Chapter 25 #3
I laugh despite my tears. “Yes, you big dummy. I want to be your boyfriend.” My good mood fades slightly. “What happened to wanting to come out to your friends and family first? If they didn’t already know, that was a pretty big giveaway.”
He shrugs. “I’ve told everyone who matters. And even if I missed someone, it’s not important. All I care about is getting to be with you.”
Something warm and comforting alights deep within my chest, as though I’ve swallowed a tiny piece of the Samoan sun, and I give Cole a gentle smile. “In that case, count me in.”
Then I’m kissing him again, slower this time, but no less sweet.
He kisses me back, again and again, softly at first and then deeper, his body hot against mine.
I grow flushed, like I’m standing in front of an oven with the door open, but it feels good, and I want more.
I push him backwards until he’s up against the wall, cupping his face in one hand.
Still kissing him deeply, I slowly move my other hand down his back, feeling him pressed against me, and—
Just then, there’s a knock at my door, and I jump away from Cole like a kid who’s been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. A muffled voice comes through the door. “Ryan, are you in there?”
I motion for Cole to get behind me, holding a finger to my lips. Then I quickly attempt to fix my hair and clothes—unsuccessfully, for the most part—before opening the door a crack, revealing Neema’s concerned face. “Everything all right?” she asks, frowning. “You’re missing the show.”
“I’m fine.” My voice sounds higher than usual, but hopefully she just thinks I’m nervous about the upcoming reveal. “I spilled some soda on my shirt, and I came here to see if I could get the stain out.”
She raises one eyebrow, giving me the distinct impression that she can see through that lie like glass. But all she says is, “Well, make it quick. You’re supposed to be on stage in less than an hour.”
“Understood. I’ll be back in a minute or two.”
“Awesome.” She moves to go, but before she can get more than a step away, she turns around. “By the way,” she says, the corners of her mouth turned up ever-so-slightly, “if you happen to see Cole, let him know that he needs to be back soon, too.”
Doing my best not to blush, I assure her that I will, and she walks away again, for real this time. I wait until she turns the corner before I close the door, letting my head rest against the wood. That was close.
Cole’s arms wrap around me from behind, and he kisses my neck, making me shiver. “Good thinking,” he murmurs. “That would have been super awkward.”
“Agreed.” I turn to face him again and press my lips against his. “We should probably get back, shouldn’t we?”
“We should.” He kisses me once more, then grins. “After all, we still have to find out if you’re leaving here with a million dollars in addition to a new boyfriend.”
After a quick check to make sure we don’t look too disheveled, Cole and I head back to the green room.
I resume my seat, feeling as though a hundred-pound weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
Rhonda gives me a questioning look as I sit down, but I just wave a hand to let her know I’m okay, and she nods and turns her attention back to the TV.
I’m sure she, and everyone else, will find out about Cole and me soon enough, assuming they didn’t already figure it out from his last words.
For now, I just want to focus on the finale.
I may have solved one problem, but there’s still the little issue of the million dollars remaining.
I watch silently as the episode continues, showing Tamika’s ouster, then me winning immunity at final three.
As screen-Alex puts the immunity necklace around my neck, I can’t stop myself from glancing at Cole, who smiles at me.
I return his smile, even though I’m starting to feel very nervous again. Less than half an hour left.
After a little bit of on-screen deliberating and confessionals from me, Katie, and Rhonda, the show cuts to the final three tribal council.
The editors keep this one relatively short, and before I know it, screen-Alex is snapping Katie’s insignia in half, leaving Rhonda and me as the final two.
Katie’s last words play, and she talks about how proud she is to have made it this far, even if she didn’t win.
As soon as Katie finishes talking, the episode cuts to commercial and Neema pokes her head into the green room less than five seconds after. “All right, everyone, time to get on stage,” she says. “Follow me, please.”
My heartbeat, which had calmed down a bit in the last hour or so, starts to pick up again as Neema leads the eighteen of us down a hallway, through a door, and onto the main studio stage.
It’s now or never. The stage is set up like a smaller version of the tribal council set, with stools for me and Rhonda on one side, the jury on the other, and a podium in between.
The other nine contestants who were voted off before the jury phase get their own seats next to the stage, but off-camera.
The audience hushes as we all take our seats, presumably excited for the upcoming reveal.
I search the crowd for Arielle and spot her in the front row, sitting next to Rhonda’s family with a wide smile on her face.
I do my best to smile back at her, although it’s difficult considering how anxious I’m feeling right now.
It’s one thing to be on camera and know you’re being watched by the viewing public, and another to actually experience it, especially when I might be about to lose to Rhonda.
