The next day was the rose ceremony, and if last week there was a sense of anxiety on the beach, this week there was a full on panic. At least four of the boys didn't know whether or not they were getting roses, and two of the girls didn't even know where their roses were going. One of those girls was Olivia, who had a whirlwind twenty four hours. Just the morning before, she was so certain that her rose was going to Ralph. Now, she had no idea what she was going to do. She really did have feelings towards Ralph, but what he did last night really left a sour taste in her mouth. Sure, she could blame his outburst on one too many beers, but that didn't sit right with her. Did she really want someone who had such bad self control that he got drunk and started picking fights. Maybe it was just a one time thing, but she wasn't sure if that was enough for her to give him a rose.
Olivia decided to take a walk on the beach that day to clear her head when Kayla came over to join her. Kayla asked, "Hey, how are you doing?"
"Ehh, I've been better to be honest," Olivia answered honestly.
"Understandable," Kayla said, "I'm sorry about what happened last night."
Kayla was still on her date when the blowup between Corey F. and Ralph happened, but was filled in on what happened when she got back. It made her feel horrible for her friend that she had all of this unloaded on her the night before the rose ceremony, and wanted to offer any kind of support she could.
Olivia responded, "Thanks. I really appreciate it."
"Do you have any idea what you're going to do tonight?" Kayla asked.
"Not a clue," Olivia admitted, "What do you think about each of them?"
Kayla sighed for a minute before saying, "Honestly, I think Ralph is a complete idiot for what he did, but I don't necessarily blame him. Think about it from his perspective: Corey, the guy who drives him crazy, comes down to paradise, and doesn't even bother to talk to any other girls. He only pulls you aside and then takes you on the date, and doesn't even give you the chance to say hi to Ralph when you get back before he's pulling you away again. Trust me, I'm not saying that Corey is just using you to get back at Ralph, but I can understand why he would think that."
"So do you think I should give Ralph another chance?" Olivia asked.
Kayla answered, "I think you should talk to him and see what he has to say for himself before you make your decision."
Olivia nodded at that before hugging Kayla and saying, "Thank you so much."
"Of course," Kayla said, "I'm just happy I could help."
That night before the rose ceremony, Olivia was sitting talking to Kiefer and Kayla when Ralph came up to her and asked, "Hey Liv, can we go talk?"
"Yeah sure," Olivia answered.
They walked over to one of the daybeds where there was a Polaroid camera and a small collection of props sitting there. Olivia then turned to Ralph and asked, "What's all this?"
"It's a little makeshift photo booth," Ralph explained as he sat down, "I wanted to do something special for you."
Olivia sat down next to him and Ralph said, "Liv, I owe you a major apology. I'm really sorry for how I acted. There's no excuse for what I did. I was acting jealous and insecure, and I shouldn't have. I'm not asking for your rose, and I'm not asking you to forgive me. I just want you to know how sorry I am."
When he said that, Olivia couldn't help but smile a little. She could hear the sincerity in his voice, and that let her know that he was honest with his words. She gently kissed him on the cheek and said, "Thank you, Ralph. I forgive you."
"Really?" Ralph asked, slightly surprised.
Olivia nodded, "Really. Now, let's take some pictures, okay?"
"Okay," Ralph responded, smiling brightly.
The two of them hugged quickly before picking up the Polaroid and taking a bunch of pictures. Both of them were laughing as they did a bunch of silly faces and goofy poses as they snapped the Polaroids. At that moment, Ralph wasn't even thinking about the rose. He was just having fun with Olivia.
Meanwhile, Corey H. had just grabbed two beer bottles from the bar and walked over to Bella, who was sitting under a cabana. He walked over and kissed her on the cheek before greeting, "Hey there, cutie."
"Hey Corey," she responded before kissing him on the lips, "What's up?"
"Nothing much, I just grabbed two of these for us," He explained as he sat down and handed one of the bottles to her.
Bella looked nervously at the bottle before she said in a soft voice, "Oh, thank you Corey...but I don't really drink."
