Isn't odd how sometimes people act a specific way then suddenly transform into someone new? Dinner with my parents was an adventure, something I hadn't expected to experience in my life. A family. I could count on my hand the splendid memories I had with my parents, which was before the alcohol consumed them.

The last time they tried sobering up was when I entered the eighth grade, but their sobriety only lasted a measly thirty-two hours. There wasn't a day in my entire life where I spent time with my parents being sober. However, if I had to be honest, dinner with them wasn't as horrible as I initially expected.

Immediately, mom got straight to the point of asking about my experiences with the entertainment industry. Apparently, it's been my mother's dream to become a star in her teenage years, but I came along before she could pursue it. Dad threw in a few words every couple of minutes to look as if he was paying attention, while no one even bothered asking about Davina.

Which in all honestly bothered the fuck out of me.

As a gift, I took my parents out shopping. According to my uncle, they aren't doing well finically and I figured offering to purchase things for their house would be a good son thing to do. Dad hadn't hesitated about my present while Mom fought against using my paychecks to help them.

My father admired a silver sheen refrigerator with two large doors and a freezer attached to the bottom big enough for all the fish they take from work. "Jillian, I think it would look the best in our kitchen."

A skeptical grin stretched across her face. "I don't think any of this would look good in our ragged old house. Besides, I think we should buy a washer and dryer. I'm tired of having to drag our laundry every week."

Father nodded. "Sure, whatever. I'm sure Ambrose can afford to buy all of this."

A nervous laugh departed from my lips. "Yeah. I think I got everything covered."

Mom nudged Dad in his stomach, earning a howling groan from him. "We shouldn't be taking advantage of Ambrose, he has a future to think about and bills to pay."

I scratched my head as I looked around. "There's nothing to worry about, Mom. I want to do anything I can to help you guys."

An upside about this competition and my contract with Davina was the money. All my checks went straight to my savings account. With the six contestants remaining, I hadn't thought about what I wanted to do after the show. After my heartbreak with Lana, I lost the passion I had for cooking, but competing these past months brought back the tingles I used to feel when I chopped vegetable years back.

Maybe I should open a restaurant like I wanted to do all those years ago...

Dad dropped his hands onto my shoulders, causing my entire body to jerk forward. "Then let's add a new stove onto the list."

"Honey, stop it."

"What?" Dad groaned, his eyebrows furrowing together. "It's been years since we brought anything for ourselves. I think we deserve it for being five months sober."

Mom looped her arm through mine as we walked through the aisles. "It would be more rewarding if we brought it with our own money, but I'm so grateful to have an amazing kid." She squeezed the apples of my cheeks.

"Yeah, we did something good, didn't we?" Dad pecked Mom on her forehead before dashing down the aisle like a child who sneaked into his Halloween candy.

My mother flashed a brilliant smile. "Hell yeah, we did."

The producers scheduled a camping retreat for the remaining castmates to get to spend quality time with each other. After shopping with my parents, I packed essential items and waited in the lobby for Davina. She was totally against the idea of going shopping with my parents on my own, but I ushered her I would be fine.

Bus engines revered outside the hotel, visible from the wide windows around the lobby. It was one of those couch buses that in high school would take us to the city or another state, depending on our trip. Luckily, I was able to experience our sophomore year trip because Lana and the girls gathered up sufficient funds for my ticket. I owed them the world for that life-changing experience.

"Everyone load up onto the bus. I don't want us to drive through traffic hour," Elton announced, his finger bopping around and counting the individuals sitting here.

Only two people were missing.

"Where's Davina and Wesley?" Elton shouted, his eyebrows pinching together in confusion. "Can someone go get them?"

My hand shot up in the air. "I'll go look for Davin-."

Elton lifted his hand. "No, I was talking to the crew. Just get on the bus, I'll find your girlfriend for you."

I cocked my head to the side. "Ah alright?"

A bellboy stood by the white coach bus waiting patiently to place our suitcases underneath the top section. After giving a tip, I wandered up the gigantic steps, scanning through the blue cotton seats for an opening. I took the lane in the middle, perfect range of TV which was playing 'Journey to the Mysterious Island' on it.

My leg shook violently as my eyes were laser-focused on the door. Davina's appointment with her therapist was hours ago. Where could she have gone? I've been looking forward to spending the day with her after anxiety crippling morning I had. I crammed my palms into my eyes and breathed away gut-churning nausea.

Davina, where are you?

Like a sparking thunderbolt, a dozen emotions flashed in my chest when Davina emerged from the double doors. Relief because she hadn't run off again. Happiness at witnessing the lopsided smile radiating from her face. Yet this foreign feeling I couldn't put into words lingered when Wesley draped his arm over her shoulders.

Wesley's heavy shoes tapped against the stairs as he made his way through to an empty lane. Davina followed after, her body concealed underneath the enormous beige hoodie with a loose pair of sweatpants. Initially, I stood from my seat to catch her attention, only to have Wesley take her from my grasps before I had a chance.

A twinge of pain captured my heart, and I cringed.

Now, I'm stuck alone for two hours with no one to share my extra sushi rolls with...

Kavi; a black hair, lean frame, wide dark oval eyes, took the empty spot next to me. She had her beats headphones over her ears and tapped several buttons on her cell phone before removing them. She was an excellent chef, her two-week straight first places proved it further. Since Davina and I were usually attached to the hip, I hadn't gotten to know any of our other co-workers, but this could be a perfect time.

