Page 80 of Ex Marks the Spot

“No.” I set the final stone on the ground and rise. “I guess I’m going to have to come clean to her and my parents so they don’t find out in the first episode with the rest of America.”

Not that I expect a lecture or anything. It’s been so long that I doubt Mom and Dad would care much, and Ella’s only complaint will probably be that I let a broke community college student spend forty bucks in gas to come nurture me in a crisis I created. Note to self: repay her when I break the news.

Despite her earlier teasing, Gianna’s more cautious when she asks, “Do you think you and Hartley will stay in touch after the race is over?”

I let my eyes wander to where she’s sitting as I recall our discussion at the bladesmith. My favorite part was when she said we were exchanging numbers when we got our phones backor else, and that if I stopped responding, she’d drive to Green Valley and paint my house pink. I considered doing it just to see if she’d come.

“She said she wants to be friends.”

“Is that what you want too?”

My gaze swings back to Gianna. “To be friends?”

“To bejustfriends.”

“Sure, why not?” I head over to my section and grab the top rock off the closest stack. If we keep up the pace we had before, we’ll be manifesting this puzzle in about ten minutes.

“Maaaybe”—she aims a pointed look at me—“because being friends with someone you have feelings for is actually pretty hard.”

“Who says I have feelings for her?”

“Now you’re insulting my intelligence.”

“You really do sound like my sister,” I mutter, which makes her smile.

“All I’m saying is it’s my literal job to understand the properties of bonds.” She stops in front of me and rests her hands on her hips. “I also know what it’s like to be afraid to take another chance on something that backfired. But when you revisit a formula and fix those things you missed the first time...or in my case, the first eighteen times,” she adds with a laugh, “you can get some pretty incredible results.”

Standings after leg 7, Egypt

1. Bombshells (Gianna and Alexis)

2. Us

3. Old Bay (Haylee and Kadeeja)

4. Kick Asspen (Treva and Boyd)

5. A Team (Mitchell and Kennedy)

6. Wise Guys (DeAngelo and Big Mike)

*Non-elimination leg

Yes, you read that right.

We came in second.

And the Wise Guys were last.

And it was a non-elimination leg and they’re still here. Hartley compared them to cockroaches, but honestly, that’s an insult to cockroaches.

The non-elimination leg also meant we kept racing, so for the second nightin a row, we didn’t have a hotel room. We didn’t even have a bed. Instead, we slept on the airport floor with a foam sleeping pad and a sleeping bag courtesy of the production team.

Other highlights of our airport accommodations included:

Washing up in the bathroom sink,

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