Chapter 12: Chapter Eleven

If these women weren’t good enough to grab Elliot’s attention, then Ginger needed to find one who was, because he had to stay away from her. When they’d kissed in the woods, she’d been a heartbeat away from shredding her own clothes to get closer to him. It was a miracle her willpower had even made an appearance.

Davis, their illustrious host, was alone in his trailer when she barged in. He sat up in bed, lowering the book he’d been reading. He glanced at her over his reading glasses. “Am I late again?”

Ginger cut right to the chase. “You’re close with Jenna Gibson, right?”

“We keep in touch.”

“Are the rumors true? Are she and Eric on the outs?”

“They’ve still got some counseling to get through.” Davis studied her like she was an ancient scroll of papyrus. “Why?”

“Do you think she’d consider—reconsidering?”

The book on Davis’s lap threatened to slide to the floor as he leaned toward Ginger in surprise. “Pardon?”

Ginger swallowed hard. “Like what if she had the chance to come back and make another run at Elliot. What do you think she’d say?”

Davis’s face lit up like a kid seeing Harry Potter World for the first time. “You serious?”

“Am I standing here? Yes, I’m serious. Elliot’s drifting—did you see him today? He’s completely disengaged.”

“I figured he was tired. I’m tired.”

Ginger gave her head a firm shake. “It’s not that. These women aren’t doing it for him. I want to bring out their competitive side. I want to see Elliot working—torn—like Jenna was last season.”

Davis stroked his chin, intrigued. “I’m not sure what Lavonne would think about that. Much less Elliot.”

Ginger waved a hand between them to erase Davis’s better judgment. It was totally irrelevant. “We want to tackle real-world relationship issues, right? What’s more real than two exes trying to work it out? A second chance. Think of the contrast between what you used to want versus what you think you want versus what’s actually good for you. It opens up a whole conversation we’ve never had on the show before—people deal with this stuff all the time, and you and I both know Lavonne would kill to put her two cents in.”

Davis nodded thoughtfully, seeing the light of Ginger’s haphazard, yet possibly brilliant plan. “You’re right.”

Desperate to get to the point, Ginger pressed. “What do you think? You think Jenna would be interested?”

“I could reach out to her.”

“You are on good terms, right? Because if you’re not, I can find someone better to DM her.”

Davis dismissed her snarky remark. “We’re fine. But should you run this by Marlon? Her contracts haven’t expired yet. She’s still going through the motions of trying to make the engagement work.”

“If she’s interested, I’ll talk to Marlon. So maybe don’t get her hopes up. Be subtle, like you do. You know?”

He grinned, clearly appreciating her nod toward his excellence at his job. “I’ll let you know when I hear back from her.”

Ginger could have kissed him, but she beamed instead. “Thanks, friend. Want me to have someone fix you a s’more or something?”

Davis grimaced. He was too fancy for s’mores. “But call me when you break open the good liquor.”

Leaving his trailer, Ginger’s mind buzzed with the brilliance of her plan even as anxiety gnawed at her insides. Filming continued near the campfire between the women, Elliot, and The Panel while they toasted marshmallows and exchanged stories. He was smiling, relaxed, engaged, exactly what she’d asked him for.

But the spark still wasn’t there. A year ago that wouldn’t have been a problem, but all of a sudden Marlon wanted all sparks all the time, because he thought America did, too. If she was honest with herself, it had been a thrill last year, when Elliot and Jenna had come ever closer on their collision course of falling in love. She’d only been jealous because it had all looked so romantic—a journey into love Ginger had never taken herself.

She couldn’t imagine what it would take to give someone so much power over her. Just hand over her heart and hope they took good care of it. No fucking thanks. She didn’t even trust her own mother to make her soup.

Elliot was a good guy, though—worth fighting for. While Jenna might not deserve a second chance at him, he deserved the happy ending they’d guaranteed him. Ginger’s only job was to deliver it.

“Come in.” Michelle answered Elliot’s knock on her trailer door. He snuck inside, careful not to let the door bang shut. Production had wrapped for the day, but it didn’t mean this tiny violation of the rules wouldn’t come back to haunt him. He’d been careful to wait until everyone retired to their tents or trailers before he’d snuck over to Michelle’s.

Without makeup, she looked more like the confused kid he’d met in high school, less like the scariest member of his Panel. She tsked. “You shouldn’t be sneaking around in the middle of the night.”

“You’re still up.”

