Page 84 of Heart to Heart
My pulse quickened. Is this where he decided to let us all go, proclaiming his undying love for Jessica? There was no need to keep me around anymore; he knew I knew that. But still, the thought of losing Tristan tonight, of never being able to see him or speak to him, or look him in the eyes again, was tearing me apart.
“Tonight,” he began again, “I’m going to be sending four of you home, advancing two of you through to the finale. There’s no need to drag this out anymore. There are two of you in this competition who I would like to continue on this journey with me.”
I closed my eyes, letting out a breath. If someone else remained in the competition with Jessica, that meant that, possibly, Tristan had developed feelings for someone here along with Jessica.
“In no particular order,” Tristan said, “I’m going to call the names of the women who are going home tonight. Just know that your elimination is in no way a reflection on you. All of you are accomplished, intelligent, and fascinating women with whom I’ve had the privilege to get to know over the last several weeks.” He looked down the line, his face unreadable. “The first woman I’m sending home tonight is Felicity.”
Felicity stepped out of the line and walked over to Tristan, tears threatening to fall from her impeccably mascaraed eyes. He greeted her with open arms, taking her into them. Her shoulders shook as she let the tears fall while Tristan rubbed her back, whispering something in her ear.
“Felicity,” Kamila interrupted. “Tristan asked that we compile footage of your time here as we bid you goodbye.”
We watched as the projection screen that had been brought in while Tristan had been giving his speech came to life, showingfootage of Felicity’s initial interview, arrival, and highlights. All the while, she smiled, wiping tears away from her eyes.
“Tristan,” Kamila said when Felicity’s footage had ended, “who is the next lady going home tonight?”
The elimination of Charlie and Taylor proceeded in the same way, leaving Bianca, Jessica, and me standing. I looked up at Tristan, our eyes meeting for the first time tonight. In his eyes, a spark that had once been nothing more than an ember had erupted into flame. They were the eyes of a man who knew exactly what he wanted. He continued holding my eyes hostage even when he called the final name of the person he was eliminating.
“Bianca.”
Relief for myself washed over me, followed by sadness for Bianca, who looked as though the wind had been knocked from her sails. In true Bianca form, she remained poised throughout her goodbyes to Tristan and Kamila. After she walked off the stage, Kamila turned to Jessica and me.
“Congratulations, Avery and Jessica. You two will be advancing to the season finale and are one step closer to winning the heart of Tristan Tate.”
“I’m sorry,”I said, leaning on the doorjamb. Inside our room, Bianca was gathering her bags together as she waited for a driver to pick her up.
“Avery, you should know by now that your sympathy, though very Midwest of you, is unnecessary.”
“Still, I know that you really cared for him.”
She nodded, allowing a small wave of sadness to wash over her features before straightening back up again. “We both do, so one of us was bound to go home heartbroken. But enough about that, come in here and quit hovering in the doorway like a weirdo.” She motioned for me to step inside, patting a spot on her bed. “I have something for you.”
“My, look how far we’ve come,” I joked, taking a seat on her neatly made bed while glancing over at my mess of strewn covers.
“Don’t go all soft on me. I’m just arming you for battle.” She shoved a garment bag into my arms. “Here. We’re close enough to being the same size, even though I have more in the chest area than you do. But it should still fit.”
I unzipped the bag, noticing the tag marked withVersace. “Is—is this real?” I asked, knowing it was not the most intelligent question.
Bianca looked at me. “Avery. Did you really just ask me that?”
“I can’t accept this. This dress cost more than I make in two months.”
“Try six. And yes, you will be accepting it. You are about to battle with one of Hollywood's most underhanded, cunning women. You will need all the help you can get if you want to come out of this on the other side with Tristan. And I want that for you, Avery. I truly do. Jessica isn’t here for him. I don’t care how much she’s been able to convince him she’s changed. She hasn’t.”
“What if he’s already made up his mind?” I asked, suddenly feeling more vulnerable than I wanted to. “If he has, no dress or convincing on my part will make him change it. It will be like David trying to take down Goliath.”
“First of all, David won that battle. Secondly, he may be confused right now, but I don’t think he’s leaning toward Jessica.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“How are you so unsure?”
I looked back down at the dress in my arms. “Thank you, Bianca. Really.” I moved to hug her, stopping short when I remembered how she felt about them. But just as I was pulling away, she surprised me by leaning in and folding her arms around me.
“God, this feels weird,” she said. “I don’t like it at all.”
“Come to Michigan sometime. You’ll get used to it.”
“That sounds terrible.”
