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“Man-eating fish or man-eating woman… hmm.” He pretended to think it over. “I think I might take my chances with the sharks.”
Aaron offered a hand to me, wincing in pain when he put weight on his ankle. Kayla had “accidentally” tripped him this morning, and while she hadn’t kicked him or anything, it caused him to bang it into the coffee table. He shifted his weight and quickly pulled me into an upright position.
“Come on, Sophie girl,” Aaron said, sticking to the nickname he’d given me on a whim. Though, was it really a nickname if it made a name longer? “Let’s get this over with. Then you and I can raid the wine fridge and get up to no good. If I’m not shark bait, that is.”
Joining the others in the cabana, we waited until Oliver and Kayla made their way from the house. Oliver’s hair was mussed, and Kayla gripped his arm as they approached.
Diego was sitting beside Cheryl, who had her arm intertwined with his, and the two solid couples were side by side, looking excited.
God, I hated this.
Daniel reached for the phone, answering it with excitement in his voice.
“Hey, everyone! Congratulations on another successful week here onLove on Display! As you know, it’s Friday, and that means our viewers have voted on which couple they want to send to the local island.”
It felt like the anticipation hiked up as we waited for Troy to tell us the good news.
“Instead of dragging it out and making you try to guess who’s going to win the weekend away, let’s dive right into it. There are a few pieces of news to share with you, and I’ve got a daiquiri calling my name,” Troy joked.
Zander and Viv clutched hands while Gia and Daniel did the same. Cheryl’s arm tightened around Diego’s, where they had their elbows linked. I turned, so I didn’t have to watch their new connection blossom, and instead, I found Oliver’s knee with a hand clutching the joint. A hand with bright pink fingernails and beautifully tanned skin.
The hand led to an arm that wasn’t mine.
It was Kayla, looking smug and like she had already won the game.
What had they done to put that look on her face? I wanted to know. I wanted to die ignorant. It was a very confusing time in my life.
Tearing my gaze away, I stared at the red phone in the center of the table.
“This week’s winners are Gia and Daniel! The two of you started out strong, and we’ve been watching. We’ve seen every honest conversation you’ve had and how you faced your fears in this week’s workshop. Not only did you divulge those fears to somebody else, but you talked about them afterward with each other. You comforted each other when you felt your shortcomings were a dealbreaker or too much to overcome. And while you didn’t win the challenge, you worked together as a team, and our audience loved it.”
We all cheered as Gia and Daniel shared a sweet kiss in celebration.
Troy continued, “So the two of you will pack a bag and enjoy a weekend all to yourselves.”
Gia gripped the back of Daniel’s neck, running her thumb along his hairline at the nape. Both of them were smiling and excited about what was to come. They touched their foreheads together in such an emotional and intimate gesture that it nearly brought tears to my eyes.
Time away to connect without the cameras was a blessing any of us would be lucky to earn. One that I didn’t realize I had taken for granted in my own life because facing this shit with a lens pointed at you was daunting as fuck.
“Before you go,” Troy interrupted, causing everyone to turn their attention to his voice. “I have some sad news to share with you. One of you is going home.”
My stomach plummeted.
“This week, we have to say goodbye to somebody.”
I clutched my hands in my lap, fingers waffled and palms sweaty. Tension radiated through me. It was going to be me; I knew it. I’d dated two of the guys here, effectively taking them off the market,andI’d also broken up with two guys here, crushing two hearts in my wake and having to face them every day since. There was no running and hiding in this villa. Instead, they were around every corner, in the same bed, and looking at me over oatmeal in the mornings.
“It has come to our attention that someone used physical violence in the villa. The first time, the crew and producers agreed it was harmless, but today, it escalated.” Troy paused, and we all looked around. Aaron bounced his leg next to me, and it dawned on me. “Kayla, it has been decided by the producers and the team that you intentionally injured one of your housemates and are kicked off the island for breaching contract and the rules you agreed to.”
Aaron reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing it.
“Holy shit!” Aaron whisper-shouted beside me. His voice was fraught with disbelief. I expelled a harsh breath and squeezed back.
Kayla let out a shriek of anger. “What?!” she blustered. “This isn’t fucking fair. How could I be voted onto the island one week and kicked off the show the next? This is bullshit! He tripped.”
Her words were angry, flying across the cabana like venom from a viper. She turned toward the cameras. “How could you do this to me?”
Troy spoke again. “We have the footage and a very clear angle. Our decision is final.”
