Whiskey and Scotch

Chapter 22

Henrik gripped my hand in his as we walked outside to rejoin the others after our shower tryst. He was leading me across the lawn when someone called my name from the direction of the kitchen, and I turned around to see Hope's angry expression as she stalked towards us.

She knows.

"Finally came out of hiding, did you?" she glared, hands on her hips.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. "Henrik and I just needed some alone time."

"Oh sure," she scoffed, "as if that's not just an excuse for avoiding me."

"It was my idea," Henrik jumped in. "You were screaming pretty loud earlier, so—"

"Marisol and Lottie told me what you said." She cut him off, narrowing her eyes at me as she crossed her arms. "In the Beach Hut? About trying to break up me and Noah?"

Henrik gave me a curious look. He hadn't brought it up since Chelsea blabbed about it during the party, and I had been happy enough just to let him forget about it.

Here we go...

Hope's face softened and moisture glistened in her eyes. "I came in here to find love, and I might have finally found it. Couldn't you just let me be happy?"

Cry those crocodile tears all you want, bitch.

I laughed and shook my head in disbelief. "Like you couldn't let me be happy with Lucas? You just couldn't have that, could you? No, you wanted him for yourself, but when you couldn't have him, you voted for him to get dumped, just so that he and I wouldn't be competition for you."

She reddened. "That's not true!"

Henrik looked back and forth between us, eyes wide.

"The look on your face tells me it is," I retorted. "And it's a pretty sad game you're playing, hun."

"I'm not playing a game! I'm here to find love!"

"That's not what the public seem to think, and who knows what they've seen."

"Well what about you?" she deflected, stepping closer and wagging a finger in my face. "What kind of game are you playing, plotting to break couples up?"

"Really? Are you serious? Do you think I would have done half the things I've done in here, and admitted in the Beach Hut of all places that I wanted to break you up, if I was trying to win the money? Heck, I'll probably be the next one voted out, and at this point it would almost be a relief!"

She opened her mouth and closed it again, momentarily speechless.

"Are we done here now?" I asked, moving closer to Henrik as he looped his arm around my waist.

"No! You interfered with my couple, and I demand an apology!"

I snorted. "I didn't even do anything. I talked about it in the Beach Hut, that's all."

"You expect me to believe that you didn't have any hand in Noah suddenly thinking he's into Priya?"

"Suddenly?" I laughed. "His eyes have been all over her since day one, and you've done everything in your power to keep him under your thumb so that he wouldn't be able to act on it. Face it, your relationship fell apart on its own. I didn't have to do a thing."

"You gave them advice, didn't you?"

"They already liked each other. All I did was encourage them to fucking talk to each other."

"You know what, Josie? This friendship is over!"

"Good! Now I don't have to listen to you whine about stuff like your fucking hoodie string like a goddamn child."