My breathing became shallow and rapid, and I tried to repress it. It would only encourage him, and I couldn’t let that happen. I should move away. Go back inside. Something.
You’re engaged.
But then Dante said, “I hate that anyone has ever hurt you, Limone,” as he caressed the side of my face, and every last bit of resistance inside of me crumbled.
I knew he would never kiss me, because he was too honorable. But despite my rules, I nearly attacked him then and there. I didn’t—because a hysterical Taylor found us and ordered us back inside. As soon as she spoke, I pulled away faster than a rattlesnake getting ready to bite. I couldn’t look at him. Dante stood up first and offered me his hand, but I ignored it and him and walked back into the house.
I couldn’t believe it. I had to be stronger than this. I was marrying someone else.
And, once again, I’d come this close to throwing away my steady, sure relationship and believing Dante could be more than he was.
Chapter 5
If it be thus to dream, still let me sleep!
I pulled Taylor aside to see what had made her so upset. She was typically a go-with-the-flow kind of girl, and I’d never seen her so stressed. “Matthew’s here,” she said, and my heart stopped.
“Matthew Burdette is here?” I responded. I suddenly felt nauseous.
“This Heart Celebration has to go perfectly. Matthew said he wants to film it live. No cuts, no reshoots. Something about it seeming more real and test audiences responding better to live tapings.” She doubled over, and I looked around for the nearest thing she could throw up in. “These things never go right. I am so going to get fired.”
“You will not get fired,” I told her, helping her to sit down on a nearby chair. “Everything will be fine. I promise.”
It was a promise I shouldn’t have made.
I could feel Dante standing behind me, presumably listening in on our conversation. I continued to ignore him. I shouldn’t have been upset with him. It wasn’t his fault my messed-up psyche found him irresistible.
But it was almost over. Soon I’d be gone and free of this hellmouth.
The perfectly coiffed host of Marry Me walked in, his tailored suit and golden tan making me feel pale and unkempt. “Hello, ladies, I’m Harris Phillips.” Cue the excited twittering from women who’d been standing in super-tight shoes for way too long and had had way too much to drink. “If you will excuse me, I need to have a conversation with Dante, and we will meet you at the Heart Celebration.”
Dante left with a chorus of good-byes echoing behind him, and we were told to go into the room where all the Heart Celebrations would be held. There were candles of every shape and size all over the place. They had put a riser on the floor, and the back windows opened on the lit-up pool. Past the pool I could see the sun just starting to come up over the horizon. This stupid shoot had taken almost all night. No wonder I was so tired. They arranged us by height, and I was stuck up front in the middle. I was shorter than everyone else because I was the only woman not in heels. I felt like I was on Sesame Street playing “one of these things is not like the others.”
Genesis was led over to the other side, and I waved to her. She smiled back, and I noticed a small red heart pin attached to the bodice of her dress. She must have won the First Sight Heart. Which meant that Dante had liked her so much at first sight that she didn’t have to worry about this elimination, because she was safe.
My mind whirled with crazy thoughts that led me down a dark, jealous path. While I logically knew Dante would date other women and possibly fall in love, I still felt more possessive than I should have. It made no sense. How could I be upset? I liked Genesis so much, too. But it still caused a sharp pang in my heart.
I told myself that they might be really good together. She might make him really happy. It should be what I wanted. It might even help my inappropriate attraction to him if he paid all his attention to the women on the show and left me alone.
The lights were okayed, the cameras were positioned, and the director called for Harris and Dante to enter the room. There was a call for “quiet on the set!” and everyone went still. Harris walked out first to greet us.