a/n; i just realized that the last chapter created a couple of plot holes lol. im sorry and im going to fix them eventually.
whitney was gone. dan didn't offer her a rose and she left bora bora in tears. my only friend gone, sayonara. now i was stuck with snakes that either hated me or strongly disliked me.
as i began packing my bags for new york, our next stop, i counted the weeks that ive been in this competition; one month roughly. looking back it felt like i was here not even a week but yet every day was an eternity.
what i still didn't understand is how dan could be best friends with phil after what happened. i completely loathed isadora after she kissed me. did dan love phil and he was just lying to me about rachel? does he still love phil? i shook my head at the thought. he wouldn't be doing this competition if he wasn't looking for love, right?
***
as i entered the plane i got lucky enough to get a seat alone since there was an odd amount of us, eleven. i glanced around the room, my optics examining the features of every contestants. i couldn't believe some of the people who were still left. harper, the redhead who was bawling at the first rose ceremony, candace, the woman who had the horrible catchline, and of course victoria and chelsea. i eavesdropped on athena and emery merrily chatting away to each other in the seats behind me about some artist i didn't know of. athena caught my eye and shot me daggers. i just scoffed and turned back around.
about a quarter way through the flight yelps interrupted my thoughts and i took out my earbuds. they still did that? i turned around to see dan coming through the aisle. he stopped for a moment and scanned the room, as if he was looking for something until he met my eye. for a second he grinned at me and then shook his head like he had just lost a fight. he mumbled a few inaudible words to himself before kneeling down to the girl in the seat nearest to him and started a conversation. he went up the aisle of the plane, talking to each girl. i was in the very front of the plane so id be fortunately last. this way we could get more time to talk.
even though there was a sting of jealousy as i watched dan chat up the other girls, i mainly just ignored the feeling. as i gazed out the window of the plane my mind wandered to home again. ever since i planned to go home last rose ceremony i missed my family and friends even more.
"hey sexy." my ears perked up at the sound of satan's voice. the sting of jealousy turned into a chainsaw that was currently cutting me limb from limb.
i heard dan clear his throat before responding, "how are you both?"
"im gr-" emery chirped but athena abruptly cut her off.
"im doing just fine baby, how are you?" athena answered as i dug my nails into my palm. i allowed my self to look back and through the gap in the seats i caught a glimpse of her dragging a long, red nail down dan's chest. i immediately turned back around.
"im literally about to pass out actually." dan stated. "i didn't get any sleep last night."
"i know what would wake you up." athena prompted as her voice dropped to a whisper. "wanna be in the mile high club?"
i somehow managed a laugh to slip through my lips. my fist loosened as it struck me how ridiculous athena sounded. i opened my clenched hands and studied the pink crescent moon indents my nails left behind.
i watched as dan rose from his kneeling position next to athena. i must've blanked out when he answered athena or maybe he didn't even answer her at all. he knelt in front of me, barely even needing to take a step because of his long legs. "hey sexy." i greeted sarcastically.
dan looked down at his feet momentarily while laughing before raising his head once more to gaze at me. "how are you baby?"
"im doing just fine baby."
"have you been good princess?"
"ive been a bad girl daddy. ive done naughty things."
"does daddy need to punish you babygirl?"
the minute he finished his sentence both dan and i bursted into a fit of giggles. the whole plane stared at us.
"are you excited for new york?" dan questioned, causing our laughter to come to an abrupt halt.
i shrugged. "it just reminds me of immigration. i hated that process."
"trust me, i know." dan stated. i raised an eyebrow. he still lives in his home country, england. "i read up on it. i was planning to move to california but it was just too much work."
i nodded my head before leaning forwards to his ear. "we should meet up later." i said softly and he nodded in response.
"ill slip you my extra room key once i check in." he whispered in my ear. immediately after dan placed a whisper of a kiss under it. "i think i have to go now."
he rose from his previous position and gave me a slight gesture of departure as he exited back down the aisle. i grinned to myself in satisfaction as a foreign fuzzy feeling formed in my stomach. a small laugh escaped my lips for an unknown reason and i quickly covered my mouth with my hand.
***
a pristine red envelope sitting on the bed of my hotel room caught my eye as i hauled my luggage in. i was requested to have separate housing than the other girls again which i was starting to be thankful of.
i plucked the envelope from its pervious position and delicately opened it, making sure not to cause any tears. i took out a card inside the present along with the room key.
this envelope will self-destruct in three minutes
im room 309 on the 25th floor :)
i laughed to myself before placing the card on the desk. opening the curtains, i was surprised by the gorgeous view i somehow got. glass structures that scraped the clouds lined the golden horizon. grey clouds blotted the sky like irregular paint strokes on a blank canvas.
"i got dates (y/n)!" savannah called while knocking on my door.
"im coming!" i answered as i ran to the door and opened it. savannah scrunched her nose when she saw my room.
"hey, why do you get your own room?" she questioned as she barged in. "also that views wicked!" savannah pressed a hand up against the full glass wall and studied the surroundings.
