Love Island

17. Worth The Risk?

Day 33
Couples:
Asher and Taylor
Faye and Alex
Jodie and Kyle
Liliana and Dougie
Sophie and Shayne
Violetta and Noah
Zoe and James

I've been tossing and turning all night. What am I supposed to do? I'm coupled up with a boy I know I can never be in a relationship with, because my heart still belongs to James. I don't understand why James has to be such a nice guy, if only he acted like a dick after our break up then I would be okay with moving on. But everything he does and says makes me want to be with him again. So that's exactly what I'm going to do.

Noah said he was going to make me a cup of tea, so I go outside to speak with him whilst everyone else is still in the bedroom. I need to be alone with him without everyone listening in. "Hey Noah." I say, catching him off guard.

"Oh, Hey." He smiles, turning around to look at me. "What are you doing out here? I was going to bring this to you."

"I know, but I need to talk to you." I say, taking a seat at one of the kitchen stools.

"This has suddenly got serious." He comments with a slightly nervous expression, sliding me over a cup of tea. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing specific, to be honest." I confess, knowing that what I'm saying doesn't make sense. "Just generally, things aren't working between us. I can't really explain what it is exactly."

"Don't worry." He interrupts. "I've kind of expected this since I chose to couple up with you on my first night here." He explains, but I don't completely understand. "Just tell him."

"What?" I question, my eyebrows furrowed.

"Tell James." He finishes, "you don't look at me the way you look at him. I've been kidding myself this whole time."

"What if he doesn't want to be with me anymore after the way I treated him that night?" I ask, and I'm well aware that it's weird that I'm asking the guy I'm currently coupled up with for advice.

"Don't you think it's a risk worth taking?" He asks, not really needing an answer.

"Thank you, Noah, for everything." I tell him, not sure what else to say. "But why are you being so nice and understanding about all of this? You have every right to get angry with me."

"Violetta, I'm going to let you in on a little secret." He starts, leaning forward and resting both elbows on the work surface of the kitchen. "Every single person in this villa can see that you guys love each other, they've been trying to get you guys back together for weeks. The only people that can't see it are you and James."

"Really? It's that obvious?" I question, embarrassed about how obvious I've been swooning over him. Noah nods his head, confirming it. "In that case, do you think you and the others could help me? If I'm going to get James back, I might as well go all out."

A smile creeps it's way onto his face, "of course I'll help."

~*~

"Ready?" Asher asks, and I nod my head with a wide smile. I've never been more ready for anything. "Perfect." She says, then walks away, leaving me alone by the fire pit.

A few minutes pass, and then I see James walk out into the garden, making his way to the beach hut where Noah told him to go to. But what he doesn't know is that Asher and Jodie are waiting in there with a note for him. A note telling him that the beach hut will always be a special place for us, because that's the place that I let my walls down, the walls I'd spent years building around my heart. Because he's the only person I trusted to let myself be vulnerable with.

Then I see James make his way out of the beach hut and towards the kitchen, and luckily he doesn't see me on his little journey. This time it's Dougie and Liliana who's waiting for him with a note, a note saying that this is the spot that we shared our first kiss. The spot that I knew he was the one for me. I see his reaction to the note this time, and he looks so overwhelmed with happiness. I think there's a chance that we might be able to get back together, and everything can be like it used to be.

At the end of the note it tells him to go to the door to the hideaway, which is where he told me that he loved me for the first time. It should be Taylor and Kyle that gives him the note, if everything is going to plan. And that note tells him that I wish I said it back, that I would give anything to be in that moment and utter the words 'I love you'. And the last thing the note says is for him to go to the fire pit, the place where we chose to recouple time and time again.

He walks back out into the garden of the villa, and smiles when he sees me standing by the fire pit. He jogs over, and stops inches away from me. "What's all this for?" He asks, his smile refusing to fade for even a second.

"Look, I know this isn't a fairy-tale love story or anything. I know there's a long list of reasons why this shouldn't work." I tell him, taking both of his hands in mine, "but somehow it does. Somehow, everything feels right with you and without you by my side, I just feel lost." I take a pause, nervous about what I'm about to say, but then I remember Noah's words. It's worth the risk. But that doesn't stop my voice from shaking as I speak. "Because I still love you." I say, then take a deep breath before continuing. "And I think that maybe you still love me too." He doesn't say anything, he just looks at me, his eyes watering a little. "Please, just tell me that you still love me too."

"Vee," He eventually replies, "I never stopped loving you." And we both start smiling like crazy, then our lips meet for the first time in three weeks. And I instantly know that the risk was worth it, I belong with James and if I couldn't be with him anymore, then there would be no point in me staying in this villa.

I break away from him when I hear cheering coming from behind James. I look up to see everyone standing on the balcony, applauding our little reunion. I laugh at how they're acting, especially Jodie, who's literally jumping up and down and cheering, being as over dramatic as usual.

I turn back to James, who's still smiling, "I'm sorry for everything that happened." I tell him, "I wish these past few weeks never happened and we were together."

"So do I," He replies, "but it got us where we are now, so maybe it was a blessing in disguise."

Then our lips meet once more, and the whole world melts away.