Lies We Tell

40 : Finale

Given the fact that she'd been one of the last people to fall asleep the night before, Zahra should have been upset to be the first one to wake up the next morning. That wasn't the case, however, especially once her sleepy brain had put the pieces together that today was their last day in the Villa, and that by this evening a winning couple would be crowned. The islanders had received a text about it last night after they had washed off the remnants of their prom, and then they'd gone to sleep for the last time in the communal bedroom.

Now Zahra took a moment in the dim lighting to take in as many details as possible– once real life began again tomorrow, she would no longer hear Noah's snoring, Chelsea's morning sneezes, or Lottie's cheerful, "Morning, babes!"

She also wouldn't wake up to Lucas's arms cinched around her waist as they were now.

Her partner had, at some point, managed to pull her body back into his as if he were trying to enmesh them together, and now she could feel everything. To be a tease, she wiggled her hips just slightly and giggled to herself when his hips ground back against hers.

"That's a dirty, dirty trick and you know it," he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. "You know better than to tease something you won't commit to."

"Good morning, hun," she answered soothingly, scooting away just enough that she could roll over to face him. Reaching a hand out, she trailed her fingers over the side of his face. "How'd you sleep?"

His eyes fluttered shut at her tender touch, and his hand came up to cover hers, pressing it into his cheek. "Mm, so good. You?"

She smiled at how relaxed he was. "I slept great."

"Good," he mumbled. He peeked one eye open to study her as best as he could with little light. "How do you feel about it being our last morning together?"

"For now," she corrected him. "You're not getting out of sleepovers that easily."

He was quiet for a moment, carefully opening both of his eyes and letting them adjust. "Are you good with that? Because I'll take as many as I can get."

She nodded, still smiling. "Mhm, works for me. We'll figure it out."

Lucas squeezed her hand that he still held. "Can't wait."

The lights in the room flipped on, then, and in a matter of minutes the rest of the remaining islanders were rolling awake. Like Zahra, it took them all a few minutes to remember how significant today was, but once they did, the bedroom was alight with a flurry of excited movement.

"It's the finale!" Chelsea squealed, smacking Henrik lightly with her pillow. "The finale, babes!"

He was smiling. "I know, I know."

"It's crazy, isn't it?" Shannon called out lazily. She leaned against Noah, her back pressed to his chest and his arms around her torso. "Here we've been on an island for weeks, and now we'll all go home tonight and be back in the real world tomorrow. It's so surreal."

"That's what makes it fun, hun," Lottie chimed in, stretching like a cat from her bed. Gary watched her quietly, still sleepy. "Our lives will never be the same now that people have seen us spill the goss, have way too many drinks, and break some hearts while stealing others." She threw her partner a little wink for good measure.

That made Zahra grimace a little bit. "I'd like for things at work to be calm and chilled, actually," she interjected mildly. "I'd rather not have my summer romance be all the office talk. It's a museum, after all– not much happens there to take away the attention."

Lucas flicked her arm. "'Summer romance'?"

She kissed his cheek. "You know what I mean."

"Great points and all, Zahra, but you're missing the point, babes." Chelsea sat up in bed, then with a wicked grin, tossed her pillow at Zahra's head. "We're still here, and it's still the finale!"