Page 23 of Fan Favorite

He attributed the passion coursing through his veins to, sure, the near-constant adoration he was receiving from more than a dozen gorgeous women. And, sure, to his celebrity status and white-glove handling by the producers. And, sure, to the endless steamy make-outs with a revolving door of women that left him jacking off in the shower every night like he was thirteen again. But, if he was being honest, Bennett was high as a kite because there was nothing he loved more than an adventure, and this whole thing—it was a sick ride.

Bennett approached his role asThe Key’s suitor like he would any of his other escapades: you just had to open your eyes and open your heart and grab it by the balls and ride every fucking inch of that wave until you crashed onto shore. You had to reallyliveit. So, every girl he talked to, every date he went on, he was all in. He was open-hearted and enthusiastic, and he’d already found something to love about every single oneof the ladies, anda lotto love about six or seven of them. They were all attractive, definitely, but hearing their stories, learning about how they’d lived their lives, what they thought about the world around them—it was a beautiful thing, and, man, it really turned him on.

For example, Zo, whose thigh was firmly pressed against his, whose hands were soft and sweet in his, was telling him this story, this amazing story, about being onstage at the American Ballet in New York City in front of hundreds of people and catching her foot on the hem of her costume and falling, her knee popping so loudly when it hit the stage they could hear it four rows back. Two chorus girls in tights had dragged her off the stage. And that was it—at twenty-four years old, she’d reached the end of a twenty-year ballet career. A slow tear rolled down her cheek. For a split second, the tear made Bennett nervous, but then he remembered to wipe it away with his thumb, a look of sweet concern on his face. This was another thing Bennett liked—knowing his role, knowing what he was supposed to do.

In the past, had Bennett been accused of liking only the beginning of things? Yes. And did he love all the initial conversations, first dates, and first kisses of the past three weeks? Also yes. But now, at thirty-five years old, he had a different perspective on what he wanted out of life. He might get off on the adrenaline of all those firsts, but what he wanted now was something that lasted. He’d spent the past thirteen years finding himself, communing with nature, consulting spiritual guides, touching and tasting all the corners of the world. And what he’d come to understand was this: Life was about the relationships you had and the people who loved you. It was the same in every language. And he was a man who’d lived some life, seen some truths, taken some risks, had some heartbreaks, and who, most importantly, knew what he wanted—someoneto walk through all the coming days with. And so, he was totally and enthusiastically grateful for this opportunity to say goodbye to all the firsts one by one and ride this experience all the way to the end—to his engagement to the perfect woman, his perfect match, in just seven short weeks.

Zo’s hair was falling into her face, and he wanted to kiss her. It seemed like the right time, since the producers were always encouraging him to validate the girls’ sharing. He tenderly swept her hair behind her ear before taking her cheek in his palm and pulling her to him. She moaned the tiniest bit as their lips met and, damn, it was sexy. He still wasn’t able to completely ignore the cameramen and the sound guys moving around during these intimate moments, or the fact that Zo was twenty-four and he was thirty-five (and really, how was that going to look?), but he willed himself to keep his eyes closed and stay in the moment and kiss her how women like to be kissed, slowly and thoughtfully, with his hand in her hair, and with a sense of control. And without too much sound, because hearing people slurp on TV was the worst. When they finally broke apart, he placed his forehead against hers and smiled.

“That was amazing,” he whispered.

“You’re amazing,” she whispered back.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed more bodies had entered the patio, most likely another contestant and her producer ready for time with him, but Bennett didn’t want to break the shot just yet. That was another thing that made him a great lead—his years on Instagram had taught him a lot about the camera and making great content.

“Charlie?” a voice said now, raising the hair on the back of his neck. No one had called him Charlie since he was a kid. Bennett pulled away from Zo. An underdressed woman was standing next to Adam Fox and one of the cameramen. The way the patio was lit, Bennett couldn’t make out who itwas—a reporter, maybe? Another producer? Someone from the network? But the cameraman was definitely filming her as she approached.

“Charlie,” the woman said again as she arrived at the seating area. “Hi.”

“Who is that?” Zo whispered, annoyed.

“I don’t know,” he said slowly.

Bennett tried to keep the confusion off his face. The producers liked to throw little surprises at him, and Bennett wasn’t against shock value or serving good content, but hewasagainst looking like an asshole. The vibe on the patio was strange—what was he missing?

