Summary
Week 3: Universal Studios
They all take a trip to Universal Studios. Liam, Perrie, and Greg do the Men In Black ride and get a private tour of the whole place and pose with aliens. Go to a restaurant and just walk around the park, meeting characters and having fun.
Nick, Normani, Harry, Eleanor, Taylor, Leigh, Niall, Jade, Sophia, and Louis all play quiddich then they eat at three broomsticks.
Zayn has a one-on-one where they do yoga on the beach. It's super hot and Louis tells Chris he's falling in love. Greg, Normani, and Sophia leave.
“Helloooooooooooooo!” Taylor was laying across the steps up to the bedrooms, holding her cellphone to her ear while it was on speakerphone, clearly very drunk. The phone beeped, as she had been singing over the ringing and voice mail message. “Oh! Oh fuck you aren’t there are you?” She was laughing through her words so that they were barely comprehensible. “Oh well. I’m just sitting here missing you. I wish you were here but I don’t think I’d like it if you were here though. You would win and I love you but I don’t want you to win because that would mean you’re with Louis and not me and that’s not right! You’re right. I’m right. Forget Louis… Timliston? Tossiton? Tonisson? Whatever it is - we should get that fucking bachelor wedding. We deserve it and we have a way better love story than anyone could on this show. It’s not real, Kar-Bear! I miss the world - this is all so fake. I love you come pick me up please. I just miss you a lot. I miss you, Karlie!” The voice mail had beeped to end the message somewhere along the second “miss you,” but her point had been made.
Perrie looked shocked. She’d been two steps into the room when she realized what was happening and froze to keep listening before Taylor noticed her.
Eleanor, Perrie, and Nick were sitting on the patio chairs by the beach. “Someone needs to deal with this. If Taylor doesn’t say anything - if she doesn’t leave - I mean how can we let this happen to Louis? If he’s falling for her, he’ll be so hurt by this. I don’t want to tell him!” Eleanor looked on the verge of tears. “It’s not fair to us either. She doesn’t even want to be here. She’s taking our time with him from us!”
“I’m here for the drama, but every time someone lets the bachelor in on the drama, they take the heat for it.” Nick put his hands up as he stood up, “I’m out. I’m not saying anything. It’ll work itself out or one of you will deal with it. I’m gonna try to stay out of it.”
As Nick walked back inside the house, Perrie looked up at Eleanor from where she was reclining. “I know what you’re saying, and something should be done. But I really don’t want to be the one to do it. Nick’s right. Whoever says something is gonna go. They’ll always be the one that comes across as dramatic to him.”
Eleanor, 26, Stylist, Salt Lake City, UT“I have to do it. I’m gonna tell him. I have to.”
Week 4: San Francisco
Nick has a one-on-one where they go to Alcatraz and take a haunted tour at night. Nick can't stop making Askaban jokes. They keep screaming and laughing and it's tons of fun.
Niall, Liam, Zayn, Taylor, Jade, Perrie, and Leigh play soccer with a bunch of kids. Zayn quietly bonds with a little girl, while Leigh is clearly experienced with kids. She gets the rose.
Harry, 23, Baker and Aspiring World Changer, Harpers Ferry, WV“Listen, no one is excited about a two-on-one. One of us is going home, and El has clearly gotten close to Louis so I really don’t know about this. But whatever happens, happens. If I go home, at least I know myself a little better.” He takes a deep breath. “I don’t want to go home though. I don’t want to ever see Louis for the last time…”
“Hello, my lovelies!” Harry and Eleanor half ran up to Louis to see who could jump into his arms first. Harry won. “I thought we’d take a helicopter today; how does that sound?”
“Amazing!”
“I’ve never been in one before!”
“I’m excited! We have a very simple, very romantic date planned. Hopefully we can try to get past the awkwardness of a two-on-one?” Louis reached for both of their hands as they approached the helicopter, making it very obvious to the two contestants that this was not going to be not-awkward.
They flew over San Francisco as the sun set and the lights started to flicker on. Every time Harry or Eleanor saw something exciting - whether it was a bridge or a tiny island or landmark - they would tug Louis toward their side of the helicopter, pulling him away from the other person. It didn’t get any less awkward when they landed close to the Golden Gate Bridge and they both tried to pull him out their side of the helicopter. He ended up de-linking both hands and waiting for both of them to get out before he moved at all. He didn’t grab either of their open hands again.
The three of them walked over to a table set up with candles and cloth napkins folded into swans. There was a single rose lying in the center of the table.
Harry and Louis sat down and Eleanor stopped halfway in the air, popping back up, almost flipping the table over. “Louis, I really need to talk to you before we even eat. Can I just have a minute? I’m so sorry, Harry. I just need a minute.”
