Page 57 of Hot Summer

Reece immediately clapped Jayden on the shoulder, the relief plain on his face, but everyone else’s attention was trained on Brad. He’d shifted in his seat as Jayden’s name was read, pushed himself forward to the edge before stopping abruptly, his neck going red as the silence stretched.

Ada’s phone beeped.

Ada grabbed Cas’s hand as she lifted her phone from her lap. Her grip was tight on Cas’s, their fingers wound together so fiercely you would have thought Ada was dangling over the edge of a cliff rather than reading a text message.

“ ‘That means that the boy leaving the villa tonight is... Brad.’ ”

19

Ada had barely finished reading his name before Brad was up and off the sofa.

No one moved, no one dared breathe, they just watched as Brad stormed out of the lounge, and a few seconds later, they heard the front door open. A million possibilities ran through Cas’s mind—Was it the producers? Was it Brad? Mila? A bombshell?—but then the door slammed with such force the house itself seemed to shake.

Brad, then.

Cas’s arm was around Ada’s shoulders before she could even exhale. When she did, it was soft and trembling. Cas squeezed her tighter.

“It’s okay,” Cas whispered, leaning forward and pressing her forehead to Ada’s temple. “He’s definitely gone now.”

Everything in that moment was Ada: the smell of her peach and citrus perfume, the soft touch of her hair against Cas’s nose, the heat of her body now that she was this close. Ada took Cas’s free hand, her grip firm, like she was worried Cas might move away, but Cas couldn’t think of a single thing that would make her move away now. That would make her want any kind of space between the two of them.

Finally, though, someone else spoke.

“Is anyone...” Cas sat up at the sound of Delilah’s voice. “Are we supposed to go after him or something?”

Leo’s phone beeped before Delilah could even finish her question. “ ‘Lovers.’ ” He read so quickly, he started stumbling over the words. “ ‘Everyone must report to the fire pit immediately. Lexi, say your goodbyes and walk to the front door. You have thirty seconds.’ ” Leo was up off the couch as soon as he finished reading. “Fuck. Okay, guys, let’s go!”

It was insult to injury, the fact that they were forced to move on so quickly. No one had long, just stepped forward in quick succession and gave Lexi a hug goodbye. Lexi caught Cas’s eyes for a brief second as Cas moved away, a sardonic smile curving at the corners of her lips.

“Karma.”

Probably. But there was no sense rubbing that in now.

“Have a safe trip home,” Cas said. And she walked away to make space for Charlie.

Lexi’s brave exterior finally cracked as Charlie made his way forward, her arms sliding around his waist with a practiced ease. Charlie, though, was stiff, his expression distant, and even though he moved his arms around her, patted her back, Cas knew what was coming.

“Have a safe flight,” Charlie said. “Maybe I’ll see you when I get back.”

Lexi’s mouth fell open. “Are you—” She blinked. “Are you not coming with me?”

It was rare—had only happened a handful of times that Cas could remember—but a lover could choose to leave the villa if their partner was eliminated. The only examples Cas knew of were true-love scenarios, and it was clear from one look at Charlie’s face that Lexi was hoping for something she’d never get.

And then when he looked back at Delilah, who was standing, hands on her hips, surveying the scene? Well, that sealed the deal.

Lexi shoved Charlie’s arms off her and she laughed harshly, wiping at the tears now spilling down her cheeks. “Wow, okay. Fuck you, then. Don’t DM me when you’re out.”

And she stormed out of the living room.

Delilah’s phone was beeping as they all made their way down to the fire pit. She stumbled as she pulled it out of her pocket, and Charlie caught her by the elbow. She smiled at him as he righted her, her fingers freezing on her screen, and Leo sighed.

“You two can flirt later. Read the text, Delilah.”

“ ‘Lovers—with so many partnerships on the rocks, we thought we’d move the re-partnering up a night. You have two minutes to decide, among yourselves, who is going to partner up. At the end of two minutes, an alarm will sound, and you’ll lock in your final partnerships.’ ”

Everyone started talking all at once, confusion reigning, but Cas knew exactly what needed to happen. She grabbed Femi by the biceps, stopping him at the edge of the fire pit. “You need to partner with Sienna.”

“I— But what about you?”

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