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Day 8
Elimination Day.
More than likely mine.
Because I didn’t follow their rules.
There’s a knock on my door a little after one o’clock. I’m surprised to find Claudia standing on the other side with a manila envelope in her hand. I haven’t seen her since the day I arrived. She said she would be around if I needed her, yet I haven’t even caught a glimpse of her.
“Can I come in?” Her voice is flat and lacks emotion, but her face tells me that something’s bubbling under the surface. I can’t decipher if it’s good or bad, but I step back and allow her to pass.
Let’s just get this over with.
“Is this the conversation where you tell me to pack my shit because I’m going home?” I ask as she begins pulling out a stack of papers from the large envelope, laying them across the coffee table.
“No, this is when I have you sign a few addendums to your contract.”
Ah! So she is irritated.
“After what went down the other night, we need to modify a few things,” she continues, handing me a pen as I take a seat next to her on the sofa. “It was pointed out to us that our contract was lacking the ability to make the decision to eliminate you or Jace based on your actions. Please read through these additions carefully and sign.”
“And if I don’t want to sign?” I push back, clicking the pen open and closed as I stare at her.
“Please,” she urges, her jaw clenched.
“I think I’d like for my lawyer to look them over first,” I state, gathering the stack and standing. “I’ll be back in ten minutes. Feel free to wait. There’s hot water on the stove if you want to make yourself a cup of tea.”
The look on her face is priceless. Gone is the warm and kind person who greeted me and showed me to my villa when I arrived. In her place was an aggravated, tense woman who knew she was caught between a rock and a hard place.
Making my way across the ranch as quickly as I could, I stood in the middle of all the boys’ villas realizing I had no idea which one Lennon was staying in. I’d never been on this side of the ranch. I hadn’t had a reason. Their little houses were identical to the girls’. Three on one side of the sidewalk, three on the other, and I was standing in the middle of them all feeling lost and out of place.
Taking a chance, I walk up the path to knock on the door to my right. Please let it be anyone but Jace. Please let it be anyone but—
“Hey, Jace,” I say, attempting to sound surprised instead of discouraged.
“What brings you all the way over here?” He smirks, checking me out without apology.
“Did someone bring you a new contract to sign?” I inquire, assuming if they were giving me one, they were probably giving them to everyone.
“Yeah. Haven’t signed it yet. Lennon’s looking it over for us.”
Shaking the papers in my hand, I ask, “Where’s Lennon now?”
“Behind you.” Jace nods over my shoulder. When I turn around, Lennon is leaning against the open door of the villa across the way, smiling at me.
“Thanks, Jace.”
He reaches out and places his hand on my arm as I turn to go. “Come back anytime, Presley. Any. Time.”
Fuck my life. His voice is sexy when he keeps it low so only those close to him can hear what he’s saying. A shiver runs up my spine as he releases me, Lennon carefully watching our interaction. If it bothers him at all, he doesn’t let it show. He’s still smiling at me as I approach, stepping aside and ushering me in.
The soft click of the door latching behind us has my nerves on edge. I know he’s the only one that can make sense of it, but I never gave much thought to being alone with him. Behind closed doors. Again.
“Do I sign it?” I can’t look at him, refusing to turn around. I can feel he’s close, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end.
“Yeah. It’s not really anything to worry about. It basically covers their ass if anything like the other night happens again. They thought they owned us, but they didn’t. Now they do. If we don’t follow through with what they’re asking us to do in regard to voting, we can be eliminated.”
By the time he said eliminated, he’d placed his hands on my hips and was pressing his body against mine.
