So after making it onto the plane and all the way to Australia we started our final straight off. We were put into pairs for all the different tasks and we were worried. Hunter and I ended up being partnered up for the last leg only. I was first with Jordan and then my middle section was with CT. We started on a running part in which Jordan, Hunter, Tori and I stayed together in a pod with CT and Cara Marie really close behind us. When we get to the switch point CT and I start carrying all the things that we need to while moving them to solve the puzzles that were placed in front of us. Jordan and Cara Marie are right on our tails with Hunter and Tori just behind them. Once the puzzles were all solved we were told that we were now going to be climbing Hunter and I start climbing and then Jordan and Tori started behind us and Cara Marie and CT right behind them. We had climbed to the top to find TJ standing there with a double-cross pull in front of us. Once we were all up to the top the boys pulled first and Jordan pulled the double-cross and he added time to Hunter's time to secure that he would be the winner in his eyes since Hunter can move faster than CT in Jordan's eyes. I was then up first for the girls and I pulled the double cross I looked at both my girls and then chose to use it on Cara Marie because she's running finals before so she knows what will be coming for the next portion of the final. We were then told we had to decide with our partner who would stay up on these rocks while their partner sleeps. Hunter told me to go to sleep and I went and laid down for about an hour before Hunter came and woke me up. I stayed awake and standing on the rocks for 3 hours before I went and woke up Hunter. I wanted him to have the best shot possible because I know that this is his dream to run and possibly win a challenge. I was watching the others switch more often than Hunter and I were switching. Hunter came down after about half an hour and came to get me. "I'm sorry babe but I fell off the rock again. If you want to step up just to get back down so that you can go back to bed I'm okay with that," Hunter said to me feeling bad. I just hugged him and kissed his cheek.
"Hunt go to bed babe. I will stand on the rock as long as I can you need the sleep I can go without it for now and then sleep after the final is over," I said as I walked over to the rock and climbed back up to be standing with the girls. "Hey ladies, how we doing," I said which caused Tori and Cara Marie to smile and laugh.
"Well it's so late or maybe early but it's wonderful right now," Tori said sarcastically which cause us all to giggle. "I mean you and Hunter have only traded off like once. I thought I saw you out here for a long while. I mean have you really slept at all," Tori asked me to which I nodded and smiled.
"I mean I've slept for about two hours now. I stood up here for three hours earlier just so he could get some sleep. He's going to need the sleep more. I mean I'm just happy I've gotten this far with a broken wrist and finding Hunt. Like I'm good with whatever place I get to be honest," I said which caused both the girls to look at me.
"Do you love that boy," Cara Marie asked me which caused me to look down at the ground shyly before nodding. This prompted Cara Marie to ask another question. "Does he know that you love him yet," Cara Marie asked me? I just smiled and looked down at the ground.
"I've told him. We talked about it on our lunch date after we won that last challenge. We talked about what we are going to do after this final and what is our next step. He wants me to come on over and meet his family and then he said he wants to meet mine but he's worried how they will react to meeting me. I said that they would love him because yes he may be a hothead but with me, he tries to be better and tries to remember that being a hot head won't get him anywhere," I said which caused the girls to look at me. "Tori I got a question about what's going on with you and Jordan. Don't lie to me and say nothing because I know you have a boyfriend but you two seem like something is going on between you. Especially when he had the chance to make sure that Hunter would be in the redemption house and then he made sure that didn't happen because of what you wanted," I said to Tori.
"I mean we are good friends because yes I still am with Derrick; however, he and I have been falling apparently as of recently before we came to the challenge. So the fact that he's been gone this long and I don't really miss him any and I don't feel like I need him tells me that we aren't worth staying together. So I told Jordan that once I ended things with Derrick that we could talk about seeing what could be between us," Tori said which made me smile.
"I guess I'll stay the single girl of the finals since my partner right now is married and my best friend was his dead ex-girlfriend. God just thinking about her makes me sad it's hard for us to keep going here without Diem being here. How's he been without Diem around. I mean I know he's married to the girl he had a child with but how is he doing," Cara Marie said as we heard a commotion. I look over to where the guys were sleeping and see that Hunter is up and walking towards me.
"Hey, babe go get some sleep. I know I've slept most of the night and I know you said you don't need the sleep because you'll sleep after the final but go get some sleep. Here," Hunter says as he pulls me off the rocks and gives me his hoodie to sleep in. "Go maybe that will help you sleep better," Hunter said finally realizing I haven't slept alone in a long time. I went to lay down and as soon as the warmth hit me I was asleep.
