Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Before the panic could completely set in, a tall woman waltzed into the room, trailed by a few cameramen. She had legs for days, poking out of a sweater dress. She stopped just by the hall entryway and was immediately mobbed by the hair and makeup team. They touched up her face and fluffed out her hair.
At the end of the couch, Sofia gasped. Rachel and I whipped our heads in her direction.
“Do you know who that is?” I asked.
“That’s Rita Marston,” Sofia squealed.
Rachel and I glanced at each other before I asked, “Who?”
“She’s reality royalty. She’s been on Ruler of Love , like, four times,” Sofia said it like I was dense for not knowing.
Rachel and I still stared at her blankly.
“It’s a reality show about finding love,” Trace explained. “She must be the host.”
Gears turned in my head, yet still nothing clicked.
Rachel voiced my thoughts. “Why would a reality star famous for doing a dating show be the host of a dance competition?”
“Writing competition,” I corrected instinctively.
Trace sighed. “I have no idea what’s going on, but something tells me I’m not here to sing.”
Sofia snorted. “Don’t be dense. This is clearly some sort of twist. None of you will be pursuing your little hobbies on this show.”
“Ten years as a professional dancer, but sure, it’s just some little hobby ,” Rachel grumbled next to me.
This made absolutely no sense. Heat consumed my whole body as I sat there, bathed in anxiety. The adrenaline running through my veins shouted at me to get up—to do something—but shock and confusion had me frozen in place. While something obviously wasn’t right, I had no idea what that was.
Maybe there was some sort of logical explanation for all of this. Maybe the twist would make sense.
Rita finally approached us, and any hope I had that everything would be fine was about to be completely destroyed.
“Ladies,” she said warmly, her arms outstretched as if welcoming us into her home. “You’re all probably wondering what’s going on.”
We all murmured a yes, sitting on the edge of the couch, anticipating answers.
“Well, do I have a surprise for you.” Rita clapped her hands together and looked us over like she had the most exciting secret to share.
A cameraman kept his camera pointed at our faces, and I had to force myself not to stare directly into the lens. Being filmed felt about as natural as walking backward. I resisted the urge to touch my face and pat my braid to check for flyways.
“I have a confession to make,” Rita continued, before pausing dramatically. When I watched reality TV, I had always assumed they added those in after the fact. But nope. Rita’s pause dragged on for what felt like forever. I could have gotten up, used the restroom, and still made it back in time for whatever grand reveal she was about to share.
“You’re not here for a singing competition—” she looked to Trace, “—or to dance.” Her gaze moved to Rachel. Then her eyes settled on me. “Or to write.”
My throat dried up and I was desperate for a glass of water.
Her eyes moved away from me to land on Sofia. “And you aren’t here to become famous, although if you play your cards right, you just might become beloved by America.”
Sofia giggled before raising an imaginary glass. “Cheers to that.”
My expression probably appeared positively horrified. How could she feel so at ease right now? I wished just a fraction of her relaxed attitude would rub off on me.
“What the hell is going on?” Rachel finally asked, evidently just as tired as I was with the dramatics.
Rita smiled slyly, as if feeding off our combined anxiety. “While you might not be here for the reasons you expected, you’re definitely all here for a purpose.” She took two steps toward the couch. “And that purpose is to find love.”
Bile rose in my throat. This couldn’t be real. This had to be some elaborate prank. Piper must be here somewhere, ready to jump out and yell, “Got you!”
“You heard that right,” Rita continued. “Someone close to you, a family member or a friend, signed you up for the show under the pretense that it was something else entirely.”
Rachel cursed under her breath and Trace gripped my forearm, tighter this time. I wanted to rip my arm away and run for the door. The camera zooming in on our faces was the only thing keeping my expression neutral .
“We all know someone unlucky in love. Maybe you’ve never had a relationship. Maybe you put your career first. Maybe you can’t move on.” She observed me as she delivered that last line. I pressed my back into the couch, hoping the cushions could somehow swallow me whole and I’d escape from this nightmare.
“But someone close to you has said enough is enough. They’re turning to tough love to force you all into facing your limiting beliefs about love and relationships. They’re forcing you to dive in and face your fears, and feelings, head-on.”
Rachel scowled at this revelation. Trace and Sofia, meanwhile, seemed a lot calmer than I felt.
“So, your journey starts today. Your journey on... Tough Love .”
The sizable pause before the name of the show had me imagining some cheesy theme song being inserted there. This was all too surreal. The idea of a competition show had already been a big pill to swallow. Now this? I realized I had been shaking my head and forced myself to stop. My whole body felt like it was on fire. Thank God I was already seated, or I’d surely pass out.
