Page 69 of Alice Chen's Reality Check

“Instinct,” I echo.

“Yeah, spur of the moment,” he says. “You ever do something just because? Or is it all bullet points and five-year plans with you?”

“There’s nothing wrong with a solid five-year plan,” I say primly. It’s clear I’m not going to get anything else out of him, so I tug him around to face me, look him in the eye, and say, “Thank you, Daniel.”

I watch as he swallows and looks away, his ears reddening just the slightest bit. “You’re welcome, Alice.”

STORY NOTES FOR EDITORS: “DAWN TAY’S INFERNO: LOVE IS HELL,” SEASON 1, EPISODE 4: THE STORM

[Footage: Dark storm clouds roll over the villa as thunder booms ominously.]

MIKAYLA MOORE:I thought this would be, like, a cute little getaway for me and Trevor, but it’s getting really crazy out there.

[B-roll footage: Heavy winds bend palm trees nearly in half.]

ZYA CLARK:I’m sure most of these girls are too busy worrying about ruining their manicures to get their hands dirty with storm prep, but not me, bitch!

DOMINIC ROSS:That’s what I love about you. You’re just not like the other girls. Hey, think I can carry five of these sandbags at once?

[Footage: Several of the cast work together to make sandwiches.]

[Footage: Contestants move to strategically place buckets under leaks in the roof.]

CHASE DE LANCEY:Guess we should’ve checked the weather, huh? I just want to get back to competing with my girl Selena, but I’m kind of glad this is happening. It’s nice that we’re all coming together now to get through this wild storm.

[Footage: Together, Chase and Alice position a bucket to catch a leak. They smile at each other.]

Chapter Fourteen

Hell Is Having to Make Small Talk

Leah is standing on a ladder with a Stanley cup full of water that she’s slowly pouring onto the floor a few drips at a time. The cameraman focuses on me and Chase as we place a bucket under the “leak.” Lex has a boom mic lowered close to us, presumably to catch the sound of falling water.

Chase asks, “Hey, are you okay after the fireworks? I saw you go down, and I got worried.”

“Oh, yeah,” I say, shoving another bucket under the fake dripping water for lack of anything better to do. “Daniel pushed me out of the way. You don’t have to worry.”

“I’m glad he was there,” he says. Then, after a beat, “I hope you know you’ll always be important to me, Alice.”

“You’ll always be important to me too,” I say, but even as I say it, I can see how in my head I’ve already started to reconfigure our relationship.

The grief and anger I felt when I saw Chase tangled up with Selena is still inside me, but after the talk I had with Chase, it feels muted, almost distant. Here on the island, every day feels like a week because of how much is happening and how much I’m experiencing. Plus I’ve been so busy focusing on selling this relationship with Daniel that I haven’t really had time to think about it all.

Or maybe it’s the sleep deprivation.

I’m spared from having to say more when Dominic and Zya burst into the room, covered in mud.

Leah takes this as a cue to change things up. “All right, let’s move over to the kitchen and show you all, I don’t know, checking the refrigerator? Locking the windows? Just look busy.”

We head into the kitchen, which is a complete mess thanks to our rushed efforts to make “emergency sandwiches.” The power in the villa flickers and then goes out, plunging us into darkness.

“Chase!” Selena comes racing in. She looks around, her eyes wild. “Chase, there you are. What’s going on? Why did the power go out?”

“Ran out of electricity?” Chase shrugs. Selena grips his arm, genuine terror on her face.

Daniel walks in, carrying a box of flashlights and candles. A few of the production assistants and crew members start lighting candles, and soon the room is awash in the warm glow of candlelight. I grab a flashlight and pass another one to Selena.

“Thank god,” she mutters, switching her flashlight on. “I know it’s stupid, but I really, really hate the dark.”

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