If they had eloped, they would have already been married. It would have been too late to protect him.

He arrives back to the table. ‘Did you want any food? I didn’t order anything, but I can go back?’

It’s weird to see him so unsure. ‘Coffee is fine.’ She doesn’t know if she can be around him for the length of a meal.

‘How’ve you been?’ he asks.

But Penelope can’t go through the torture of small talk with him. ‘You told Monique you needed to talk to me about something?’

His nostrils flare, slightly taken aback that she’s chosen to ignore normal pleasantries. He takes a deep breath. ‘I’ve made a pretty big decision and thought I should tell you before it’s all over social media.’

Confused, her mind immediately starts ticking. ‘What do you mean?’

He’s nervous, which unsettles her further. ‘I’ve signed on to be the next suitor on The One.’

Penelope’s mind goes blank for a moment, the words not making sense. Had he just spoken in English? She has to force herself to connect the dots. ‘The reality TV show?’ She’s pretty sure she’s heard one of his mates, whose dad is a big TV executive, talking about The One before.

He nods, only the tiniest bit embarrassed, but clearly still unsure.

All the air chokes out of Penelope’s lungs and there’s a tightening across her chest. She has an urge to stand up out of her chair and shake it off, if only that were possible. ‘Why would you want to go on a show like that?’ How could someone she wanted to spend the rest of her life with be willing to do that?

‘I’m ready to get married, Penny.’ He stares at her, his eyes burning, desperate to break through the barrier she is only just managing to keep up. ‘I want to share my life with someone and start a family.’

Penelope almost lets out a sob. She wants that too. She wants all that with Ty. Her heart sinks. He’s going to marry someone else. She wishes she could feel happy for him, but she wants to kick and scream and cry and curse the world.

‘Have you changed your mind about us?’ There’s no mistaking his hope.

Penelope fights every urge in her body. ‘There is no us, Ty.’ She stands and sees his whole body sink. It kills her. ‘Good luck.’

Chapter 39

39

‘I never should have agreed to come on this show,’ Ty says, his face drawn, his hand wrapped around a beer as he leans against the wall in Darcy’s hotel room.