Her throat instinctively wants to close over, but she knows she can’t stop now. ‘Cancer.’ It’s funny how one word can wipe out all others.

His face drains, his eyes widen. Everything sinks in. ‘No.’ His voice is low. ‘No …’ Disbelief takes over.

Penelope gives him a look of sympathy as she sees him digesting the news, processing what she’s already told him about her mother’s battle, her sister’s fight. How cancer had taken everything. She’d told him it had been like one person fighting an army. That the cancer was unstoppable, that it was always going to win. He’d argued of course. Everyone always did.

His eyes glaze over. At least he knows the truth now, she reminds herself.

Finally some words spill out. ‘You didn’t tell me?’ He’s angry, which doesn’t surprise her. ‘You kept it from me?’ He’s angrier than she first thought.

Penny’s confounded. She’d felt such relief by telling the truth, but she’s quickly filled with regret. She should have kept the lie. Now it’s too late. ‘I’m sorry, Ty. I wanted to spare you the pain.’

He shakes his head in disbelief. ‘You have no idea.’ He buries his head in his hands.

Penny’s hands twist in her lap.

‘Cut!’ Ty stands abruptly, turning to the crew. ‘Cut!’ He’s louder this time. He knocks over a chair, looking as though he wants to punch the wall.

Penny had almost forgotten about the crew, but her eyes glance over to the producer, Darcy, standing next to one of the cameras. Her eyes are wide, her teeth bearing down on her bottom lip as she clearly tries to decide what to do. Penny sees the cameraman look to her, waiting for her to call it.

‘I’m not having this conversation with the bloody cameras rolling.’ Ty’s voice echoes around the room.

‘Yeah, okay,’ Darcy says. ‘Cut.’

Chapter 54

54

‘We got it,’ Darcy murmurs to Ben and immediately feels horrified. How can her first thought be about the footage captured rather than Penny’s death sentence? The phone call she’d received from Drew this morning asking if he could come and get his things from ‘the’ unit, specifically not ‘their’ unit, seems so insignificant now.

Ben had glanced at her from behind the camera, floored by the reveal. Darcy is just as shocked. Penelope hadn’t given any indication that she was sick. Darcy had just assumed she didn’t love him anymore and agreed to make it clear to Ty that they were over for good.