"i know. it's breathtaking." i replied as the dirty blonde spun around and placed yet another white envelope in my hand.
"its today at 5:30pm." savannah informed. "they're going to make you do a fake reaction to the date later on. hey what's this?" she picked up dan's card off the desk and studied it.
"oh no! no! that's nothing!" i exclaimed. i attempted to take the card out of her hand but she, being much taller than me, just held it up in the air as she read it.
"room 309 on the 25th floor? who is this?" she asked skeptically and raised an eyebrow.
"it's...it's my brother!" i lied. "yeah he lives in new york and he came to visit me. please dont tell anyone because we aren't allowed to see family on the show."
"ooooh. can i meet him? is he wicked hot?" savannah said but i had already shoved her out the door, making sure to put the note in my pocket.
"nope. he's busy." i rambled. "and also gay byeeee." by the time i finished saying bye to savannah the door was in her face.
***
"are you serious? my lawyers will hear about this! this is a murder attempt!" victoria screamed at one of the producers when she got news of what we were doing for the date. all of the other contestants that were participating, including me, were already harnessed and lining up to go onto the roof.
"listen victoria, you're harnessed in and connected to wire. dan's going to be doing it with you too. all you have to do is walk across the tightrope. it's completely safe, i think." the producer explained.
"you think?!" she yelled. "you think?!" she spun on her heels and walked back down the stairs. "im fucking sick of hoes trying to murder me ugh!" she screeched.
everyone laughed the minute she went out of sight. not even a second after the producers began letting girls one at a time out onto the rooftop. none of the girls they were letting out came back in. one time i swore i heard a girl scream.
"you're up hun." said i producer as he pushed me out the door. i gave him a dirty look before turning my attention to the scene in front of me.
i didn't want to move. the rooftop was eighty floors up at least and had no railings. standing in front of a thin wire, harnessed up as well was dan. as soon as he caught my eye my stomach fluttered. my stomach never fluttered. it must be the height.
"hello love." dan greeted as he held out a hand. i anxiously stepped forwards. "don't like heights?"
i gladly accepted his hand and held onto it, tight. "no, i just dont like dying."
dan smacked his lips while gliding a thumb soothingly over my iron grip. "wish i could relate."
i cracked a grin at his statement before responding, "are you ready?"
dan nodded his head as he rested a single foot atop the thin sliver wire, and eventually both feet. he then pulled me over and positioned my two feet in between his own. with one supporting hand wrapped around my back, we were probably as close as physically possible.
"how have we not fallen yet? why are you so good at this?" i questioned dan, being surprised at his balance.
"ive literally done this a million times today." he explained while i stood there clung to him, still too scared to look down. "okay now step on my feet and ill walk for you."
i obliged and as soon as i did dan took a minuscule step. he winced when his foot touched the wire and the full pressure of my feet came upon it. "all my toes are going to be broken by the end of today." dan complained. i rested my chin on his chest in order to look up at him.
"have you fallen yet? like off the wire?" i asked as dan took yet another tiny step but this time he simply gritted his teeth.
"not yet, thankfully." dan began shuffling down the wire at a faster pace which caused my grip around his torso to tighten.
"thankfully?" i repeated. "i thought you were supposed to be my fearless escort across a clothing line a thousand feet in the air?"
"are you kidding?!" dan exclaimed as his voice went up an octave. "im shitting myself right now!"
i jokingly leaned back away from him after his pervious comment. however, then i looked down and decided it would be best to be clinging onto dan so i made a hasty retreat. "what would you do if i pushed you off?" i teased as i lightly placed my hands on his chest to mimic the action.
"i would murder you and your dog." dan answered as he took my hands from off of his chest and wrapped them around him once more.
"i dont have a dog!" i shouted merrily as i quickly jumped off of dan's feet and shoved him, hard. he waved his hands behind him as if he were searching for something to catch himself but it was too late. he dropped a good seven feet down before the wire connected to his harness caught him. dan's eyes were glued shut as his swung above new york city.
"im not looking down. i-im not looking down." he repeated over and over again.
i bursted into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. i could produce any words in between the wheezes. unfortunately, for me anyways, one inhale too big made me off balance and i miss stepped, causing me to drop. i could hear dan's high pitched laugh as i fell. i guess he opened his eyes to see me plummet to my doom. "karma's a bitch." he remarked as i too swung above the crowded city streets.
"you're a bitch." i retorted. i leaned forwards and kicked him just hard enough that it would cause him to swing back and forth even more.
"im a bitch? you're the one who pushed me off!" dan argued but i just rolled my eyes.
"you didn't die, did you?" i asked.
"unfortunately, no." dan responded. "you know, if we actually fell to the ground right now we would die instantly."
"lovely." i stated sarcastically which caused dan to laugh. a yank interrupted our conversation as men began pulling us up from the wife connected to the harnesses.
the second my foot hit the cold cement of the rooftop producers were rushing me away. "bye dan...iel!" i called.
"ill see you later, right?" dan said and i immediately caught on. i nodded my head as one producer shoved me out the door.