Lies We Tell

35 : Family Matters

The silence in the Villa was disconcerting after the islanders returned their babies at the end of the day. Lottie and Gary had been declared the winners of the challenge with Zahra and Lucas just behind them; poor Chelsea and Henrik had come in last since Bubbly had been broken within moments that morning.

"Who knew steam could do so much damage?" Chelsea had muttered, trying to remember how long Bubbly had been in the bathroom with her and how exposed the doll had been to condensation.

As Lottie and Gary enjoyed their winning prize of a night in the Hideaway, the rest of the islanders took to their beds in the communal bedroom, all far more quiet than usual after their day of unplanned parenthood. For a while Zahra had watched Lucas get comfortable just inches away from her until finally she blinked for too long and was asleep.

It was the soft brush of her partner's fingers along her bare arm that stirred her awake the following morning. With a murmured, indecipherable sound, Zahra rolled back against Lucas in a sleepy daze. "What is it?"

"Sorry," he apologized, but she didn't miss the way he folded his body more closely around hers. "I didn't mean to wake you. I just spaced out."

She relished in the feel of his hand still moving along her arm. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, of course. I was just thinking, that's all."

Zahra fully opened her eyes when the movement of his hand on her skin ceased after he spoke, and a moment later she rolled to face him as gracefully as she could given how sleep-dazed she still felt. "Thinking about what?"

He hesitated. "About how we don't have many more mornings left. Guess I was just trying to soak this all in and got caught up in myself."

His words stuck hard with her, but there was a burning curiosity that she blurted out now without thinking. "Were you watching me sleep?"

To her immense surprise, Lucas's face tinged pink, and her own shock left her speechless. Silent, she watched him try to find the words he needed to redeem himself coolly and saw the relief as it washed over him when Lottie and Gary came breezing into the bedroom. "We're back!"

Bobby tossed pillows into the air in celebration, making everyone but Hannah, who had her pillow jerked away without warning, laugh. "We missed you!"

The room lit up with conversation and a flurry of movement as the islanders began to get up, all of which ruined the oddly sentimental haze Zahra and Lucas had just been wrapped within. She studied him a moment longer, soaking up the sudden warmth that was spreading throughout her chest as he studied her back, before Lottie jarringly tugged on Zahra's legs as a sign for her to get up. "Let's go babes," the mischievous blonde demanded. "I've got goss to spill!"

"Okay!" Zahra laughed at her friend, then sheepishly smiled at her partner. "Looks like-"

"I'll find you later, yeah?" Lucas rolled towards her a bit, close enough to kiss her cheek. "Maybe you can join me for lunch?"

Zahra smiled. "I'd love that."

If she was being totally honest, she wanted to spend her whole morning and lunch with Lucas, but she knew time with her friends was just as precious as time with him. This experience would be over soon, and finding time for all her girls would be so hard-

"Zahra!" Lottie heaved her out of bed and pushed her down the hall, giggling when Zahra nearly bounded into Bobby, who was just around the corner. "Whoa!"

"Sorry, Bobby!"

Sparing the baker no second glance, Lottie tugged Zahra up to the dressing room. It was impossible to miss Lottie's growing nerves and agitation the closer to the dressing room they got.