𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕘𝕒𝕞𝕖

glue the glass

"But, it is the end of the road for Andrea and Hakeem. You guys have 30 minutes to pack your bags and say your goodbyes. The rest of you, I will see you soon. Goodbye for now."

As soon as Ari left Maia stood up and walked over to Andrea. "I am so sorry." Andrea nodded and hugged her. "I hope you know there was nothing behind that. You and I have had so many good days under the sun. It hurt my heart to have to send you home, not only for you but for Rob." She whispered to her as she cried. "I'm so so sorry." She said before she pulled away.

Maia hugged Nicole as well and then just felt so alone. Somehow she got the brunt of everyone's anger. Maia sat on the planters and just sat with her head in her hands.  Leah grabbed her hand and helped her up as they walked away. "It's not even just everyone being mad at me. It's the way I found out Miguel kissed Nicole."

Leah rested her head on Maia's shoulder. "I'm sorry babe." Leah apologised. "It's fine." She said feeling numb. "Thank you for keeping me." They saw JaNa crying. "NaNa, you don't need to apologise." Liv said straight away.

"We didn't just choose you because you're our friend. You play this game just like we're supposed to-"

"That what I said."

"-You put us first and that is why we chose you. You have been dealt some shit men and you deserve to be here just like everyone else. All of us will stand by that."

~~~

They had all gone up to the dressing room where Maia was in her chair trying to calm down. "They hate me." JaNa said. "They don't hate you JaNa, they hate us. More specifically me." Maia tried to calm her down.

"Like there's a time and a place–" Nicole started, "But they weren't picking the girl, and they made all of you guys feel like – thats a fucked decision no matter who you pick."

Maia hummed in agreement. "And, yeah, it's shitty. Yeah, you didn't like it. But you didn't have to make the decision, so shut your fucking mouth." Liv went off. "Exactly. It didn't matter who we choose, we don't deserve to be spoken to like that. And they shouldn't have gone off you Maia." Serena added.

Andrea walked in and Maia just felt the guilt eating her alive. "I'm so sorry Andy." She told her. Maia didn't know what to do. She felt numb as they walked down, hand in Leah's. She just watched as she watched her former best friend kiss his lover goodbye.

"I can't believe that just happened." Maia pinched her bridge.

"That decision was so hard for all of us. We didn't want to send anyone home. I knew when I sat there that this would be received badly, but for it all to be aimed at me? I didn't-" she cut herself off with a groan.

~~~~

"Are you going to talk to him?" Leah asked Maia who sat in the barstool. "I shouldn't be the one pulling him." Maia told her. "I asked for one thing Leah; one thing." She held up a single finger. "If he wants to talk he'll pull me."

"How are you feeling about Rob?" Leah changed the subject. "He hates me." She sighed surely. "Oh babe," Leah came around and hugged her, "He hates me for sending her home. He acts like if i said no she would just be out of the running. And fucking Aaron, like you're sitting here crying over your best friend wanting to leave to go with his connection, and then is spinning back around on me saying this is 'Love' Island not 'Friendship' Island. The shoe fits, strap that bitch on." She said in full seriousness but Leah started laughing. "Can we talk?" She turned to see Miguel wrapped in a towel.

Maia just stood up and gestured her hand out. "Are you okay?" Miguel asked when they sat in the sun lounger. Maia chuckled incredulously. "Spectacular." She answered sarcastically. He sighed. "No it's fine honestly. It's early days. You have the right to kiss on whomever you like. I'm hurt that I had to find out the way I did, but that's the game isn't it. We can't get everything we want."