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He slowly made his way closer to her, noticing his bodyguards Ollie and Braxton quietly shadowing his moves. By the time Jaylene was competing, he and Ellery were standing side by side.
“You did amazing,” he said in her ear to be heard over the crowd’s cheers for the model Jaylene. “Great job getting so high. Plus you have the fastest time.”
She glanced up at him. “You’ll fly up that Invisible Ladder and kick my tail.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“I do. I’ll be cheering like a rabid rah-rah for you.”
He laughed. He wanted to express his regrets that she’d fallen, but Ellery didn’t want anybody feeling bad for her. She was sweet, but prideful. He’d seen that firsthand.
The cheering got explosive, and they both looked to see Jaylene progressing up the Invisible Ladder.
“Go, go, go!” Ellery cheered, bouncing on her feet and clasping her hands together. “You’ve got this, Jaylene! You’ve got the fastest time!”
Derek could only stare at her. Did she have any idea Jaylene had muttered behind her back and cheered for her to ‘fall, fall, fall’?
Somehow, he knew it wouldn’t matter. Ellery was genuine and truly wanted Jaylene’s success, even if it triumphed over her own. That was so rare in this competitive world that he found himself falling even harder for her.
“Go, go!” Ellery screamed. She hooted and screamed louder as Jaylene moved past the spot Ellery fell. “Yes, yes!”
Jaylene’s hand slipped and she fell, but she’d made it farther than any of the competitors so far tonight. Ellery groaned along with everyone else that she’d fallen, but then she turned to him with a smile. “She did fabulous. So close, and she beat my time!”
“Uh-huh,” Derek murmured. He stared at her beautiful face, stunned by the sincerity and lack of guile he found in her green eyes.
“I’ve got to go congratulate her,” Ellery said.
She turned and rushed over to where Jaylene was being interviewed. As soon as the interview was over, Ellery hugged the other woman and they bounced happily together, holding hands and both looking very beautiful and happy. Was Derek the only one who knew Jaylene was a snarky woman who would rather poke Ellery’s eyes out than have her win? It had to be obvious to everyone how unselfish and kind Ellery was.
Jaylene glanced over at him as she and Ellery hugged again. She rolled her eyes and mouthed, “Adorkable.”
Derek looked away. He wanted to expose Jaylene, but that would only hurt Ellery.
It was almost his turn. He went to get ready and started the competition with the cheers of the crowd and a desire to beat Jaylene. The women didn’t usually make it the farthest on any given run, but this particular route was more geared to agility and speed than strength.
He flew through obstacle after obstacle, focused and determined. As he hit the final obstacle and grabbed the handles of the Invisible Ladder, he could hear the commentators saying his time wasn’t as fast as Ellery or Jaylene’s. He had to make it to the top or Jaylene would win this round. They were all moving on to Vegas, but Derek felt the need to avenge Ellery from Jaylene’s underhanded words, and when he pushed himself to extremes with Ninja Warrior, it helped assuage the pain of his mum’s death.
He moved the handles up and down, progressing steadily up the ladder. He passed the twenty-foot mark and his arms, back, and fingers were screaming in protest. Ten more feet. The crowd was cheering insanely, “Ninja Prince, Ninja Prince!”
Eight feet to go, six, four. The world slowed around him, and his fingers cramped. His body trembled with the exertion. He was going to fall. There was nothing left in a single muscle in his body. Every cell was depleted.
He glanced down and found Ellery in the crowd. Her hands were up as if she were clasping the rings, and she moved in sync with every pull he made. She bounced on her toes, her face intense, and she was screaming for him. “Go, Derek! Go!”
Their gazes caught and held. He could read the sincerity in her gaze. She wanted him to win, but it was more than that. She cared deeply for him, maybe even returned the intense connection and longing he was experiencing for her, despite her refusal to go on a date with him.
She grinned and hollered above the crowd, “Go, my Ninja Prince!”
My Ninja Prince?
Derek felt a surge of energy. He tightened his grip on the handles and kept moving, inch by agonizing inch, up and up until he shakily climbed onto the platform to the raucous cheers of the crowd and slammed his hand against the buzzer.
He’d done it. Because of her.
He glanced down again, and she was beaming at him, her hands thrown up in the air, cheering like a ‘rabid rah-rah,’ whatever that meant. He grinned and pointed at her.
She jumped up and down and cheered louder.
He loved Ellery Monson. She was the woman who could support and love him like only his mum had been able to do. Somehow, he would make her his princess.