"Oh God, I'm so sorry. I had no idea," Corey apologized, "Here, I can take that back..."
"Well...maybe I can try it," Bella suggested.
Corey then asked her, "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I mean...there's a first time for everything," Bella said with a shy smile.
She took a small sip of beer before forcing it down her throat. She couldn't stand the taste, and it burned her throat when she swallowed it. The look on her face gave her away because Corey laughed a little and asked, "Not for you, huh?"
"Definitely not," Bella answered, "It's what I imagine pee tastes like."
Corey laughed again before kissing her on the cheek once more and taking the bottle from her, "Here, I'll take that for you."
He then gently grabbed Bella's hand with his free hand and said, "Come on, let's go grab some sodas."
The two of them then sat down at the bar and ordered two Shirley Temples. Once they both got their drinks, Bella asked him, "Are you sure you're okay with me not drinking?"
"Of course I am," Corey answered, "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I just don't want you to think I'm lame or anything," Bella told him.
Corey shook his hand, "Trust me, I don't think that at all. It's your decision and I respect it. I actually think it's pretty cool of you."
Bella smiled before leaning in and kissing him. She then said, "Thank you, Corey."
"Of course," he responded before holding his glass up and saying, "Cheers."
"Cheers," Bella said, clinking her glass against his. She was really grateful for Corey. Not everyone was as understanding about her life choices, and it really meant a lot to her that Corey did. He was definitely someone that she could see herself building a life with.
Andy and Brooke were sitting by the pool when Brooke jokingly suggested that they play truth or dare. At first, Andy laughed at the idea before asking, "Okay, truth or dare?"
"I mean, I am a dare kind of guy," Brooke answered.
Andy once again laughed at that before saying, "Well in that case, I dare you to jump into the pool fully clothed."
"Does that include shoes?" Brooke asked, not even hesitating.
Andy nodded, "Shoes included."
Brooke smirked at that before saying, "Well, can't back down from a dare."
Andy couldn't hold back their laughter as Brooke stood up from the day bed and canon balled right into the pool, fully clothed. Andy walked over to the edge of the pool and watched in amusement as Brooke did backstrokes in the pool. Andy then asked, "How's the water?"
"Why don't you see for yourself?" Brooke asked Andy before grabbing their hand and pulling them into the pool with him.
Andy screamed as they got pulled in and went under water. When they came back up, Andy glared at him for a second before they both started cracking up laughing. Andy wrapped their arms around Brooke's neck and said, "You're a jerk."
"Yeah, yeah, but I'm your jerk," Brooke told her with a smile.
Andy smiled back and said, "Yeah, you are."
Brooke then closed the distance between him and Andy by kissing them. There was no doubt about where Andy's rose was going.
As for Deidra's rose, it was still up in the air. She was sitting on a daybed with River, Anya, and Michael while Keanu was at the bar with John, Aspen, Alex, and Emma getting ready to go steal her away.
Keanu ran his hands through his hair for the hundredth time before asking, "Okay, how do I look?"
"You look great," Aspen reassured him, "Now go get your girl."
"Oh God, I'm nervous," Keanu said.
Emma shook her head, "Don't be. Just walk over to her with confidence and sweep her off her feet."
"You got this, dude," Alex reassured him.
Keanu took a deep breath before saying, "Okay, I'm going."
"You got this, man!" John called as Keanu began to walk away, "We all believe in you!"
When Keanu walked over to Deidra, she smiled happily at him and said, "Hi Keanu."
"Hi Deidra," He said happily before asking, "Do you mind if I steal you away?"
"Not at all," Deidra answered as she accepted the hand Keanu was holding out and began to walk with him.
They walked over to the shoreline when Deidra asked, "Where are we going?"
"Well, I thought that we could collect some sea shells together," Keanu explained with a smile.
Deidra smiled back at him and said, "Stop, that's so sweet. I'd love to."
The two of them walked across the shoreline picking up any shells they could find. As they collected the shells, Deidra asked, "You said you used to do this when you were a kid, right?"