“Um, all right. Yeah, we can go just over there.” Louis pointed over towards the helicopter and they started walking in silence.
Harry continued to sit awkwardly, pouring himself some wine and sipping slowly.
Louis plopped to the ground, resting his back on the bottom of the chopper. “What’s going through your mind?”
Eleanor chose not to sit down and started pacing in front of him. “I didn’t want to do this. I feel awful doing this, but I couldn’t not do this.” She took a deep breath and held her hand to her face.
Louis reached up to grab her hand and stop her pacing. “It’s ok. You’re scaring me. Just say what you need to say.”
“Taylor drunk dialed her ex.”
“What?”
She started talking faster, a rush of words falling out of her mouth as quickly as they could. “Perrie saw her leave a message on her ex’s phone saying she missed her and she loves her and she doesn’t want to be here anymore. Then Perrie told the rest of us. And I just - I couldn’t let you go on thinking she was here for the right reasons. She’s taking up your time for other people that -”
“Excuse me,” Chris Harrison disrupted their concentration. “I’m so sorry to interrupt, but there’s a woman here that says she needs to speak to you, Louis.” Just then a tall blond woman who bore a remarkable resemblance to Taylor approached the group.
Harry raised his head and tried to listen more closely as he continued to sit alone at the table.
“Hi, Louis. My name is Karlie. Um… this is really awkward, I’m so sorry about this. Um, do you think we could talk for a minute?”
“Sure…” He knew what this was about. He’d put the pieces together. Eleanor had obviously done the same and had frozen in place with her jaw dropped to the floor.
After taking a moment to collect herself, Eleanor walked back to the table with Harry. There was a few beats of silence before she started to fill Harry in on what had happened.
Karlie took a deep breath and looked into Louis’ eyes. “I’m so sorry about this again. I just -” Her voice was calm and slow, her speech rehearsed and heartfelt. “I got a call and I couldn’t not act. I love Taylor. She loves me. She said she doesn’t want to be here anymore. But I don’t think she can tell you herself. She’s competitive. It’s one of her faults.” Karlie began to smile as she thought of her, but quickly brought back focus. “She can’t just leave a show like this. She has a chance at a prize and she cannot leave on her own. She’s gonna fight to win you but she doesn’t want to win. She’s going to get to the end of this and not know how to get out of it.”
“What do you want me to do about her?” Louis wasn’t saying it in anger, or at a loss for words. He just wanted every side of the debate.
“I want to talk to her. I want to convince her to come home with me.”
“But what if you can’t? What if she wants to stay? You broke up for a reason. What if the drunk dial was just that - a drunk dial?”
“...We’ve kept in contact this whole time. This isn’t a fling or a mistake. The mistake was her coming here in the first place. Her parents convinced her I’m not right for her - “too girly,” I think were their exact words. But she knows that we’re right together.”
Louis tilted his head back, running his fingers through his hair as Chris returned to the conversation.
Louis approached the table of the two people vying nervously for his heart. They both sat up straighter when they noticed him. “Hey, guys. I feel horrible doing this. We haven’t even had dinner yet. But, I have to go deal with something. I promise I’ll make up the time with you both. I can’t even give one of you a rose because we’ve had only a few minutes together. I promise, tomorrow night we’ll have our time.” He hugged them both and walked away with Chris and Karlie.
Harry, 23, Baker and Aspiring World Changer, Harpers Ferry, WV “Um…” There was a very long pause as he just darted his eyes around the room. “What just happened?”
Eleanor, 26, Stylist, Salt Lake City, UT “...Is this all my fault?”
“I wonder what they’re doing.” Jade was absentmindedly braiding her hair as she sat curled into the armrest of the couch. “Do you think he’ll definitely send one of them home? Who will it be?”
“Harry has it in the bag.” Zayn was reclining on the other end of the couch watching her. Nick and Leigh were on the floor with their backs leaning against the base. The tv was on but no one was really watching. Two-on-ones are always tense, but these two were well loved by the whole house. Taylor was across the room in an un-reclined recliner chair with Perrie at her feet. Everyone was just waiting for word. True, they all wanted to be the last one standing, but it’s still hard to see a friend go. Liam and Niall were dealing with the stress in their own ways - Niall was sleeping and Liam was doing laps in the pool.
The others hummed in passive agreement, but Perrie turned her face away from the group. She and Eleanor had gotten really close and she couldn’t imagine going through the rest of this experience without her. Losing Sophia had already hurt her enough.
