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the girls and i shower first, getting in together to quickly clean ourselves off. i allow the hot water to relax my muscles, preparing myself for the drama of the evening. i enter the beauty room, picking through my closet as i select my clothes for tonight. after i change, i sit down at the vanity, watching as the other girls finish getting ready. "are you gonna chat with connor?" i ask leah, watching as she fluffs her hair out. she nods, a thoughtful look crossing her face, "yeah, i think so. he took the challenge pretty hard, but i think if he would have kept his mouth shut, it would have been a lot easier on him."
i nod, agreeing with her words, "he knows what's going on, all you can do is be honest about how you're feeling." she promises she will, wrapping her arm around mine as we head downstairs. the boys are waiting for us, letting out whistles as we reach the bottom of the steps. i give leah a hug, smiling as i make my way towards rob. "you look very handsome" i whisper, stepping into his arms as i tilt my head for a kiss. he connects our lips in a warm kiss, sparks racing down my spine as his hands trace my body.
"you look stunning, sweet girl" he coos against my skin, leaving a sweet kiss against my neck. i smile at him, a blush covering my freckled cheeks as we regroup for tonight's toast. i lean against rob, melting into his strong body as we chat with the other islanders. eventually, i notice leah and connor breaking off, making their way to the other side of the villa. i catch the eyes of kaylor and liv, giving rob a kiss before we make our way to the daybeds. "something is gonna happen tonight" liv says, her voice threaded with tension as she looks around. "it's gonna be okay, liv." i soothe, trying to ease her mind.
we chat for a few more minutes before they decide to head back up to the beauty room. i follow, trying to be supportive as anxious energy flows off of them. they're sitting down at the vanity when movement from below catches my eye. i stiffen slightly, taking in the closeness of nicole and miguel as they sit on the dock. i turn towards the girls, my eyes finding liv as i decide how best to bring this to her attention. "come take a picture with me, please" i say, my eyes locked with liv's as she processes the tension on my face. they hurry over, crowding around me just as miguel leans in to kiss nicole.
i grab liv's hand, my grip firm as she looks down at me. "did you know they were talking?" i ask, shock bleeding into my voice. "i know he's keeping his options wide open, but no, i didn't know they were close." her voice is irritated but not surprised. i nod my head, unsure of how to bring her comfort in this moment. we watch as they part ways, nicole heading up the stairs. i head to the vanity, shoulders rigid with tension as nicole enters the room. her face is flushed, her lips swollen slightly as she fixes her makeup. "what's going on?" liv asks, her voice cracking through the silence of the room.
i look between the two girls, hoping that nicole will own up to what happened. "something's going on and i know it's going on" liv continues, her voice raised with irritation as nicole cuts her off. "i had a really good chat with miguel." nicole's voice is calm, not giving anything away as she looks at the blonde. "that's it?" liv asks, her words hiding her thoughts as they look at each other. "we kissed" nicole admits, anxiety lacing her voice as she looks around. "oh" kaylor whispers, looking between them with raised eyebrows.
"i wanted to tell you first, because you're my girl. i don't know, this is really hard to navigate." nicole adds, her voice pleading slightly as she looks to liv for reassurance. i stay silent, offering liv my support as i wait for her to respond. "i haven't told anyone else, so maybe don't" nicole says, her hands motioning to keep this between us. liv nods slightly, "i'm not going to run down there and say anything." we head downstairs, sounds of fighting draw my attention as i see jana and hakeem arguing. i shake my head slightly, looking for rob before i make my way towards him. i greet the guys, smiling as i sit in rob's lap, his arms wrapping around me as he pulls me closer.
i check in with the guys, asking about how they feel in their couples and giving advice where i can. our conversation cuts off as the boys go silent, their attention drawn to the entrance of the villa. i turn, confused as to what's happening when i see ariana, her eyes twinkling with mischief. her voice carries through the villa, "sorry to interrupt but i have very important news to deliver. please join me at the fire pit." gasps ring out, the islanders whispering as we head that way. i grab rob's hand, his presence a soothing balm to the tense energy in the villa.
ariana greets miguel, before she explains why she's here. "well islanders, i have some very big news for you. america has been voting for their favorite couple. someone from the bottom three couples will be at risk, and vulnerable." everyone has the same reaction, pure shock. "will you all please stand up?" ariana asks, us hesitantly doing so. "i'm now going to reveal the four couples who are safe, and will continue their time on love island. liv and miguel, as miguel has only recently entered the villa, you both are immune to the public vote. you are both safe and can sit down." they share a hug, dropping onto the sofa with relieved expressions.
"in no particular order, the first couple safe is serena and kordell. congratulations, please take a seat. the second couple safe is rory and rob. congratulations you two, please take your seats." her words echo through my head, my ears ringing slightly as rob gently pulls me to sit down. ariana continues, "the last safe couple is kaylor and aaron. congratulations, you may take a seat." my relief is short lived as i see jana and leah are both standing. "nicole and kendall, jana and hakeem, leah and connor. you have the least votes and are now vulnerable." ariana's words crack through the villa. the emotions are a heavy weight, smothering me as we wait for ariana to continue.
"tonight, someone will be leaving the villa, and it's up to your fellow islanders to decide." ariana says, causing the emotions to break free. my eyes water, tears slipping down my face as i look between my new family. "please don't make us do this" liv pleads, her voice cracking as she looks at ariana. ariana looks at us sadly, "please come together and choose who will be leaving the island." i tuck my face into rob's neck, trying to tune out the conversation as the other islanders whisper to each other. after a few minutes, ariana addresses us again, "okay islanders, time is up. who will be leaving the villa?" i hold my breath as serena and kordell stand. serena takes a deep breath, her voice wavering slightly as she speaks.
"we have chosen to dump this person based off their interactions here in the villa. this was a group decision, but it was not an easy one. the person we have decided to dump from the island is hakeem." my breath rushes out of my lungs, my shoulders relaxing although i am sad to see him leave. all of the girls are crying now, feeling the weight of the decision as we look at hakeem. "unfortunately, it is the end of the road for you, hakeem. you have thirty minutes to pack your belongings and say goodbye" ariana says before she makes her way out of the villa.
i give hakeem a hug, whispering my apologies as i wish him well. "it's alright, rory. i'll see you on the outside" he whispers, patting my head affectionately before he moves onto the other islanders. rob pulls me into a hug as we watch him leave, the energy of the villa somber as everyone gets ready for bed. i change into pajamas, brushing my teeth before i make my way into the bedroom. sleep finds me quickly, washing away the stress of the evening.
