The Bachelor (Jerika)

Chapter Fifty Four

Erika POV: The offscreen voice chuckles. "Wow, what an answer. So do you think you'll find her in this group of girls? A girl who you'll truly, deeply love?" He nods. "I want to believe that I will. I mean, everyone's gotta soulmate in this world, right?" He drops his voice to a whisper. "Between you and me, I don't even really know what love is. I've never been in love. But I'm confident that when I fall in love I'll know it. And it'll all make sense." He turns to look directly at the camera. "Hey future Jake. If you're watching this, I hope you found that girl. And I hope you never let her go." The screen then darkens and the audience "awwws", while Jake gets up. "Jenna, I'm going to go to the bathroom for a second." She frowns. "But they might call you up anytime." "I just need a breath of fresh air. I'll be back." He walks past me, and I could feel his eyes glance at me for a moment. My heart ached; I knew I had been that girl he had hoped he'd find, the girl he loved. But I had hurt him deeply, and with each second I hated myself more and more. I sigh, and look at back at the television. "Wasn't that adorable?" says Chad. "Now, lets get a quick recap of all that happened." The video plays; and it runs through the course of the show, beginning with the first cocktail party and ending with the latest rose ceremony. I fell my eyes well up seeing all the good times (and the bad). I wouldn't take back the last few months for the world. Chad smiles as the video ends. "All right, we're all caught up. Now it's time to address the big question of the night. Who will Jake pick?" He pauses. "Is everyone ready to find out?" I hear the live audience cheer. "Wonderful. But before we have our bachelor and contestants join us, I'd like to honor all our special guests tonight. We have Jake, Jenna and Erika's families with us." My family was here?! My heart warms as the camera pans over all of them, Ollie waving and my mom proudly smiling. Then my heart sinks. They were in for a big disappointment. "We also have all the former contestants with us!" The camera shows all the girls; including Tessa, Ashley and of course, Michelle.

Jake POV: I leave the bathroom furiously running my hands through my hair. I had never been in such a stressful position before; the video had thrown me into a state of confusion. I had found the girl I had been dreaming about, and I had told myself to "never let go". And here I was, letting go. But I had good reason to! Back then I didn't understand how painful and complex love was, I didn't understand that it was more than just "sunshine". Trust and honesty are basic necessities for any relationship, and I lacked both of those things with Erika. And her actions had deeply hurt me. She had been with another guy the entire time she was with me; kissing and hanging out with him and lying to me about it. But despite all that...did I still love her? I knew the answer was yes. Did I love Jenna? I wasn't sure. But either way, love only went so far. I had promised Jenna I would pick her and I wouldn't go back on my word. I had to go through with it. I take a deep breath, and begin to walk back to my place backstage. Suddenly, someone grabs my arm. I turn to see that it's the director. "Jake there you are, thank god! You go on in two minutes!" He proceeds to drag me close to the stage. "Don't go anywhere." I nod, and he ushers Jenna and Erika to stand beside me. I smile at Jenna, and ignore Erika. Soon the commercial break ends, and Chad begins to speak. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've all been waiting for. Let's bring out our bachelor and contestants!" The audience cheers as the three of us walk on stage. We all greet Chad then sit on separate couches; all the couches arranged around a table on which a glimmering necklace was placed. The necklace that I would give to the winner. Chad smiles. "How are all of you tonight? Nervous?" We nod. He chuckles. "I'm a bit nervous myself! Today's the end of it all!" We then begin to chat, and after asking some questions to the girls Chad turns to me. "Jake, have you made your decision?" "I have." "Excellent. So...should we get on with it? He turns to the audience. "What do you guys think?" The audience yells "yes" and I nervously laugh. They were so invested. "Well then Jake, the floor is yours."

Erika POV: I look to Jake as he clears his throat. "I'd like to start by saying that this journey has been incredible, life-changing and truly, truly unpredictable. I'm blessed to have been with such a diverse group of women." He looks out to the girls in the audience. "I'd like to thank you all for helping make this an amazing experience. I'd also like to thank my family and my friends for being so supportive. I couldn't have done this without them. Noting that..." he takes a deep breath. "It's time for me to announce who I'll be saying goodbye to. This was an extremely hard decision to make, and there were many factors that came into play. I cherish both of these women deeply, but as I've said before I have to chose the girl who I'll have the best possible relationship with. Someone who will never let me down. Someone who will always have my back. Someone who will never break my heart." I flinch. I knew he was indirectly speaking to me. "I had to decide between listening to my heart or listening to my mind. Which one I chose to listen to, you'll have to figure out for yourself." He pauses. "And so, with much thought and debate, I made my decision. I have decided to say goodbye to...Erika." Though I expected it, my heart drops. I hear people in the audience gasp, and even Chad looked taken aback. Jake continues to speak; his voice cold and stoic. "Erika and I had a special relationship full of several ups and downs, and I thank her for her time." The studio is dead silent, everyone seems stunned. I didn't know how to feel. I couldn't say I didn't see this coming but some part of me had believed he would have changed his mind and gave me a chance. But I guess he was much too hurt to do that. "Erika, do you have anything to say?" asks Chad solemnly. I look at Jake. "I just want him to be happy. If this is what makes him happy-" My voice cracks. "If this is what makes him happy then so be it." He's silent, his eyes fixed on the floor. I sigh, and get up. "Thank you to everyone who supported me, this show changed my life and I am forever grateful. Best wishes to you all." Forcing a smile on my face I wave goodbye, then slowly walk off the stage.