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“I need you two to be honest with me,” I replied, facing them. “Please.”
“Usually when the show brings girls on this late in the game, they’re an ex of some kind,” Candace said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry, Harper.”
We’d laid everything out on the table last night.Everything.And he’d never once mentioned anyone named Amber. Something about this stunk, and my money was on the woman in the kitchen.
“They broke precedent by bringing me on. Maybe this is something different, too.”
“You’re right. It could be,” Candace quickly agreed, and they nodded their heads in unison.
But if that were the case, why didn’t I feel any better?
I had to find Flynn.
Fueled by fear and anxiety-driven adrenaline, I threw open the doors to the library. It took every ounce of willpower I had to not race up the stairs and pound on his door. But then again, I wasn’t supposed to know where that was.
He had to have an explanation. The show had to have one. Someone. I ducked in and out of rooms, my heart falling a little further as each one turned up empty. There was only one option left: Amber.
I stopped at the base of the stairs to take a deep breath, a desperate attempt to slow my racing heart. The kitchen seemed quieter than before, which could be good or bad. With a deep exhale, I stepped around the corner into full view of the kitchen. At some point, everyone else had vanished, and Amber was the only one left.
“Morning,” I replied, struggling to keep my voice even. “Sorry about that. I came downstairs with a major wardrobe malfunction, and they were just trying to keep me from embarrassing myself.” Trying to be less awkward, I shrugged and let out a nervous giggle.
So much for that.
“What good friends.” She smiled. “Is it normal for you to make friends in a situation like this?”
“First timer. I’ve honestly lost track of what’s normal anymore.”
We stood on opposite sides of the kitchen, watching each other. She didn’t belong, regardless of why she’d come here. Something about her was off. Her demeanor… something.
“Would you like to sit?” she asked, motioning to the couch.
“Sure.” I nodded. She seemed oddly at home to have just gotten there.
“This place is beautiful. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Colorado, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised.”
“Who are you?” I blurted out, the need to know spilling over.
“I’m the new contestant.”
My stomach dropped to my toes, much like it would on a steep roller coaster.
“Harper?” Flynn called, rounding the corner before I could answer.
He froze in place the moment he did, a confusion painting his face.
Amber smiled. “Hi, Flynn.”
I could’ve dealt with it if she’d smiled at him like Lexi or Regina had, but this was familiar. Like they knew each other. My gaze transferred between the two of them, back and forth, like my brain couldn’t process what I saw.
“What, uh, what are you doing here?” His brows drew together, and his hand went to the back of his neck.
“I got a call to come on the show. I’ve gotta tell you, Evergreen is a lovely place. But I thought I was going to come unglued if I had to stay in that hotel room any longer.”
Evergreen? That was the next town over.
“I need to steal Harper for a minute, if that’s okay.”
“Not a problem at all.” She shook her head.