“It’s been a long time!” the woman said, shrugging her shoulders in a dorky but adorable sort of way that for a second seemed vaguely familiar until—WHAM—it hit him all at once. Instantly Bennett was filled with the same exact feeling he’d had when he was a white-water rafting guide in the Grand Canyon in 2010 and, in a freak accident, they’d hit a wave just right and this kid, like a five-year-old kid, had flown right out of the raft and was justgonefor what felt like an eternity. Bennett had frantically scanned the rapids until he caught sight of the orange life vest, and then he’d swum as hard as he fucking could to grab the kid by the arm.

So that was to say: terror. What he was feeling in this moment was terror.

Bennett’s skin went prickly around his neck. He stood up and pulled at his tie, trying to breathe. He looked to the camera pointed directly at his face. What the hell was she doing here? They couldn’t possibly expect him to dateher. He tried to speak, but what could he possibly say to an all-grown-up Edie Pepper, who he’d last seen on what was arguably the worst night of his life?

The night that had changed everything.

Seventeen years earlier, Charlie Bennett’s mother was determined to throw him a going-away party. She was trying to do something nice for him. Still, her sudden interest inLord of the Ringsand throwing a Tolkien-inspired celebration—the card table covered in Middle-earth-themed snacks, the basement rec room transformed into a shire, his friends dressed in Hobbit cosplay—felt awkward and embarrassing because wasn’t Charlie being sent away so he could become a different person? Someone who liked nerdy thingsless?

For years, Charlie had done whatever he could to avoid his parents’ gaze. It was clear that Bill Bennett thought Charlie was weak and Helen Bennett worried that Charlie was weird, and whenever they paused to assess him, self-improvement projects quickly followed. This time, against all of Charlie’s protests, they’d signed him up for a six-week Outward Bound expedition through the Alaskan wilderness. Bill insisted the trip was necessary to “toughen him up” before Charlie arrived at the University of Colorado–Boulder for his freshman year. Charlie, who knew himself to be an indoor kid, was dreading it with every fiber of his being. His flight left the next day.

Edie, however, was spending her summer like a normal person, waitressing at Walker Bros. Original Pancake House, hanging out at the lake with Lauren, and golfing twice a week with her mom. She’d leave for the University of Wisconsin–Madison in August. Even though they’d be on opposite sides of the country, Charlie and Edie were sure their love could survive the distance. And so, after multiple glasses of Legolas lemonade, they’d tiptoed up the basement stairs, snuck past his parents watchingDatelineon the couch, and slipped into his room to solidify their commitment.

They sat across from each other on the floor, a Yankee candle burning an apple pie flame between them. Edie was dressed as the elf Arwen, complete with poorly fitting rubber elf ears that made it difficult to hear and left her speaking too loudly for the intimate circumstances. Charlie was the ranger Aragorn, and, in addition to the extra-large chain mail shirt he’d purchased last summer at the Renaissance faire, wore his dad’s old leather vest, a camouflage poncho he’d found in the basement and sliced up the middle to fashion a traveling cape, and two leather cuffs he’d gotten at Hot Topic that made him feel like a different person entirely. Someone cooler. Someone who wore leather cuffs unironically. Someone like Maroon 5’s Adam Levine.

“You’re sure your parents won’t come in here?” Edie asked, adjusting her velvet cape with nervous hands.

“They think we’re in the basement with everyone else,” Charlie assured her. “Let’s just do it like we planned.” He pressed Play on the CD player. The soothing sounds of Enya filled the room.

“Do you remember when we first met?” Edie screamed her lines fromThe Fellowship of the Ring. Charlie waved his hands, motioning for her to keep it down. The candle flickered. “Sorry!” Edie whispered. Then, breathily, “Do you remember when we first met?”

“I thought I had wandered into a dream,” Charlie recited.

“Long years have passed. You did not have the cares you carry now. Do you remember what I told you?”

“You said you’d bind yourself to me, forsaking the immortal life of your people.”

“And to that I hold. I would rather spend one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone.”

At this declaration, a blush covered Charlie’s entire body. He dug into his cape and produced a small box. Edie smiledshyly, and Charlie thought she looked very beautiful in her elfin braids.

“You have my heart forever, Edie Pepper,” he declared. “I love you.”

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