Chapter 41: Leith

Upon the roof of the manor, the Honeymooners were quite the sight. Production had been playing clips of the contestants' interviews for the better part of an hour now and they were neck-deep in declarations of love. Cora, alone and off to the side, pressed her fingers to her cheeks and was grinning. Silas and Eloise were kissing. Killian and Maia were dripping.

Willow had her hand in his and Leith was practically shitting.

He didn't want to be jealous or paranoid but, damn, Leith hadn't had anything as powerful to say in his interviews as any of the others did. He hadn't made any giant revelations, he wasn't trying to claw his way back out of the doghouse. All he'd had to give was a truth Willow would never believe.

Willow'd been much more flowery and articulate than him. She'd had beautiful compliments to pay and had sounded so sincere when she'd told the reporter she hoped he might consider coming back to Arkansas with her.

Of coursehe was considering it. He'd been considering it since they'd started all of this. He'd miss the beaches every now and again but how worth it would it be to be away from his family and close to her?

How worth it would it be to see if there was anything between them when there wasn't a camera in sight?

He'd told his interviewers that he saw the two of them going the distance but, apparently, so had everyone else. Had that rendered his and Willow's journey less impactful? He didn't feel like that was the case but he also wasn't the one voting on who'd win the money.

He would never forgive himself if he'd somehow fucked this up for Willow.

Below them, Lainey was delivering one last plea for viewers to finalize their votes, asking if perhaps they'd been swayed by the individual interviews and if they needed one last word from the couples to close the deal.

"Eloise and Silas, let's start with you all," Lainey gestured to the couple that hadn't unlocked lips since Silas's words had been cut short by Eloise crying that she loved him, too, and insisting that he could say whatever he wanted to her because making up was so fun.

Unexpected, coming from her, but Leith was still happy for them, he guessed.

"Why do you think y'all two deserve to be the winners of Honeymoon Manor?" Lainey asked, her tone clearly indicating it was time for their displays of affection to be a little less public.

It was Silas that answered first. "I feel like I've already won."

The crowd below seemed to love that answer and Leith bit his tongue to keep from cursing because that line had been in his repertoire. Lainey just rolled her eyes like she was dealing with an exasperating-but-adorable child.

"What about the money?" she tried again. "Do the hundred thousand dollars not interest you at all?"

"I don't know who wouldn't be tempted by that amount of cash," Silas admitted. "But there's another couple here whose love story has been a tad more consistent than ours."

Bless. Him.

"So you'd rather see the money go to another couple," Lainey clarified.

Eloise took over for her new man. "I wouldn't trade a second of what we went through in this manor and I'd be flattered if everyone watching believed in me and Silas enough to award us the win. But you have to admit that we were kind of annoying there for a minute. I mean, I spent most of my time here thinking he hated me and, all the while he was whipped." The smack sounded and Eloise yelped but Leith didn't think anyone actually saw the spank Silas had administered to her ass. "Anyway," she drew out, doing a poor job of drawing attention away from it. "I love love too much for a couple that's been deep in it from the beginning to not walk away the winners."

Willow squeezed Leith's hand. He knew she found the sentiment just as heartwarming as he did. But he also knew that her mind was on the final, unknown challenge. Was she thinking that it was, perhaps, a challenge of humility, and that whoever believed they shouldn't win, would?

It did put them in a tricky spot for when it was their turn to state their case. It would look terrible if the others touted them as deserving and they agreed. But who should they say deserved to win? They'd have to choose whoever was least likely, so that their support wouldn't accidentally tip the voters in another direction.

God, who was Leith to be thinking like this? He couldn't wait to get out of here.

"Beautifully put, Eloise. Killian, Maia, how are you two feeling?"

Killian ran a hand down Maia's bare back, making her shiver. "A little cold, not gonna lie."

Lainey chuckled and Leith hoped she wouldn't spend all her good-natured laughs before she even got to them. "Do you think you two deserve to win the money?"

"Nah," Killian swatted his hand like he might be batting the question away. "We already had our finale moment. Can't hog all the airtime, now can we?"

"Then you're in agreement with Silas and Eloise?"

"Absolutely."

Leith sucked in a breath, prepared for the questions to turn to him. But Lainey faced the other side of the roof and addressed poor Cora, who'd practically been forgotten all night. "And you, Cora? Are you in agreement with the other couples?"

