Page 29 of Hot Summer

Sure enough, his phone went off half a second later.

“ ‘Sienna.’ ”

A little cheer went up around the living room as her photo popped up on the television. Jayden pressed a kiss to Sienna’s temple; Ada wrapped her arms around Sienna’s neck in a swift, fierce hug; and Cas, leaning over Ada so she could reach, tapped the outside of Sienna’s knee. Cas moved to straighten up when she felt Femi leaning in from behind her, his arm stretching along the back of the sofa so he could reach Sienna.

He brushed his fingertips lightly along the outside of her shoulder, and, though everyone in the room was trying to congratulate her, when Sienna turned, she only had eyes for Femi.

“Congratulations.”

Sienna was beaming, the relief written all over her face. “Thanks.”

Reece revealed that Ada was second, and they all celebrated again. Ada had thrown her arms around Sienna so easily, but Cas kept hesitating, unsure. She wanted to give Ada a hug—it was nothing, a hug—but would it be too much?

Not as a gesture, but too much for Cas to handle?

Cas was still arguing with herself when Ada turned, an electric smile lighting up her face.

“Congrats,” Cas said. She leaned forward without thinking now, her arms winding around Ada’s neck. “You deserve it.”

Ada laughed, and the brush of her breath against Cas’s neck made her shiver.

Ada pulled back a little, brow creased with concern. “Are you cold?”

Cas had goose bumps down her arms.

She shook her head. “No, I’m all right.”

The emotional high of the first two reveals didn’t last as they continued into third place. With each text, the tension in the room ratcheted higher, especially after Tia, surprisingly, snagged the third place spot.

Cas, Maddison, and Lexi were left, until Brad announced that Lexi had swung fourth.

Cas hadn’t expected she’d be in first or second, she’d been hoping for third, thought fourth was a solid bet, but now, here she was, staring down the barrel of last place, her heart so massive in her throat that it was impossible to breathe.

She couldn’t be last place. Not if she wanted any real hope of staying to the end.

Last place would be the nail in her coffin. The final straw that kept her in hot, sweaty pubs getting pawed at by strangers until the end of time.

Femi’s phone pinged.

His movements were sure, steady. He wrapped his arm around Cas before he even moved to pick up the phone, squeezing her briefly against him in one last show of solidarity.

She had never adored him more than she did in that moment.

“ ‘The final two positions will be revealed at the same time....’ ” Femi trailed off appropriately, staring at his screen for a few beats longer than necessary before he dropped his phone back down into his lap. Everyone was completely silent as they waited, the tension so thick Cas could feel it, choking her, squeezing her, until, finally—

Beep.

Femi stared down at his screen and Cas knew what he was going to say before he even said it from the way his fingers twitched on her shoulder.

“ ‘In fifth place, we have Maddison.’ ”

Beep.

“ ‘And, in last place... Cas.’ ”

Both of their photos now joined the others on the television screen. Cas pressed her lips together into a fine line, determined to keep her expression neutral, but she was sure that she looked just as angry and confused as she felt. Was sure that everything was written all over her face for the entire fucking country to see.

Femi squeezed her shoulder and leaned over to whisper into her ear. “Are you okay?”

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