A knock on the wall behind them pulled them from their thoughts and made Jade jump enough that she kicked Nick in the back of his head. “Sorry for startling you!” Louis turned the corner into the room with Karlie hiding behind him. The second she looked up from the floor, she locked eyes with Taylor. She gasped and kicked Perrie in the head when she jumped to her feet. Leigh pulled Perrie into her side and started patting her head. “Taylor, do you think the three of us could talk for a few minutes?”
“Sure,” she breathed. The three of them left the rest of the group in stunned silence.
The remaining five of them looked at each other with wide eyes. “I have to go tell Liam and Niall.” Nick got up and ran out of the room. Just then, Eleanor and Harry came into the room, looking just as confused as the rest of them.
“Was that…?” Jade started.
“Karlie, yeah. Tay’s ex.” Eleanor looked exhausted. She plopped down into Taylor’s seat and spread out dramatically.
“So neither of you…?”
“Nope. We didn’t even get a real date. I had just started to tell him about Taylor’s conversation from the other night and she just appeared with Chris Harrison. Why does that guy always have bad news?”
“He said we’ll get some time with him tomorrow night.” Harry interjected as he squeezed himself between Zayn and Jade. “It’s not the same as a date, but I guess it’ll do.”
Harry, 23, Baker and Aspiring World Changer, Harpers Ferry, WV“Yeah, I’m mad! I’m sorry, am I supposed to be okay with this? At least Eleanor got a few seconds alone with him. I got nothing. And this was my chance! Ugh!” He was yelling, then exhaled a long breath and continued, quieter. “Yeah, I’m pissed.”
***
“Karlie? What are you doing here?” Seeming to forget Louis’ presence, Taylor grabbed both of Karlie’s hands in her own.
“You can’t come on a show like this if you still feel something for someone else. Did you really think you could just forget me? Are you really ready to marry someone else?” Karlie was less scripted than before. Her voice was louder and faster.
“I don’t… I…”
“Why did you come at all? Just because your dad said something disgusting? He’s been pushing you your whole life, forming you into who he wanted you to be. Until you went back home, you were happy! We were happy! Why would you listen to him?”
“He’s my dad!”
“That doesn’t mean that what he says is gospel. You need to think on your own.”
Louis was still there. “Girls, I shouldn’t even be in this conversation. I think I’m going to excuse myself…” He started slowly backing out of the room, but his movement seemed to spark Taylor back to reality.
“Wait. I…” Taylor closed her eyes for a second, seemingly to convince herself to say what she had to. “There’s no point in us talking any more, alone or otherwise. She’s right…” Her voice got quiet all of a sudden and she shrugged one shoulder with a soft smile. “I shouldn’t have come here at all. My mom set it up. They wanted me to end up with a guy and I fell for it - I just don’t want to disappoint them. I don’t belong here at all. It’s not you that I want. Karlie and I… We’re endgame. I should be back home with her. I’m so sorry about all this.”
He was shocked, to say the least. When he entered the show, he didn’t expect everyone to throw themselves at his feet, and even less, he thought that at least half of them would leave the show of their own accord after they met him. But as time went on, he may have slipped into self absorption a little. It’s pretty impossible not to when you have twitter accounts dedicated to you and housewives having fantasies about you, not to mention the 20-some people that dropped everything for the chance at a few dates with him. So hearing someone just outright say that they don’t want to be with him?
Strange.
But he understood. “I get it. I’m glad you two found each other, and I’m glad I got to meet both of you. I’ll give you time to explain to the others and say goodbye.”
Niall, 24, Musician, Nashville, TN“Um, what the hell?! I can’t believe I slept through all of this!”
Taylor, 28, Dental Hygienist, Wyomissing, PA “I feel good. I think all is right with me again.” She smiled softly to someone off camera.
Louis apologizes to Harry just before the rose ceremony starts and gives him his rose. Eleanor leaves but Louis clarifies that he's glad she approached him.
Week 5: New York City
“I got a date! I got a date!” Niall was hopping around, mocking the rest of the room. It worked for him. No one was upset like they would be if anyone else did the same thing. After about his third hop they even started joining his chant.
The one-on-one goes to Niall, who ends up on the most cliche, over the top, perfect date ever. They go ice skating, to a movie set type place with fake rain where they kiss, go to central park, a hot air balloon, go skinny dipping. BUT it's all shortened. The second they're up in the air they have to start going down. They literally have to run through the rain to get to the skating rink, etc.
For the group date, they do American Idol with James Corden as the host/judge. Harry sings Isn't She Lovely and Louis says that he could be a star. Perrie and Jade are fucking amazing. Nick is the worst ever. Leigh raps Nicki. Zayn is unbelievable and gets the rose, but Louis admits he feels like Zayn's heart isn't in it and he needs that validation. Liam gets a one-on-one to Niagara Falls. They go on a private boat to the base of the falls and get soaked and share a kiss. (Think that scene in The Office when Jim and Pam get married).