Since Davina doesn't care about ditching me for Mr. Broccoli's head.

"Did you get into a fight with your girlfriend?" Kavi asked, her eyes filling with sympathy.

A deep grumble escaped the back of my throat. "No. At least I don't think so."

Kavi kicked her feet up onto my lap, securely herself in a comfortable position. "Something had to go wrong. You guys are never this far away." She cocked her head to the side. "Though I'm totally here for drama, so please make this camping retreat interesting."

I played with my thumbs over her legs. "There won't be any drama. We are just broadening our horizons and making new friends."

Kavi snorted. "New friends? I definitely don't act that flirty with just a friend." She bobbed her head in their direction, causing the yearning to jump from this seat to stir in my veins. "I'm not trying to raise any tides, but she does have a reputation for getting around."

I narrowed my eyes into murderous slits. "That's just a persona. If you actually took the time to know her, you would see right through it."

"Maybe so..." Kavi shrugged her shoulders. "But watching them feeding each other looks a little too romantic for friends."

My eyes widened into saucers as I unbuckled my seatbelt and leaped over to Kavi's side. To my dismay, Kavi wasn't lying. Wesley was trying to feed Davina, a piece of chocolate, but her cheeks were puffed out from whatever he had given her before. It was as if they were filming a video of a chubby bunny.

These brief glimpses of Davina swelled my chest with affection. But Wesley next to her left a sour taste in my mouth. None of her actions were making sense lately. If we liked someone, wouldn't we want to spend every second with them? But Davina blew that idea out of the water. It's as if she knew about her confession that night and withdrew herself from me.

I didn't want that at all...

"I trust her," I said, returning to my seat.

Her black eyebrow raised. "Really? It didn't seem like it since you had to look."

Shit. Kavi had a point. But we weren't really dating, so there's a different type of trust between us. We never promised to refrain from hooking up with other people just in private, so our relationship stayed believable. Maybe it's time to renegotiate these terms since I despised the idea of her hooking up with someone else.

"I just wanted to see her. I miss her." I flashed a charming smile.

"Aww..." Kavi cooed. "Aren't you the sweetest boyfriend a girl could ask for?" She winked as she put on her headphones. "I loved our chitchat, but I'm tired and ready to catch some zzz's before arriving."

The mountain rose on the horizon, sheer rock striking down from the snowy peak. Only the base was softened by the virescence of a pine blanket. Even from the bus window, the view was breathtaking. The producers had us get out by aisle, and Davina was a few ahead of mine. Spite nipped at my chest as Wesley wrapped his white scarf around her neck and swung the edge in her face, earning those pig-snorts.

Finally, it was our turn, and I forced Kavi's legs from my lap and dashed down the aisle to catch up to them. They were standing by the trees while the crew unloaded all the equipment needed for tonight. Adrenaline coarsed through my veins as I felt like five miles were between Davina and me.

"Hey, D!" I shouted, bracing my body as my hand leaned against the tree trunk.

Her eyebrows jumped from shock. "Hey, bean sprout, I missed you on the coach bus."

Confusion washed over my features. "What are you talking about? I was there. I saved a warm seat for you."

Wesley coughed, nervously. "I might've lied so you would sit next to me."

Davina twisted the bottom of her hair and placed it between her upper lip and nose, like a mustache. "You could have just asked instead of making up a lie." She smiled and let go of her hair. "But spending two hours with you was more funnier than I thought."

"Funner isn't a word," Wesley said, his lips struggling to stay in a straight line.

"Well, I'm making it a word! You heard it here first!" Davina announced, flailing her arms in the air.

With trembling hands from excitement, I unzipped my lunchbox and grabbed a cucumber roll. "I had extra sushi leftover, so I wanted to share it with you." I leaned my hand forward with the sushi roll.

Wesley snatched it from my grasp before Davina could and chucked it into his mouth. "Hate to break it to you, but Davina hates cucumbers."

I rubbed my chin as I answered, "I thought..."

Davina wore an anxious expression, her pearly whites flashed in an uneasy grin. "I might've lied on Valentine's day... I didn't want to hurt your feeling after slaving yourself over the stove."

"Don't worry about it," I said, pulling another sushi roll she couldn't resist. "I packed your favorite."

Davina craned her head towards me, her eyes flashing with excitement. "Really? You're a life savior! I'm starving."

Wesley's mouth was slightly open, but he quickly closed it.

"What?" Davina laughed.

"Sorry." He shook his head. "I was just thinking about everything you ate on the bus and you're still hungry?"

"A bitch can eat! What can I say?" Davina spun around and marched over to her suitcase.

"Everyone!" Elton yelled, clapping his hands to get our attention. "Let's move our luggage to the campsite and begin the little retreat I have planned. While the crew builds the tents, I have horseshoes, corn in the hole, and charades to pass time. Got it.?"

"Got it!" Everyone repeated in unison.

Camping suddenly looked better and better by the second.

Who else just wishes Ambrose realized what he was feeling? 🙋‍♀️lol! He's really being an idiot right now. Why do you guys think Davina is kind of pulling away?

Love you guys and can't wait to read your comments❤️❤️