The Bachelor, David Dower [uplifting books for women .txt] 📗

about everything, which Julianne found quite pleasant.

Zach breathed out and leaned forward. “Let’s go, Jules! Time to enter the Horror Room!”

“Horror Room?” she asked, her face going pale.

“We should try it, come on!” he leaned over her to open the door. People were already swarming the area with their costumes of all kinds. At first, people stared at Zach, the only person wearing a freaking superhero costume.

“What a loser!” A big kid cried after them.

Julianne stopped him when he made a move to turn around and go back after the boy. “Zach!” she exclaimed.

“He was way overboard,” he gritted.

“He’s a kid!”

“Fine…” he muttered. Julianne heard Steve chuckle behind them. He made a trick with his camera by putting it inside a big duffel bag. No one was sure how he managed to shoot their little adventure, but he did.

 *****

Steve was the one who paid for the Horror Room tickets. And by the time they entered the room, Julianne realized people made really great efforts to scare the hell out of everyone who entered. Luckily, she had set it in her mind that everything was fake and that there was no way at all that they could get any real. The mannequins looked real though and there were real people hiding in creepy mirrors and doors, ready to pounce at them.

“Woah!” Zach cried out when they passed by a large mirror with a scary little girl holding a shattered doll, staring at them. He jumped closer beside her.

“I can’t believe this…” Julianne uttered, shaking her head. She couldn’t help but smile at the irony and Steve was enjoying the show, the duffel bag with the camera in it now on his shoulder.

“This is really creepy stuff…” Zach said, his voice slightly shaking.

Really? He was getting scared? So much for a superman!

 *****

Zach had imagined Julianne jumping and taking comfort in his arms earlier before they entered the freaking room. What he did not imagine though was the fact that he was getting really scared. What the hell did these people do to the place? Really, it was scary as hell! Scratch that, he might be in hell already! Sweat was running down his temple as he clasped Julianne’s hand tighter.

“We should go back,” he tried to say casually. It didn’t come out as normally as he intended though because Julianne chuckled.

“We just got in,” Julianne answered.

“I’m claustrophobic,” he lied.

“No, you’re not,” she uttered incredulously.

“I think I’m developing the phobia. Let’s just go back, Jules.” This time, he did not bother to hide the desperation in his voice. He almost cried out when his face caught an artificial spider web. “Get it off me! Get if off me!” he cried out.

“Relax!” Julianne said laughingly, helping him with the yarn. She turned to Steve with a grin. “I think it’s time to go out.”

Steve nodded. “Yeah, before he gets a heart attack.”

 *****

Zach breathed in the fresh air, filling his lungs with it. His heart was still racing. “Someone from the health department should check that room for safety,” he muttered under his breath.

Julianne rolled her eyes. “Let’ just go home.”

He obliged, cursing himself in the way. He did something wrong in there. He failed. Now, what would Julianne think of him?

 *****

Julianne, on the other hand, was amused that Zach was really frightened by their small trip inside the Horror Room. It was something new about him that she had learned.

Later that night, when it was time for dinner, Steve set up the camera on a tripod so that he could leave them be. Really nice of him.

Since they couldn’t eat out, they decided to buy Chinese food and watched a movie, Friends with Benefits. While munching her food, Julianne did not bother to scoot away when Zach came closer and circled his arm around her after he was done eating.

“Justin looks gay to me,” he uttered, frowning.

“He’s a bit feminine,” she agreed.

“I like Mila.”

“She’s beautiful.”

He looked down at her with amusement.

“What?” she asked laughingly.

“You’re not pissed that I appreciate other women?”

“Why would I?”

He smiled. “Yes, of course, you’re not like other women.”

“And what—”

His phone started ringing. “What is it?” he asked, ignoring the phone.

“Your phone is ringing.”

“It’s just Liam,” he brushed off.

“Answer it. It can be an emergency or something.”

“He’s calling to piss me off,” he scoffed.

“Just answer it,” she said, reaching for the remote. “I’ll pause the movie.”

 *****

Zach sighed, stood up, went to the kitchen and fumbled for his phone inside his pocket. He should have turned it off.

“What?” he snapped.

As he had expected, it was his friend.

“I already thought of something for the bet.”

 *****

Alone in the living room, Julianne was deep in thought. She loved this day despite what she had feared. Yes, she was finally certain that she was in love with Zach. Who wouldn’t fall for him?

But would she stay? Should she? She knew she was sure that she had to go home. But deep inside, she was fearful that what they had—what they were having—would leave with her. What if she would be left waiting? What if he chose someone else?

She stood up when she couldn’t hear his voice in the kitchen. The call was probably ending and she had to talk to him. Maybe--just maybe--if he would ask her to stay, she would say yes. Just maybe.

“What about the bet?” Zach’s irritated voice asked.

