Survived Worse
1480 Words
~Lucyll's POV~
Christian and I stepped back into the living room. Some of the contestants had already returned, chatting in low voices.
Across the room, Ava was deep in conversation with Harvery—who couldn’t stop glancing in my direction. I pretended not to notice, but our eyes met more than once.
Soon, all the contestants were back and the host, Ana, clapped her hands with a radiant grin. “Now we’ll go around the room and reveal who you want to share your room with tonight. Remember, it only works if your chosen person picks you back. If not—too bad, you’ll be in the rematch pool.”
She turned to the first girl. “Isabelle, you’re up.”
Isabelle, with her girl-next-door charm and a blush that could launch a thousand ships, tucked her hair behind her ear and said, “I choose Morgan Chase.”
Morgan, slim and thirty-ish with a clean-cut vibe, gave her a small smile and nodded. First match of the night. Easy.
The picks continued down the line until the mic landed in my hands. I hesitated, fingers brushing against the cool metal.
Christian was a wildcard—someone who could shift the dynamic. But I don't know him that well.
Harvery? Definitely not. I couldn’t stand the thought of pretending through an entire night. Still, I needed to keep him close enough to extract information, but not too close that he started to notice my revulsion.
I was stalling. My palms were damp, and Ana raised a brow.
“Lucyll, sweetheart,” she said with a teasing lilt, “it’s not a life-or-death decision. You can swap roommates tomorrow, remember?”
I laughed softly and finally took the mic. My voice came out a little shaky, but I smiled through it. “I choose…” I looked at Christian, who was watching me with that easy smile, then at Harvery, whose frown could have curdled cream. “…Christian.”
Better to play it safe—and civil—from afar.
Ana turned to Christian with a wink. “And now, our quiet, mysterious Christian—who do you choose?”
He grinned. “I’m going with my gut,” he said, eyes locked on mine. “Lucyll.”
Beside me, Maggie—a single mom with a warm smile and a spine of steel—let out a soft sigh. I blinked. I could’ve sworn she’d had eyes only for Harvery in the last life.
Why she suddenly developed an interest at Christian now. And if Maggie had changed her target, what else might have changed?
That thought unsettled me more than I liked.
Christian’s pick was quick, which meant Ana didn’t waste a beat. “Harvery, which lovely lady would you like to spend the evening with?”
He didn’t answer right away. His eyes locked on mine, confusion darkening his gaze.
I’d surprised him by not choosing him—and Harvery Everest did not like surprises, especially not on national TV. To choose me now would be to admit weakness. To chase a woman who’d turned him down.
But then again… his mother wanted him to approach me. And Harvery always obeyed his mother.
“I choose…” His voice was lower than usual. “Lucyll.”
Now that was unexpected.
He chose me—despite the optics and his pride. Interesting.
Ana put on her best dramatic gasp. “Oh, Harvery, the stubborn lover! But Lucyll’s already matched with Christian…”
I tilted my head, kept my tone sweet but aloof. “Thank you for choosing me, Mr. Everest. I hope we can get to know each other better during the show.”
Just enough warmth to be polite and enough coolness to keep him at arm’s length.
Soon there was only one guy left: Eric. Fresh out of college, clean-cut quarterback vibes, sharp eyes. If I remembered right, he liked his women smart and pretty—which meant Eliza or Ava should’ve been his obvious picks.
“I choose Lucyll.”
Silence. Then gasps. I stared at him, stunned—and I wasn’t the only one.
“Well, well,” Ana said, her grin stretching wider. “Looks like Lucyll’s the crowd favorite tonight. Three contenders, but only one room. What’s a girl to do?”
I hadn’t expected this. Harvery, maybe. Christian, hopefully. But Eric?
Still, this could work in my favor. With Eric in the mix, Harvery would feel the pressure. If he wanted to complete the task his mother had set him, he’d have to try harder.
And the harder he tried, the more mistakes he’d make.
Eric, Ava, Maggie, and Harvery were left in the pool.
Christian and I. Isabelle and Morgan. Eliza and Victor—those were the confirmed matches.
In the rematch round, Harvery got paired with Ava. Eric ended up with Maggie.
“Congratulations to tonight’s matches! Couples, please head to your rooms and get settled in. And remember—tomorrow’s a new day, and the heart can be... fickle.” She winked.
…
Christian and I arrived at our room—a charming little suite clearly staged for romance. Dim lighting. One bed. A vase of wilting roses. Subtle.
I walked in and perched on the arm of the loveseat. Christian tossed his jacket to the corner, then sat across from me, hands resting loosely on his knees.
For a moment, we just looked at each other. His eyes, too perceptive, studied me with quiet interest.
“Three guys chose you tonight,” he said. “You planning on breaking all their hearts?”
“Just one,” I said lightly. “Maybe two, if they deserve it.”
His smile stretched. “And which category do I fall into?”
I tilted my head. “TBD. You’re charming, but I’ve met charming before.”
He grinned, leaning back. “Fair.”
There was something easy about him. No pretense or veiled threats or ulterior motives—at least, none obvious yet.
But I didn’t trust easy. Not in this reborn life anymore. I had a taste of how dying was like and I didn’t like any bit of it.
Then again, an ally in this house won't be a bad thing. If Harvery was busy trying to keep tabs on me, it couldn’t hurt to have someone else watching his blind spots too.
Christian shrugged. “For a second, I almost thought you’d chose Harvery.”
I paused. “Never.”
“So you like being with me?”
“Let’s just say being near you doesn’t make my skin crawl.”
He laughed again, “Well, I’ll take that as the highest compliment I’ve gotten on this show so far.”
I smiled, despite myself.
But even as I talked with him, my mind was elsewhere. Back in the living room. Harvery’s frown. Eric’s surprise pick. Maggie’s sigh. The shifts were beginning. Subtle cracks in the script I thought I knew.
If Maggie no longer wanted Harvery, she might end up useful—or dangerous. And Eric... he was clearly bolder than I remembered.
All those small changes meant I had to stop relying on memory alone. This wasn’t a rerun of the past anymore. This was a rewrite.
Before Christian and I could continue our playful banter, the door creaked open and one of the crew members stepped inside, headset askew and a clipboard clutched tight in her arms. “Hey… can I borrow you for a minute?”
I gave her my most polite smile. “Of course. Come in.”
She hesitated, chewing the inside of her cheek. That wasn’t a good sign. “There’ve been some… changes,” she said, voice tight.
My stomach sank. Not again.
Christian sat up straighter. “What kind of changes?”
The crew member flinched slightly, then glanced between us. “Lucyll, you’ve been reassigned—to Harvery. And Christian… you’re with Ava.”
There was a beat of silence. I blinked. Once. Twice. “No,” I said flatly. “That’s not fair.”
I knew it wasn’t her fault, but the words were out before I could soften them.
“I’m really sorry,” she murmured,“The main PD made the call. I was just asked to—well—escort you…”
Arlyne might have heard about the selection and influence her way in. I drew a slow breath, then stood. “Alright then,” I said, calm and sweet—my best pageant voice. “Where is Mr. Everest’s room?”
“Down the hall. Third room on the right.”
Christian rose beside me, “You sure you’re okay with this?”
No. But I had to be.
“I’ll manage,” I said, glancing at him with a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. “I’ve survived worse.”
- Writer
