Chapter Twenty-Four
Lucy sat cross-legged on her bedroom floor, her suitcase gaping open, half filled with clothes she was fairly certain she wouldn’t ever wear again.
She folded a sheer, see-through shirt as best she could, but her brain kept skipping back to the last twenty-four hours like it was on a relentless loop.
This season of The Sapphic Match was over.
The show had come to an abrupt halt because Skye had admitted in front of Amy, the camera crew and Marla, that she was head over heels in love with Lucy.
Lucy’s heart swelled. The words still had a zingy echo in her head. She could replay every minute of last night, down to the moment they had told everyone else.
The other contestants had reacted in different ways.
Nova had gone slack-jawed, Cleo had looked somewhat dazed as she processed the information, and Alexis had been furious.
But after the shock had worn off, they had simply shrugged and nodded like it made perfect sense.
Everyone except for Alexis, of course. She had glared at Lucy like a snake eyeing a small, fragile rodent.
But honestly, Alexis could’ve glared at her with missiles ready to shoot, and Lucy still wouldn’t have felt bothered.
How could she with Skye by her side? How could she when Skye had kissed her like that on the boat with all fire and desire while she had ignored Marla, ignored the cameras, and ignored the entire civilized world?
She found a pair of socks that had rolled away and stuffed it into the suitcase together with her evening dresses.
Once the sweaters were packed, her shoes too, and whatever else she’d brought along, Lucy zipped the suitcase with a satisfying snap and got up to throw it onto the bed.
She glanced around the room. Everything felt quiet and empty.
She knew once she went out the villa doors that there would be no producers micromanaging her every move or Marla shouting instructions.
It would just be her, and the mess of a show that had somehow led to this ridiculous, completely insane but perfect moment of clarity. She loved Skye. Skye loved her back.
A knock suddenly echoed through the room.
Lucy’s pulse jumped at the sound. She was expecting Skye.
They had made plans to sneak in a last walk along the beach before they had to catch their flights back to New York.
Skye had quit, and Marla, who had tried to convince her to stay, had failed.
Lucy was glad for it. This show was toxic.
“I’m nearly done,” Lucy called. “I'll be right there. But come on in if you—”
The door swung open. Alexis leaned against the frame with her arms crossed and one hip jutting out slightly. Despite everything, she still looked way too smug for her own good.
“Well, look who’s ready to go home,” Alexis said, her tone annoyingly smooth. “I hope you’ve got everything packed. Wouldn’t want you to forget anything.”
Lucy scowled. “What do you want, Alexis?”
Alexis shrugged with her smirk intact, but there was something about her that was different.
Something Lucy couldn’t quite figure out.
“Figured I’d check in before you and Skye vanish hand in hand off into the sunset,” she said, taking a step into the room.
“Can’t say I’m happy about the ending, but hey, the show’s over, right? And technically, you won.”
And there it was. The unmistakable air of defeat.
Alexis had been beaten and humbled by Skye’s confession.
The sinking knowledge that the show might air had to be dancing around in her mind.
Which would mean every terrible choice she’d made would be blasted across the screens for all of America to see and pick apart.
Lucy knew it. Alexis knew it. Yet she still carried herself with that same smug posture as always.
Except this time, she was just a little frayed at the edges.
“Technically?” Lucy asked, raising an eyebrow.
Alexis tilted her head. “Technically, yes. Skye admitted she’s in love with you before the last lei ceremony. You got the victory.”
“You know you’re a bit ridiculous, right?” Lucy muttered, rolling her eyes.
Alexis smiled. It was small and thin, but it was a smile.
“I know,” she said, inching backward toward the door.
“Try not to let this get to your head too much.” She paused, fingers grazing the frame.
“And enjoy it, I guess. Being in love can be messy and occasionally terrifying, but it’s worth it. Keep fighting for it, Lucy.”
Before Lucy could respond—though she wasn’t actually sure what she would say to Alexis’s thoughtful words—Alexis meandered off out of sight. Lucy watched the door for a few more seconds, shell-shocked, and then shook her head, muttering under her breath. “That girl.”
