Blinded by Love Read online

  “Hmm...I see. Very diplomatic answer, Brandon.”

  He chuckled. “Thank you.”

  Luckily their dinner arrived before he had to say more. He quickly changed the subject to her favorite food and what she was most excited to cook with her future husband. She was adamant that she wanted to take a few cooking classes as a bonding activity but was very good at making soups and stews.

  They chatted lightheartedly until their food was gone and the plates were cleared. Then, they sat for a few minutes listening to the music drifting out of the speakers. Brandon suddenly had an idea, a way to get Brielle away from Mark for a few moments.

  “Would you like to dance? As friends, of course?”

  Brielle lit up. “I would love to!”

  He held out her hand and walked her to the middle of the rooftop. He wrapped his arm around her waist and smiled before pulling her in close.

  Brandon took a deep breath. As he exhaled and whispered, “Brielle, not everyone here is what they seem.”

  Chapter Seven

  Brielle

  Asher: How’d your date go?!

  Asher: Brielle?

  ◆◆◆

  Music blared from the speakers. Plates crashed off the table and food was thrown in their direction. Brandon and Brielle jumped apart as Mark and three security guards, unseen until now, ran towards them. Within seconds they had Brandon by the arms and were carrying him to the elevators.

  It had all happened so fast, Brandon wasn’t able to finish what he was trying to tell her. Mark was breathing heavily next to her as Brielle tried to steady herself. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins, the music didn’t stop until Brandon was safely off the roof.

  “What the hell was that?” Brielle turned to Mark, her voice was surprisingly calm.

  “Brandon was told before he came up here that he could not reveal any more information about the other two men you have left as possible husbands. He was about to break that agreement.”

  “So who is lying to me? Is it Carl or Asher?” Brielle stepped closer to Mark. She was inches from his face. “Who is it, Mark?”

  “I’m not validating Brandon’s paranoid claims. He’s gone now. Let’s just get through the rest of the week.”

  “Get through the rest of the week?!” She was yelling now. “You want me to just ‘get through’ the biggest decision of my life? Are you kidding me? I’m done.” She started ripping off the microphone attached to her clothes.

  “Brielle, don’t make any hasty decisions. Go downstairs and calm down.”

  “Don’t tell me to calm down. I’m going downstairs to pack my things. Sue me if you’d like.”

  Brielle marched to the elevator, which thankfully came right away. She didn’t dare turn around until the doors shut safely behind her.

  Once back in her apartment, she realized how badly she was shaking. She took off her shoes and threw them in the corner, then went to the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face. It calmed her down and she was able to breathe more regularly.

  What was she going to do? If she continued, she could be marrying someone who had been lying to her this entire time. But if she didn’t, she could miss out on something beautiful, the love of her life.

  Was the stress she’d been under all week worth it? She had two more days and she’d already been through so much. But starting her marriage off on a bed of lies and deceit also wasn’t a great option.

  As she went through her options in her head, each more terrible than the last, there was a loud knock at the door. Brielle rolled her eyes and put her defenses up.

  There, waiting in the hallway, was Abigail. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days, or showered for that matter.

  “What do you want?” Brielle cracked the door, leaving the security lock firmly latched.

  “I understand you’re upset-”

  “Upset is an understatement, Abigail. I’m FURIOUS. I knew you’d been using me but to have my marriage, a real marriage with real people, to have that start out as a lie. Even furious is an understatement.”

  “Listen, we can argue about this or you can hear my solution.”

  “I don’t think there is a solution.”

  “Can you shut up for a minute and listen to me?”

  “Goodbye, Abigail.” Brielle shut the door.

  Abigail began shouting. She tried to block her out but her voice was too loud. “You can go on a date with them both. Tomorrow. No funny business. You can meet both Asher and Carl and then decide the morning of your wedding which one you like more.”

  Brielle stopped in her tracks. Would meeting them make her feel more comfortable? It might. But meeting Shea had confused her even further. She wasn’t sure it would help her make a decision.

  Abigail began shouting again. “And if you don’t want to marry either of them after tomorrow night, fine. But this way, you’ll know what you’re getting into and you’ll be able to make a more informed decision. What do you say?”

  Brielle cracked the door once more. “Go away, Abigail.”

  She slammed the door in her face and went to lay down on the couch. She stared at the wall, where only Asher and Carl’s files remained.

  Was she going to stay or go?

  Chapter Eight

  Asher

  Asher: I’m sorry your date with Brandon didn’t go as planned

  Asher: I love you and I can’t wait to see you tomorrow

  ◆◆◆

  Asher paced back and forth in the living room. Seth hadn’t emerged from his room for hours and Brandon was due home soon. Asher didn’t know if they’d have much time to talk before he had to leave and wanted to learn as much as he could about Brielle’s reaction.

  He didn’t have to wait long. About three minutes later, the door to the apartment burst open. Brandon was sandwiched between two large men, with Mark shuffling in right behind him. Brandon looked angry but didn’t speak.

  “Who are you?” Asher asked.

  “Security.” Mark looked agitated. He motioned for Asher to sit down as the security guards escorted Brandon to his room.

