Never make friends with the contestants. Darcy has had enough experience on the show to know this, but somehow she’d let herself get friendly with Bonnie. She had seemed different to the others. And while she had never thought of her as a friend, Darcy had liked her, had even been rooting for her.

And now she feels like she’s been betrayed.

‘What happens now? Do you want me to leave the show?’ Bonnie asks.

The drama of a contestant being kicked off the show would be good for ratings, but Bonnie has a good fan following and the backlash of kicking her out wouldn’t be worth it. Darcy’s also fairly confident that Ty likes Bonnie, whether he realises it or not, and doesn’t want to take away a legitimate love interest for him, especially after his meltdown about wanting to leave the show on Samara’s date. ‘No, but any other incidents like this and our agreement will be terminated immediately. Understand?’

‘Yes.’

Darcy turns the mobile over in her hands. It was an older model, but clearly still did everything anyone needed it to. ‘Where did you get the phone from?’

Bonnie’s mouth opens but it takes a moment for any words to come out. ‘I’d rather not say.’

Darcy feels herself bristle with frustration knowing that Bonnie is protecting someone else. Another contestant or a crewmember? She hopes it isn’t the latter. She’d told Ben in exasperated outrage that she’d caught Bonnie with a phone and he’d seemed as shocked as she was. ‘Well, who were you contacting?’ She stares at Bonnie. ‘Or should I give the number a call myself?’ Oh, geez, now she’s threatening her?

‘I tried to call my ex.’ Bonnie seems defeated and offers up the information without protest.

This isn’t the first time they’ve spoken about Bonnie’s ex. ‘The same ex who is engaged and having a baby with someone else?’ Darcy could hear the judgement laced through her words.

Shame appears on Bonnie’s face. ‘Yep, stupid, I know. I wasn’t thinking.’

Darcy studies Bonnie, searching for the answer without having to ask the question, but in the end she has to make sure. ‘Is anything going on with you and your ex?’

Bonnie’s quick to reply, and if she’s sad about the fact, she’s quick to hide it. ‘No, nothing at all. It’s over. One hundred percent.’

‘So, you want to be here?’

There is only the slightest hesitation before Bonnie says, ‘Yes.’

Knock, knock, knock.