Page 45 of The Billionaire Love Match

FOURTEEN

“Nervous? You shouldn’tbe.”

Casey met Tessa’s eyes in the mirror above the dresser in their room. She sighed and turned. “Did you almost drown on your group date? I don’t think so. I can’t seem to see Colt without having some kind of epic mishap.”

Tessa giggled. “Well, hopefully he likes a damsel in distress. He certainly seems to like you.”

Did he?

Casey knew that the nature of the show was to keep all the women on uneven footing. It couldn’t be obvious who Colt liked or what the outcome would be or the ratings would go bust. If she hadn’t run into Colt in the bathroom that very first night, she knew that she probably would already have gone home. Heck, she did get sent home. Without the bathroom kiss, he simply wouldn’t have asked her back.

Though she understood very clearly how all this worked in terms of the show, she also felt unevenly about Colt. Hopefully it was only because she hardly saw him, but when she did, he seemed to keep her at arm’s length. Other than his secret Morse messages, which were the only reassurance she had, the proof of life of the relationship she hoped for when the cameras stopped rolling.

The last date could not have been a bigger disaster. From almost drowning to having to spend all her time with Ty going over the basics, she and Colt exchanged like ten words. At most. More public humiliation awaited at the live viewing and ceremony tonight.

The only bright spot had been getting to know Ty. After Colt left with Becca and the women were loading up onto the van to go back to the mansion, Ty had given her a quick side hug.

“It was really good to meet you,” he said. “You should be proud of how well you did today. I’ve never seen anyone fight so hard.”

His words got a little fuzzy toward the end as she realized he was tapping out a message on her arm.

H-E L-I-K-E-S U

Casey had turned and given him a giant hug. It served well as a thank-you, but also to hide her wet eyes. So far her only crying on the show had been in the bathroom and the closet of her room with Tessa and she planned to keep it that way.

When she pulled away, Ty smiled down at her. It was just the reassurance she needed. If Colt’s best friend liked her and said that Colt like her, he must. Right?

Before he’d left with Becca, Colt had pulled her aside and given her a hug. “I didn’t know,” he whispered in her ear.

“How could you?” she had said. “It’s okay. I’m just sad we didn’t get to talk.”

S-O-O-N, he had tapped out on her arm. Then he left with Becca, who never came back home. Though she was glad, the finality of it sent all the women on edge.

Tessa pulled her pendant necklace back and forth on its silver chain. Casey remembered with a jolt that she was only feeling the same things that every other girl here felt: nervous, anxious, hopeful. The ultimate bonding experience save for the most important thing they all wanted: to walk away with Colt.

“You look gorgeous,” Casey said. “Seriously, you make it look effortless. I’d hate you, but then I would have zero friends.”

Tessa laughed. “Whatever. You like me. Despite my innate hotness.”

“Definitely in spite of. Do we really have to go do this thing? I feel like we’re suiting up for battle.”

“Right? I want it to end, but if it ends, that just means I’m going home. And I don’t want that.”

Tessa got a dreamy look in her eyes and Casey found something that needed her immediate attention on the buckle of her shoe. Bending over gave her a chance to compose herself and shut down the fierce fever of jealousy that ignited when she thought back to what Tessa said about her group date.

She had been in a group of three that went to some kind of glass slide that was 70-stories up. That sounded almost as terrifying to Casey as scuba diving, but Tessa said it was thrilling. “The best part was Colt, waiting at the bottom for you.” Her eyes had sparkled when she told Casey about it.

Casey couldn’t bring herself to ask any questions, but they were roosting in her head like birds: noisy and hard to ignore.

Did they kiss?

Did he kiss anyone else?

What did they talk about?

Did he have something special with Tessa or the other girls the same way he did with Casey?

Was she crazy for thinking that Colt liked her at all?

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