The Sun in My Eyes

13 Need the Sun to Break

"We're chatting," Lili said, looking a little confused. "Would you like to join us?"

Marisol shifted her stance and her expression softened. "You are so sweet. But Hannah got the bedtime text. We're all headed inside."

Bobby sighed, irritated. "We were just finishing up."

"Okay, see you inside." Marisol kissed his cheek and walked away.

He sighed as he stood and offered Lili his hands. Her fingers curled around his wrists and he pulled her up out of the beanbag. For a moment she didn't let go and he didn't pull away. Aware that they weren't the only people still out on the lawn, he stepped back and gave her an apologetic look.

"Maybe we could talk tomorrow morning? Dance party?"

She nodded. "It's a...it's a plan. But I'm not going in quite yet."

He walked toward the villa and peeked over his shoulder. Lili sauntered to Noah, who stood in the garden, looking tall and broody. His smile lit up as she approached. Lili said something and Noah stepped closer to her and laughed-honest-to-god-laughed.

He didn't even know Noah could do that.

Several people bumped by Bobby on their way into the villa, so he turned and went inside without looking back again.

Noah. Hmm.

While he brushed his teeth, Marisol gargled with mouthwash and spit it into the sink beside his. "Lili's handling everything like a champion, isn't she?" she asked quietly.

Bobby nodded as he kept scrubbing.

"I can't decide if she's not bothered or if she's just really good at hiding her feelings." She put the lid back on the mouthwash. "She'll have to take someone away now, just like Priya if she doesn't want to get dumped." Her arms crossed over her chest. "You two seem to get on."

He spit out the toothpaste and rinsed his mouth out.

She kept talking as though he'd answered. "Would you choose her at the next recoupling?"

"Would you?" he asked.

"Yes. I think so. She's intriguing isn't she?"

He put the personalized cover back on his toothbrush and sat it in the holder. "So we're in a couple and we're both going to graft on the same girl?"

"Welcome to Love Island," Marisol said with a giggle. "I'm also interested in Gary though."

He'd smiled at Marisol, and fled the bathroom, eager to escape yet another rival for Lili's affection. He needed some alone time and he needed to do something useful with his hands that didn't involve grabbing Lili. Or grabbing himself. So he slid on a t-shirt with his pyjama pants, intent on baking cupcakes as soon as the bedroom lights went out.

Everyone was settling in for the night. Rahim was standing in the middle of the room, looking lost. "We can take my bed," Priya said softly, guiding him away from the one next to Bobby's. "Let Lili keep the spot she's comfortable in." She shot Bobby a wink.

He smiled back at Priya gratefully. Looked like Lili would still be sleeping in the bed beside his.

Marisol sat on the end of Gary and Hannah's bed, listening to Gary talk animatedly about cranes. Lili came in, as Rahim was moving his stuff. The big man gave her a sad wave. She paused and waved back, before heading into the dressing room. She returned a few minutes later in another set of #Cherrygate pyjamas, these ones blue instead of red and instead of #teamJake, they said #teamTalia on the shorts. He shook his head. She really should've been putting on sexy sleepwear and grafting her heart out. Why wasn't she?

Grabbing some clothes from her cubby, she turned and left. Hannah whispered something to Gary who waved his hand dismissively and then she disappeared as well.

When the lights went out Hannah and Lili still hadn't returned. Bobby got up and slipped out the door. He spotted them on the daybeds. Lili all cuddled up in the bedding like a burrito, Hannah beside her, playing with Lili's loose braid.

"It's odd for me. Not quite hurtful. Just odd." Lili said. "I told him to crack on with her, so I can't fault him for doing that." She sighed. "He doesn't need me there making him feel guilty for a spoon or a snog."

"Tomorrow will be better," Hannah said. "I'm sure of it."

Lili smiled. "Thank you. It means a lot that you came to keep me company."

He snuck past without being noticed and headed to the kitchen.

With a precision he only had near an oven, he pulled out all the cupcake ingredients, organizing them carefully and pulling out all the pans and bowls he'd need. He could have used a mixer but he didn't want to keep Lili up after such a rough day, so he mixed the batter by hand. The purposeful strokes calmed him. Everywhere else in life he was clumsy, his mind racing ahead of his legs and feet. But in kitchens he was smooth, rarely spilling a drop or making a mistake. There, his mind was calm and his body obedient.

Life was a jumble, but everything made sense in a kitchen.

He didn't have decorations but they'd given him a bag of marshmallows. So while he baked the first batch, he could make a quick batch of marshmallow fondant. After microwaving the ingredients, he mixed in the powdered sugar. He'd found a bottle of strawberry flavoring and he added some to it. He grabbed the softened butter and coated his hands, as well as the counter, in warm slickness before pouring the mix onto it. Working patiently, he sprinkled it with powdered sugar and kneaded the dough. It clung to his skin, stringing between his fingers and he laughed, letting his mind relax as the dough slowly let go of what it thought it was supposed to be, and turned velvety and firm.

Dipping his hands into butter, he coated the dough ball, wrapped it in plastic wrap, and tossed it in the fridge to firm up further so he could roll it out in the morning. He'd just finished scrubbing his hands when he heard the shuffle of feet approach. He looked up, hoping it was Lili, but it was Priya. Dammit. He immediately felt bad for such an unkind thought.

"I came to check on Lili but she and Hannah are sound asleep already." She looked at the bowls on the counter. "It smells so wonderful out here."

He invited her over as he checked the time on the next batch of cupcakes, and then checked the cooling chocolate and strawberry ganache. She peered at it. "Oh my days, that looks better than any sex I've ever had," she said.

"Because it is," he said with a smirk. "Speaking of hot sex, how's it going with Rahim?"

"Okay I think. He's the sweetest. Funny too, though he doesn't mean to be. His compliments are confusing but I'm having fun getting to know him so far. We may have had a little snog before I came out here."

"Ooh, ya naughty girl." His phone timer beeped softly. He shut it off and reached for the oven.

"Oh, wait!" Priya tiptoed beside him. He opened the door and the heat rolled out, wrapping around them like a lover's embrace. She breathed in deeply. "Wow. It's exactly how you described it. Sweet. Warm." She caught his eye and then jerked her chin toward the daybeds. "And single."

Bobby grinned and pulled the pan out. "Thank you for that. You're an angel."

Priya ran a finger inside the mostly empty batter bowl beside her. She sucked the chocolate off and nodded. "Well it's the only time I've ever been one." She turned and headed back to the villa, melding into the shadows. "So don't waste it."