Rachel’s foot tapped furiously next to me, and I wished I could channel some of what I was feeling into frustration. Instead, I was just scared shitless.
“In the next room, we have four men who have just been given the same revelation. Now you might think, how am I expected to find love with some random guy on this TV show?” She chuckled in a way that could only be described as simulated. “Well, don’t worry. We’ve put you all through a rigorous compatibility test. I can assure you that there are multiple possible and very compatible matches within this group.”
“Yeah right,” Rachel hissed quietly .
“But,” Rita held up a finger, “There is one match for each of you that will fit you particularly well. It’s up to you to figure out who. You’ll pair up with one possible match at the beginning, but you’ll have the opportunity to swap partners later on. Every day we’ll have a new challenge that will test your compatibility and force you to grow as individuals. This show is called Tough Love , after all, and the challenges will be just as demanding physically as they are emotionally. Remember, this isn’t just about finding love, it’s also about growing and letting go of your self-limiting beliefs.”
Rita paused and assessed us all. “You look angry, Rachel.”
Rachel laughed bitterly. “Damn right I’m angry.”
Rita pursed her lips—in an attempt to appear sympathetic, I was sure. “Do you have any idea who might have signed you up for this?”
“I don’t have to guess,” Rachel scoffed, leaning back. “It was my mother.”
“Same,” Trace said on my other side.
“Sofia?” Rita asked.
Sofia acted as if none of this mattered in the slightest. “Don’t know. Probably my girlfriends.”
“They must really care about you,” Rita said before turning her attention to me. “Calla?”
I sat there, motionless, not entirely processing that she was speaking to me. Because of course I knew. It must have been my sister. My sister, the person I was closest to in the entire world. The one who had handed me the application for the writing show and begged me to fill it out until she was blue in the face. The person who knew me better than anyone on the planet. But that couldn’t be right, because how could she possibly have done this to me after all that I had gone through ?
All eyes were on me. I had let an uncomfortable amount of time pass after Rita’s question.
“My sister.” My voice came out barely above a whisper. The microphones might have even failed to pick it up.
Rita focused on me. “You seem a little nervous, Calla.”
“I-I’m,” I stammered, but didn’t manage to form any real words.
“Of course she’s nervous,” Rachel snapped. “You’re springing this on us.”
Rita held up her hands. Even through my stunned haze, I couldn’t help but admire what a pro she was. Here she was, breaking this shocking news to us, and she hadn’t missed a single beat.
“I completely understand you all have your reservations,” she continued. “But I can assure you, this process has been designed to not only find you a compatible match, but to also help you grow and work on yourself.” She looked to Trace. “Trace, I can’t help but sense a little bit of excitement radiating off you.”
“Oh, well.” She cleared her throat and sat up. “I mean, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed there’s no singing competition. But...”
“Go on,” Rita pressed.
“I suppose I’ve never been in love before. I’ve always wanted to meet someone. To have the fairy tale ending.” She ducked her chin and blushed.
Rachel’s soft groan next to me told me she was likely not impressed with Trace’s heartfelt admission.
“Same,” Sofia added hurriedly. “I love this idea. I can’t wait to meet the right guy, someone who will sweep me off my feet and take my breath away.”
Her words sounded like a well-rehearsed script. It seemed some of us weren’t as upset as others about the change of plan.
Rita clapped her hands. “I’m glad at least some of you are excited about this.” She eyed Rachel and me. “And for the rest of you, I urge you to stay open-minded.”
Rita stepped away from the couch and moved toward the center of the room before gesturing down the hallway opposite the one from which we had emerged.
“Time to bring out the boys. Remember, they’ve had only as much time to adjust to this news as you have.”
“This is ridiculous,” Rachel muttered.
Trace eagerly perched herself on the edge of the couch. Meanwhile, I could barely fight back the lump in my throat. I needed to get out of there, but my body had betrayed me. It wouldn’t respond to my basic brain signals.
“Alright, let’s meet your first guy,” Rita said, as if introducing a prize on The Price Is Right.
A guy in his late twenties emerged first. He wore a tight white T-shirt, skinny jeans, and an open black jacket. His white-blond hair was perfectly gelled back. He walked over and stood next to Rita before turning to us and rubbing his hands together.
“Welcome, Grant.”
Grant’s grin resembled a wolf’s as he sized us all up.
“Ladies, how are you all doing? I thought I’d be here for a competition to win money, but”—he held out his arms and shrugged— “I suppose love is the next best thing, right?”
“Kill me,” Rachel mumbled.
My breakfast from earlier threatened to make a reappearance at this cheesy display. There was no way this guy and I had scored even remotely close to each other on any compatibility test. Before I could process any more than that, a tall, lanky guy with frameless glasses and kind eyes entered the room. His cheeks were beet-red and he gave us a shaky wave.
