That pre-recorded segment bought them about five minutes to get the couples ready to walk out for their introductions. Paige turned to ask Brian to round them up, but found him already ushering them into a line.
‘All right,’ Paige said, forcing some pep into her voice. ‘This is it! Congratulations on making it this far, and no matter what happens tonight, you all have been spectacular to work with.’
Zoë and Imogen smiled politely back at her from their spots in line, but the rest of the contestants had their eyes trained on the sliver of audience visible from behind the grandstand. Paige didn’t take it to heart. Living in front of cameras – the viewers becoming more and more abstract as the weeks progressed – couldn’t compare to screaming fans.
Paige studied Declan. He looked nothing like what she had thought she’d seen in the bathroom. His suit jacket was perfectly pressed, his head up and eyes clear. He even smiled at Imogen and leaned down to whisper something that made her laugh. It was a shame they wouldn’t win.
‘Thirty seconds,’ Paige called. ‘Count to three before following the previous couple, like we practised. Got it?’
She saw some nods and decided that was sufficient.
‘All right, ready…’
Darcy’s voice rang out as she began her introductions.
‘And walk.’
Paige had reached the final hour of the show. If she survived this last exit interview with Declan, she would have made it through the worst. She would have proven she could do this absolutely mad, exhausting job that she’d worked towards for years.
Declan walked into the Love Shack looking almost relieved. It wasn’t the reaction she had expected from the man who had confidently told her he would win hours earlier. His demeanour threw her off, and her pen nearly slipped out of her fingers as she twirled it distractedly.
‘Hi,’ she said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. This moment was the culmination of months of work that she’d put into the show. That was why her heart was beating so loudly in her ears. ‘How are we doing tonight?’
Declan pursed his lips, his eyes sliding to the flashing red light of the camera. ‘Well,’ he began, ‘obviously, it was disappointing that Imogen and I didn’t win. But our relationship is as strong as ever, and I’m excited to see what the outside world has in store for us.’
Paige wondered if Declan had a PR team at all, or if he spent all of his free time spinning this crap on his own. That propensity should have beengoodfor her, for the show. There was no reason that it should make her tense with sudden frustration, especially after months of the same from him.
The words came out of her mouth unbidden: ‘You’re planning on continuing your relationship with Imogen?’
It was a test, and, from his expression, it looked like he knew it. He took on a soothing tone, as though he could tell how wired she was. ‘Of course I am. Finding Imogen was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Plus, it’s good for you – another success story in the books, right?’ He had the audacity to wink at her.
She inhaled sharply. ‘Could you please stop thinking about whatIwant? What doyouwant, Declan?’ His gaze moved, almost imperceptibly, to the camera standing next to her. She sighed, flicking it off. ‘Better? Can we be properly introduced now?’
Declan chuckled, not losing any of his amiability. ‘I don’t know what’s got you so shaken up. Sure, I put on a show for the cameras, but it’s not like I’ve got any dark secrets. I’m not holding back.’
She pressed him further, desperately, stupidly wanting something real from him. ‘How do you feel about the end of the show, cameras off?’
He gave the question a moment of thought, looking at her more earnestly. ‘I got exactly what I came here for, didn’t I?’
Paige assumed Declan had come on the show as a ploy to distract the public from his downward-trending boxing career. He could live a cushy life on sponsorships alone, especially after this exposure. She had known from the beginning that he wasn’t there for love – but then again, few of them were.
She had taken the job cynical about the possibility of real love forming on a TV show. And yet there were examples of those who had proved her wrong over the weeks. Niall and Stella. Jack and Maeve.
And, of course, Oliver’s face came unbidden to her mind. Her head felt too heavy on her shoulders, the guilt suddenly overwhelming.
‘What about Oliver?’ she blurted out. She had expected to feel even worse as her veneer cracked in front of a contestant. Instead, she felt a slight measure of relief, an uncoiling in her neck.
The corner of Declan’s mouth twitched. ‘What about him?’
‘Do you have any regrets?’
He slowly leaned back, and Paige could almost see the memories flickering across his face.
‘I suppose so,’ he said softly, as though he wasn’t sure he wanted her to hear. ‘I feel like maybe I could have stopped him from leaving, if I’d done things differently. I mean, we had a bit of a – a row. And that’s why he left.’
Paige bit the inside of her mouth, hard. ‘You think he left because of something you did?’
‘Um—’ He glanced at the camera again, as though checking she hadn’t turned it back on, then shrugged. He looked asthough they were talking about nothing significant, maybe the weather or their upcoming flight numbers. His voice, when he spoke, bore the brunt of his emotion. It came out gravelly and uneven: ‘Yeah. I think so.’
