Page 83 of The Wrong Bachelor

I felt her nod against my chest, and when she looked back up she was smiling. “Just one more week,” she whispered before leaving me and returning to her tent.

After telling Angus and the film crew goodnight, I retired to my own tent. For a short while I could hear whispers from the girls, but before too long they quietened and the whole world became silent. The tent was surprisingly warm, and I quickly felt exhaustion making my eyelids heavy. Madi had been right earlier; it was peaceful out here.

* * *

The soundof my tent zipper tugged me from my sleep. I dismissed the noise for a moment, but then I sensed someone entering the tent. Before I knew what was happening, I felt them lie down next to me and press themselves up against me.

My eyes flew open and I jerked up in my sleeping bag. It was dark, but there was no mistaking Laurie’s bleach blonde hair at my side.

“What the hell, Laurie?” I growled, shuffling myself away from her.

“What’s wrong, Cole?” she asked.

“You’re what’s wrong. What are you doing in here?”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed that Laurie was only wearing thin scraps of underwear. I immediately grabbed the shirt I’d been wearing earlier from on top of my bag and threw it at her. “Would you put this on?”

Laurie held my shirt in her hand but made no move to put it on. “Don’t pretend you want me to cover up,” she replied, tossing my shirt to the other side of the tent. “Stop trying to deny how you feel about me.”

She tried to lean toward me, to trail her fingers down my bare chest, but I grabbed her wrist, firmly holding her at arm’s length. “Laurie, I’m not interested in you like that.”

“Stop lying,” she said. She tried to close the gap between us and give me a kiss, but I was determined to keep my distance.

“I’m not lying.” It didn’t seem to matter what I said; my words weren’t translating in her head. I may as well have been speaking Spanish for all the good it was doing me.

I stood up, kicking myself free of my sleeping bag before I started pulling Laurie from the tent. If words weren’t going to work, actions were going to have to. I needed this girl away from me. Thankfully, Laurie didn’t fight my pull, and she allowed me to lead her out of the tent.

The moment I emerged, I wished I’d never woken up. Madi was making her way out of her own tent, and she smiled at me sweetly when she caught sight of me. Her face completely dropped though, and her smile was replaced by a look of devastation as Laurie came out of the tent behind me and stopped at my side.

I was so concerned about Madi’s reaction that I didn’t even notice Laurie draping herself all over me. All I could do was look into Madi’s eyes. There was so much hurt in them, it practically broke my heart.

Madi tore her gaze from me and darted back into the tent.

“Madi!” I yelled. I yanked Laurie’s hand from where it was placed on my chest and charged across the camp to her tent.

I could already hear her waking the other girls.

“Teagan, Willow, I have to leave,” Madi murmured.

They muttered tired and groggy sounding responses.

The tent zipped open and Madi stormed out with her clothes and sleeping bag in a loose bundle in her hands.

“Get out of my way, Cole.”

I shook my head and took hold of her arms. “This isn’t what it looks like,” I said.

Madi’s gaze flickered over to Laurie, who was still standing in her underwear by my tent, before her gaze turned to my bare chest. Why hadn’t I worn a shirt to bed?

“Let go of me, Cole,” she said through gritted teeth.

I couldn’t let go though; not until she understood. There were tears welling in her eyes, and the sight of them shattered whatever remnants of my heart were left. “Madi—”

“I don’t want to hear it, Cole. Just let me go.”

I let out a defeated breath. “Okay.”

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