Cora beamed at Lainey, unaffected, seemingly, by her ousting. "I'm obsessed with all the feelings happening on this roof right now, Lainey, but I've never met a more well-suited, totally-right couple than Willow and Leith. Those two deserve it all."

Had the rest of them planned this? Did they know about Willow and Leith's scheming, or had they just pulled this off so flawlessly that their fellow contestants also believed it?

"And how are you feeling about your own single status?" Lainey asked.

There was mischief in the other woman's eyes when she said, "I'm so grateful for this show but I just know there are going to be bigger and better things for me once we wrap."

It probably wasn't the glowing review that production wanted but not one of them could really blame her, when both of her partners had voluntarily left the show. Cora was resilient, though. Whatever insult was there, she'd look past it. Smile through it. Leith often wished he had a little bit of that in him, too.

Lainey nodded her acknowledgment to Cora's statement and, finally, turned her attention to Willow and Leith. "Well, it seems you two are the top pick of the night, at least from inside the manor. How do you feel about this?"

He wanted to look at Willow when he spoke but he had to brace himself. He'd thought the practice he'd had when they'd shot the b-roll would have been enough to prep him for the sight of her. But the way she shone, just like her precious sunshine, in her dress and with the smile on her face, was nearly too much for him to bear.

It was easy to forget the deceit when he looked at her because he didn't have to pretend that he wanted her, in every way she would let him. And he supposed that was just what he needed right now, blindingly perfect as she was. He needed the reminder that this was for her and he'd endure it every damn day if it got her what she wanted.

His own smile snuck to his face when he thought of their conversation earlier, when Willow had poked him in the ribs and asked him if he was ready for Operation WTB, which he'd found out later—when everyone else was distracted—actually stood for Operation Win This Bitch.

"I can't sit here and pretend I'm entitled to the prize money," Leith finally answered, directing it all to Willow, rather than Lainey. "But Willow absolutely deserves to walk away with everything. I've never met another person in my life as generous or as admirable or as utterly good as Willow. I can't say that I deserve to win when I'm not even sure I deserve this girl's attention."

"You do," Willow whispered.

His heart beat faster because he loved hearing her speak. He loved most things about her, really. And he couldn't wait to relearn them when she wasn't suffocating under the pressure. The pressure he'd give anything to help her relieve.

"And Willow?" Lainey urged. "Who do you think deserves to win?"

"I think Leith's spent his whole life being forced to dance for money. It's high time he earned it just for doing something he was always going to do anyway."

"And what's that?"

Leith thought Willow probably forgot to aim her wink towards the crowd because she didn't look away from him when she shrugged and said, "Falling in love with me."

Did she have any idea how right she was?

Seemingly, Lainey wasn't out of laughs because she, along with the crowd, threw them another one. "Well, there you have it." She adjusted her position on the dias to be centered against the flower arch. "Folks, we'll close voting in five minutes. If you've got anything else to say about our Honeymooners you'd better get it out now. In the meantime, enjoy these never-before-seen clips."

The aforementioned Honeymooners didn't get an opportunity to enjoy the clips. Instead, they were ushered around the roof and handed the keys to their suites. The ones with the little hearts at the head and their names down the side. And following the keys came a rolling cart, atop of which sat a miniature replica of the manor, the front doors blown up disproportionately and sporting two empty slots.

Suddenly, Leith knew where this was going.

Willow's eyes found his and he tried to shake his head to reassure her. To let her know that, whatever happened, he'd make sure she got what she needed. He didn't know how he'd do it if they didn't win but he would.

He'd sworn to her he would.

Operation Win This Bitch was under way.

Lainey appeared in the threshold leading back into the manor, a rolling camera sliding backwards to proceed her. "Welcome back to the live finale of Honeymoon Manor! The time has come to reveal the results of your voting and to send your favorite couple home with the funds to take a real honeymoon, if they wanted."

The host settled in front of the tiny manor, producing three envelopes labeled clearly with the show's logo and "Third Place," "Runner Up," and "Winner," respectively. Leith was sure they'd prepped envelopes for every eventuality but the sight of them still had him squeezing the hell out of Willow.

"Let's start with our third place couple." Lainey ripped the envelope open, letting it fold down to reveal Killian and Maia's names. "Killian and Maia!"

