Page 17 of The Final Rose

I know it isn’t his gut that he’s trusting. His impossibly blue eyes are zeroed on me. Cheeks burning, I nearly bite off my entire thumbnail..

The second lasts forever. I want him to trust my judgment. I’m happy he listened, but at the same time, it dawns on me how much responsibility it actually is.

I know in my bones Sebastian believes in theThe Final Rosecircus. This man wants a wife. It’s simple like that. He wants a wife, and now he trusts me to find him one.

I know the word before it’s out of his lips. Andrea looks at the camera and asks Sebastian which girl he wants to see here next week.

My hand drops from my mouth, and I watch and watch and watch.

I should be happy that I steered him away from a bad decision.

But I’m not.

Because I’m wondering if I did it for the sake of a good match or ratings. Am I committed to him or the show?

I don’t know which is more insane. I want to grab theThe Final Roselogo embroidered over the breast of my tee and rub it like a talisman. I have to be loyal to the show. Not some dude I just met.

The lights are bright. The set is a little cooler now, someone cranked up the AC so the talent doesn't melt. I close my hands in a fist and suddenly pray for him to do forge his own way

I don’t want the responsibility anymore. It’s notfun.

“The first girl I want to see next week is… Vera.”

Goddammit.

6.

Sebastian

The girls line-up behindme as we all smile at the cameras with annoying sweetness.

For the first time since I threw my hat into the hypothetical ring ofThe Final Rose,I wonder why the hell I even started this.

It might be my mother’s voice saying I shouldn’t, or my traitorous heart, who’s foolish enough to believe in happy endings, but the first elimination leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

I know nothing about them.

Our interactions count for less than a drunken hello in a pub. I’ve had longer conversations through a bathroom stall than with these women behind me.

Now and again, I glance over at Callie, wanting to find her reassuring smile, but she’s chewing on her thumb like there’s no tomorrow.

The host says more nonsense to the camera and after a second, we are done. I’m rooted in the spot, not sure where we can go from here.

Fingers close around my arm, taking me out of my head. Vera stands there, looking up at me. We let the other girls talk as they shoot small waves and anxious smiles.

They all look stunning today, and Vera fits the part. Her soft caramel hair falls down her shoulder in perfect waves. Her brown eyes hold me captive from the second I face her. She’s dressed in a beautiful golden gown that shows exactly who she is. Though garments shouldn’t talk, Vera’s choices make her glow under the harsh lights.

“I know the normal way to go about this is to thank you for keeping me.” Her hand finds the back of her neck like she’s struggling to talk.

“You don’t need to thank me…”

She steps closer, lowering her voice. “The thing is… I don’t know why you did it. We barely talked. I was pretty sure you didn’t even know my name. Maybe you thought I was pretty and decided to keep me and that’s fine, but as your first choice?”

She takes a second, sucking in a breath before asking, “Is this fixed?”

My lips part with the voracity of her accusation. Her eyes shine and right there I know Vera is just like me, a romantic. She’s here to fall in love and being picked first feels wrong if it isn’t sincere.

“Sebastian, that blue looks great on you.”

---