Page 49 of Hot Summer

Cas thought she knew this game when she’d agreed to this whole scheme, but week after week, Cas was learning that she didn’t know a damn thing about what she’d signed up for. What the reality was like behind the screen.

In spite of her better judgment, Cas had hoped that Ada would seem relieved, or at the very least less anxious, when she walked out of the beach hut, but she was pale as a ghost when she came back outside.

Cas scrambled down off the kitchen counter as soon as she saw her. “What did they say?”

Ada exhaled shakily. “He’s been taken out front to cool down. He has to talk to someone, a production therapist or something, but he’ll be back in an hour or so.”

“They’re not kicking him out?!”

Ada shook her head. “They said he didn’t actually hurt anyone, so they didn’t think it fair to remove him. Apparently he’s ‘extremely remorseful.’ ”

“That’s bullshit.” Cas knew this conversation was safe from being aired—they never showed it when people talked about the show like this—and they’d probably call her into the beach hut anyway, but Cas didn’t care. She needed the producers to hear it. She needed to say it. “He was in your face! Who knows what he could’ve done if they hadn’t called him away.”

Or if he hadn’t listened. Even thinking it made Cas feel sick.

Ada shrugged, defeated, and Cas could feel herself twisting angrily against the restraints of this feeling.

“This is fucked up.”

“Yeah.” Ada half laughed. “I told them the same thing about a thousand times in there, but they weren’t budging.”

“So he’s just going to come back in after having some little chat and then what? We’re supposed to go about the rest of the night as usual?”

“They’re canceling the night-filming session tonight. After dinner, we’re supposed to go straight to bed.”

“And where are you supposed to sleep? Where is he sleeping?” Ada just stared at her, and, god, Cas hated that she knew the answer. “You can’t be serious.”

“The idea of him sleeping next to me...” Ada shivered, a look of disgust on her face. “It actually makes me feel sick.”

“Sleep outside,” Cas said. The words were out of her mouth before she even considered them, but she knew it was the best suggestion. “I’ll stay out here with you if you want.”

Ada’s brow furrowed. “Doesn’t production want us sleeping in the living room if we’re not sleeping in our own beds?”

Cas had to admit that that sounded vaguely like a rule they were supposed to follow, but she couldn’t be bothered to actually ask anyone about it or even consider following it right now.

If they weren’t going to kick Brad out for the way he’d treated Ada, then they could fucking choke.

Cas shrugged. “Who cares? We’re still sleeping in a public space; it’s not like we’re hiding from the cameras or something.”

Ada nodded absently, her gaze trailing over to the large circular bed.

“Okay,” she finally said, her voice getting stronger, surer, as she continued. “Yeah, let’s do it.”

“Great. As soon as dinner’s over, I’ll steal the duvet off your bed.” Cas extended her hand, holding it there for a long beat before Ada took it and Cas lifted her to her feet.

“Don’t steal the duvet.” Ada’s lips were twitching a little. “Brad’ll need it, he’s right next to the air-con unit.”

“That’s a him problem,” Cas said. She turned round as they walked so she was facing Ada, her own smile growing as Ada’s expression lightened. She didn’t look completely like herself yet, but she was a lot closer to the version of her that Cas knew.

“Well, I guess he’ll have the top sheet,” Ada said. She was biting back a smile now and Cas’s whole face exploded with her own.

17

True to her word, the moment dinner was over, Cas ran inside and tugged the duvet off Ada and Brad’s bed, tucking it up under her arm (in spite of Ada’s laughing protests) and dragging it behind her as they went to the dressing room to change into their pajamas. She cast her gaze back over her shoulder, her eyes snagging on Ada’s, which were shining with amusement, their gold centers sparking, and, fucking hell, Cas couldn’t breathe.

It was tragic, tragic, standing here feeling like this and pretending she was feeling anything otherwise. Very out of Cas’s usual wheelhouse, if she was being honest.

Once freshened up, Cas and Ada made their way back outside. Brad was sitting on the duvet-less bed, arms crossed, staring daggers at them when they walked into the bedroom, but Cas just rolled her eyes, took Ada’s hand, and together, they went back outside.

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