Julianne frowned. What was he talking about? Maybe it’s not Liam…

“Liam, man, I already told you about the bet. Yes, yes, of course I remember but I don’t remember I would have to do a stupid consequence like that. What? In front of the girls?”

Julianne’s heart started racing. What was he talking about?

“Fine, we’ll talk about it when I get back.” Finally, he held the phone away from his ear.

“What bet?” Julianne asked.

Zach whirled around, his face ashen.

“What bet, Zach?” Chapter 28

He could feel the sweat rolling down his temple. “It’s nothing,” he stammered.

Julianne’s eyes narrowed at him. “It doesn’t look like nothing, Zach.”

“It’s just a bet that Liam and I had before the show.”

“Can you tell me what it’s about?”

She was acting too cool he cringed. Should he tell her? What would she do if she learned about it? Maybe it would be better if he made up some crazy story and let Julianne believe it. He could tell Liam about it and that his friend better keep his mouth shut.

But he knew Julianne.

She would understand.

Or would she?

She thinks different than the others, she’s more mature and she would think this matter thoroughly, he thought. “You wouldn’t like it, I guess…” he finally said.

 *****

Julianne’s heart was hammering despite her composure. Her wild imagination was running way ahead of her.

Could it be that the bet was about me? Did he and Liam betted he can make someone like me stay in the show?

Julianne, you’re thinking like an author. This is no television. Hear him out. Calm down.

Slowly, she took a deep breath and sighed.

“Let’s hear it,” she said, walking to the chair and sat down.

He looked stricken. He paced around, raking his fingers through his hair.

“Zach,” she called out when he did not look at her.

“It’s not about you,” he blurted out, his chest heaving. “I just want you to know that.”

That was a relief. “Okay…”

 *****

Zach didn’t know where to begin so he started where he could remember. “One night, while Liam and I were talking about love—more like arguing about it, really—we made a bet that I will ditch twenty-five women. I will not look back at them. Just ditch them and go on with my life. That’s why I joined this stupid show in the first place.” He couldn’t look at her. She was really, really silent. “But I lost it.”

“How?”

“Don’t you get it? I can’t let you go, Jules,” he almost exclaimed. “Just the thought of it is impossible.”

She just sat there looking at him.

 *****

She didn’t know what to think. A big part of her was jumping with joy after hearing it. But another part of her was telling her to back off.

What if he got tired of her? What if he would jump into another stupid bet and lost her? Or she lost him?

“And you’re afraid to tell me about this bet because…?”

“I don’t want you to think whatever you’re thinking right now.”

Julianne snorted. “I don’t think bad of anything if that’s what you mean,” she lied—just a bit, of course.

Hope ignited in his eyes. “So you’re staying? I don’t mind doing the consequence, Jules. Just stay. For me, you’re already the winner.”

Julianne was blank for a few moments. She didn’t want to give him an answer she would have given earlier. After what she had learned, she thought that it would be best if they stick to what they had first agreed on. So, she shook her head. “No, Zach, I have to leave. We had a deal.”

Disappointment painted his handsome face. “Why? What’s keeping you, Jules?”

He sounded like a desperate child that she wanted to just give him a hug and words of reassurance.

“Zach, I don’t want to live in regrets later on. I don’t want to ruin what we have because of this show. This show will turn our relationship in chaos, you know that. I will have to leave, and when all of this is over, when everything’s still as what they are between you and me, we’ll see then. But for now, I need to go.”

“I understand your point, Jules, but what if you’ll change your mind while you’re out there? What if I can’t find you?”

She smiled. “Then I guess you’ll just have to make a way.”

“What do you mean by that?” he demanded gently.

She shrugged. “Go home, Zach, it’s been a long day.”

“I’m sleeping here.”

“No, of course not. The crew will be coming here tomorrow to pick me up. See you at the ranch,” she smiled, stood up, and came closer to him. She planted a gentle kiss on his cheek and whispered, “I’m glad you told me the truth.”

“Is that a plus point?” he grinned.

She nodded and walked out of the kitchen. “You have to go home. Your car’s probably getting tired of waiting.”

She heard him sigh behind her. “Okay…”

 *****

Later that night, Julianne wondered if she had handled that matter well.

Was it wrong to not have burst in anger when Zach told her the truth about the bet?

But she didn’t feel anger. She felt confusion, and she was once again reminded of what Mr. Astor told her in the ranch. Zach was really still a child. Who would bother going through such a hectic motion of being the freaking Bachelor just for a freaking bet with a friend? A child would do that to prove a point. As an adult, Julianne wasn’t so sure.

And she had No right to be angry. He didn’t know about her when he made the bet. She didn’t know him. It would have been irrational and childish if she nagged about it.

Her mind was in rumble she didn’t know what to think anymore.

You’re such a moron. Didn’t you tell Zach that you have to go? What are you whining about? Leave, wait for him, and if he doesn’t come, go on, her mind scolded.

Yes, that was right. She already told Zach she had to leave. She couldn’t back out now. But she wouldn’t