Annabelle snickered, and Jack cracked a smile.
‘Chin up, boys,’ Declan said, looking around the table. ‘Stella and Maeve are head over heels for you two. Me and Zoë are sound. We’ve got nothing to worry about.’ At least only the newcomers were at risk of elimination, so that was one less anxiety for the boys.
‘Except for whatever sorts they’re flaunting in front of them,’ Niall said darkly.
Paige called them into the Love Shack one by one to discuss who they were going to pick that night. When Declan arrived, she looked worn down, regarding him with a trepidation that immediately made his stomach twist.
‘Nice to see you,’ she said, with a tight smile. ‘Right, well, have a seat and let’s get through this.’
Declan slumped onto the stool. ‘I’m excited to see the girls back here tonight,’ he said, unprompted, plastering on his signature smile. ‘I’ve missed Zoë; it’s been so boring here without her.’
‘Good,’ Paige said. ‘Say more about what you like about Zoë.’
Declan nodded. ‘Zoë is one of the most wonderful girls I’ve ever met, and our connection was instant.’
‘So you feel confident going into tonight?’ Paige asked.
Declan wasn’t sure what else he could give her. ‘I’m feeling confident about Zoë and I going into tonight,’ he parroted back. ‘We were rock solid when she left. I have no doubt in mymind she’ll come back to me.’ He and Zoë had never explicitly talked about how they would manage this challenge, but sticking together was the best way to win, and he knew she wanted that as much as he did.
‘Perfect,’ Paige said. ‘Thanks a mil. Could you send Oliver in next?’
Declan nodded, relieved to have been released so easily.
He walked out onto the patio, immediately spotting Oliver wedged between Faye and Eavie by the pool. Faye tousled Oliver’s hair affectionately and he shot her one of his devastating smiles. Declan stalked over to them.
‘Paige wants to see you,’ he muttered. Oliver looked up at him, still grinning. Declan searched his face for any trace of what had happened the night before, but Oliver’s expression remained infuriatingly calm.
‘Cool,’ he said, standing and gesturing for Declan to take his spot.
‘God,’ Faye said, looking after him as he walked away. ‘This is weird.’
‘It certainly is unorthodox,’ Eavie agreed. ‘I hope you didn’t feel like I was intruding on your conversation.’
‘Not at all. We’ve got, what, a few hours left before the recoupling? Best to spend as much time as possible with him.’
And Declan was in hell, watching two girls compete for the man he had nearly kissed the night before. ‘I bet the producers would love it if you got catty,’ he said unhelpfully.
Faye raised her fists and put on a fierce expression, taking a mock swing at Eavie, who laughed and swatted her hand away.
‘They won’t get us that easily,’ Eavie said.
The rest of the afternoon passed tensely until finally Paige told them to get ready for the recoupling. Declan had managed to dodge Oliver since sending him to the Love Shack, while simultaneously trying to figure out if Oliver was avoiding him. Itwas almost a relief to be alone together as they picked out their outfits for the night.
‘Green or blue?’ Oliver asked, following the show’s script perfectly and holding two shirts.
He seemed to have decided the best way to deal with what had happened the night before was to forget about it. Declan should have been relieved, should have been ecstatic honestly, since Oliver’s choice kept his secret. Somehow his slip of self-control hadn’t resulted in his sexuality being broadcast to millions of viewers, and yet the only thing he could think about was the fact that Oliver hadn’t smiled at him all day.
‘Green,’ Declan said. ‘It’ll bring out your eyes.’
‘Okay,’ Oliver said, pulling it on.
‘How are you feeling?’ Declan asked, quickly adding, ‘About tonight, I mean. Have you made your decision?’
Oliver stared at him, bottom lip caught between his teeth. ‘I think so,’ he said, nodding slowly. ‘I know who makes me happy.’
‘Right,’ Declan said, his heart beating hard in his chest.
‘You sticking with Zoë?’ Oliver asked, seeming intently focused on cuffing his sleeves.
