‘Yeah, it does,’ Declan said. ‘But it doesn’t make it your fault. Shechosenot to talk to you.’
‘Yes,’ Oliver said. ‘And I got lost in those hypotheticals for months. If she’d told me, if we could have talked about it… But it’s been almost a year since she left, six weeks since I last spoke to her.’ He made a soft noise in the back of his throat. ‘It’s been nice, in a way, to not rely on her for everything. I guess that waspart of what drew me to the show. I needed to figure out who I was without her.’
‘And I thought you were here to find love,’ Declan deadpanned.
Oliver’s eyes glinted in the sunlight. ‘No, I’ve got ulterior motives,’ he quipped. ‘I’d sell you out in a second.’
Warmth spread through Declan’s chest. ‘And use the money for what?’
Oliver blushed, breaking eye contact. ‘If I get the spot, I’ll need the money to move to New York.’
Before Declan could reply, Oliver cursed, pointing down at the beach. Declan turned to see their group walking out into the cove.
‘We should go,’ Oliver said, and Declan nodded. They stared at each other for a long moment, neither of them wanting to end the brief freedom of being together. The shouts and splashes of the group below spurred them into motion.
They scrambled down the rocks and back onto the path. Before he lost his nerve, Declan pushed Oliver against the boulder, cupped his cheeks in both hands and kissed him deeply. As they pulled apart, Declan paused, trying to memorise the shape of Oliver’s eyes when he smiled.
‘God,’ he groaned, burying his face into the crook of Oliver’s neck and relishing the feeling of Oliver’s hands creeping up his back. ‘I don’t know how I’ll be able to stand not touching you now.’
‘There’s always next Saturday,’ Oliver murmured into his hair.
They stood like that, intertwined, for a moment more before Declan said, ‘Come on,’ and pulled Oliver along. ‘I’ll race you.’
As he turned around, Declan thought he saw a flash of something in the trees. But then Oliver was pulling his hand, and they were off, running along the trail, yelling and goading eachother the whole way to the beach. They were out of breath by the time they reached the group.
‘Jesus,’ Jack said. ‘Where did you two make off to?’
Declan and Oliver collapsed in laughter, high off the endorphins.
‘Got lost,’ Oliver managed to say between deep gasps of breath, smiling at Declan. He couldn’t help but grin stupidly back.
Chapter 19
Declan
Two Weeks until Finale
‘It’s been a bit boring lately,’ Imogen announced a few days later, her heart-shaped sunglasses glinting in the afternoon light.
They were sitting on a daybed, Declan and Imogen on one side and Eavie and Oliver on the other. The picture of two straight couples, though he and Oliver had found a way to arrange their legs so Oliver’s calf brushed his. Small moments of casual contact had become both the best and the most excruciating parts of Declan’s days.
‘Now you’ve gone and jinxed it,’ Eavie said, resting her head contentedly on Oliver’s shoulder. The boys smiled at each other, and Declan pressed more firmly against Oliver’s leg.
The interlude on the hike had made pretending that they were mates in front of the cameras a special form of torture. They had spent the past few days dancing around each other, touching but only in a strictly platonic way, hanging out but not any more than before. It was maddening to stay at arm’s length when Declan woke up every morning to Oliver’s warm body just out of reach, especially now that he knew what it felt like against his own.
‘Woah,’ Imogen said, pointing towards the villa. ‘Maybe I’m magic.’
Declan turned to see Paige making her way over to them. He groaned. ‘Or maybe we’re being surveilled at all times.’
Imogen gave a comical pout. ‘Well, I’m going to continue to think I’m psychic.’
‘I love that for you,’ Eavie said.
‘Hey,’ Paige said. ‘Declan, could you come with me?’
Declan was immediately suspicious. ‘Why?’
‘Zoë wants a word,’ Paige said brightly.
