Then, of course, the conversation took a turn.
“Gina,” said one of the hosts. “You and Stone had an interesting moment before the semifinals. We have a clip.”
On the big screen behind them, they replayed the kiss footage. Gina’s stomach knotted, but she kept her smile in place.
The host grinned. “Want to tell us what that was all about?”
Gina fed them the story she’d come up with. “We were practicing a bit for a dance. Obviously, we decided not to use it.”
The hosts murmured, and one of the others leaned in with a glint in her eye. “Come on, Gina. You can tell us. Is Stone a good kisser or what?”
The arm Stone had thrown around her shoulders stiffened. Through sheer force of will, Gina continued to smile.
“Yes, absolutely.” She held up her hands when everyone burst into laughter. “What? Should I have lied?”
Stone covered his face with his hands.
Satisfied, the hosts transitioned to the next segment.
Gina turned to Stone, who was staring at her. He shook his head, giving her a half-smirk.
Her heart thumped. She wanted to poke him and joke around. She wanted to know they could hang out afterward and rehash this whole absurd experience, like they had every week after each episode.
But she couldn’t. Whatever TV magic had captivated them was over. The spell was broken, and now they were just two very different people with very different lives. It was time to return to the hopes and dreams that had propelled them towardThe Dance Offin the first place.
A few more interviews, and then it would all be over.
After they’d fulfilled theirMorning Mixcommitments, Gina stood on the sidewalk with Stone and the other cast members.He was getting on the party bus to the airport, to catch a ride back to LA on the private jet, and from there a flight to Alaska. His luggage had already been sent to Juneau.
It was hard to embrace the truth, that this was really it. It was always a shock to end a season, but not like this. She’d never made it this far—to the finals, to winning—and she’d never gotten so close to one of her partners.
Never fallen in love with one.
She hated the word, had avoided it the whole of her adult life. And here she was, twenty-seven years old and unable to think of anything else that encompassed the depth of her feelings for Stone.
Putting off their goodbye, she focused on everyone else first. Finally, Natasha stepped forward and gave her a big hug.
“I wish you were coming with me,” Gina said.
Natasha let out an exasperated huff. “If my mother wanted to see me, she’d return my messages. I’m not going to show up at her apartment without notice. And for what? So we can fight? No gracias.”
“My mom and sister would love to see you.”
Tash cracked a smile. “Give them my love.”
“I will.”
They hugged again, then Natasha got on the bus.
Gina turned around to find Stone standing behind her. He held his arms out. Before she could question the wisdom of her actions, she stepped into his embrace and hugged him hard.
One more couldn’t hurt.
It did, though. Oh, it did hurt. Her chest tightened, and her eyes got hot, like they wanted to spill tears. She breathed deep, filling her nose and lungs and memory with the fresh, wild scent of him, which he’d somehow never lost after three months in Los Angeles. He was so warm, his chest hard beneath her cheek. His arms, big and strong around her body, squeezed her close. Ready and willing to protect her from everything.
Except for the distance he was about to put between them. She’d always known it was inevitable, and it was stupid of her to have let herself fall so deep and so hard.
Gina eased back. With great effort, she met his eyes. “Have a good trip back to Alaska.”
