Page 38 of Hot Summer

And it should have felt good—I’m always going to partner up with her, no matter how low the public ranks her. That was it, her saving grace, her promise that she’d be in this villa as long as Femi was, and unless people turned against him in a drastic fashion after this speech, he was going to be here for a long time. Instead, Cas felt a sinking guilt in her stomach threatening to suck her straight into the earth.

Cas’s legs shook as she made her way across the grass. Femi smiled at her, expression steady, and wrapped his arms around her the moment she reached him. There wasn’t a hint of hesitation about him, he just pulled her in and gave her a deep squeeze that Cas felt all the way down to her toes.

“Thanks.” She said it quietly, but she was sure her microphone had picked it up. Those things were supersonic.

“Of course,” Femi whispered. He pulled back, held her at arm’s length, pressing his fingers into her elbows like he wanted to keep her there. “You’re not going anywhere without me.”

As she sat, Ada reached over and gave Cas’s leg a meaningful squeeze, and without thinking, Cas moved her hand so it rested on top of Ada’s. It wasn’t much, just the press of Ada’s palm against her skin, but it sent pins and needles zinging straight to Cas’s stomach.

Finally, Maddison’s phone dinged.

“ ‘Maddison,’ ” Maddison read, her voice appropriately somber. “ ‘As you haven’t been chosen, your hot summer has, unfortunately, come to an end. It’s time to say your goodbyes.’ ”

Maddison was shifting her weight back and forth on her heels, but as soon as she finished reading, she lifted her gaze. Even from this distance, Cas could see the tears shining in Maddison’s eyes.

“It’s been an amazing journey,” Maddison said, “if a short one. Reece...” She trailed off, shook her head, started again. “I don’t have any ill feelings. I really do wish you and Tia the best of luck.”

Reece touched his hand gently to his chest, and then, as one, everyone rose from the bench to envelope Maddison in a hug.

13

They’d just finished seeing Maddison off through the front door when Cas’s phone pinged.

Because of course it was Cas’s phone.

“ ‘Lovers,’ ” Cas said, and despite the fact that her hands were still trembly, her voice, at least, was steady. “ ‘It’s time to get ready for bed. Lights out in one hour.’ ”

Most everyone lingered in the entry, but Cas turned the moment she finished reading the text and made her way upstairs. She should have stayed, talked more about Maddison, strained her ears to hear the sound of the Jeep that was going to take her away, or whatever it was they were doing downstairs, but she needed to get out of there.

Needed to go feel guilty on her own.

She was able to remove all her makeup and wash her face before anyone made their way to the bathroom, but she heard the top step creak as she was patting her face dry and then a whisper that made her entire body go cold.

“It should’ve been Cas.”

It was Lexi, standing outside of the bathroom.

“What?” Charlie, it sounded like.

“She’s least popular,” Lexi whispered. There was a soft thud, like someone leaning up against the wall. “Why is she allowed to stay and Maddison wasn’t?”

“Well, but it was Femi’s choice, wasn’t it?” Charlie said. He could not have sounded less interested, but Cas tried not to let that go to her head. It was less an endorsement for Cas’s continued time in the villa and more a reflection of how little Charlie seemed to care about anything.

“They should’ve sent home the least popular people this week,” Lexi said. “If they’re going to bother ranking us this summer.”

Charlie just hummed vaguely, and Lexi huffed. “Whatever.”

And then Lexi walked into the bathroom, Charlie at her heels, and froze.

This was a crossroads moment. Cas could confront her, make her own up to what she said. It would bring the drama the producers and audience loved, would show that Cas wasn’t going to take any shit, but it could also be too confrontational. Too much.

But if she ignored it, pretended she hadn’t heard anything, then she was too passive. A doormat. Someone the audience didn’t need to respect.

And, in that moment, Cas wanted respect more than anything. The Cas she was outside the villa wouldn’t leave this unaddressed, so why should Cas in the villa let it lie?

Cas tossed her face cloth into the washing basket and dotted some moisturizer onto her face. “You could have said that to my face, Lex.”

Lexi’s cheeks were blood red. “I...”

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