Dash wasn’t picking up his phone. I knew he was filming, but I kept trying anyways. I needed to talk to him before he saw the show, before someone told him what had happened. I needed to explain, even though I didn’t even fully understand what had happened.

I thought I had heard something when we had been talking that night. I couldn’t have ever imagined it was a film crew, filming us in secret. I felt exposed. Naked. Vulnerable. And I couldn’t even imagine how Dash would react when he found out.

I had just tried Dash for the seventh time when Lorna and Justin came into the hotel room. I had run back to my room, hoping to escape it all, but it seemed I wouldn’t be able to. I surged to my feet, furious at Lorna.

She had known about Dash. She must have told her little boyfriend what was happening.

“How could you do this?” I demanded, stalking over to her. “I thought we were friends.”

“It wasn’t her,” Justin interrupted. “She didn’t tell me anything. I did it.”

Lorna stared at Justin. I glared at him.

“Why?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“Why?” He laughed as if it was the most ridiculous question he’d ever heard. “Are you kidding? Do you know how much money I got when I brought in that footage? It’ll make the show, give them all the coverage they need.”

“This can’t be legal,” I snarled.

“Sorry.” Justin held up his hands. “It’s all in the contract. Nothing you can do. If you were smart, you would have done it yourself.”

I was about ready to punch Justin in his smug fucking face, when Lorna stepped in between us.

“Get out,” she told Justin.

His smile slipped. “What?” he asked, clearly confused.

“Get. Out,” Lorna repeated. “Now.”

“What the fuck, Lorna?” Justin’s face went from confused to angry. “I thought you understood what all this was about.”

“She told you to get out,” I said, pointing at the door. “Don’t think I won’t call security.”

“Bitch,” Justin spat, and stormed off, slamming the door behind him.

“Paige.” Lorna turned to me, looking stricken. “I’m so sorry, I had no idea that he was capable of something like that!”

But it didn’t really matter. “He trusted me,” I said, miserable. “And now it’s all over TV!”

“Maybe he’ll understand?” Lorna looked hopeful.

“Maybe.”

I tried to call him again, but when he didn’t answer, I headed for the set, hoping that if he hadn’t had time to check his phone, maybe he hadn’t had time to hear from anyone else about what had happened.

They were still filming when I arrived. It was Dash’s romantic one-on-one date with Kimmie. Luckily, she had managed to keep her top on for this one. So far.

I kept my distance from everything and everyone, just waiting for them to call for a break. It seemed to take forever. I had to watch Kimmie snuggle up to Dash, the two of them sharing champagne in front of a beachside bonfire. Kimmie had her hand on Dash’s thigh—way too high for my preference—but he didn’t seem to be pulling away as he had done that morning when Kimmie had flashed him. If anything, he was leaning into her.

It’s all for the cameras, I told myself. It’s just for the cameras.

But when Andrea called “cut,” neither Kimmie nor Dash moved. I knew I should wait for him to come in my general direction, but I couldn’t wait. I ran across the sand, unintentionally kicking it into Kimmie’s face as I approached.

She shrieked and batted at her face as if I had thrown acid on her.

“My makeup!” she hissed at me.

It had been an accident, but the result was Kimmie extracting herself from Dash’s arms and rushing towards the makeup trailer, screaming for a touch up.

“I need to talk to you,” I told Dash, but he had stood up and walked away from the bonfire.

He stood, looking out at the ocean. Not looking at me.

He knew.

“I’m so sorry, Dash,” I whispered, my hand automatically reaching for his arm.

He shrugged me off, his face like stone.

“I didn’t know—” I tried, but this time he reacted.

“You didn’t know?” His voice was incredulous. “How the fuck did the cameras know to be there? How did they find us in the first place?”

“I don’t know,” I said, but it sounded pathetic, even to me. “I’m so sorry. You have to understand, I had no idea they were shooting!”

Dash ran a hand through his hair. “I heard you got a job offer,” he told me. “That Andrea is taking you with her to LA.”

“She offered—” I started.

“How’d you get that offer?” Dash asked snidely. “Did you promise you’d get her some good footage? Should I expect more of our conversations to be broadcast on the show? Perhaps you were hoping to get some pillow talk for the finale?”

I stumbled back, his voice as sharp as a knife.

“How can you ask me that?” I whispered, stunned.

Dash whirled to face me. “Because I don’t know you. I don’t know if any of this was real. How much of it was for show?”

I tensed. “Don’t you dare talk to me about putting on a show,” I snapped at him. “You’re the one kissing other girls on camera and then coming over to my room and fucking me.”

“Trust me,” Dash sneered. “That second part won’t be happening again anytime soon.”

“And the first part will?” I demanded. “Is that the plan for tonight? Are you going to hook up with Kimmie?”

“Why not?” he asked. “There isn’t anything stopping me. And at least I know what she wants from me.”

I stared at him, my heart breaking. He didn’t believe me—or maybe he didn’t want to. He’d just leapt to the worst conclusion and not given me a chance to explain.

I couldn’t believe it: after everything we’d shared, I thought he knew me. That this was real. But he was throwing it away like I meant nothing to him.

Maybe I didn’t.

“So that’s it,” I whispered, barely able to speak. “We’re done?”

Dash only shrugged.

Tears stinging my eyes, I turned away from him and ran towards the mansion. Dash might have broken my heart, but I wasn’t going to let him see me cry.