Love Island

Chapter 44 - Four is a Crowd

The producers prohibited our access to alcohol by locking up the bar. Dozens of liquors and red wine bottles were stashed in lower cabinets. A small lock hung on the top of the mini-fridge built into the cabinetry, preventing our consumption of white wines and chilled drinks. They were going to make sure this dumping was as painful as possible.

The dumping drew nearer, and the Islanders could feel it. Tensions built in the girls' dressing room as absentminded girls bumped into each other and rapidly untangled their hair. I had a bowling ball sitting in my stomach as I took my place at my vanity. My outfit for the evening was a white bell-bottom romper with halter straps that tied behind my neck. I watched myself in the mirror as I attempted to make the bow as perfect as possible, not too big, and not too stringy. Once my feat had been accomplished, I moved on to making my face TV-ready. It was the most makeup I'd done all season, with a full face and a smokey eye. I'd just finished rolling mascara onto my lashes when Polly squeaked from her vanity.

Like the very first recoupling, her hands were shaking so badly, she couldn't put on her eyeliner. "Is anyone free to help?" she asked.

I misted my face in setting spray and stood from my vanity. "I'm coming, Polly."

"Phew, thank you!" Polly sat down on her hands to make them stop shaking. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm so nervous."

"Don't worry, Polly. America loves you and Lucas together," I comforted her.

Polly bit down on her lip. "I hope that's still true. What if they liked him better with Julie?"

I looked around at the other girls who had stopped prepping to look over in disbelief. "I don't think anyone thinks that," I said.

"I'm right here!" Julie called from her vanity.

"You like Gray now, though. You can't claim Lucas anymore," Peach reminded her bitterly.

"Don't be envious, sweetheart. Green's not a good color on you," Julie smiled snarkily and returned to the purple nail polish sitting in front of her.

I rolled my eyes and returned my attention to Polly. Her liquid eyeliner was easy to hold in my hand and I instructed her to relax her face as I carefully swooped two lines close to her lashes, then gave her little wings.

Peach ran a comb through her hair. "Whatever happens tonight, I love all you guys. We're sisters now. I care about every one of you."

"Thanks, girl. That's real sweet," Abby smiled as she braided her hair into two pigtail braids.

A soft knock came from the bedroom door. After a verbal invitation, Charlie stepped into the room. He looked incredibly handsome, with a striped white shirt tucked into blue trousers. "Maddie, are you ready?"

"Yeah, I can be." I handed Polly back her eyeliner and smoothed out my outfit. Charlie waited until I had stepped out into the hallway, then closed the door behind us.

"You look great," he smiled and held out his arm for me to take. "Shall we?"

"Yes?" I laughed and held onto his arm. "Where are we going?"

"I think we should have a chat before the dumping, you know. Make sure we're on the same page and all that." Charlie led me down the hallway to the top of the stairs and held me carefully as we descended. He watched my heels on every step. We exited the villa and walked out into the garden. Charlie pulled a daybed out from beneath a palm tree and invited me to cuddle. He laid on his back and me on my side, one arm wrapped over his torso as we watched the stars sparkle and revolve around us.

"I don't think we'll be going home tonight," Charlie whispered to me.

"Why's that?"

"Because... I've waited so damn long for a moment like this. I'm going to be kinda pissed if this gets taken away." Charlie smiled and then looked down at me with eyes glowing from lit tiki torches.