Page 50 of Heart to Heart
“Sasha, will you accept this key to my heart?”
“I will,” she answered, taking the pin with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Had I not already had my suspicions, I probably wouldn’t have noticed how quickly even that fake smile disappeared from her face as she took the pin from my hand and turned around to assume her place next to Avery.
Avery. Our conversation in my trailer should have been a relief. She wasn’t here because she wanted to be, she was here because she had to be. No feelings, no heartbreak. Itwas just as much a business proposition for her as it was for me. I should be happy that no matter what, she wouldn’t go home brokenhearted. I could just choose someone with ulterior motives who would benefit from a reality television show win. Someone who would appease the fans, be content without a marriage proposal at the end, and that would be that. Obligation fulfilled. Welcome back, career.
But as I looked beyond a retreating Sasha to a beaming Avery, my heart fell. The smile on her face wasn’t directed at me, but dammit, I wish it were. And that was a problem. Even more of a problem: the fact that I would never have suspected that she wasn’t here for me if not for the fact that she had told me. That meant everything I thought I’d felt from her had been just Avery being Avery.
I hadn’t realized that I was staring, completely drifting away into my own thoughts until Kamila snapped me out of it.
“I know it’s a hard choice, Tristan, but we’ll need to know who your final pick of the night will be.”
I nodded at Kamila, hoping that I didn’t come across as too much of a schmuck to the audience at home. To no surprise, Avery had retained her top spot in the audience vote again this week, followed closely by Tatiana who had her own subsect of theHeart to Heartfandom who’d sworn we’d made some sort of connection I don’t recall making on the group date. Wanda had made it a point to show me AI-generated photos of our children that fans had created through peals of laughter because laughing at small children seemed to really make her day. I could only imagine what she would do if she encountered one hundred and one spotted dogs.
Left to choose from were Genevieve, Courtney, Amelia, Brittney Q., and Brittney B. It was awkward, having to face the remaining women, making eye contact with them, and seeing hope laced with anxiety. All of them were on equal footing, withnone having a clear advantage. Such were the first couple of eliminations. More of a formality with none of the shock.
“Courtney,” I called, my lips working faster than my brain.
The tall brunette breathed out an animated sigh of relief as she wiped her hand across her brow to the amusement of the other ladies who’d made it through. Not so much to the others, though.
After Courtney accepted her pin and returned to the risers, Kamila turned to me. “Now, Tristan, I don’t think I need to remind you that you still have your veto, which will allow you to save one of the remaining ladies, but in doing so, you’ll be sending another one of these ladies home.”
I was expected to use the veto sometime this season. Wanda had made that perfectly clear, even though I’d protested against it. It seemed cruel to strip someone of their hope while basically telling them that I really didn’t want them here. Drama was drama, and that was what brought in the viewers. But today wasn’t the day.
“No, I will not be using my veto this week,” I announced to sixteen happy faces and four less-than-happy ones.
“You heard him, ladies. Amelia, Genevieve, Brittney Q., and Brittney B., please say your goodbyes.”
I stood next to Kamila, watching the rest of the women bid farewell to the women who would be going home. In just a short time, it was apparent who among them had formed friendships as Amelia embraced Bianca and a few of the others. Was she making it a point to avoid Avery? Maybe I was just reading too much into the fact that she didn’t seem the least bit interested in even looking in Avery’s direction. Instead, I caught Avery and Sasha hugging Brittney Q. who whispered something to Avery that made her smile. Avery had rebandaged her arm, using a smaller, less conspicuous bandage, and I wondered what she’d told the others had happened.
After Brittney turned away from her, Avery shifted her attention back to Kamila and me, her eyes eventually settling on my face, another smile spreading across hers. I knew that was her way of thanking me for holding up my end of our promise and that it meant nothing else to her. But that didn’t stop me from hoping there was more behind that smile. The effect it had on my body didn’t feel like the spark I felt when I was with her; it was anything other than real.
PEEP HOLE
BRINGING YOU ALL THE CELEBRITY DIRT THEY WANT TO KEEP BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
Heart to Heart Weekly Recap: A Horse is a Horse
This train wreck of a season ofHeart to Heartwith former heartthrob Tristan Tate as the conductor keeps chug, chug, chugging along, and after last night’s elimination, the ladies are dropping like flies. In the latest episode, the women grabbed their saddles and did some horsing around, quite literally, with the man dubbed the cardboard cutout of love interests—all looks, no substance.
In fact, if it wasn’t for the antics of one Avery Martin, people may stop tuning in altogether.
Avery’s latest antics involve steering a horse off course and coming within a step of finding herself at the bottom of Topanga Canyon, which seems a little extreme just to win the affections of a washed-up actor with zero personality offscreen—but who are we to judge?
Avery’s stunts seem to be working, as she’s been the top vote-getter from audiences at home, which would be fine if it wasn’t for the fact that Tristan is clearly way into her, too, making this season’s lack of drama must-sleep TV.
What do you think? Is Avery really a damsel in distress or a mastermind of manipulation regarding Tristan Tate’s affections? We’re dying for it to be the latter, as the goody-two-shoes act just seems like a bunch of horseshit.
COMMENTS
DustyBAllsack69:Avery ain’t shit…Bianca is where it’s at!! #callmeBianca
BrittanyBitch:Avery is such an attention-seeker. I don’t see what Tristan sees in her.
Baby_Gurl:I loveHeart to Heart– Tristan is the best love interest they’ve had on yet. Y’all are haters.
HeartToHeartFan143:I’d like to see Tristan interact more with some of the other women. He seemed mad into Sasha until she had to high-tail it to the bathroom.
YoMomma1999:Avery isn’t even that cute.
