‘Yes,’ Declan said. ‘She’s all I want.’
Oliver looked up at that, opening his mouth like he might say something, and Declan panicked, turning to the mirror. He glanced at Oliver in the reflection, willing him to leave it alone.
‘Five-minute warning!’ Brian called over the speakers, and Declan was relieved for the out.
When the contestants had gathered, Paige went over some final details. The boys would be making their decision first, to stay coupled up or choose one of the new girls. Then they’d bring in the girls from the rival villa, who would either walk in alone, having chosen to stay with their man, or arm in arm with their new beau.
Darcy stepped out onto the patio wearing a mod vinyl white dress and silver go-go boots, her platinum hair piled into a gravity-defying beehive.
‘Hello, lovelies,’ she cooed, in a surprisingly good mood for what was sure to be an extra-long shoot. ‘I hope you’ve all prepared for a night of drama.’
Declan shot an amused look at Oliver, but his eyes were on the girls lining up in front of them. Paige, whispering into her headset, gave Darcy a cue, and Darcy clapped her hands excitedly.
‘Let’s get started!’ She turned to the boys. ‘At leasttryto make it interesting, won’t you?’
Niall went first. ‘Well, I had a lot of fun getting to know these girls over the past few days, but my heart was won a long time ago. And it’s the most real and rare thing of my life. So the girl I’d like to couple up with is… Stella.’
Darcy looked bored as the cameraman captured everyone’s reactions. ‘Great, moving on.’
Jack’s speech had more intrigue, since he and Maeve were never officially coupled up.
‘I’m choosing this girl because she’s the most incredible woman I’ve ever met. She keeps me in my place, and God knows I need that. These few days apart have killed me, and I can only hope she still feels the same. So the girl I’d like to couple up with is… Maeve.’
Annabelle and Amelia grabbed each other’s hands and gave wobbly smiles.
‘You both are lovely girls though!’ Jack said, apologetic.
‘Oh, Jack!’ they said in unison.
‘God, I love twins,’ Darcy said, staring at them. ‘Always makes for good TV.’
Declan suppressed an eye roll.
Next was Oliver. ‘Try to get a shot of him with both girls in the foreground,’ Darcy directed. The two girls looked sideways at each other, and Declan saw Eavie mouthgood luck.
Declan finally allowed himself to glance over at Oliver, only to find him staring back. He tried to smile encouragingly, but Oliver was already turning to the cameras.
‘Over the past few days, I’ve felt a connection with two girls in particular.’ At this, Oliver looked between Eavie and Faye. ‘This is the hardest decision I’ve had to make.’ He paused, and Declan saw Darcy twirl her finger in a cue to wrap it up. ‘The girl I’d like to couple up with, I felt like I knew instantly. I choose… Eavie.’
Declan realised he’d been dreading Oliver picking either girl, so he found himself oddly relieved it was done with. Eavie took Oliver’s hand and he dropped a kiss to her cheek. Declan turned away to see Faye looking crestfallen. He thought he knew exactly how she felt.
‘Oh, that’s perfect,’ Darcy said, gesturing for a cameraman to get a better angle of Faye. ‘All right, Declan, your turn.’
Declan cleared his throat, ‘Right, well, what can I say, I’m loyal to the bone. These girls are amazing, but there’s only one woman I want to be with right now. It took her being gone for a few days for me to realise how much I care for her. I pick Zoë.’
Darcy smiled and turned to the three remaining girls. ‘Ladies, you have not been chosen by any of our boys. Please pack your things and go.’
Faye, Annabelle and Amelia filed out with small waves. There were no touching goodbyes – it was time to find out who the girls had chosen.
Declan, Jack and Niall stood in front of the firepit as Darcy considered them.
‘Boys,’ she said solemnly, ‘the three of you have chosen to stay true to your girls, and it’s time to see if they feel the same… Butfirst, let’s see how the single girls picked! Holly, Imogen?’ Darcy called. ‘Come and take a seat.’
The two girls filed in, each with a new boy on their arm.
‘Here we have Holly and the lovely Owen, who made a surprise reappearance in the other villa. And Imogen and Rhys.’
Holly grinned at the boys as she stepped up to the firepit, a familiar Irishman beside her. Imogen followed with her new man.