  “Why was security necessary?”

  Mark scoffed. “Oh don’t act dumb. I’m sure you were in on his little stunt.”

  Asher stared at Mark, a blank expression on his face. He hoped he was convincing.

  “He tried to blab to Brielle about Seth. He breached his contract and jeopardized this entire process. So we escorted him off the roof immediately. He’s lucky we let him come get his things.” Mark was exhausted, Asher had a feeling he had more to say.

  “How is Brielle?”

  “Who cares? He almost ruined our entire show.”

  Heat rose in Asher’s face. He was almost never angry but this show brought out a side of him he didn’t realize was there. “I care. She’s very possibly going to be my wife. Seth obviously won’t care but I do.”

  “Calm down, Hercules. I’m sure she’s fine. Abigail’s there with her.”

  Asher didn’t think that Abigail was the person Brielle would want comforting her during this time but he didn’t say that to Mark. “Oh. Well, I’ll text her and make sure she’s ok.”

  He shook his head. “No, you won’t. We aren’t allowing any texts through right now unless Abigail approves them herself. Can’t have you sneaking in a secret message.”

  “So are you just not going to let us speak to her until the morning of the wedding? That seems unproductive.” Asher tried to remain objective but his irritation was growing.

  “No, of course not. We just need a few minutes for Brielle to collect herself and calm down. And for Abigail to pour over your messages.”

  “Are you telling Seth about this?”

  “Um...yes.” The phone on the wall started ringing. “Hold on.”

  Mark answered the phone and began talking in hushed tones. Asher could tell he was talking to Abigail by the screaming on the other end.

  “Are you sure that’s the best idea?” More yelling. “Ok, ok. I’ll
let them know.”

  Were they going to send them home early? Would Asher never get a chance to meet Brielle? A thousand thoughts rushed through his head and he felt a pit in his stomach. The 10 seconds it took for Mark to walk across the room and sit back down were some of the longest of Asher’s life.

  “We have a plot twist for you.”

  “Am I going home? Are we done?”

  “No. Of course not. Don’t be stupid.”

  Asher raised an eyebrow. “Ok….then what’s the plot twist?”

  “You and Seth are both going on a date with Brielle tomorrow.”

  “Together?”

  “No! Again, stop being stupid. No, you’ll go on your date first, followed by Seth for...obvious reasons.”

  Asher wasn’t sure what to think. He was conflicted. Sure, it would be fantastic to see and talk to Brielle before she had to make her decision. But he couldn’t imagine Mark and Abigail would allow him to ruin the shocking twist they have planned by revealing Seth on the second date of the night. Could Asher sit through that date without saying something?

  “So you want me to lie to her, again, to save your career?”

  “Not lie. Just not mention the fact that her manipulative ex-boyfriend is going to be her next date.”

  “That’s lying.”

  “Well, it doesn’t matter what it is, Asher. You will not tell her or you will be out of here faster than Brandon was. You can bet, 100%, I will be up on that rooftop with visible security this time. One slip up and you’re done for.”

  “She’s smart you know. She’ll know I’m not telling the 100% truth.”

  “I don’t care.”

  Brandon, flanked by security, came back down the hallway before Asher could respond. He tried to stop to talk but security was ushering him forward.

  “I tried, man. They were listening to my mic. I couldn’t stop them. It all happened so fast...” He turned to look over his shoulder back at Asher. “Good luck. Don’t let her end up with Seth. She’s amazing. You deserve her and she deserves you.”

  “Thanks. Look me up when this is over.” Asher called as Brandon was pushed from the apartment. The door slammed loudly behind him.

  Mark stood up. “Well, that was entertaining. I’d love to stay and chat but I need to let Seth know the good news about tomorrow’s date.”

  “What if I don’t go?”

  He laughed. “If you don’t go on the date, Brielle will assume you’re hiding something. And you’ll be breaking your contract. And you’ll push her right into Seth’s arms. Which is fine by me. But I can tell it won’t sit right for you.”

  Asher knew he was right. There wasn’t a good option. Just the lesser of two evils. He watched as Mark walked down the hallway to Seth’s room.

  Seth was probably going to be over the moon when he heard the news. He could torture Brielle one day sooner than planned. It was disgusting and Asher was disgusted to be associated with such a terrible situation.

  He looked at the clock on the wall. It was only 8 PM but he decided to turn in early. He wanted to avoid Seth and needed the day to be over, who knew what worse things could happen before midnight.

  Asher turned the volume on his phone up all the way. If Abigail allowed his messages to go through, he wanted to be there for Brielle if she chose to respond. He settled in for a restless night, trying to focus on the fact that he would see his wife for the first time the next day.

  Chapter Nine

  Brielle

  Carl: its rly kool i get 2 c u 2morrow

  Asher: I’m getting worried about you. Please let me know you’re alright.

  ◆◆◆

  Brielle stared at the wall for over an hour. She was paralyzed. Should she stay or should she go? Not only was she worried about throwing her potential marriage away by leaving, but she was also worried about the financial and social backlash of leaving the show.