She lifted her legs to allow him to sit with her on the tiny fold-out sofa. Her back rested against the kitchen counter, a book in her lap. A cozy robe engulfed her slight frame.

Mindlessly, he took one of her feet, set it on his lap, and started rubbing it through her fuzzy sock.

“Way to go on that zip line today,” she said.

Elliot met her narrow-eyed gaze, noting the suspicion in it. “Thanks?”

“What’d she say to get you up there?”

“What did who say?”

She jammed her heel into his thigh. “Your ball busting producer, jerk. You know who I’m talking about.”

Elliot didn’t remember much about it. He’d been in a steady haze of panic on the edge of that gorge, but he did remember when Ginger had taken his hand. “Same kind of thing you would say, I guess. ‘It’s not that scary. You got this.’ Something along those lines.”

Michelle’s knowing smirk faded slightly. “And here I thought I was the only one who could get you across that ravine.”

Elliot gave her a look that said he knew better. Michelle wouldn’t have gotten him on the zip line. She wouldn’t have even tried. He’d wanted her to come over so she could yell at Ginger for trying to make him do it, the same way she’d scared off some jerk who’d offered him cocaine once at a party in college. He’d wanted her there for backup while he ran to lock himself in the crew’s truck. It hadn’t been one of his proudest moments. Ginger’s surprising show of patience had given him the space he needed to come to terms with his near-certain death. At least he wouldn’t have been alone.

“I just needed some light shaming. Anybody could have done it,” he said.

“If you say so.”

He shifted onto his hip to face her more fully. “I didn’t come here to talk about Ginger.”

Her eyes lit up. “Someone caught your eye? You trying to influence my decision? You naughty boy.”

He gave it to her straight. “This isn’t working.”

She responded with an eye roll and dramatic sag of her upper body. “Ugh, Elliot. It’s been two weeks.”

“I don’t like these women.”

Michelle flipped her book over and gave him her full attention. “Where’s that coming from?”

“Do you? Like them?”

“I’m keeping an open mind, babe. You should be, too.”

Elliot grimaced. “So you can see me marrying one of them? Raising kids with her.”

She scowled.

“You can’t see it at all, can you?”

“I saw it with Jenna,” she said.

There it was. He sighed. “Jenna’s not here.”

“If you would open yourself up a little, you might find what you had with her again.”

Jenna hadn’t even crossed his mind. He was stuck on the memory of Ginger’s face in the forest, the words she hadn’t said, and of course the way every glance she sent his way filled him with raging lust. He couldn’t get her out of his head. None of these women came close to competing. Jenna may have opened his mind to the possibility of lasting partnership, but in the end, she must have seen he wasn’t as into her as he was into the idea of everything magically working out.

Her rejection still hurt when it came, and he didn’t want to be the one rejecting someone else this time around. He’d been a fool to think he’d come here for any reason other than to be in Ginger’s world again. He didn’t want some random life mate. He wanted her. “This was a mistake.”

Michelle swiped her foot off his lap and sat up straight. “You’re not quitting. I won’t let you. We’ve come too far.”

“It’s not working, Michelle.”

“Listen to me, Elliot Hale. You need to open up your heart. I know it hurts. I know it’s hard. I know you’ve walled it off ever since your parents’ divorce, but you said this is what you wanted. You committed to it, and so did I. Now you need to invest in the process. Invest in some of these women. Let them in. Talk to them like you talk to me. You might even find one you like more.”

At that point, Elliot would settle for anyone who would actually listen to him. But there was only one woman on his mind anymore, and she wasn’t an option. If he stayed, he’d be settling. Big-time.

Michelle needed to come to terms with it the same way he had. He took a breath, prepared to tell her the cold, hard truth, but she got a solid grip on his hand and spoke first.

“I want you to fight for this. I want you to dig deep in that passionate soul of yours and let someone in. Let a few people in. Put your actual heart on the line for once.”

“Look, Michelle…”

“I swear to God, Elliot, whatever upset you have to deal with along the way is worth it. You’ll never have an opportunity like this again. You want to look back and say you half-assed it? No. Get out there and find what you’re looking for. No holding back. No apologies.” She gave his hand a tight squeeze, her intense gaze bearing down on him. “No regrets.”

An electric shock jolted his brain. It was like she’d resuscitated it. His heart pounded with renewed purpose. He’d never have an opportunity like this again. “You’re right.”

“I know!”

He knew exactly what he had to do.