But then I look over at the jury and see Cole, who winks at me and gives me a wide grin, and some of my nerves melt away. Even if I lose, at least I’ll still have him.
Meanwhile, the episode continues to play on large screens surrounding the stage.
I watch as screen-Rhonda and I eat breakfast together, interspersed with confessionals from each of us explaining why we should win the million.
Then it’s off to the final tribal council, where we make our opening statements before the jury grills us in turn.
Hearing Cole’s question and seeing his anger still hurts, even with all that’s happened since then, but it’s a mere shadow of what I felt at the time.
I’m sure I can find a way for him to make it up to me.
Finally, screen-Alex makes his little speech about reading the votes at the live finale, and walks off-screen with the urn in hand.
Almost seamlessly, the real Alex walks onto the stage holding the urn, while the audience claps and cheers.
He’s wearing the same clothing he was at the final tribal council, as though he’s just stepped off the set in Samoa and been instantly transported to New York.
He takes the urn over to the podium and waves at the audience, giving them a chance to express their appreciation, while my heart rate somehow increases even more. Come on, hurry up and tell me if I won already!
Alex gives the audience a few more moments to run out of steam, then addresses them.
“Thank you all for coming,” he says, his voice booming, “and welcome to the live finale of season nineteen of Marooned!” More clapping and cheering from the audience.
“Really,” he continues, “thank you from the bottom of my heart. None of this would be possible without the fans. It’s been an exciting season, but there’s still one thing left to do.
” He turns to the two of us. “Ryan and Rhonda, are you ready to find out which one of you will win the million?”
I nod, feeling faintly nauseous, and Rhonda does the same, taking my hand in hers and squeezing it. Here goes nothing.
Alex grins. “In that case, I’ll read the votes.” He opens the urn and places the lid to one side, then pulls out one of the parchments and reveals it to us. “First vote: Rhonda.
“Ryan.
“Rhonda.
“Ryan.
“Rhonda.
“Ryan. We’re tied: three votes Rhonda, three votes Ryan, one vote left.”
Rhonda squeezes my hand tighter, and my heart thrums in my chest like a hummingbird. It all comes down to this.
Alex reaches into the urn for the last vote and pulls it out, moving as slowly as he can for maximum dramatic effect. “The winner of season nineteen of Marooned is …” He turns to reveal the vote to us as the audience begins to cheer in anticipation. “Ryan!”
For a moment, I’m stunned, not quite believing what I heard. Did he just say …?
Then the audience reaches a crescendo, and it all comes crashing into me.
I won! Suddenly I’m crying again, for the second time in as many hours, but this time they’re tears of joy.
Rhonda hugs me, and I hug her back. I really did it!
Arielle’s going to be so proud of me. Wait until she sees this! I’ll have to—
And then I remember that I’m not in Samoa anymore, and I gently disengage myself from Rhonda before making my way off the stage, where Arielle waits with a huge grin.
She hugs me tight, applying enough pressure to crack a rib.
“Congrats, little bro,” she says, almost shouting into my ear in order to be heard. “I never doubted you for a second.”
I can’t help but laugh at that. “Well, that’s good, because I sure did.”
“Trust me, I know.” She laughs too, then unwraps her arms from around me. “Go celebrate with the others. I’m sure they want to congratulate you, too.”
I do as she said, still grinning like I’ve just won the lottery, which I suppose I have. The other contestants, all seventeen of them, are waiting to greet me as I step back onto stage and I gladly accept their hugs and handshakes.
But even though there are more than a dozen people around me, I only have eyes for one. Cole hangs back, a big grin on his handsome face, and I slowly but surely make my way over to him, my smile matching his.
When I get close, he throws his arms around me and pulls me to him, crushing me into a hug almost as tight as Arielle’s. “I knew you could do it!” he exclaims, his voice sending goosebumps down my spine. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you,” I reply, my voice somewhat muffled since my mouth is pressed against his chest. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“I don’t know about that.” He leans back so I can see his face; he’s still grinning, but his eyes are serious. “You would have won no matter what. You’re incredible, Ry. That’s why I love you so much.”
If I thought my heart was full before, I was wrong, but it surely is now. “I love you too, Cole,” I whisper.
I look up into his beautiful eyes, and he must see the question written in mine, because he nods, grinning even wider.
I close the distance between us and kiss him, and he kisses me back, neither of us caring that there are millions of people watching.
His lips taste sweet, like triumph, and when it’s over, I rest my forehead against his, the two of us in our own little bubble, surrounded by and yet separate from the other contestants and the cheering crowd.
This is what I really won, I realize, a sense of wonder dawning over me.
Not just the million dollars, but Cole, too.
And if I had to choose, I’d take him over the money every single time.