“Let’s give her some space. Come on, let’s go sit by the fire.” Trace led me away from the group, who were now loudly arguing with Sofia.
As soon as I slumped into a seat, I placed my head in my hands and groaned. “I’m so tired.”
“Same,” Trace agreed. “It’s like emotional boot camp, what they’re putting us through.”
“More like emotional manipulation,” I said.
She plopped down next to me. She let me sit there for a second, getting my thoughts back under control. After a minute, Trace started talking again. “When Danny and I had our first date, there was so much chemistry flying off us, I thought for sure I’d see an actual spark.”
“That’s amazing.” Anyone could see the attraction between the two of them, it was blatantly obvious.
She looked across the room to Danny, who was pulling Eli away to talk with him and Arnie. Sofia and Rachel hadn’t stopped going at it. Knowing Rachel, Sofia’s attack on me was likely just a great excuse to finally lay into her.
“Itwasamazing,” Trace continued. “I really liked him. But then Brady pulled me in for an interview and asked me approximately one hundred questions about how different Danny and I were. And did I really think we might work in the real world?”
I scoffed, appalled by Brady’s cheap tactics. “Don’t let them get in your head. You and Danny are great together.”
“I know that.” Trace tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder and I admired how unfazed she always seemed by this whole process. Clearly, they were trying to get to her just as much as the rest of us, but she always showed up every day with an optimistic attitude.
“But you need to follow your own advice. Don’t let them get inyourhead,” Trace asserted. “They’re using Sofia to get to you. What do you think they talk about in her interviews? Probably how she and Eli are perfect together and you’re a distraction. Maybe she’s the villain in your love story, but you’re the villain in hers.”
Sofia sat in a corner, arms folded, having finally extracted herself from Rachel. She looked mad. But also...so alone.
“Maybe her intentions are misguided and maybe she is alittle self-absorbed, but she’s being manipulated just like the rest of us. She’s just a character to them. We all are. Don’t let what she said get to you, because it’s exactly what they want.”
“You’re right.” I needed to stop focusing on my insecurities and consider what I actually wanted.
“I’m not going for an interview and then back to my room. I need to talk to her!” Eli’s voice carried, as he fumed over at the other end of the room.
I jerked my head up at the commotion and we made brief eye contact before Shay whispered something into his ear. Whatever she said appeared to anger him, but he gave a resigned nod. He caught my eye. I forced a small smile, hopefully conveying to him that I was fine.
“Guess they’re calling it a little early today,” I said, as I looked out the windows towards the sun that had just barely set.
Trace sighed. “Seems like they already got their story for the night.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Come on,Calla. We have to go.”
This time it was Eli badgering me to get moving and we were in the lodge, although my living room furniture had somehow made its way here. Everything felt just a little off.
I continued to search frantically. Whatever I was looking for stayed just out of reach of my mind.
“I’m almost ready.” My heart rate picked up as seconds continued to pass. Naturally, I couldn’t find what I needed. Was it my imagination or had the sun already dropped lower in the sky? How fast was time moving?
“I need to check my room!” I exclaimed.
But before I could race back to look, Eli grabbed me by both arms, halting me in place.
“Just let it go.”
I woke up and pressed my hand to my chest as I fought to anchor myself in reality. It wasn’t completely abnormal to have someone like Eli make an appearance in my dream. Sometimes random people would filter in and out, replacing Michael partway through.
But that was the thing.
Until now, my dreams always—and I mean always—included Michael.
I ripped the covers off me and went to the bathroom to wash my face. I only ruminated over the difference for a few minutes before I threw on a change of clothes and stuck my head out into the hallway. Empty. No sounds of any distant footsteps. I closed the door softly behind me. The lodge was completely silent.