Nick, Perrie, and Jade leave.
Week 6: Hawaii
Liam and Leigh go snorkeling and have pina coladas on a two-on-one, but Louis can't choose between them so neither gets a rose but neither goes home.
Another two-on-one with Niall and Zayn.
"Both of you have been amazing tonight and I had a tough time choosing. But the person who is receiving the rose tonight is the person I feel has really tried tonight to do things out of their comfort zone. Zayn, will you accept this rose?" He held the rose up to be taken from him, but Zayn didn't even look up from his feet. Louis reached toward him to get his attention. What was he doing? Had he fallen asleep?
"Lou..." Zayn reacted just before he was touched.
He nodded, a question in his eyes.
"Um, can we talk over there for just a few minutes?"
He was nervous and Louis knew there was something big on his mind. What else could he have to say that was so big? Why wasn't he just taking the fucking rose? They both gave Niall a nervous smile and walked just out of his earshot to a small sitting area already set up on the other side of the boat.
"I have to talk to you about something..." He was hiding his face and Louis did not like it one bit.
"Well I kind of got that already. What is it? You can tell me anything, you know that."
"Do I, though?"
"Well I can't speak for you, but I want you to be able to tell me anything - to really be yourself, because that's who I want to see. I don't want you to feel pressured into doing anything that's not 100% you." He leaned over to rest his hand on Zayn's thigh, but he pulled away.
He was struggling to get the words out, but finally got the words out in one fowl swoop. "I don't know if I can be here anymore."
"What are you saying? I thought we were past that?"
"Exactly!" He abruptly stood up and was suddenly yelling. "YOU thought we were past that. But I never was! You always try to force your own feelings on other people. Just because you can date a bunch of people at once doesn't mean that other people can! Just because you try to talk your way out of something and think you succeeded doesn't mean you have! You don't think of other people. I've tried to explain this but you over and over again but you just haven't listened to me! You don't get it! We're different and you think a couple of conversations will fix everything."
"But..."
"No! It's my time to talk. Don't you dare fucking interrupt me again." He looked at Louis to make sure he got it. From the horrified look on his face it was pretty clear he had. Zayn took a deep breath and continued talking, this time in less of a yell and more of a hushed scream. "I can't stay here - with so many people you care about, and so many other people you actually understand, and - I - you don't -" he took a fist full of his own hair trying to compose himself again. "This may be realer than I thought it was going to be, but it's still just a fucking TV show. I have to second guess every word, every movement, every look, everything! I get enough of that in my daily life - I don't need this added pressure."
"But it goes right back to normal after this. We can have a normal life - it doesn't matter how we started. We can still have a happy ending!"
"Do you really believe that? After we finish filming, we'll be trashy reality TV stars. Random people will recognize us on the street and we'll never be allowed to do anything embarrassing again without fear of major humiliation."
"If you didn't have any intention of staying - if you never believed in this in the first place, then why'd you even come? Why'd you let me think I could have you? Why'd you let me give you that stupid rose the first night?"
"I didn't think it would come to this! I thought, at best, I'd get a good story out of it. Fuck, I'm lying again! I didn't even want to come. My mom forced me. She woke me up with a phone call one morning saying she knew I was bi and said I needed to 'get out there' because she thinks I'm lonely. She told me to come so I would. I was hoping to hate you and for you to hate me so I could just go home again. But then you spoke, and we hit it off and I changed my mind. I wanted to stick it out. But then I saw you with the rest of them. And you hit it off with them, too. And I just can't do it. The only way I'm staying - the only way I go back to that house instead of straight to the airport when we dock is if you can tell me right fucking now that I'm going to be the one you propose to at the end of this. You have to tell me right fucking now or I'm out for good."
"You know I can't -"
"I don't want any of that showbiz shit, I want a real fucking answer. Is it me? Can you tell me that you will for sure bring me to the finale and propose?""I... Please, Zayn."
"Is it me? I need an answer.""I love you."It doesn't even slow him down. "But do you love one of them, too?"
"I..."
"That's what I thought. There's no future for me here. I think I have to go now."
Super awkward ending to other two-on-one and Niall doesn't get a rose either. Louis talks to Chris and admits that he really did love Zayn and doesn't know what he's going to do anymore. There may not be a proposal at the end of it. Chris makes weird gestures that hint that he may actually like Louis and makes everything weird.