She took an obligatory moment to get another statement from the announced couple but Leith couldn't hear it. The relief he felt at not hearing his name just then was too battering. Apparently, he was more anxious than he realized because having a fifty-fifty shot rather than a thirty-percent chance had his shoulders rising straight into his neck.

Willow squeezed him back, rubbing circles across the back of his hand with her thumb. He appreciated the soothing gesture, especially when he could tell that her nerves were as fried as his.

"No matter what," she whispered, "we'll figure it out."

Yes, he thought he said. Together.

Lainey decided that the building had gone on long enough and swiftly switched the card in her hand for the second envelope. "And our runners up…"

"Together," Leith said out loud this time.

He couldn't look at Lainey. Couldn't look at the envelope or at the other couples. He could only look at Willow.

Willow, whose eyes were shining and had no undercurrent of her usual calculation. "Together," she agreed.

"Looks like they got just what they wanted! Silas and Eloise!"

Had they really fucking done it? Had they?—

"That means our first-ever winners of Honeymoon Manor are…Leith and Willow!"

Leith didn't have the capacity to wonder about the weird lack of suspense for such a big announcement because he was too busy clamping his hands around Willow's waist and lifting her into a searing kiss.

One she returned, until Lainey kept talking.

"But you didn't think it would be that easy, did you?"

It better be, he wanted to growl.

God, Leith had never been a growler. What was this show doing to him? Maybe if he could just hold on to that together, he'd make it out of this alive.

"As one final test of your strength as a couple, we wanted to see if the two of you could withstand one more obstacle." Lainey paused for the gasping of the crowd and the whispered speculations. "You've each been given your key to the manor. Together, you two are going to insert those keys into one of the doors behind me, choosing between y'all which side each of you will get.

"One door holds the prize money, while the other side holds absolutely nothing." More dramatic pausing. Leith wished this wasn't live so they could just add all of that in post. "The money will belong, in totality, to whoever opens that side of the door. It'll be up to you to decide if you want to split it between you…or keep every cent for yourself."

Oh.

That was all?

"Are you both ready?" Lainey asked, clasping her hands in front of her like whatever was about to happen would be world-shaking.

Leith smiled down at Willow, still off the ground and wrapped around him. He almost asked if they should do it together but he thought she deserved to feel a bit of agency, right then. "You choose first, sweet cheeks."

She tipped her neck and presented herself for another kiss before hopping down and clapping her key into her opposite hand while she studied the mini manor. He almost hoped she chose the empty door, just to save her from the dilemma. He knew she would choose to share it because so many of her plans for after the show involved sponsorships and things that necessitated positive public opinion. But then she would feel indebted to him. Feel like she had to give him the share she'd promised.

Her key slid easily into the left slot, the manor's mechanism releasing the door with a pop. He half expected fog to come rolling out but no such thing happened. Nothing happened, because there was nothing inside of the door.

His shoulders sank and he hated that Willow noticed that. He hated the way her smile sank, too.

"Leith?" Lainey gestured for him to step forward and insert his key.

What this door opened to wasn't cash at all, but a check filled out in bold script, declaring its recipient the proud owner of one hundred ten thousand dollars. Still no fog.

The roof dwellers clapped for him politely and Leith hoped Willow knew that he hadn't intended to pull off WTB all by himself.

A hand on his back startled him and he wanted to scream at Lainey that he wasn't hers to touch. That he wasn't anyone's to touch now, but Willow's. That would probably be bad form, though.

"What are you going to do with the money, Leith?"

It was like that question was punctuation on the end of his time in Honeymoon Manor. He'd won the money. They couldn't take it away from him now. Couldn't rescind the gift that the audience had deigned to give him. It was well and truly over.

No more pretending.

He met Willow's eyes, shocked to find them shining with pride rather than fear or dread. "Keep it," she mouthed.

What a selfless girl, to try to give up something she worked so hard for. Of course, she wasn't always selfless. Their manipulation of America was proof enough of that.

No, Willow was only selfless for the ones she loved.

That was how he knew.

Leith's lips practically split with how wide he grinned. He felt weightless, standing on that roof, check in his hand. The power to solve all Willow's problems at his fingertips.

He reached forward, dragging her to him and willing her to believe him when he said, "I'm going to spoil the girl I love."