Page 63 of Unscripted

We remained holding hands as the night began, and we walked out to the garden, clutching each other for strength and solidarity. If I hadn’t been so distracted by both my problems and Chiara’s, I likely would have realized something was amiss sooner.

It took an extra thirty seconds for my brain to catch up to what my eyes were seeing. What normally awaited—the boys standing around a table, waiting with our drinks for the evening—was nowhere to be found.

Instead, the guys were seated around the fire pit and, standing in the middle of the deck, facing us with a huge grin on her face, was Gemma Row.

My heart flopped over itself, and my stomach dropped. I squeezed Chiara’s hand even tighter.

Gemma was only ever here if we were about to rematch or if someone was going home.

This is it, I thought as I lined up with the rest of the girls to face the boys. This is the end of Callum and me, and likely the end of my time in the villa.

I knew how this worked—there was only ever one winner and one loser in a love triangle. It didn’t take hours of Bella Amore research to know what being the loser in that scenario meant for my place in the villa.

After all that worry about being sent home, and all the work to avoid it, here I was, on the cusp of it actually happening.

I took a deep breath and tried to dispel the sickening nausea rolling around in my gut. Callum’s decision wasn’t something I could control anymore, but I could handle how I dealt with it, and if there was one thing I was certain of in this moment, it was that I refused to be weepy for one second longer. I threw my shoulders back and straightened my spine. I could get through one last Matching Ceremony without coming apart at the seams.

“Good evening, ladies,” Gemma said, smiling and looking stunning in a neon green mini dress with rhinestone fringe along the edges. She was probably the only person in the world who could wear something like that and remain impossibly chic.

“The cocktail party looks a bit different, doesn’t it?” she laughed.

None of the girls laughed with her.

“Tonight,” she continued, undeterred by the silence, “there will be a Matching Ceremony, and the boys will get to choose who they want to be matched with.”

She turned to the guys, giving them a dramatic once over.

“Boys, have you been having fun getting to know the two new girls?”

They all nodded at her.

“Any connections standing out?” she asked.

Adam immediately spoke up. “Yeah, I’ve had some good chats with one girl in particular,” he said, smiling at Amy.

Something in his smug tone rubbed me the wrong way, and I was glad that Chiara had chosen Hugh over him.

“Great. Well Adam, since you’re so vocal about your new connection, why don’t you start us off,” Gemma said as she gestured for him to stand.

“The girl I want to match with is Amy,” Adam said, smirking as Amy walked over to him.

I squeezed Chiara’s hand again and caught her eye.

“It’s fine,” she mouthed.

Liam was next to pick, and he chose Ella. I had paid little attention to the two of them so far, but the way that Ella lingered when she kissed him on the cheek had me wondering if there was something deeper there than I realized.

Next was Hugh, and he chose Chiara. I was happy for my friend. She deserved to be with a guy that really liked her.

“Next up,” Gemma continued, “Callum. Who would you like to match with?”

Callum stood.

This is it.

We would officially be done in a matter of moments. Something heavy pressed down on my chest as I waited for him to announce that he was choosing Sara.

I looked up at the stars above, over to the shrubs lining the garden walls and then down at my shoes; anywhere but at Callum. I didn’t think I could face him when he broke our deal.