Chapter 14
She found herself relaxing in his arms, she missed this warmth. She found herself smiling remembering he just yelled at Zabrina also. That was so satisfying, he didn't even take her side.
As he moved, an unfamiliar pressure made her breathe hitch. Her brain reached for the safest explanation she knew. His pockets?
No, there were no pockets, just sun-kissed skin and the boys confidently lounging in nothing but boxers. Heat rushed to her face as she subtly pushed herself upward to escape the teasing sensation.
If only he knew how she was feeling right now, maybe he would throw her out in the water.
Braxton's arm unconsciously tightened around her waist and somehow… that only made it worse.
Fabiola swallowed hard and lifted her gaze toward the sky instead with cheeks burning,
The buzzer sound was heard again. She looked back to see Braxton had successfully reached the end before anyone else.
"You pick one," he tells her. She looked at him, hands still holding him, before she decided to let go, removing her body.
Turning to the cards, it seems Braxton was so close to her neck because she could feel his breath.
"Umm" she quickly picked the card lying near them and she saw Jasmine and Sean couple reach the end and pick theirs.
Fabiola opened it, with her eyes widening.
"What does it say?" Braxton asked, curious, were they going to do another game?
She hurriedly gave him the card and he opened it to see "Congratulations, on reaching the end! you have earned a ticket to luxurious paradise and also free will to give your partner a passionate kiss!"
Fabiola didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
What was happening today? It seems the producers definitely planned this but why? It wasn't the original plan for her to be in a ship and what even gave them the impression that Braxton would want to kiss her.
She looked up from the water she had been staring at, only to realize his gaze… it was on her lips?!
****
The drive to paradise was actually quiet. The funniest thing is that they were told to just go immediately without any item.
So they are currently sitting beside each other in a black SUV that's taking them to so-called paradise. It was the first time in four days they had seen another human beside them, but they were told not to speak to him.
"The card is still with you right?" Braxton suddenly asked and she looked at him.
"Yeah..h" what was wrong with her? Why was she stuttering?
"Good"
What was so good about it?
Suddenly, the SUV took another turn in a path with trees and in no time, a white villa with golden lights came into view.
Fabiola thought about how they never would have realized paradise was actually on the same island with them.
The chauffeur came down from the car to help them open the door. He stood, holding the car door as they both got out.
Immediately he saw they were out, he closed it back and opened the front one, sliding back in as he started the engine and drove away in a haste like he desperately wanted to go far away from them.
Fabiola almost looked at Braxton as if to say
"Did you just see that?"
Was it that bad that he couldn't even utter a word to them?
Braxton had gotten to the door before she knew it. "Fabiola?" He called her.
"Yeah…"
"The card?" He motioned and she looked at him like he was speaking a language she couldn't understand. Why did he need the card now?
She began walking towards him and noticed the shiny yellow flowers by the right, it was beautiful. She couldn't believe she was in paradise and with Braxton of all people.
When she got to where he stood, she stretched forth the card she had been holding ever since the game.
He took it and placed it near the door knob which immediately unlocked the door.
Oh, so that's what it was about.
The outside of the villa was an understatement. She fell in love with the inside that had white interiors too. It also had gold and white arm chairs and the golden chandelier shinny above reflected the floors, making it feel like they were immersed in gold.
"Wow" both her and Braxton said almost at the same time and they looked at each other.
She was the first to break his gaze, with a smile "Uhm…"
"Let's go check the kitchen" Braxton told her and he started towards the left side that had a hallway, making her follow suit.
The kitchen was beautiful and when Braxton opened the refrigerator, it had different varieties of preservatives.
"I guess we will have to cook dinner because..." Braxton started saying as he surveyed the fridge but the intercom interrupted him.
"Contestants, Your dinner will be served shortly"
"Oh…" Braxton muttered, shutting the door and faced her "That means no cooking" he finished.
"Yeah"
"Let's go shower then," he said. She was glad he was taking the initiative to talk with her after what she did this morning
When Fabiola got into the bathroom, she heaved a sigh of relief and gasped at her reflection.
She wasn't looking so well physically, her eyes were sunken and her lips were so chapped, was that why Braxton was staring at her earlier?
She stripped off and decided to use the shower, the water streamlined through her body in beautiful ways and she used the apple-scented wash for her curly hair.
After freshening up, she dried her body and rubbed the lotion her eyes set on. Then, proceeded to dry her hair.
After being satisfied with her look in the mirror, she tried on a pink cherry lipgloss, patting it in her lips. No, she isn't doing this because of Braxton but she caught herself smirking to the mirror. Thank goodness, any camera wasn't here to catch her doing this.
She heaved a sigh and opened the door, seeing Braxton made her heart skip. He was about knocking at the door. "Hey, you're okay?"
"I'm fine" she answered and her eyes widened as she saw him moving towards her. Was he going to kiss her now?
"I was just going to remove this from your hair, you must have missed that" he said, waving a thread. He smelled like blueberry.
"Oh.."
"Fabiola, is the card the reason you are behaving like this?" He asked with his tone laced in amusement while she looked at him amused also.
"I just found it weird that just this morning you were jealous and now you are holding back, I thought you mentioned something about chasing?"
He was so shameless, did he really have to make her chase him? She looked around for a camera to see why he seem bolder than before.
"There are no cameras" he said confirming her thoughts, as he moved closer to her.
"Oh…" she heaved a sigh again and didn't break eye contact "I'm still chasing, I'm just a bit tired…"
"I see…" he was coming closer and closer that her back was about hitting the door but she felt his hands holding it.
"Is there something you want to tell me specifically because why are you so close?"
He raised his eyebrow in surprise and shook his head as he resumed his original position "let's go eat"
The table was…. Awkwardly quiet, like the quiet that the table at Blaze was when she walked up to him in the morning.
The table was set with fresh oysters and scallops. Grilled lobster tails and garlic herb shrimp as the main dish and dessert was Chocolate fondue with strawberries, mango slices, and marshmallows for dipping, all paired with Sparkling rose wine.
Netizens kept on gushing.
"Oh my, this is like a Cannon event happening, Braxton and Fabiola? Eating together in paradise with a kiss on the card?"
"I still think it's because Braxton has no choice because of the game. Their names were literally the first tallying"
"Guys, I'm I the only one thinking they have been looking at each other with love or something?"
"To the above commenter, you are obviously blind, it is not love! Braxton's with disgust while Fabiola's is with obsession, she was obsessed with him to the point that they had to be in paradise now"
Fabiola was starting to feel uncomfortable with the silence. She half blame the producers for putting them in this situation.
"What do you do?" He suddenly asked her and she looked up at him from her food. She had somehow forgotten paradise was where they could share their occupations and ages.
This was actually a good way for her know what he did, she didn't care about his age because she already knew.
She suddenly thought about her own answer to the question, she wasn't actually doing anything for now, it's been 3 years since she long left the acting scene and it actually had a disgraceful end.
Her videos of her being in a wheelchair went viral. Worse off, people didn't even believe her. She couldn't believe it! No, she couldn't believe it went viral and her acting didn't.