  Abigail was right. They absolutely could edit her to be a huge villain, terrible person, or completely off her rocker. Even though everyone logically knew that reality TV was heavily edited, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t believe what they saw. This show could easily ruin her life.

  Brielle didn’t know what to do. She wished she could call her mom for advice but she was essentially trapped in the apartment building. Of course, she could decide to leave. But every time she got up to pack she stopped herself. Her future husband was waiting for her. Carl or Asher...he was here and she would be throwing out the potential for a lifetime full of happiness if she left now. She was stuck.

  Brielle drifted in and out of reality for a bit before she was jolted back to the present by a knock at the door. She considered not getting up at all but thought yelling more may be therapeutic. She swung the door open aggressively, already on the defensive.

  “Whoa there! Calm down, Brielle!”

  Brielle’s face softened for a moment when she saw Stacey standing on the other side of the door. She realized Stacey could be part of the scheme and quickly put her guard back up. “What do you want?”

  “I will be honest with you, Abigail called me here to calm you down.” She lowered her voice. “Between you and me, I don’t care what Abigail says but I do care about you.”

  “I don’t know if I can trust you.”

  Stacey nodded. “I understand that. But I also know you’re upset and confused and have no one to talk to. I promise you, I was not involved in whatever scheme they’re cooking up. If that turns out to be a lie, feel free to give me terrible reviews on every platform you can think of when this is over. Ruin my business.”

  Brielle was skeptical but Stacey was right. She needed to talk to someone. She moved out of the way and let Stacey into the apartment. “I’m still not sure about this but it would be nice to talk.”

  “I’ll pour the wine. You tell me what happened.”

  Brielle recounted her story from the beginning, from Abigail and Mark changing her contract to Matthew and Shea’s identical warnings to Brandon being escorted off the roof by security after telling her someone was lying to her.

  Stacey listened, quietly. When Brielle finally stopped to take a breath she asked, “Well, do you believe him?”

  “I do. My gut tells me Brandon is telling the truth and that Abigail and Mark are scum who would do whatever they can to make a quick buck.”

  She thought carefully before she responded. “Do you still want to go through with this? After hearing this story, I’d support you either way. This is crazy.”

  Brielle shrugged. “I don’t know, Stacey. I really don’t. One minute I think I’d be crazy to continue one more minute. But before I get out the door, I remember that my husband could be here waiting for me. And that there’s a chance that despite all the bad that’s happened this week, it would be worth it to find him.”

  “I think you have your answer then. And you get to meet both men tomorrow?”

  She nodded. “Yes. I have a date with Asher first and then they’ll send up Carl. I think I’m splitting my appetizer and meal with Asher and dessert with Carl.”

  “I think it makes sense to stay until tomorrow at least. You’ll be able to meet both of your potential spouses, get some reassurances about who they are as people, and make a more informed decision. And if you get there and don’t like either of them, at least you’ll know.”

  Stacey was, once again, right. “Good points. I’ve made it this far, it would be a shame for me to always wonder what could have been.”

  “Exactly. What is your gut telling you about who you should choose?”

  “Well…” Brielle hesitated. “My gut is saying Asher. But there’s something about Carl. I can’t shake the feeling that he and I have a deep connection. So hopefully meeting him tomorrow clarifies that for me too.”

  “And if not, you gave it your best shot.” Stacey shifted in her seat. “Do you feel up to talking about the ceremony for a bit?”

  Brielle nodded. “Yeah, that actually might be a good distraction. Do you have
any more ideas?”

  “Oh you know I always have ideas, Brielle!” Stacey laughed and pulled her notebook out of her bag.

  She stayed and planned for another hour, trying to make the ceremony between two people who barely knew each other as intimate as it possibly could be.

  Brielle got in bed shortly after Stacey left, though she didn’t fall asleep for quite some time. She tossed and turned, wondering how she was going to make the biggest decision of her life the next day.

  And more importantly, how would she know which of the two men was lying to her?

  Chapter Ten

  “This is unraveling at the seams. Why would you let her go on a date with both of them tomorrow?” Mark paced the kitchen, his voice growing louder with each word. “What’s the plan, Abigail? Do you think she won’t notice her asshole of an ex-boyfriend is sitting across from her?”

  “What was I supposed to do, Mark? At least this way we get the footage we need. It won’t be on the wedding day but there’s still time for her to choose him. And for now, she’s staying. One less thing to explain to the network.”

  Mark shook his head. “We’re both fired over this. We will never work in TV again. This stunt, it seemed like a good idea when you proposed it but it’s completely unethical. And it’s not working. If it had gone off without a hitch, we would have had a chance. But this…”

  Abigail stood up from her seat on the couch. “You think I don’t know that, Mark?” She was yelling now as well. “You think I haven’t been up every night this week worrying about the future of my career? And what help have you been? No suggestions, nothing from you! You agreed to this. You have been with me every step of the way. Not giving any input doesn’t mean you’ll take any less of the fall.

  They fell silent, each breathing heavily. The date with Brandon had not gone well and they were left with an impossible choice. Did they let Brielle leave the show and have to explain their terrible plan to the network? Or did they let her meet both men and hope she didn’t leave after she realized ‘Carl’ was actually Seth?