‘This should be the easiest one so far for you. Eavie’s a sure thing.’
‘Yeah. I’m grand, just typical nerves.’
Brian poked his head through the door. ‘Ready, lads? The ladies have you beaten this evening.’
Darcy was already beside the firepit when they walked out, lecturing Paige. The women were lined up next to the couch, and Eavie flashed Oliver a smile as he approached.
‘Sorry,’ Paige said, having seemingly been dismissed as Darcy’s attention moved to her phone. ‘I’m ready. Brian, you’ve prepped the new folks?’
‘Yes,’ Brian said, chest puffing out slightly, as though doing his job was a great feat indeed.
‘Roll,’ Darcy said in a bored voice, stashing her phone.
Oliver hardly listened to the first few speeches, his eyes boring into Imogen, trying to figure out what she was thinking. She had been interested in Declan from the moment she walked into the villa, but he doubted it would be enough for her to choose him over Rhys, who probably hadn’t hit on another woman in front of her. He kept trying to meet her eye, but she wouldn’t look at him, staring straight ahead with an annoyingly serene air.
‘Eavie,’ Darcy said, snapping Oliver out of his reverie. Eavie was frowning at him in confusion, he supposed because he’d been staring at a different woman throughout the whole recoupling.
‘The boy I’m choosing to couple with is just the sweetest. He says I remind him of his best mates, and he already feels like one of mine. I’m choosing to couple up with… Oliver.’
The ringing in his ears got louder. He tried to remind himself to smile, but it felt impossible to get his muscles to obey.
‘Oliver,’ Darcy said loudly, looking at him as though he was thick. ‘Could you walk over to Eavie?’
‘Right,’ he said. He focused on Eavie’s face, putting one foot in front of another, not letting himself look back at Declan.
When he reached her side, she pulled him into a hug, whispering, ‘Nerves?’
He gave a slight nod before sliding onto the couch, facing the two remaining boys, Declan and Rhys. Declan was staring at Oliver in a way that made it difficult to breathe. He tried to present a calm front, but he knew his face was probably anything but helpful at the moment.
‘Imogen,’ Darcy was saying. ‘You have the final choice of the night. Will it be Declan or Rhys?’
Imogen gave a satisfied, cat-like smile. ‘Tonight, I am pleased to be choosing a boy who is clever, handsome and everything I could hope for in a boyfriend. I hope that’s what he’ll be one day. Tonight, I’m choosing to couple up with… Declan.’
Everything around Oliver froze for a moment, and then Declan smiled wide. He walked over to Imogen and embraced her, looking so at ease that Oliver considered that he had imagined their earlier panicked glances. He caught Imogen’s eye over Declan’s shoulder and she winked.
After Rhys’s departure, the contestants were allowed to file back into the villa. Declan came up beside Oliver, slapping him on the shoulder. The brief touch snapped Oliver out of his reverie.
‘All right?’ he asked, as Declan’s eyes met his.
‘’Course,’ Declan said. ‘Were you worried?’
Oliver heard a quiet cough and turned. Paige was standing behind him, bright eyes trained on the space between the two men. ‘Oliver, could I pull you for a chat?’
Oliver groaned. ‘It was too much to hope for sleep this early, I suppose.’ He glanced at Declan. ‘See you later, King.’
‘Looking forward to it,’ Declan said, nodding to Paige and continuing down the hall.
When they entered the Love Shack, the red light was already on. Oliver slid onto the stool. ‘Hit me.’
Paige raised her eyebrows. ‘You looked stressed during the recoupling – did you think there was a chance of you being dumped?’
‘Well… there’s always a chance. And you know how I get, I never feel safe.’
She nodded. ‘But things are going well with Eavie?’
Oliver had prepared for this question. ‘Things are great. I like Eavie a lot. I know I’ve had a tough go of it, but I feel like I’ve found my person now.’
‘So, how did you feel about Declan flirting with her on your date?’ Paige asked.
