Love Island

Chapter 7 - Movie Night

Peach and I ran into the kitchen and began filtering through the pantry and cabinets, pulling out snacks and bowls. Peach put a pan on the stove and started shaking popcorn kernels into the skillet. I filled one bowl with pretzels and another with plain chips.

"What movie should we watch?" I asked Peach.

She looked back at me from her position at the stove. "I don't know. I was thinking Disney, but I'm sure the boys will probably want to watch a comedy. Like Step Brothers or something." The kernels began to burst out of the pan with loud pops.

"Peach, you have to put the lid on!" I laughed as she scrambled to fit the lid on the top of the pan. Seconds later, the rest of the kernels began to explode. Peach grabbed one of the stray kernels from the counter and flicked it into her mouth.

"It's pretty good," she said. "Are you excited to get a little snuggle time with Blake?"

I smiled bashfully. "Yeah, I guess. What he said at the recoupling was really sweet, actually. I had my doubts initially, but I think we could go all the way. Like, dating outside of Love Island."

"Aw, Mads! That's amazing," she cooed. Peach emptied the first batch of popcorn into the large bowl, and I began splitting it up into eleven smaller bowls. "That's a big deal for sure. I'm still figuring out Charlie. He's one of the sweetest, funniest guys I've ever met. He's a great guy, I just want to make sure he's my great guy."

"I feel ya," I said and helped her prepare the second batch of popcorn.

"Hey, why do you think we get along so well?" Peach asked, looking up at me.

"It's because we're both from the midwest. We're like magnets to each other," I joked.

Peach laughed, throwing her head back and letting the dark strands slide behind her shoulders. "That's too great! We really do find each other. You can always tell when someone's from the midwest or Canada, they're usually super nice. I grew up in a Chicago suburb where everyone was kind and friendly. If someone bumped into you at the grocery store, they gave you thirteen apologies. Then I got a job downtown, and the road rage is unbelievable!"

"Same thing with Indy! Except it depends on the suburbs. If you go too far north into Carmel, you'll find the rich snobs." I sneered as I straightened the bowls, then walked to the fridge to fill up my water bottle.

"I've been to Carmel! Never talked to anyone, but the houses were freaking amazing," Peach said. The last of the kernels finished popping, and she dumped the contents into the large bowl once again. She placed the pan on the stove to cool off and then began helping me divvy up the popcorn into the bowls.

A stampede of footsteps came rushing down the stairs. It sounded like someone had released a herd of wildebeest in the villa. They stomped their hooves and bellowed their cries as they rammed against the walls, wreaking havoc on the peace. The boys appeared in the kitchen and looked around.

"It smells amazing in here," Eli commented.

"We just came down to make food for the girls," Charlie said, stepping in closer to get near Peach.

"Yeah, we didn't think you two would be done so quickly," Blake said. "Don't girls take forever to get ready?"

"Well, getting ready for bed is different from getting ready for a hot date," I smiled at him as he neared and wrapped his arm around my waist in the familiar hold I'd come to adore.

"You look stunning either way," Blake said, pressing a tender kiss to my cheek. The boys cooed and heckled until Blake was forced to step away from me. "Easy, fellas."