Bonnie’s eyes dart hastily towards Darcy and she feels her face crease with irritation. How can Darcy even be suggesting that? She’d remained silent for that whole time and now she wants to instruct them to simply move on with the date?

‘Can someone fill up Bonnie’s champagne glass?’ Darcy calls to her crew.

If only champagne was the answer to this problem!

But Bonnie lets her glass be filled and actually has to resist the urge to take the whole bottle. The throbbing realisation that has started to settle in her mind needs something to numb it.

Bonnie’s eyes settle back on Ty. His expression is one she’s never seen before. He visibly swallows a lump in his throat.

And it is suddenly all so clear.

‘You still love her. You still love Penny.’

Ty’s whole face crumbles as he admits, ‘I do.’

Bonnie sees the relief wash over him that he’s finally being honest about how he feels. He might feel relief, but Bonnie feels stupid as she tries to fully grasp the situation. She’s spent the past couple of months trying to fall in love with a man whose heart wasn’t ever on offer. She feels her face warm as she remembers all the ridiculous things she’s done on national TV: the swimsuits, the costumes, the silly dates.

Is it possible to die from embarrassment?

‘Ty, Bonnie?’ Darcy’s voice interrupts her thoughts. ‘Just don’t say anything else for a minute. I’m sure we can figure this out.’

Bonnie’s voice is low. ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ What on earth was there to figure out? Ty is in love with someone else!

Darcy goes to say something, but Bonnie puts her hand up to silence her. ‘There’s nothing you can say. I can’t pretend I don’t know that.’

‘But it’s over with your ex, isn’t it, Ty?’ Darcy says, the words rushing out of her mouth.

Ty nods, sadness woven through every inch of his skin. ‘Yeah, it’s over.’ He looks back at Bonnie. ‘I told her I was coming on here and she wished me luck.’

‘See,’ Darcy says, bright-eyed, to Bonnie, ‘there’s nothing to worry about.’

Bonnie almost laughs at how pathetic the suggestion is. ‘I know Ty’s dating four of us at the moment, but him being in love with someone who isn’t on the show is a concern to me.’

But Darcy doesn’t give up. ‘I think Ty just got caught up in the past. We’ve all had relationships like that, haven’t we?’

But Bonnie ignores Darcy’s feeble attempts. Instead, her attention is focused on Ty, emotion spreading over every inch of her skin. ‘You shouldn’t even be on the show, Ty.’