She couldn’t believe that Alexis, of all people, had just given advice. And the weird thing was that it wasn’t entirely terrible advice. She supposed even a hurricane like Alexis could occasionally drop a rainbow.
Lucy tugged her bag off the bed just as Skye appeared in the doorway.
“You ready?” Skye asked, looking absolutely gorgeous.
Her hair spilled over her shoulders in soft waves, catching the sunlight shining through the windows.
She wore a loose, pale blue shirt that was half unbuttoned and white shorts.
Her feet were clad in gold-colored sandals.
“I’m ready,” Lucy said, tearing her eyes away from Skye’s long legs. “Let’s go.”
By the time they reached the beach, Lucy and Skye had already said goodbye to Cleo and Nova, who had given their blessing.
Although Nova was a little short with them, not that Lucy could blame her.
And they’d also bumped into Amy, who had just opened the door to her ride to the airport.
She’d given them both a quick hug and slid her contact info into Lucy’s hand with a wink.
“Call me when you’re back home. I have a feeling we’re going to be good friends,” she had said, laughing, before hopping into the car.
“What are you thinking about?” Skye asked, swinging their intertwined hands as they walked along the shore, their feet sinking into the wet sand. “You haven’t said much since we got to the beach.”
Lucy glanced at Skye, who was watching her with a slightly serious expression, and laughed. “We haven’t even been walking for five minutes.”
Skye smiled, a slow curl of her lips that made Lucy’s chest flutter. “It feels a lot longer than five minutes.”
“Does it?” Lucy asked. She kicked at a shell in the sand and watched it tumble along the shoreline. “Because whenever I’m with you, time feels like it’s speeding up. Like someone hit fast forward and we’re just flowing with it, you know.”
Skye squeezed her hand tight. “I don’t want time to move faster,” she said softly. “I want to slow it down. Maybe even freeze it completely.”
Lucy gave another chuckle. “How about we freeze time when we get back to New York?” The thought of going home, of knowing that Skye didn’t live hundreds of miles away, and that they could see each other all the time, made her almost giddy with happiness.
“Let’s pause everything else. Work. Bills.
The crazy world. It would be so nice to keep it just us figuring out how to do this without any cameras around or Marla interrupting our conversation or Alexis threatening to blackmail us. ”
“I think I could do that,” Skye said with an amused glint in her eye. “And considering I’m out of a job; I’ll have all the time in the world. You might even get sick of having me around.”
“Never,” Lucy laughed, this time a little breathlessly. “You know, I might actually be looking forward to traffic jams and subway delays. But only if it includes us.”
“Us,” Skye said, seemingly rolling the word over her tongue. “I like the sound of that. Just us.”
Lucy glanced over the ocean to her left.
The waves sparkled under the late morning sun.
The water was a perfect blue. The horizon seemed endless, and for the first time in many days, she felt the weight of the world lift off her shoulders.
The weight of Kat and her opinion of her, and the weight of not thinking that she was good enough for everyone was gone.
“You know,” Lucy said, leaning into Skye. “I never expected this. Not when I signed up for the show. Not even for a second. I honestly thought you were going to vote me out at the first lei ceremony.”
“Is that why you walked up to me with just a towel wrapped around your waist?”
Lucy snorted, her cheeks surely coloring.
She’d nearly forgotten about that moment, or maybe she’d deliberately shoved it to the back of her mind.
Thinking back now, yes, she was mortified yet also incredibly grateful.
If it hadn’t been for that spontaneous, ridiculous skinny dip, none of this would have happened.
They wouldn’t be walking together on this beach, hands intertwined, talking about a life together.
“Exactly,” she said, stopping mid-step. She turned to Skye and wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her closer.
She melted into the warmth of Skye’s body and added, “I wouldn’t change a single thing.
” Sometimes you have to do something bold or out of character to change your life or to invite love in.
Skye leaned in and rested her forehead against Lucy’s. “Neither would I.” She then kissed her lightly on the lips and grinned against her mouth as if the entire ocean was theirs alone.