“Welcome, Arnie!” Rita introduced him.
Arnie looked at his feet. “Well.” He chuckled nervously. “This is certainly a surprise for someone who thought they’d be here building robots.”
My uneasiness was eased just a smidge by his genuine nerves. While I was absolutely in no state to connect with anyone right now, at least not every guy on the show had a sleazy vibe.
Next, a buff guy with a buzz cut and tattoos poking out from under his gray T-shirt entered the room. His icy blue eyes leveled at us with an intense glare.
“Say hello to Danny.”
Danny’s jaw clenched. “I didn’t sign up for this bullshit.”
Rita laughed, completely unbothered by his display. “But you’re likely in desperate need of it, which is why you’re here.” She gestured around the room. “Why you’re all here.”
Pain shot through my hand, and I unclenched it. I hadn’t even noticed that I had balled it up into a fist again.
The last guy entered, and every head turned in his direction. He walked in with the ease of someone who had never felt uncomfortable entering a room in their entire life. His tight brown curls hung in a cut that was cropped on the sides but long on top. He already had a smile affixed to his face, one which showed off a deep dimple in his left cheek and made the skin around his dark eyes crinkle.
“And last, but certainly not least, welcome Eli.”
His eyes met mine and my throat went dry. He nodded at me in greeting, but I jerked my head down.
At the end of the couch, Sofia gasped.
“Sofia,” Rita called out. “It seems you might recognize Eli. ”
“Of course,” she said, her voice now sultry and at least an octave lower than it had been before. “That’s Eli Price—Tim Price’s son. I’ve seen all of your old movies.”
While Eli hadn’t seemed familiar, that name definitely rang a bell. Tim Price was a famous actor from the nineties. He had been the lead in every action movie for a while.
Eli raised his hands momentarily, his gaze dropping before returning to meet ours in turn. It was evident that he had mastered the art of boyish charm. “That’s me. But I hope that if you’re familiar with my reputation, you won’t hold it against me. We all have a past and we can all grow,” he said with a wink.
Past? What did he mean?
Thoughts whirled in my head. This was a giant mistake. A colossal miscalculation on Piper’s behalf. She must have misunderstood what she was signing me up for. That was the only explanation that made any sense. I couldn’t possibly do this. There was no way any of these guys were meant for me.
I had to get out of here.
“Calla? Why don’t you start us off.”
Rita had been speaking this whole time, but I hadn’t picked up any of it.
“Sorry, what?”
She signaled for me to join her next to the guys. “Come up here. You can pick your partner first.”
Trace squeezed my arm again and gave me a gentle push off the couch. I put one foot in front of the other until I stood beside Rita. All I could see were three cameras pointed directly at me.
“So, who will it be?” she asked. “Grant, Arnie, Danny, or Eli?”
I swallowed. “I...” My throat closed up .
Rita gave me a minute before nudging my shoulder. “Yes? Who will it be?”
My whole body shook as tears threatened to burst free. When I looked at the guys, I noticed Eli staring at me intently.
My lip quivered as I took one step back, then two.
“I can’t do this,” I said, before turning and rushing toward the hall I’d arrived through. I wasn’t even halfway down the hall before Brady blocked my path.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
I was forced to stop, debating whether I could get around him and make a break for the exit, but the cameras already had us surrounded on all sides as they closed in on me. An intense wave of panic crashed over me. I sank to the ground and cradled my head in my hands.
“I can’t do this,” I repeated. “I need to get out of here.” I rocked back and forth, willing myself to disappear.
“Okay, back off now!” Brady barked at the cameras. “She needs space.”
His hand found my arm and I let him tug me upright. The camera operators had at least backed up a few feet, giving me room to breathe.
“Here.” Brady opened the door to one of the interview rooms and helped me inside. Once we were closed in, I wrapped my arms around my body and took deep breaths, urging my rattled body to calm down.
“That’s it, Calla. Just breathe,” Brady cooed.
“Please get me out of here,” I said, choking on a sob. “I can’t go back out there.”
“Because you’re scared?”
“Scared?” I choked out. Scared didn’t begin to cover all of my swirling emotions. I blew out a long breath before attempting to continue. “Look, there’s been a mistake. My sister never would have signed me up for this show. She knows everything I’ve been through—why I can’t just move on.”
Brady’s expression oozed sympathy, though I couldn’t determine its authenticity. “Or maybe she signed you up because she knew this is exactly what you needed after everything you’ve been through,” he suggested.
I shook my head violently. “She wouldn’t.”
He sighed. “She did. And now you’re here, and you’ve signed a contract.”
