Page 50 of Fan Favorite

“What was he like in high school?” Bailey asked. Her face took on a dreamy look and she ran her fingers through the ends of her long blond hair. “I bet he was homecoming king, a soccer star, National Honor Society…”

Max guffawed. “Please. Bennett’s a lot of things. National Honor Society he is not.”

“Actually, he was pretty nerdy in high school,” Edie admitted. “He wasn’t my boyfriend until senior year. The rest of the time we were just friends. But we did everything together. We were in the marching band. He was sweet. And rashy. He always had rashes.”

“Checks out,” Max said. “I’ve diagnosed him with psoriasis a million times in my head.”

Bailey smacked her on the arm, laughing. “Be nice.”

“I know you guys think I’m blowing this out of proportion,” Edie said, “but just hear me out: I think maybe I shouldn’t have come here. Because, in what world does the same bad thing happentwice? I break his nose and he never speaks to me again. And then seventeen years later, I show up and break his noseagain?”

To Edie’s dismay, Max started laughing. “I think it’s pretty hilarious, actually.”

Edie gave her a look.

“It sounds like fate to me,” Bailey chimed in. “Sort of romantic! Like a chance to handle it differently or something?”

The dreamy part of Edie wanted to agree with Bailey and say it was fate. Except Edie preferred when coincidence supported the romantic narrative she’d already cooked up in her head and didn’t involve her injuring anyone. And there was something else bothering Edie. Like she was beginning to understand why Lauren had told her not to come here in the first place.

“I think maybe I just made this completely insane, psychotically impulsive decision to come here because I wanted this one thing so badly. To be loved. No matter the cost.” What was it Peter had said?The show’s the show. It’s got a format, and you either accept it or you don’t.How could she not have known better? A TV show? To find love? Really?Most people don’t take it so seriously.She covered her face with her hands. “This is mortifying.”

Max leaned over and pulled Edie’s hands from her face.

“Pepper, come on,” she said, her face full of compassion and love. “How do you think any of us ended up here? No one thought this through. Wealljust want to be loved.”

Edie was thunderstruck. It seemed impossible that could be true. Cool, strong, smart, independent Max and Bailey—every man’s dream—wanted love just as badly as Edie did? Edie struggled to accept the idea that her romantic rivals, who were just so much better than her, could be fueled by a similar desperation.

“I’ve been looking for my true love forever,” Bailey said with a little sigh. “But you would not believe how many men out there are just not very…nice?”

“Even in Santa Barbara?” Max asked.

“They’re probably even worse there! They’re all unemployed trust-fund surfers. And such know-it-alls! They lecture you about composting. As if I don’t know about composting!”

Edie put her hand on Bailey’s shoulder. “I’ve dated these men.” They all laughed. “But you? You could marryanyone. I bet you could marry Alexander Skarsgård if you wanted to.” Mentioning marriage suddenly reminded Edie of something else. “Wait. On the court, right before the accident, Zo told me something. She said Peter gave you a contract guaranteeing you a spot at the end.”

“A contract?” Bailey looked genuinely confused.

“That’s what she said—Peter gave you both contracts guaranteeing you spots at the end. And then she said I was just a one-episode sideshow.”

“That’s mean!” Bailey exclaimed. “You’re not a sideshow. You’re fabulous.”

“And the way you’ve been playing this, Pepper, you’re definitely gonna be on at leasttwoepisodes,” Max joked.

“Is it true, though?” Edie pressed.

“Of course not!” Bailey said. “I think I’ve spoken to Peter maybe one time, and it was way back during casting. He talks to you way more than the rest of us. And I don’t think Bennett would let Peter decide who’s at the end anyway. Do you? Bennett’s looking for his true love. I think it’s important and real for him.” Her face softened, as if her dream wedding was playingout in her mind’s eye. “True love’s gonna find its way—that’s what I believe. No dumb volleyball game’s gonna stop it. You just wait and see.”

They all thought about that for a moment, but before Edie could decide if she agreed—true love had become seriously confusing—the door opened, and Jessa strode in with a bottle of craft services rosé and a stack of plastic cups.

“Edie Pepper, are you a graduate of the Bethenny Frankel School for Girls, or what? Way to snag that screentime, bitch! What a group date debut!”

Edie stood up quickly. “Oh my god, Jessa, is he okay?”

Jessa set the cups on the table and unscrewed the wine. “Please. He’s fine. Never better.” She poured. “If anything, you did him a favor. His nose needed more character. Before he was like, whatever handsome. But now he’ll have gravitas!”

Edie pulled the windbreaker’s hood over her head and folded herself over the table. “Oh my god, I hate myself. Can I go home? Please? Jessa, please get me a ticket home.”

“You can’t quit now. We haven’t even started traveling yet!” Max exclaimed. She turned to Jessa. “We’re going to Everest, right? Base camp? I brought my winter gear.”

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