Books & a Baller

Welcome Back - Day 24

Noah

Gary and I were sitting in the kitchen, the other guys were milling around on the lawn and we were waiting for the girls to come back to start the welcome back party. We'd gotten a text when Gary and Cara, and Priya and Elijah got back from the second round of dates, saying the girls had won the heart rate challenge last night, and their prize was a cocktail making class on the hideaway terrace.

"So, what did Priya want with you, bruv?" Gary asked, with a slight hint of humour in his voice.

"Mate, she's a piece of work that one." I shook my head at him.

"She's really into you then?"

"I don't know, it could be all an act to get in a couple before the end, now that she's seen Cara with Nathan, she's assumed I'm fair game." I shrugged.

"And you're not?"

"Of course not Gary, you know me. I'm so fucking in love with that girl, but I can't force her to be with me. If she wants to be with that, twat, then there's nothing I can do about it."

"Don't say that, don't give up on her mate. She loves you too, yeah? You can see it, the fucking world can see it, the way she looks at you, I've never seen anything like it."

"Then what the hell is she doing with, him?" I waved my hand in the direction of Nathan, who was laughing with the others.

"He got in her head. She listens to him, and for some reason she believes what he says."

"How can she? He's lied to her so many times, why can't she see him for the wanker thank he is?" I rested my elbows on the table, and held my head in my hands.

"It doesn't matter what he's said, I took her on that date today for a reason, yeah?"

"And what reason was that?"

"I told her that I saw it all with my own eyes, when the girls were at Casa Amor. I saw what happened mate, and I told her that you were being totally honest with her."

I sat up a little straighter at this, my hands dropped from my face and I turned to look at him.

"And what did she say?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? What do you mean nothing?"

"I mean nothing mate. But the look her on face, it said everything. She fucking loves you, and I could tell she wanted to believe in you, I could see her mind spinning. She's realised Nathan lied."

"So, where does that leave me?"

"You swoop, bruv. You swoop."

A chorus of whoops and cheers pulled my attention away from Gary as the girls made their way back into the main villa, the DJ took this as the signal to start the party, and music started pumping through the speakers. I watched as Cara made her way straight to Nathan's side, and snaked an arm around his waist, she giggled as he dipped her back, and kissed her. The smile on her face made me sick. If Gary had told her the truth, why wasn't she going off at him right now? She's acting like nothing's happened.

Since the 'Welcome Back' party had officially started, I needed a drink. I walked over to the bar and poured myself a scotch on the rocks. I knocked it back, and poured another one as Gary got up and wandered over to get himself a beer.

"She knows the truth now, bruv. It'll just take a little time for her to process it, and then you'll get your girl." He clasped a strong hand to my shoulder, before getting whisked away by Lottie.

I sighed, and leant back against the bar, watching the others as they started to swirl around the dance floor, Shannon and Rahim, my other party avoiders sidled up next to me, I poured them both a scotch, Rahim on the rocks, Shannon neat. It was one of the things I liked about her, she wasn't into the fancy shit, the girly shit, she was like one of guys. She was a great match for Rahim, and it felt good to see him happy.