I balked. “A contract that didn’t share the whole story.”
“A contract that stated you would participate in the show, barring a medical emergency, or you’d be required to pay a modest fine.”
My jaw dropped. “A fine?”
He raised his hands. “Nothing crazy, just enough for the show to recoup the costs from casting you. But do you really want to pay that? Your sister mentioned you aren’t in the best financial situation right now.”
I blinked at him, in disbelief that he could threaten me while simultaneously pretending to be concerned for my well-being.
“Plus, if you stay, you’ll get exposure. I know you were here to write, but the show will still help your career. This will be great publicity for your book. And you raced out before Rita could finish explaining the rules. There’s a fifty-thousand-dollar cash prize to whichever contestants America believes have shown the most growth over the course of the show.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Forget it. I’ll pay your fine. Just get me out of here.” I refused to let him force my hand. It wasn’t worth my sanity.
Brady’s eyebrows shot up, clearly shocked I hadn’t taken the bait. “Calla, be reasonable,” he said it as if I was acting like an immature preteen .
“Get. Me. Out. Of. Here.” I emphasized each word.
Brady dug through the fanny pack around his waist before pulling out a phone. I sighed with relief at the sight of it. One call on that and I could be on my way.
“I didn’t want to do this, but you leave me no choice.” He pulled something up on the phone before handing it to me.
I took it from him. He already had a contact queued up for a video chat.
Piper (Calla’s sister)
“What—”
“Call her,” Brady said. “Maybe I can’t convince you to stay, but you should at least hear her out. Ask her why she signed you up for this in the first place.”
I didn’t reply as I stared down at the screen.
Brady stepped toward the door and opened it. “I’ll give you a few minutes.”
As soon as I was alone, I pressed the green dial button. I was ready to hear Piper admit this had all been a misunderstanding, but the sinking feeling in my gut told me that was likely not where this conversation was headed.
Piper picked up after two rings. As soon as I saw my sister’s face, the floodgates opened and I began to sob.
“Calla, no!” Piper exclaimed, already tearing up herself. “What happened? They said I wouldn’t hear from you for weeks.”
“So you know?” I cried. “You know everything?”
She bowed her head and slumped her shoulders. Her reaction told me everything I needed to know.
“How could you?”
“It’s for your own good!”
“No, it’s definitely not.” I swore when I got out of here, I was going to kill my sister.
“Yes, it is. You do nothing but mope around. ”
I started to cry harder.
“You’ve lost all your friends, Calla. You spend all your time alone and you can’t even write anymore.”
“I have you and Mom.”
“And we aren’t enough. Do you know how much Mom worries about you? Did you know she turned down a vacation to Italy with her friends because she couldn’t fathom leaving you for a month?”
My heart cracked with guilt. She hadn’t told me about any trip.
“I never would have asked her to do that,” I said, the fight leaving me.
“You didn’t have to ask. She did it because she loves you. We both do. But that’s why we need you to move on. We need you to start living your life again.” Her voice was gentle now.
“I can’t.” My lips quivered.
“Calla, it’s been two years. You’re a shell of the person you used to be. You can’t live like this anymore.”
My head hung in defeat. I knew I had become a recluse, but I’d thought that was justified. I hadn’t realized I’d become a burden to the people I loved the most.
“Look,” her voice cracked. “We all loved Michael. I can never imagine what you went through—what you’re still going through.”
I wiped my cheeks, my heart thudding at the mention of him.
“But he never would have wanted this life for you, Cal. He’d want you to be happy. He’d want you to thrive. He’d want you to find love again.”
My shoulders sagged at her words. I could deny it all I wanted, but they were true. He wouldn’t want me to be so alone.
“I’m scared,” I finally admitted .
“I know you are. But it’s time to try.”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I sat with her words for a few seconds before letting out a shaky breath. “For you,” I said. “And Mom. I’ll do it for both of you.”
“And Michael,” Piper added.
“And Michael,” I whispered.
“I love you, Calla. Be open, okay?”
“Love you too. I’ll try.” It was the best I could offer her as we said our tearful goodbyes.
Sitting there, I savored the silence for a few minutes. In a moment, inevitably, my life was going to become a lot more complicated.
I tried to fight off the numbness that threatened to infiltrate my heart and my mind. I owed it to Piper to give this a real chance. She and Mom had done everything for me over the past two years. They had been my rocks—the only things that kept the darkness at bay. But now it was time to work on myself. I needed to be my own support. While I was confident I wouldn’t meet someone on this show, maybe it could be the start of my healing journey.
A triple knock at the door warned me before Brady stuck his head back in. He shot me a questioning look.
“I’ll do it,” I said.