Page 27 of Catching Coy
And Coy. She couldn’t have asked him to be dishonest with these women—even Lucy, whom Bellamy was coming to despise.
“Just keep falling hopelessly,” she said instead.
He kissed her forehead again. Bellamy ached to lean into him, reach for his lips, and get lost in a moment just for them. Coy drew in a long breath and she thought she heard him whisper, “This is killing me.” The temptation to wrap themselves up together filled the space between them. Her fingers fluttered over the front of his shirt, itching to pull him to her. Instead he buried his face next to her neck, and she turned her head toward him, threading her arms around his waist and holding him close.
Kiss me, Coy Jones. The plea pounded through her, but she knew what she’d asked of him. She just … she just needed him to only want her. And he wasn’t ready for that.
* * *
The crew keptthe fire low in the pit since eighty-degree weather assaulted them as soon as they returned from the hike. All of the girls had sacrificed five minutes to run upstairs and change from their hiking clothes into shorts and tees. Coy had taken Gillian aside as soon as they all gathered outside.
He had come back from talking with her with tension in his expression and Gillian’s eyes had been wet with moisture. She’d seated herself in one of the gray rattan outdoor chairs on the opposite of the fire from any of the other girls, shooting Lucy an icy glare and then avoiding looking over at her. Coy had sat down on the couch between Bellamy and Charlotte, his own tension dissipating as he put his arms up behind the two women. He’d leaned over to Bellamy, whispering, “Best for last, okay? I need to leave tonight feeling good,” before he asked Charlotte to take a walk with him. They rounded the opposite side of the Ranch House, to the front porch where they would probably cuddle up on more outdoor furniture there. It was a popular place for the guests to chill and many liked to eat their meals there and on the back deck.
She had nearly sighed out loud when Gillian brought her attention back sharply. “Whatdid you say to him?” she barked at Lucy.
Lucy straightened and scowled back at Gillian. “I’m entitled to my opinion about why you’re here.”
Gillian threw up her hands. “You can’t just say whatever you want. That’s not fair. You planted doubts in Coy’s mind about me, with no proof.”
“This isn’t about fairness, Gillian.” Lucy snorted and then laughed derisively. Bellamy desperately wanted to sneak off, but unless she planned to go infringe on Charlotte’s time with Coy and create more drama there, she doubted Agnes would appreciate that. She tried to sink back into the couch.
“You can’t just say whatever you want without proof! I am not here to get Girls Play in front of the public eye. I’ve never said that, but Coy won’t believe me now because his little piece of—”
Lucy laughed before Gillian could finish. “Jealous much?”
“You can’t just sit back, Bellamy.” Gillian surprised Bellamy by turning to her, her voice still angry. “You might think keeping quiet will save you, but Lucy has made it clear she’ll do whatever’s necessary to clear the competition away. And we all know you’re the biggest target right now. Why would he even ask you to join the show if he wasn’t already serious about you?” She swung her glare in Lucy’s direction, a clear shot at Lucy’s insinuations about her and Coy’s relationship.
And the accusation hit home for Bellamy. WhatwouldLucy say about her? “What did you say to Coy?” she asked quietly.
Lucy pressed her lips together, narrowing her gaze at Bellamy. “That she’s here to make sure people know about her company. I’m entitled to my opinion about that.”
“It’s not true!” Gillian cried. “Do you think that’s true?” She swung back to Bellamy. She shook her head. Nothing about how Gillian acted on the show made her believe that. “Well, Coy won’t believe me now.”
Now, more than anything, Bellamy didn’t want to be a part of this. If she stood up to Lucy, how far would the woman go to undermine her? Would Coy believe her? He swore he trusted Bellamy, but how far would that go with Lucy lying to him? What reason, really, did he have to believe Bellamy over Lucy? Bellamy had seen their interactions, and without being able to watch their alone time, the way she’d be able to if she was watching the show on TV, she couldn’t interpret how Coy felt about Lucy. He felt strongly enough to doubt Gillian’s intentions.
“Don’t lie about us,” she finally said. “If you want to be with Coy in the end, you won’t want that kind of distrust tainting your relationship.”
Lucy laughed mirthlessly and shook her head. “If I want to be with Coy at the end, I have to fight for him. There are no rules in love and war, Bellamy. This isn’t a game, and I don’t have to play fair.” She stood up and stalked away, toward the other side of the Ranch House, surely to interrupt Coy’s time with Charlotte and reassert herself as the top choice.
Gillian bent over and rested her face in a pillow, her shoulders heaving up and down. Bellamy hated having to sit by as Gillian tried to hide her frustration from the camera looming nearby, salivating at every moment of raw human drama. She stood up, moving to Gillian’s figure in the chair and couched over her, wrapping her arms around her, making sure to block the cameraman.
“You shouldn’t have come on the show,” Gillian whispered, muffled by Bellamy’s protection. “And I’m not just saying that because you’re competition. Lucy is going to rip us all up to win, and you know it.”
“Yeah,” Bellamy whispered back. She knew.
Chapter Fifteen
Lucy, 23
Phoenix, Arizona
Model
“I didn’t lie about Gillian. I believe she’s not here for Coy and hiding that won’t do anyone favors. Coy deserves to know that I’m right for him, more than any of the other women. I won’t lie to him just to play nice.”
* * *
While Coy’s fewmoments with Charlotte had eased Coy’s tension, having Lucy show up mere minutes later made everything rise again. He understood Lucy’s desire to spend more time with him—he felt the same way about all the women still here. He needed more time to get to know them. He battled within himself about whether to applaud Lucy’s efforts and her insistence that she wanted to be with him or annoyance that she wouldn’t respect his trying to get to know the other women.