"Yeah, my mom and I would collect shells all the time," Keanu answered, "I live right by the beach now, so I hope I get to do it with my kids one day."
"So you do want kids one day?" Deidra asked.
"Definitely, I love kids," Keanu answered before asking, "What about you?"
"I really want kids too. It's always been one of my dreams to be a mom," she told him.
Keanu smiled at that and said, "Well, I think you'll be a great mom one day."
"Thank you," she said, "You'd be a great dad."
Everything seemed to be going well between the two of them until River came over and asked, "Hey, can I steal Deidra away for a second?"
"Umm, Keanu do you mind?" Deidra asked.
"No, no it's fine," Keanu answered, "I'll leave you two be."
When he walked away, he made his way over to one of the more secluded parts of the beach. Emma asked Alex, "Where's he going?"
"I don't know," he answered before saying, "Come on, let's go check up on him."
The two of them found Keanu in one of the empty palapas and saw that he was tearing up. Emma immediately went over to hug him and said, "Aww Keanu, please don't cry."
"I'm so scared," Keanu admitted, "If she sends me home, I'm gonna be heartbroken."
"Man, don't think like that," Alex told his friend, "If she sends you home, that's her loss."
Eventually, it came time for the rose ceremony. Everyone gathered in the rose ceremony palapa with girls in two lines and the guys next to them in two lines as well. There was a podium in the middle of the room with eight rose boutonnières placed on it.
Once everyone was there, Rob Lowe entered the palapa and said, "Good evening, everyone. Welcome to your second rose ceremony. Ladies, you'll be giving out the roses tonight. One by one, you'll each come up and offer a rose to whomever you want. Gentlemen, if you do not receive a rose, you'll have to immediately leave Paradise. I wish you all the best of luck. Aspen, you're up first."
Rob then moved out of the way to allow Aspen to walk up to the rose podium. She picked up one of the boutonnières with a bright smile. It was crazy to her that last week she was so uncertain going into the rose ceremony, and now she was feeling incredibly confident. She looked over to the guys and smiled when she said, "John."
John smiled as he walked over to Aspen. She said to him, "John, thank you so much for taking me on the date this week. I had a wonderful time. Will you accept this rose?"
"Of course I will," John answered with a smile.
Aspen smiled happily as she pinned the rose to John's shirt before giving him a hug. John hugged her back before returning to his spot. Bella was up next. She went to the podium and picked up a rose before looking over at Corey H. and calling his name. She asked him happily, "Corey, will you accept this rose?"
"I'd be happy too," Corey responded happily.
Bella's hands shook a little as she pinned the rose to his shirt, and Corey whispered to her, "Why are your hands shaking?"
"I'm worried I'm gonna stab you with the pin," she admitted, whispering as well.
Corey chuckled a little and said, "You're so cute."
Bella blushed a little when he said. Corey then hugged her and kissed her on the cheek before returning to his spot. Up next was Anya, and it didn't surprise anyone when she picked up the rose and said, "Michael."
Michael walked over to the podium with a bright smile on his face.
"Michael, I had a great time on our date this week, and I'm looking forward to more dates to come," Anya said before asking, "So, will you accept this rose?"
Michael nodded excitedly and answered, "Definitely."
Anya kissed Michael on the cheek before pinning the boutonnière to his shirt and hugging him. When she hugged him, Michael kissed her on the cheek before returning to where he was originally standing. The next person to give out a rose was Emma, and to the surprise of no one, she called Alex's name who smiled when he heard it and as he walked over.
Once he was in front of her, Emma asked happily, "Alex, will you accept this rose?"
"Yes, most definitely," Alex responded, smiling brightly.
Emma giggled a little at the way he phrased his answer as she pinned the rose to his shirt before giving him a hug. Alex hugged her back and kissed her cheek before the both returned to their spots. Up next was Kayla and when she picked up the rose she said, "Kiefer."
Kiefer smiled as he walked over to stand in front of her. Once he was standing in front of Kayla, she said to him, "Kiefer, you are the only guy I've ever dated who has been willing to ride a mechanical bull for me, and I really appreciated that gesture. So will you accept this rose?"
