on the toilet. I’m wishing her good fortune.” Avery grinned.
“Ahh, okay. It was a thinker, but I see it now.” Laughing, she reached for the spaghetti.
Avery’s cheeks twinged from smiling so much. Dinner was a success as they discussed their pasts, hopes for their futures, and worst first dates. They were compatible in various areas. Quinn cleaned up while Avery picked up around the house.
“Care to work off the dinner with that game of tennis now?” Avery asked, handing a controller over to Quinn.
“You’re going down, Greene. You forget I did play professionally.”
Avery chuckled when Quinn started stretching. “Yes, professional basketball, but this is a completely different sport.” She cued up the game.
They had some spirited volleys, but soon Avery was dancing along with her avatar as the fireworks went off in the background.
“Showoff. We’ll see how much dancing you do when we play one-on-one basketball sometime.” Quinn wrapped her hands around Avery, pulling her onto her lap on the couch.
Everything slowed down as Quinn ran her fingertips along Avery’s hairline. Leaning forward, Quinn’s lips connected with Avery’s. This was the first time they’d kissed without Stella in the line of sight. The intimacy of the moment was overwhelming as Quinn’s tongue swiped along her lips. Avery was lost in the kiss. A bubble of guilt threatened to pop and overflow, but she tried to stay as in the moment as possible.
Quinn’s hand started to roam up her shirt, and no matter how nice the kiss was, Avery wasn’t ready to move forward, not with her emotions in such chaos. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them. With effort, she leaned back, breaking their connection.
“I—um. That was nice.” Her voice sounded raspy in the quiet house.
“Really nice,” Quinn agreed. “Where are you going to sleep tonight?” she asked tentatively, running her hand up Avery’s arm.
“I have to be honest—I’m not ready for anything more physical, at least for tonight. I think it would be better if we slept in separate rooms. Are you okay with that?” Avery’s heart thudded. She wouldn’t be surprised if Quinn could hear it.
“I respect that.” Quinn leaned in for another kiss.
Mistaking the direction, Avery turned her head. Their lips met for a moment, a streak of wetness sliding across Avery’s face when she turned.
“Sorry about that.” Quinn chuckled, using her sleeve to wipe Avery’s face. “I should probably get to bed. Night, Avery.”
“Sleep well.” Avery grunted as she lifted herself off Quinn’s lap. Her legs shook as she went to her room.
Crawling into bed after her nighttime routine, Avery stared at the ceiling. Everything would be so much easier if most of her heart didn’t beat for Stella. They may not know each other that well—hell, she’d been on more dates with Quinn at this point—but she was still so torn. She wasn’t sure how all this would end, but whatever happened, Avery was confident she wouldn’t make it out unscathed.
The floor creaked under Stella’s pacing. A rut had been etched into the carpet in the three days since Avery and Quinn left. Reaching up, Stella looked at her watch for the twelfth time in three minutes. Each time, as soon as the clock left her eyesight, the time flew out of her head. Step, step, step, turn, check time, and repeat.
In three days, they would be filming the finale. She couldn’t wait for the show to be over. It was the not knowing that was impossible to handle. In three days, she would know what Quinn would do and how Avery would handle things. There was no need for her gut to be churning but the unknown was chipping away at her mental health.
Her eyes slid to the pros and cons list she’d written out. It wasn’t much but had helped untangle her brain.
Pros to Avery selecting Quinn:
She could be happy since Quinn is lovely.
Cons to Avery selecting Quinn:
