Groom Wars

47. A Hug

Seven months passed in that cursed house, but nothing in life was constant. Everything was destined to change, evolve, or worsen. Even stagnation was not truly still, but regression as those around you progressed. I sipped my hot chocolate while sitting on the common room floor, my head and body covered by a blanket. Next to me, Diego had adopted the same outfit.

We were two ghosts that the house had deemed mad. It was funny how much of their plans they revealed before the insane. Apparently, Leandro or I would be going into the next elimination. Five traitorous alliance members had aligned with Les Braves Hommes and were shuffling information from our camp to Les Braves Hommes. Once I finished my beverage, the two ghosts rose from the floor of the common room. I held the sides of the sheet together so only my face was exposed, then Diego and I solemnly wobbled down the hall like two penguins.

When we reached my room, I lowered the blanket as it was the headquarters for the fragmented Dryads. Since Diego was my liaison from Les Braves Hommes, he sometimes shared non-confidential secrets with us and, as such, was allowed to enter. Steven sat on his bunk, stubble on his jaw, indicating that he needed a shave. We couldn't really trust Steven as he had no problem dirtying Leandro's name, mine, and others as he desired, but though we couldn't trust him, we needed him. None of us had his charisma, elocution, or ability to connect with others and move them.

Diego and I went over to him and spilled the names of the traitors. Lethargically, Steven said, "We'll add them to the list of people to get rid of next."

Across the room, Leandro asked me, "If you're voted in, do you want me to take your place?"

"I don't need you to do anything for me, and I don't want to be seen with you in public."

"You're not seen with me in private either."

"T'is the way of the world, I suppose," I said, pretending to be sad but not caring.

Mike, who had taken the bunk of a roommate that had been eliminated, said, "I know what you two need." With his now shoulder-length hair, braided beard, and soft grey eyes, he seemed ready to play the part of a Viking on TV rather than pursue marriage. He had stopped listening to the producer's request to change his appearance. Hence, he continued to let his hair and beard grow. He smiled at me and said, "You should hug him. Let it all go and start anew."

I replied, "No thanks."

Mike sighed and said, "Come on. What do you have to lose? I swear when Luke and I fought as kids, as soon as the fight finished, that same day, we hugged and kissed, forgave each other, and became best friends again. The longer you let it stew, the worse it gets."

I contemplated his words, then seeing some value in what he had said, but wanting to protect my heart from Leandro, I decided to use an avatar to replace me in the hug. Poking my shoe outside the blanket, I gently kicked Diego's back and said, "You will hug him on my behalf."

Diego stumbled forward, regained his balance, then stared at me, confusion on his pretty face. He said, "No, I don't think I'll do that."

"You can do it," I told him. "I believe in you."

On the top bunk of another set of bunk beds, whose owner had been long eliminated, Luke, covering his eyes with the back of his hand, said, "Adriel, hug the guy and makeup already. He doesn't perform well when he's fighting with you, and it's hurting our chances of winning. Leandro obviously thought sending you home was the right thing to do at that time. He wanted you to be safe. He didn't know the elimination round was going to be that brutal. So, hug and let it lie, so we can all move on."

I glanced at Leandro, exhaled slowly, then said, "Do you want to?"

A half-smile arrived on his lips. He got up from the bed and stood with his arms open. I walked into them, and he embraced me. I felt the lean muscle of his chest beneath my cheek, the firmness of his arms that pinned me to himself. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I never meant to hurt you."

"I know but it still hurts."

He kissed my forehead. A gesture he hadn't done in months, but I had missed it all the same.

***