Second Chances

16 - Game Plan.

The sounds of the birds and wildlife around rouses me from my sleep, the nights memories come flooding back. I'd slept alone on the daybeds and only Chelsea had come to check on me, which in a way I was grateful for as I didn't want to talk to anyone. Before she left she just gave me a silent hug then headed back into the villa. I was slightly disappointed that Noah hadn't come out, but he had his new couple in Lexi so I understood.

I lay back down and put my head under the pillow, hiding from the world. A splash in the pool draws my attention out again. I watch as Levi cruises through the water as he does laps. I bite my bottom lip as I watch his back muscles working hard, what I wouldn't give to run my hands along his back.

I jump as someone sits on the bed. I turn and see a tired but big grinned Chelsea besides me.

"Bra! You're up! I've been worried about you, so I told Levi to wake me up when he came out to do his laps. I didn't realise it would be this early though!" She yawns.

I give her a side hug. "What would I do without my bra."

"We won't ever need to find out. Now I need a strong coffee to wake up, you want one?" Chelsea asks.

I nod.

After Chelsea leaves I return my gaze to the pool, but Levi must have gotten out as it was empty. I hear a giggle from the kitchen and see that Chelsea was no longer alone, Levi had joined her and was trying to give her a hug with his wet, naked and strong body.

No don't look at Levi like that! He is a no go!

I rub my face getting up from the bed to join Chelsea and Levi in the kitchen. I act as though I hadn't just been eye fucking her partner and we mess around in the kitchen making an early breakfast together. As time goes by the other islanders make their appearances into the garden and join us. Noah looks nervous as he comes into the kitchen rubbing the back of his neck. Lexi skips her way behind him and pops a grape into her mouth, smiling sweetly.

I put on my brave face. "Morning guys, anyone for a cuppa?"

A few take me up on the offer and I'm glad for the activity to keep me busy and not having to talk about last night, as chatter continues on behind me. I realise I only have one spoon out and need another for the sugar.

Before I have a chance to turn around, a hand with a spoon reaches towards me. Lexi is standing next to me with a nervous look upon her face. "Here, I thought I'd help and perhaps we could chat."

"Oh, sure. Thanks." I say, taking the spoon and scoop up the sugar.

Lexi fiddles with the milk bottle top, as I pour the boiled water into the mugs.

"I'm sorry, for picking Noah without talking with you. I wanted to come and meet you girls first before I decided, but producers had other ideas." Lexi says as she adds milk to the ones I'd added water to.

I cringe awkwardly, as I didn't really want to have this conversation with prying eyes and ears around. "It's okay, it's the name of the game. No harm, no foul."

"It's not okay, I have to apologise as I'm not the girl that I was in my season. I've been working on myself and building relationships with other people, I wanted to start this time round on the right foot and then this happened." Lexi says, genuinely looking bad about it.

I glanced around, noticing Noah was paying attention to the conversation, although he was trying to hide it. I turned back to focus on stirring the drinks, also so that he couldn't see my face. "It really is okay. You did what you were told to do and had to recouple with someone. Unfortunately for me it was my couple that got split up, but I have no issue with you. Get to know him, he is a lovely guy and I'll do my thing and get my flirt on, he isn't the only person I have my eye on."

"Thanks for understanding Luna, I was really nervous about coming back. Then to be thrown in at the deep end, it was tough." Lexi visibly relaxed beside me.

I give her a small smile, asking her to help give out the cups. We head back to the group, divvying up the hot drinks. I sit on the bar stool and cradle my drink in my hands as I watch the islanders disperse into their couples. Lexi takes Noah his drink and they head off towards the firepit.

I still hadn't processed Noah being taken from me, his words echoing through my mind about how certain he was about me; about us. Yet, here I sat alone while everyone else was happy enough within their couples.
I wasn't sure if it was the fact I was alone and watching how everyone else was interacting, but my emotions weren't fully processing everything that had happened.

I hadn't gotten that pang of jealousy when Lexi chose Noah, like I thought I would. I had just closed myself down and ran away. Had I just done that to protect myself or was it my true feelings coming to the surface, I needed to really think about what I wanted.

Thinking back to last night I hadn't felt that jealousy when Noah's name had been called, it was like I was expecting it. I had however felt it when I'd heard AJ's laugh from the terrace, maybe from the unknown of how it was going.

I look around as Bill, Miki, Genevieve and Rohan head off to sit by the pool and AJ and Talia were together chatting on one of the day beds, I couldn't help but let my eyes linger on AJ.
I try to keep my cool on the outside, but inside I really wanted to chat with her. She looks up and gives a small smile, before going back to her conversation.
Had I messed everything up between the two of us completely, had their date gone well and she realises that Talia is the one she really wants.

I needed some sort of a game plan, now that I was single and vulnerable from being dumped from the island. I either needed to fight to get Noah back or I needed to somehow get back in AJ's good graces, or I needed someone new to come in and sweep me off my feet.

The other islanders were no's from me, as good looking as Rohan and Bill were they weren't my type and seemed extremely happy in their situations. Levi and Chelsea were happy, even with the weird kitchen thing he and I had had. He seemed pretty stuck on only having eyes for Chelsea this morning.
Then the only girl I had an interest in, that was a real opportunity I'd managed to screw things up with.
Genevieve and Miki were definitely into only boys, I'm also pretty sure that Lexi was only into guys too. Chelsea was my best friend and that ship had tried to sail on one of our many drunken nights out, we thought it would be so much easier if we ended up together due to our terrible love lives. It's a funny story to look back on, but definitely didn't work.

Whichever way I looked at it, I needed to up my flirting game regardless. Hopefully new people were on their way.