He let out a long, shaking breath which I thought was part-laugh. ‘You’re sweet,’ he said, ‘but who wouldn’t want to kiss you?’
‘Let’s get back to it,’ Murray said. ‘Take it from that bit about how she’s beautiful and special and whatever, Dylan. Then fucking kiss her this time.’
‘Is that okay with you?’ Romeo-Dylan asked me. ‘The same goes for you, you know. You don’t have to kiss me if you don’t want to.’
‘Of course it’s okay with her!’
Romeo-Dylan ignored Murray and kept looking steadfastly at me. ‘Do you want to?’
I thought about saying no. Should have said no, given he was probably going to be my best friend’s boyfriend in three weeks’ time. Would have said no, in almost any other circumstances.
But I recognised the feeling in his eyes. The feeling that you were on the edge of a cliff, and the smallest little thing might topple you over. The feeling I’d had for weeks and weeks after Jac had dumped me, the one that had seen me bursting into tears every five seconds.
I could say no, and it would be fine, but this sweet man had been through enough rejection for one night.
‘Who wouldn’t want to kiss you?’ I said, stroking my thumb comfortingly across the back of his hand.
‘Are you two done?’ Murray said exasperatedly. ‘Can we shoot this already?’
‘Go,’ I said.
‘Rolling,’ the director said. ‘In three, two…’
‘You’re so beautiful and special, Amanda,’ Romeo-Dylan said. ‘I love the way I feel when you’re around.’
His fingers came up to caress my cheek. I closed my eyes as his lips brushed against mine.
Like last time, it was nice. There was absolutely nothing wrong with kissing Romeo-Dylan. He was exactly what I’d hoped for in the limo, when I’d thought for those few moments that the Romeo was going to be Chris Gregory. Dylan Jayasinghe Mellor was a gentleman in the most literal sense of the word: he was a man who was gentle. There was a gentle something between us, solid enough that it would hurt when it ended, but only in a gentle sort of way.
In another universe, kissing him would have been exactly the right thing to do. It would have been an important step forward in me getting over Jac, even if he and I were never destined to be anything. He would have been the solidground on which I landed, giving me time to brace myself before I leaped again.
He was the best rebound I could have possibly hoped for, and I’d messed it up.
When we broke apart, Romeo-Dylan leaned his forehead against mine for several long moments. ‘You’re such a beautiful person, Amanda,’ he whispered.
‘So are you,’ I whispered back.
‘I don’t feel like it,’ he said. His breath was shaky. ‘Being here – being the Romeo – it’s making me feel like such an arsehole.’
‘Ahem.’
Dylan was standing about six feet away. She was backlit by the giant TV lights they were shining on Romeo-Dylan and me. In that white dress, she looked like an angel.
‘If you’re done,’ she said coolly, ‘they need us for filming, Mandie. Apparently Belinda left, so there’s not going to be a Necklace Ceremony tonight.’
There might not have been a Necklace Ceremony, but filming tookforever. Romeo-Dylan kept messing up his lines when he told us that Belinda had made the decision to leave and go to the Convent. Then they wanted to get reactions from everyone, positioning us in a bunch of different groups on the Necklace Ceremony bleachers. My feet ached in my heels, and sweat rolled down the back of my neck under the lights.
‘Why do you think Belinda left?’ Jess D asked, in one of the little reaction groups they put me in.
‘Isn’t it obvious?’ Naya said. ‘It’s because of that conversation we had in the kitchen the other day. Why hang around when we all know who his favourite is?’
She nodded at Dylan, who was in a group with Kumiko and Parisa.
‘It’s pathetic,’ Lily said.
‘That’s a bit harsh,’ Naya said.
‘No, it isn’t,’ Lily said. ‘It’s giving up. Why would you come on this show to give up?’
