“What’s wrong?” he asks, then pauses. “Besides the obvious.”
I give him a tight-lipped smile. “Luna and Shane are gone.”
He frowns. “Gone?”
I nod. “She came in here last night to say goodbye. Apparently, Shane had a plan, they saw a chance and they took it.”
“Were they still wearing their bracelets?”
I shake my head. I wonder how the hell they were able to bust those things off.
“That’s good. That might give them a chance,” Landon replies.
“Yeah,” I say, almost numbly.
Landon squeezes my hand, then brings it up to his mouth for a kiss. “Together?” he asks.
I give him my best attempt at a smile. “Together.”
We get out of bed and change into the clothes they left us. An all-white outfit consisting of leggings and a sports bra with aLocked Inlogo on the chest, accompanied by a matching zip-up jacket, for me, while Landon gets a sleeveless workout shirt with the logo on it and matching basketball shorts. They also left behind a pair of white tennis shoes for each of us. The clothes are very athletic, which I think is a huge indicator as to what to expect out here.
A small hutch inside each hut contains a couple bottles of water, some protein bars and a couple pieces of fruit. It’s a far cry from the way we’ve been eating these last few weeks, but I’ll take anything right now.
I grab a banana, a protein bar and a bottle of water. Landon chooses the same, then we make our way outside.
As soon as I open the door, I freeze. I don’t know why I expected no one to be here. Maybe because they didn’t make a fucking sound. Sure enough, the usual number of people are here, cameras, lights and sound equipment all being set up. That’s not what takes my breath away, though. What freezes me in my tracks is who’s sitting at the picnic table.
Luna and Shane.
They’re almost unrecognizable. Luna’s lip is busted open, so swollen it looks like a bee stung her, and there’s bruising on her arms and face. Both of Shane’s eyes are almost swollen shut, and he has some major bruising on his jaw. It also looks like he’s favoring his left side, even though he’s sitting. Their gazes swing to me, defeat written across their faces.
Savannah and Noah come out of their hut at the same time, and freeze when they set eyes on Shane and Luna.
“What the hell happened to you two?” Savannah asks as Alex comes walking up to us.
“Good morning, lovers. Before we get started, I do want to remind you that there is no leaving the island,” he says as his gaze swings to Luna and Shane.
Neither of them raise their heads, as if they’re too scared to meet Alex’s eyes.
“Leaving defeats the purpose of the show! And that would be a huge disappointment to our producers and viewers. That being said, I have some exciting news! We’ve decided to move up the schedule and begin the semifinal challenge today.” He grins happily. “Everyone clap and thank Shane and Luna!” he continues, clapping like a child as he waits for us all to join in.
We don’t.
My stomach sinks, and Luna meets my eyes, a tear slipping down her face, which is caked with dirt.
“I’m sorry,” she mouths to me.
“Tears of joy?” Alex asks, as if he’s awed. “We love to see it!”
I shake my head because I don’t blame her. First off, who’s to say he’s even telling the truth? They didn’t leave us with much food. Maybe this was the plan all along and they’re just trying to make it seem like it’s because of Shane and Luna. Second, at this point, what’s the use in dragging out the days? The end of the show is coming one way or another, and I’d almost prefer to get it over with than spend weeks agonizing over what’s to come.
“It looks like you’re all dressed and ready, so let’s go, girls… and guys!” Alex says, smiling as he walks over to one of the golf carts.
Shane and Luna both stand, then head to the one closest to them. Shane winces when he stands fully, his hand going to his ribs.
“Fuck,” Landon mutters under his breath.
I look up at him and blow out a breath. “Here we go.”
