Page 26 of Say Yes to the Nemesis

She points to the far right, front row. “Right here.”

I take a deep breath and head to the spot. Around me, the other contestants settle into place. Divya’s talking about a five-year plan with anyone who’ll listen. Letitia’s modeling her champagne flute like a lifestyle influencer. I’ve never felt smaller or faker.

“Don’t worry,” Hana whispers. “It would be ridiculous to let you get cut this early.”

“Right,” I murmur. “BecauseThe Last Kissdefinitely controls Ryan.”

She grins. “I saw your scene earlier. There’s definitely chemistry.”

“Places!” Marcus shouts. “I don’t want to lose the light.”

“Break a leg,” Hana says before disappearing.

I stand there, willing my face into something neutral. My feet hurt. My stomach is in knots. I keep thinking about the bare inches of skin between my skirt and top, how unlike me this outfit is.

Everyone else looks like they belong on a magazine cover. I look like someone broke into their sister’s closet and prayed the cameras wouldn’t zoom in.

Then Ryan walks in. The world shifts. Not because he’s hot, though God help me, he is. But because suddenly, this whole ridiculous show feels like it might actually hurt.

He swaggers into the center of the circle and smiles.

“Wow, it’s beautiful out here,” he says.

Several girls titter like he’s hilarious. I don’t roll my eyes, but it’s close.

I hang back as the other women cluster together. They all seem to know how to pose, how to laugh, how to sparkle. I tug on my skirt and silently count my breaths.

Ryan brushes lint off his fitted suit. He looks good. Tall, broad-shouldered, the jacket cinched perfectly at the waist. I hate that I notice.

He spots me and his eyes linger. His brows rise slightly. Then comes the smirk.

God, I hate him so much.

He’s drinking me in like he can’t help it, and I suddenly regret every decision that brought me here. I miss my oversized T-shirts. I miss being invisible. I miss not caring what Ryan Haart thinks when he looks at me.

Okay, I’m lying to myself. I’ve always cared what he thought.

The host steps up. “Welcome back toThe Last Kiss. Ryan is about to make his selections. Ryan, how are you feeling?”

“Good,” he says. “Excited. Blown away by the beauty and brains here. It’s honestly intimidating.”

“Are you ready to let one of these women go?”

He nods. “I’ve talked to a lot of the girls. I’m making my decision based on the vibes I felt.”

My stomach sinks. If he’s going off vibes, I’m toast.

This is it. I’m the girl who joined late, who doesn’t flirt loud enough or dress sexy enough. I’m the freak with a classics degree and a three-book-a-week habit. Of course, I’m not the right choice.

The host hands Ryan the tray of roses.

He starts with the obvious choices. Brooke. Letitia. Annabeth. Heidi. JacqLyn. Then a bunch of others: Divya, Whitney, Mei, Raven, Daisy.

It comes down to three of us without roses: Nikki, Trinity, and me.

Even though I’m relatively sure that I’m safe, owing to the fact that I’m here because Elena wants me to be, I still find myself getting nervous. The fact is, I don’t really know Elena that well. She says I’m not getting kicked off, but is that what will happen?

Ryan steps toward Trinity. “We had an interesting conversation, but I’m not sure our visions for the future align. Are our values really on the same page?”