I simply shrugged. “I don’t see myself as one of the strongest players, no. Look at Kip and Kissy. They’re definitely stronger. Kip’s never been to Judgment at all, and Kissy destroyed all of us in that challenge.”
Their eyes narrowed at me and I continued wearing my angelic smile. How ya like that target? In theory, it was a bad idea to call out another team, but I knew they weren’t going to vote for us anyhow.
Chip turned toward the Green team. “Emilio? How are the team dynamics with you and Leslie? Are you struggling or working well together?”
“Struggling,” Emilio said flatly. “Leslie wants everything done her way on the beach. Which is fine for a while, but when you don’t catch any food and you have to sleep in the sand, it gets old, Chip.”
“If you would listen to what I said,” Leslie said tightly, “then we wouldn’t be sleeping on the sand.”
Emilio just rolled his eyes and looked at Chip. “What did I say? Unless you do things her way, she’ll make you miserable.”
“Leslie, do you think you’re being unreasonable?”
“Of course not,” she said, crossing her arms over her bare br**sts. “I just know I’m right, and I refuse to waste time with his silly ideas.”
Emilio rolled his eyes again.
“Well. With that, it’s time for our teams to vote. Red team, please proceed to the voting booth.”
Kip and Kissy got up, proceeded to the booth, and wrote on a slate. They didn’t even look as if they’d debated it. Next, the Purple team - Alys and Saul - went to vote. Again, there was little debate.
Yeah, we were doomed.
Once both teams were seated again, Chip hopped down from the podium and went to retrieve the slates. He returned to the podium, picked up the first one, and looked at us grimly. “I’ll read out the votes. These are for the team you wish to remain in the game.” He flipped around the first slate. “One vote for the Green team.”
No surprise there. I watched Emilio and Leslie exchange looks.
“Second and last vote — Green team. Green team, you are safe.”
I glanced at Jendan. He didn’t seem surprised by the results either. We’d known we were screwed the moment we lost the challenge.
Chip turned to us. “Blue team, this means you have been Judged. Now, you will compete against each other to determine who will stay and who will continue on in the game. Do you have anything to say before we proceed?’
Jendan looked at me, a faint smile on his face. “Just that Annabelle was the best partner a guy could ask for. I’m sad that we’re parting today, but happy for whichever one of us moves on.”
A knot formed in my throat. Jendan, why do you have to be so darn awesome? It was just going to make things that much harder.
“Jendan’s a great partner, too,” I said, somehow managing to keep my voice steady. “Whatever happens after this, we had a blast together.” I held my hand out, and he clasped it with his own and gave me a comforting squeeze.
He didn’t hate me…yet.
“All right, then. Before we get to the competition,” Chip said. “Have either of you found Pandora’s Box?”
“Not me,” Jendan said.
I licked my lips. This was the moment. Did I want to do this to Jendan? Annabelle’s the best partner a guy could ask for.
That was about to change. I thought about all the ways the game would change for me after this moment. If I didn’t use Pandora’s box, I’d be an idiot. If I did, I’d be a bitch and ruin a fledgling relationship.
I thought…and thought. And thought.
And then, hating myself for what I was about to do, I spoke up. “I found it.”
Jendan looked at me with surprise. “You did?”
I felt like such a bitch. Resisting the urge to cry, I nodded and kept my gaze focused on Chip. “The secret word is ‘kere kere’.”
“That is correct!” Chip said.
Jendan just stared at me.
“Since you have the secret word, Annabelle, that offers you automatic protection in a Judgment challenge. This means that your partner automatically exits the game without going to the challenge. Is this what you want to do?”
It wasn’t what I wanted to do…but I was low on choices. My lower lip trembled and I felt the urge to bawl. I dug my fingernails into my palms to keep my shit together. Kip was still in the game, and I didn’t want to leave until he was finished. “It is.”
“All right, then. Jendan, you have been Judged and are now officially our second member of the jury. Please get your things and leave the game.”
I gazed down at my knees, unable to look Jendan in the eye as he silently picked up his canteen and headed off on the hastily constructed stone walkway that led out of the Judgment stage.
No one said anything. The stage was utterly silent.
“We’re down to seven,” Chip said in an ominous voice. “Big moves are happening, and this just shows that if you think you’re safe, you’re wrong. Everyone head back to camp.”
Numb, I picked up my canteen and headed out with the other contestants as we waited for the boats to take us back to our camps. No Jendan. No sexy, laughing partner to help me get out of my funk. No tall, delicious guy to cuddle with tonight. No hope of picking things up after the game, either.
I’d selfishly cut him off at the knees so I could keep playing. Hadn’t even given him a chance. I glanced at the other contestants, and they were giving me curious looks. It was clear everyone was surprised that Pandora’s Box had shown up. My partner, most of all.
When I got back to camp, my fire was out. Half-heartedly, I picked through the coals with a stick, looking for one I could encourage back to life, but it all looked dead. Figured. My stomach ached after the challenge, and I knew I should have eaten something, but I just crawled into the shelter and pulled the blanket over my body.
Jendan’s blanket.
A sob escaped my throat, a big, ugly, sob. I’d wanted to vote Kip out, not Jendan. Kip, who’d dicked me over in the last game, was still here, while Jendan, who I found myself incredibly attracted to, I’d had to betray. It wasn’t fair.
I clung to the blanket and sobbed myself to sleep. I don’t know if I was more upset that Jendan was gone…or that he was going to think I was using him the entire time to get ahead. How could he ever trust me after what I’d just pulled?
Chapter Seventeen
“Remember what I said about hating that I was still in the game? Be careful what you wish for and all that.” — Jendan Abercrombie, Day 24, Post-Judgment Interview