Harry has a one-on-one with a clue on the date card about italian food and they end up going to chuck e cheese where there's tons of bickering and joking then to a private ellie goulding concert where she sings sweet disposition and army all acoustic. Harry rests his head on Louis' shoulder and says this is a once in a lifetime experience and Louis says "only if you want it to be." In a talking head, Harry can't stop smiling and says he just really loves italian food.
At the rose ceremony they all talk together because everyone's actually super close. Leigh ends up leaving.
Week 7: Hometowns
Louis goes to Liam's apartment the night before the hometown is supposed to start and tells him he's gonna let him go. Liam has a breakdown.
He does the same to Niall but he's actually super thankful - says that he didn't want to hurt him after the thing with Zayn but he really wasn't feeling anything more than friends anymore. Makes a comment that Harry is perfect for him.
Harry's hometown - they go to the bakery Harry works at which they have to themselves and lick cookie dough off each others fingers - turns into making out. Go to the appalachian trail and scream off a cliff. Gemma and Anne love Louis to bits and tease him about the glamorous reality show life. Harry gets lost in his own town. Louis doesn't tell him he's the only one left, but does tell Anne. tells Chris that he might love him.
Week 8: Puerto Rico/Overnight
Harry, 23, Baker and Aspiring World Changer, Harpers Ferry, WV“Listen, I know you’re not supposed to spill what happens in the mysterious fantasy suite and I should just let the world’s minds wander… but we didn’t sleep a wink.” He hesitated and broke into a smile. “No, really - we spent the entire night on the beach talking about the future and our family and about our hopes and dreams and fears and just everything. We watched the sunrise and…” His eyes got shiny as he took a deep breath. “It was the best night of my life. Ever. I don’t want this to end. I just don’t know what’s happening with Liam and Niall. They could’ve broken sex records, whatever that is, for all I know. There’s no way my chick flick perfect night beach sesh could beat that.”
Louis Tomlinson“Nothing could beat that. It was amazing and there’s nothing left for me to think about. I’m proposing to him as soon as humanly possible.” He smiled into the camera, knowing that they couldn’t air it in that episode. He just needed it off his chest.
In Puerto Rico they walk through historic San Juan and see the sunset over the beach while talking. Harry says the reasons he fell in love with Louis. Louis says, "I love you, too. Wait oh fuck. I can't say that. God, Harry not like that I mean that they told me not to say it, not that I don't mean it because I do but you can't know that yet oh, fuck. Fuck it I love you, Harry."
The Final Rose
Chris walks away, leaving him alone. Louis put his hands on either side of his face and pulled his head backwards, seeing the light from the sun through his closed eyelids. He moved his right hand to his pants pocket and felt the lump where the tiny ring box was kept. He smiled.
His opposite pocket started vibrating. He opened his eyes and reached for his phone. Zayn’s face was staring back at him from his contact picture. He slid to answer.
In the quietest voice possible, “Zayn?”
“Don’t say anything,” hardly the greatest introduction. He was desperate, “please. I am so sorry. I fucked up. I fucked up so bad. I shouldn’t have left. I thought I was better out of all of this but I can’t stop thinking about you. I need you, Louis. I -”
“Stop talking. You left me. You hurt me. You don’t get to come crawling back. You left. You told me you didn’t want to be in my life.
“That’s not what I -”
“No. You can’t come back from that. I am about to have the happiest fucking moment of my life and you are not allowed to ruin it. I sprang back from you. I found someone who cares enough about me to give a shit what happens to me. You left! You - Fuck this, I’m over you, you’re not going to ruin this for me and Harry. We’re happy. I don’t know how I fell for you, but it wasn’t real at all. You were right about that. But me and Harry - we’re it. We’re the real thing. And you can’t take that away from me. I waited for you to call. For you to try to come back. But you’re too late. We’re done. We were done long ago and I’m better for it. So… thanks, I guess. I almost made a huge mistake. But I’m good now.”
“I’m sorry… I - I’m glad you’re happy.” There was a click and he was gone. Louis stared at his phone for a second before putting it away and taking a deep breath. Closure: the sweet smell of closure.
Harry walks up, clearly nervous. Harry confesses his love (again) and then waits for Louis to start talking. When he does, he admits that Harry has been the only one left for weeks now. The only one he's dating and the only one for Louis. He drops down on one knee and proposes. Harry says yes and they kiss and live happily ever after.
After the final rose
Louis and Harry are incredibly happy together. They privately got married at a courthouse but will have their TV wedding too.
Zayn is there and apologizes again to Louis but says hes happy for both of them and remains pretty quiet otherwise.
Niall comes out as asexual and says that he and Jade are in a QPP.
Perrie and Leigh are together.