Afterwards, I’d watch that perfect piece of reality television, the one that would finally make people believe that the Dylans were the real deal.
But now, there was only one thing I cared about.
‘Carrie, you’re running point,’ I said into my headset. ‘Call Suzette if you need backup.’
‘You’re leaving?!’
‘Lily set you up a slam dunk. She made the Dylans interesting. All you have to do is follow through.’
‘Murray—’
‘Just do your job,’ I snarled, and yanked my earpiece out.
One of the PAs had accompanied Lily off the date set. I caught up with them at the entrance to the hedge maze. ‘Thanks, Tim. I’ll take it from here.’
‘That’s Tom,’ Lily said.
‘Tom, I’d like you to organise the transfer of Lily’s things down to the Convent.’ I fastened my fingers around her wrist. ‘Can you do that?’
He nodded. ‘I’ll load her bags onto the golf cart. Once you’re finished filming your ITM, I’ll take Lily down there too.’
‘Just take her things. I’ll get Lily where she needs to go.’
‘Copy that,’ said Tom. Then he just stood there, gaping at us.
‘Well?’ I asked. ‘Are you waiting for something?’
‘Oh. Um. Bye.’
He glanced back over his shoulder before he disappeared down the path to the Villa, a thousand questions in his eyes.
‘You really should learn his name,’ Lily said. ‘If you don’t want him to try and overthrow you.’
‘Lily,’ I said, ‘we are not talking about the fucking PAs right now.’
She looked up at me. The rain was falling down around us in sheets, but she didn’t blink.
‘You have a choice,’ I told her.
‘What are my options?’
Her voice was calm and even, her gaze steady; but I still had my fingers around her wrist, and her pulse was jumping.
‘We can go back to the Villa. You can dry off. We can film your ITM, and then I’ll take you down to the Convent.’
‘Or?’
‘Or you can come back to my trailer, and I can take that dress off you with my teeth.’
Her intake of breath was swift. Colour rushed to her cheeks.
‘I have loved you for years,’ I said. ‘I will love you forever. That will be true no matter which option you pick. That, you don’t get a choice in. You are my best friend and I love you and you can never change that, no matter how hard you try.’
‘I love you too.’ Her voice was barely audible.
‘I know.’
I took a calculated risk and dropped her wrist. We were still standing close together, but we weren’t touching now.