Hunter's P.O.V.
I just sent Kat to bed because I had realized she let me sleep most of the night. I looked to the girls and they just nodded towards Kat. "What," I asked them.
"How much do you love that girl? You are willing to give up your hoodie the only thing to keep you warm right now just so she can try and get to sleep some. Last season you didn't let anybody touch that hoodie because it meant so much and you didn't want others to have a hand on it, yet she gets it why," Cara Marie said to me.
"That's my girl. I feel like she very well could be the one I will marry one day. She makes me laugh, she makes me smile, she gets my stupid jokes, she understands my mood and how to figure out the best solution to my or our problems. She makes me feel loved and she makes me want to be a better person and less of a hothead because she is my girl and I don't want to do anything that will hurt her or anything that will make her upset. So yes I love her so much and I'm willing to give her my favorite hoodie that nobody is allowed to touch. She's my Kat so that's why I do the things I do for her," I said to answer Cara Marie.
"You really can see yourself marrying the quiet but stubbornly sassy girl that you met day one by the pool and have been continuing to get to know. Like how do you know? You guys haven't had one single night alone in the entire time you've known her. How do you know that you are going to marry her if you haven't even been intimate with her," Tori asked me.
"When I said going over and sitting next to her the first night to get to know her was the best decision I meant it. She is amazing, perfect, and the best thing that could have happened to me. So yes we may have not been intimate yet and we may have not done a lot of things normal couples have done by this point of their relationship but she makes me happy. We make sure to have a lot of conversation about life, our relationship, and the little things really. We make sure that each other knows that we will be the greatest support system for each other both in the house and once we leave the challenge as well. So I guess you can say that I just know that she is who I need in my life forever. Are we going to take our time and follow the path that is laid out in front of us in this relationship as we leave the challenge house and go back to normal life? Absolutely but we said we would do that together and that's one thing that I'm looking forward to happening," I said with a smile as the girls just smiled at me as if I had said the right thing. I mean even on our lazy days we smile and laugh and just continue to have those needed conversations to build a strong foundation for our relationship while still knowing how to keep it light and happy. We stood up on these rocks for another half hour before TJ showed up and I got down to go wake up Kat. At this point, I'm freezing, and I think she noticed because she handed me my hoodie as she got up so that I could put it back on.
*Katrina P.O.V.*
Here I am getting waken up by Hunter to tell me TJ is here. "Hello, finalists good morning, and are you ready for the last part of this dirty thirty final for your share of 1 million dollars. Oh wait I forgot to tell you that 1 million dollars are actually at stake for this challenge. Third place for the guys and girls will each get $15,000, second place will be getting $35,000 which means that your first place guy and girl will each walk away with $450,000. Now are you ready for the final part of this final," TJ asked as we all nodded. "Now the last stage will be everyone on their own but you will be doing puzzles while carrying the pieces up and down the hill. You have a five by five puzzle. You have to build the rows from the bottom up getting the row completely correct to move to the next. Once you are down you will need to remember the phrase from the puzzle and run up the hire to see me tell me the phrase. Once you have told me correctly you have finished the final. Ready, well go," TJ said causing all of us to run to the puzzle pieces and picking up the pieces, and figuring out which ones to carry up the hill to put the pieces into the board. I moved quickly and finished the first row and had it correct before others had and then I followed by getting my second and third rows down. Then I was short so I had to climb the steps they gave us to take the final two rows and place them where they belong. Once the checker told me I was correct. I read the phrase and ran up the hill towards TJ. Once I found him I told him the phrase.
"To win you have to dig deep and stay strong," I said and TJ said I was done and I could sit down and relax. Once everyone had finished their puzzles and told TJ the phrase we all looked at him.
"Whelp I'll see you at the reunion to tell you who has won this season of the challenge," TJ said. Which made all of us grown. We all then looked at each other.
"We all are finalists and we killed it and now we are getting to go home and wait for the reunion in a few weeks. I'm so happy that you are the people in the finals with me. I'd like you to all come visit me at my ranch in Texas. You can bring your significant others and CT you better bring little Christopher or I'm going to be pissed," I said with a smile as everyone did a group hug.
"I'll come to visit you if you come home and visit my family with me. I haven't been home in like a year so it'll be nice to go home to my mom and dad," Hunter said which caused me to grab his hand and squeeze it.