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“For now?” Troy said, laughing as if Ryan had told a joke. “The hope is she’ll find someone here. Are you not ready to move on?”
“Nope,” Ryan answered. “I figured now was as good a time as any to let her know I wasn’t giving up. Even after seeing the footage from last night.” He looked livid, and his eyes darted over to me and Diego, his mouth twisting into a sneer.
Sophie rolled her eyes and looked over at Troy. “If I may?” Our host spread his hands before him, inviting her to do just that. She leveled Ryan with a stone-cold glare I would hate to be on the receiving end of.
“You and I didn’t work out, Ryan. Sure, things were great at the beginning, but that loyalty you mentioned as your answer to Oliver’s question is less ‘loyalty’ and more like a twisted, sick obedience.”
She let out a dry, mirthless laugh. “I know my worth, and I know who I am. You don’t see me as perfect, and I am absolutely okay with that. I work hard, and I built something from the ground up. I’m proud of myself for that and much, much more. Your validation means nothing to me.” She spit the last sentence, ending her rebuttal with a figurative mic-drop.
I felt my awe for Sophie shining in my eyes. Her lower lip trembled with emotion, but she stood her ground, not letting this man embarrass her in front of us or whoever was watching this show.
Movement in my periphery had me looking back at Ryan. He had turned fully toward me and raked his gaze over me, giving a scoff, as if finding me lacking. It was like being the nerdy, skinny kid all over again as the bigger lads rained verbal and physical jabs at me every day.
“You fucking my girl, Oliver? Diego?” he asked. “They didn’t show everything, but they showed enough of the three of you together to get the gist.”
Finally dragging himself away from the drama of the situation in front of him, Troy turned toward the camera. “Can we air that?” he whispered. “The word ‘fucking’?”
The cameraman nodded. “Streaming service means we get a little more leeway.”
Bloody Christ, these assholes.
I refused to play Ryan’s game and stoop to his level, so instead of answering, I kept my gaze steady and ground my teeth together. The biker’s eyes shifted to Diego, who was just as ready to throw down as Sophie’s ex.
Our girl snapped when Ryan made to take a step toward us. “Hey, dickhead.Iam none of your business.Theyare none of your business. I’m not sorry to tell you that your trip down here was a waste. As loathe as I am to quote Taylor Swift, ‘we are never ever, ever getting back together.’”
The girls beside her cheered, rallying around Sophie as she stood up to her ex. It was like watching the early bonds of sisterhood forming before my eyes.
Troy shifted everyone’s attention to the redheaded guy with a few splashy words and catchphrases related to the show’s name. The lawyer leaned over and whispered a few words to Ryan, getting him to back down as he glared daggers at Diego and me. No doubt, reminding him that assault while being filmed was not a great plan of action.
“I’m Cal, and Kayla is my ex-girlfriend,” he said, answering Troy’s question. Quickly following it up with what he thought Kayla’s next boyfriend should know. Aaron paid close attention to the words, but he was also wringing his hands behind his back with nerves. “She’s the life of the party and will always make people laugh and have a great time, but that comes at a cost to her. Always leading the charge is exhausting, and she needs someone to help catch her when she crashes.”
Kayla nodded at Cal’s words and blew him a kiss. Aaron watched the exchange with suspicion in his eyes. If I were him, I would also be wary. Clearly, my earlier theory that Kayla had sought the familiar, if only in looks, was proving correct. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was really Aaron she was into or if he was a replacement for Cal.
After our morning bonding in the gym, I felt I owed it to him to sit and have a chat about this. He deserved someone who wouldn’t pull their punches or judge the situation, the same way he had done for me earlier. He was a good guy, and right now, he looked like a hurt puppy.
Our final guest was the real estate guy. “My name is Antonio, and Cheryl is my ex. And since I already know the question you’re going to ask, it is important for her nextamorto know that she has trust issues. Be transparent with her; it will help keep things clear for both of you.”
As someone who had been cheated on before, I had a feeling Cheryl and I shared that horrible experience. Putting your trust in someone is challenging on a good day, but opening your heart and allowing yourself to give someone else the power to hurt you was an exercise in humility, making you realize you might not be as strong as you thought.
Cheryl spoke. “He’s right. I had some not-so-great relationships when I was younger, and they’ve colored every single one since then. It’s part of the reason I came on the show.”
“Mi amor, just being here shows how strong and brave you are. You’re trying again, and that is the most important thing.” Antonio looked at the rest of us, pinning us down with a firm glare. “Whoever she chooses, treat her right. She’s the best girl in the world and deserves nothing but amazing things in her future.”
That was surprisingly kind, and as Cheryl thanked him and wiped away an errant tear, Troy flipped through the cards and tallied our scores.
“Well, well. We have a clear winner with five correct answers.”
Silence settled over us as we waited to hear who was winning the date.
“Aaron, congratulations!”
My head whipped toward him.How?
Everyone clapped except for the exes. Kayla flicked her hair over her shoulder, looking like she was already mentally sifting through outfit choices for their date.
“Who would you like to take out for the first solo date on the show?” Troy asked.
Aaron looked along the row of exes and stopped midway, staring at Ryan. “Sophie. No one deserves to be talked to like that, and she needs a nice night out to forget all about you, asshole.”
