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i'd been sitting down at the vanity, jana was braiding my hair as a commotion started downstairs. liv opens up the door to the balcony, walking to the edge as she asks what's going on. she yells in the beauty room, "rob got a text!" jana gathers my hair, helping me walk with her as we gather around liv. rob reads off his phone, "islanders, tonight there will be a recoupling. the boys will choose and the girl not picked will be dumped from the island. #theboyismine #getittogether" the girls let out a gasp, looking nervously at each other as we make our way back inside.
jana settles me back into the chair, putting the finishing touches on my hair before securing the braid. i grab her hand quickly before she walks away, pulling her into a hug. "it's gonna be okay, i promise" i tell her quietly, giving her a smile as she returns to her seat. i can hear the other girls speaking, but i don't really know what they're talking about. "i haven't talked to him" leah says, i realize they're referring to miguel. "yeah, you've been pretty busy." jana snarks quietly, not wanting to cause a scene, but leah hears her. serena and i share a look as leah's voice raises with irritation. i get dressed, trying not to get involved in another argument between my close friends.
serena and i head downstairs first, trying to distance ourselves from the drama. "leah's wrong for that" i tell her, my voice laced with disappointment over her behavior. "yeah, and i don't even think she likes him, i think she's just scrambling after kendall recoupled." serena says, her tone pensive as we make our way over to the boys. rob pulls me into his arms as i reach them, tucking me against his chest as the boys chat. after the other girls have made their way downstairs, we pass out glasses of champagne and share a toast.
rob and i settle in the beanbags, looking over the villa as islanders pull each other for chats. the energy in the villa is charged, nerves flowing off of people and saturating the air. "who do you think is going home?" i ask rob, my own nerves bleeding into my voice as i worry for my friends. "andrea" rob replies, his tone confident as he looks around. everyone has pulled someone to chat, andrea is looking around with a tense frame as she sits alone. on one hand, i feel bad for her, but the reason she hasn't made connections is because of her vile behavior.
i watch with peaked interest as both miguel and hakeem pull jana for a chat. as much as i dislike hakeem's attitude, i could see him and jana having a good connection. miguel is very attractive, but he's been loud about wanting to explore all his options. i don't think jana deserves that, nor do i think she would willingly put herself in a position like that. she deserves someone committed to her entirely, but i don't think like he's here yet. i truly think jana is the most open to finding love, and i hope whoever she finds a connection with matches her energy.
"i got a text!" kordell shouts, waiting until we've gathered around him to read it. "islanders, please head to the fire pit immediately. #closingtime" i grab rob's hand, walking to the front with a calm confidence flowing through me. it hits me that i never have to worry about recoupling again, our closed off status allowing the nerves to melt away completely. the boys take a seat across from us, their faces covered with various emotions. rob meets my eyes, his gaze calm as he sends me a sweet smile.
it was now time to start the recoupling, aaron receives the first text. he stands, sharing some sweet words before choosing a giddy kaylor. she races towards him, pulling him into a kiss as they sit back down. next up was kendall, his voice full of warmth as he chooses nicole. they also share a kiss before she pulls him over to the couch. next is rob, reading his text before he stands. he takes a breath, sending me a smile as he starts, his voice steady as he speaks directly to me.
"i'd like to couple with this girl because she's had my attention from the beginning. we've had some trials between us, but every situation has allowed us to come together stronger. she's on my mind from the second i wake up until i fall back asleep, even then she's wrapped in my dreams. i don't deserve her, but i'll spend every single day proving that she made the right choice by picking me. she makes me a better person, bringing light and happiness into my life. so obviously, the girl i'm going to couple with is rory."
by the end of his speech, my eyes have filled with happy tears. the other islanders cheer as i make my way to him, reaching up to pull him into a sweet kiss. we sit down, rob pulling me close as he wraps his arm around me. connor is up next, causing jana, serena and i to roll our eyes as he throws jabs at jana before he remarks, "this was not a hard decision." i wince, looking at jana as she recovers, her voice soft as she calls him out, "that was rude." he completely ignores her, choosing to couple up with leah.
miguel is next, surprising us all as he chooses liv. she stares at him, confused before she makes her way over to him. they share a hug before sitting down, liv looking over to me with raised eyebrows. i shrug, my attention drawn away as hakeem receives his text. he looks between the remaining girls, andrea, with a haughty smirk, jana who is sporting a knowing smile and serena, who stands confidently despite the pressure. he shares some sweet words, surprising me at the gentle tone in his voice before he picks jana. i clap enthusiastically, happy that he seems to appreciate how amazing she is.
tension settles back over the villa, the silence stretching as we wait for kordell to receive the final text. once he does, he stands, holding serena's gaze as he speaks about how happy he is with their connection. the inevitable seems to register with andrea, who once again breaks into hysterics as he chooses serena. they share a kiss, lost in their own world as they sit down. the islanders and i share awkward glances as andrea receives a text. her voice hiccups as she reads out, "andrea, you are single and therefore dumped from the villa. you have thirty minutes to pack your bags and say your goodbyes. #gonegirl"
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we make our way upstairs, trying to give andrea a wide berth as she pulls nicole for a chat. i change quickly, heading to the bathroom to do my nightly hygiene routine. after i finish, i hurry to the bedroom, snuggling into rob as the rest of the villa files in. i fall asleep quickly after the lights turn off, as if a weight has been removed from my shoulders. just before i'm completely out, i register rob pressing a warm kiss to my neck, his voice trickling in, "dream of me."