Kiefer chuckled at that before answering, "Of course I will."
Kayla pinned the boutonnière onto his shirt and Kiefer kissed her on the cheek and hugged her before walking back to where he was standing originally. Andy was the next to give out a rose, and they walked over to the podium and picked up a rose before calling Brooke's name. Brooke walked over to stand in front of Andy with his usual carefree smile.
Andy asked him, "Brooke, will you accept this rose?"
"I definitely will," Brooke answered, "Although, I'm a little surprised you're giving this to me considering I pulled you into the pool earlier."
"Ehh, you're lucky you're good looking," Andy joked.
Both of them laughed at that before Andy pinned the rose to Brooke's shirt. The two shared a hug and a kiss on the cheek before returning to their original spot. When it came time for Olivia to give out her rose, she took a few deep breaths before walking over to the podium and picking up the rose. It was a difficult decision, but she knew what the decision was. She took one more deep breath before saying, "Ralph."
When he heard his name, Ralph sighed in relief. He walked over to Olivia who said, "Ralph, thank you for coming to talk to me tonight, and I really believe you when you say that you're sorry about what happened. Will you accept this rose?"
"Of course I will," he answered, "Thank you so much."
Olivia pinned the rose to Ralph's shirt before hugging him. Ralph hugged her back and kissed her on the cheek. When Corey F. saw this, his heart sank. He knew now that there was no chance he was getting a rose. There was now only one rose left, and it was officially the moment of truth. It was time for Deidra to decide between Keanu and River.
Rob walked back over to the rose podium and announced, "Ladies, it's the final rose. Deidra, whenever you're ready."
Deidra inhaled sharply before walking over to the podium and picking up the last rose. She took one last deep breath before saying, "Keanu."
A bright smile spread across Keanu's face as he walked over to Deidra. Once he was standing in front of Deidra, she smiled softly at him and said, "Thank you for being so patient and wonderful with me while I figured everything out. So, will you accept this rose?"
"I will happily accept your rose," Keanu answered.
Once Deidra pinned the rose to Keanu's shirt, she pulled him into a hug and whispered to him, "Thank you so much for everything."
"Thank you for giving me a chance," he whispered back.
With that being the last rose, it meant that both River and Corey F.'s time in paradise had officially come to an end. Rob Lowe stood in front of everyone and said, "River, Corey F., I'm sorry. Take a moment, say your goodbyes."
River said bye to the guys before walking over to Deidra, who said to him, "I'm so sorry. You really are wonderful and deserve so much love, but it just wasn't us."
"You don't have to apologize. I completely understand," River told her, "I wish you and Keanu nothing but the best, seriously."
"Thank you," Deidra said.
The two of them hugged quickly before River left the beach. Corey F. then walked over to Olivia and asked, "So you and Ralph?"
"Yeah, me and Ralph," she answered, "I'm really sorry, Corey."
"You don't have to apologize. I just hope that you're not making a mistake," he told her before leaving.
After he left, Ralph walked over to Olivia and said to her, "Thank you so much for giving me another a chance. I promise you won't regret it."
Olivia smiled at him and said, "Just give me a hug, you big doofus."
Ralph chuckled at this before hugging her and giving her a quick kiss on the forehead.
Meanwhile, Keanu went over to hug Deidra again as he said, "Thank you so much."
"There's no need to thank me," she told him, "I'm just excited to go on this journey with you."
"I am too," Keanu responded, giving her a quick and sweet kiss.
After this rose ceremony, there was a sense of calm on the beach. Connections were becoming much stronger, and couples were really becoming solidified. It created a sense of hope on the beach for everyone that this process was really going to work for them, and that they were going to find everlasting love.
-
We are officially finished the second week of paradise! I really like the system of posting all the chapters for one week at once, so I'm probably going to keep with that system. I hope you all enjoyed! Be sure to vote and comment if you do. Thanks for reading! :)
Once again, shout out to all my wonderful friends who are in this book: