Page 85 of The Love Rematch
They fly to South Africa.
Ethan gets the first solo date—a hike up Table Mountain with a sweeping view of Cape Town, followed by a wine tour and an overnight stay in the dream suite, which for this date is a private cabin for two nestled within the grapevines.
Gorgeous.
Romantic.
Emily turns it down. And even then, Jake feels nothing. Not delight. Not relief. He’s completely detached as she slips the invitation back in the envelope and explains she doesn’t think it’s right to share a night together when there are still two other men vying for her heart.
Trish releases a sound of disgust, muttering about ratings.
He can’t even muster a nod of agreement.
They fly to their next destination, Victoria Falls, where Pierre gets his chance at the dream suite. The two of them literally spend an hour making out in the Devil’s Pool at the edge of the falls with a rainbow reflecting in the mists at their back. It’s the sort of scenery that’s a producer’s dream. But Emily returns to the thousand-dollar-a-night suite at the River Lodge all on her own, using the same excuse as before.
It wouldn’t be right.
They fly to the Okavango Delta in Botswana for their final international stop before the men are cut down to two—a romantic safari. Jake spends four hours in an open-top jeep coming face-to-face with lions, zebras, giraffes, antelope, and even a leopard.
He hardly bats an eye.
Dinner that night is a romantic candlelit platform for two at the edge of the game lodge. The lowering sun paints the sky an almost unbelievable tapestry of deep reds, purples, and yellows. Elephants roam in the background. Warthogs gather near the edge of the deck. In the distance, a lion roars. Emily and Cooper sit with wine while the meal is served. From his spot beside Fred, Jake watches the picture-perfect night unfold from behind the lens. A beautiful woman. A dream man. Smiles. Laughter. Romance. It’s everythingThe Love Matchis supposed to be, and everything he wants for her. The envelope to the dream suite rests against a vase, a gentle reminder throughout the evening that this doesn’t have to be the end. Emily waits as long as possible until Nina finally prompts her from the side to keep things moving. They are, after all, on a schedule, and the camp employees can only guard for lions for so long—something Jake honestly never thought he would say.
Emily grabs the envelope, holding it tightly between her fingers as she looks up at Cooper. “I think you know what this is.”
The cowboy offers a relaxed smile. “I have an idea.”
“Before I open it, I need to tell you something. Something I’ve been putting off saying. Something I honestly haven’t spoken about with anyone in seven years.”
For the first time in days, the hollow void in Jake’s chest pings with life.
Seven years?
He steps away from the camera, so he can look at her without a lens between them. If Emily sees him behind Cooper’s shoulder, she gives no indication. She just wrings the envelope between her fingers, the image of nerves. Around him, the crew shifts their feet. A subtle buzz fills the air at the shift in her demeanor. With Ethan and Pierre, she cut right to the chase, telling them no. This is different. This is a storyline. This is the saving grace of what’s usually the most-watched episode of the season but has so far been a dud.
To Jake, it’s an Achilles’ heel.
Because he knows where this is going before she even opens her mouth. When she finally does speak, it only confirms his suspicions.
“I told you about my ex, remember?” Emily says, her voice soft, but in the perfect silence it carries all the weight of a scream.
Cooper nods, a draw to his brows.
Fred leans over and mutters to Jake. “When did she mention the ex?”
Jake mutely shakes his head as his throat runs dry. A knot forms in the pit of his stomach, growing larger and larger as his nerves swarm. For days, he’s felt nothing. But now the dam breaks. Suddenly, he feels everything at once. Fear. Hurt. Longing. Desperation. Pain. Most of all, apprehension. Because he knows what story she’s about to tell. He already lived it. And he’s spent seven years trying his best not to go back.
“We met when I was seventeen,” Emily continues. “It was our senior year of high school. We started dating in October. By Thanksgiving, we were inseparable. By Christmas, we were in love.”
A million memories flash before Jake’s eyes. Emily beside him on the bleachers. Emily running down the hallway and into his arms. Emily catching snowflakes on her tongue. Emily laughing with his mother over mashed potatoes. Emily looking into his eyes, silently promising him forever.
“He got accepted to a school in California. I was headed to the Fashion Institute in New York. We spent the entire spring planning a long-distance relationship, then the entire summer pretending fall would never come. It felt…” She pauses to take a breath and looks up at the star-studded sky before releasing a sigh. “It felt destined, the way I suppose all first loves feel. Like fate brought us together. Like nothing would ever tear us apart. Like it was us against the world. Like we were simply meant to be. And I really thought we were, until I realized one night that I was two weeks late for my period.”
A hushed silence falls over the crew. Trish is undoubtedly grinning. Nina’s eyes are probably glowing. It’s everything they’ve been waiting for—something newsworthy. Something unexpected. Drama worth building an entire season around.
If the lead were anyone else, Jake would be right there with them. Instead, he was back in his childhood bedroom with his head on the pillow, absently scrolling through his phone, unaware that in two seconds he was going to get a call that would change his entire life.
He’d just turned the light off when it rang.
