Real(ity) Feelings

Chapter 15

Dianne smiled as she stared off into the distance, her eyes not really focusing on anything in particular, instead just enjoying the feeling of complete happiness and warmth that had come over her the last three weeks. Somehow, she and Joe had made it past the halfway point of Oasis Island - there was only two weeks left, and therefore only two competitions and one new contestant waiting to be introduced.

After Mia, a man named Bobby had entered the house. A spitting image of the other guys, and with an almost identical personality. He had paired with Jasmine, poor Peter getting blindsided by his dark and mysterious model partner. And after Bobby, another woman named Jade had entered - kicking out Quinn, when Jay had felt an "undeniable chemistry" with the new girl - although Dianne suspected he just liked the way "Jay and Jade" sounded together.

Dianne felt a wave of pride run through her as she reminisced on the last few weeks. She hadn't felt tempted or threatened at all by the new arrivals - which she knew, was all thanks to one Mr. Joe Sugg. She had never felt so secure in a relationship before - although they still hadn't technically defined it as such. She felt stronger about the last three weeks with Joe than she felt about all her previous relationships - which automatically qualified him for the title of "boyfriend" - even if that was the term she was only allowing herself to use in her mind.

It was the little things he did, she had realized, that made such a big difference. Like how every morning, he would wake up before her and go make her a coffee, leaving it on the bedside table and slipping back into bed so she could wake up and sip her heavenly caffeine while still wrapped in his arms.

Or the way he talked about "them" as a joint package to everyone in the house. He changed "I" to "we" and "my" to "our" in all his conversations - she blushed remembering one particular instance when the group was gathered around the bar talking about what they'd do once the show wrapped in a couple weeks.

"I'm not sure what we'll do,"Joe had said nonchalantly, "Actually - I think we'll probably go see a movie...comedy, our favorite genre. Eat so much popcorn we feel sick."

The rest of the group had teased him hard for that answer, the way he had looped Dianne into his answer without even realizing. But his willingness to include her when talking about the future is what made Dianne's heart beat faster in excitement.

Dianne jolted upright out of her daydream as she felt a wave of water splash across her face, soaking her and her towel in the process.

"Rude!" she yelled out, taking off her sunglasses to wipe them off and squinting her eyes in the sunlight, realizing it was her charming Joseph that had splashed her.

"Sorry, babe. I just thought you looked a little...hot," Joe winked at her as he turned back around and continued to play Luke in a game of pool basketball.

Dianne couldn't help the smirk that settled on her face as she settled back down onto her towel. That was another thing that Joe did that drove her crazy in the best way. While he was sweet and doting 99% of the time, he would occasionally tease and make overtly flirtatious comments that would catch her off guard and give her goose bumps. Plus, he had started calling her "babe" a week ago and she only slightly hated herself for finding such a generic term of endearment so cute.

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Joe reached behind him to attempt to wrestle Luke under the water, while still keeping his gaze on Dianne's now wet form laying on the lounge chair. He hadn't been able to help it - she had just looked so good laying there with a lazy smile on her lips, clearly lost in her thoughts. And since he had told Luke he'd finish the game, he decided reverting back to elementary school tactics of flirting was the best way to go - so he'd splashed her.