"Maddie!" A soft voice called out to me. I hit an imaginary snooze and squeezed my eyes shut. "Maddie," the voice whispered just close enough to my ear to shake me from my REM cycle. I peeled my eyes open and found Lucas inches from my face. The room was still dark, but I could see his silhouette stand up straight and cast an investigative survey of the room. "Get up."
"Lucas? What is going on?" I whispered back as quietly as possible. Charlie was sound asleep beside me in the bed. One hand was resting on the pillow near his face, the other reaching out and holding onto my thigh.
"I need your help, please." Lucas dropped to his knees as one of the beds rustled. When the coast was clear, he stood up again. "Please!" He began walking away, a silent signal to follow him.
I let out a soft sigh and slowly slid out of Charlie's grasp, adjusted the covers neatly, and tiptoed out of the bedroom. I looked around, unsure of where he'd gone and unwilling to navigate the entire villa in the dark. "Where are you?" I whispered.
"Up here, come on." Lucas' silhouette appeared before me half-way up the stairs. I carefully maneuvered the steps to avoid creaking the stairs and followed Lucas to the girls' dressing room. The lights were on and nearly blinded my eyes before they could adjust to the brightness.
"Oh my god," I whimpered, covering my eyes with my hands.
"Good morning, Princess," Peach smiled and placed a glass of orange juice in my hand. "Go ahead, Lucas. Tell her." As Lucas prepared his statement, I looked around the room. All the girls were there except for Polly.
"I'm going to ask Polly to be my girlfriend today, but I'm not sure how." Lucas began fidgeting with his hands nervously.
"Oh my gosh, that's amazing!" I smiled and looked around at the girls.
Peyton nodded. "Isn't it the cutest?"
"Our first official Love Island couple," Giselle gushed, holding her hands to her heart.
Lucas smiled bashfully among the sudden attention he was receiving. "I just want it to be special ... and personal! How should I do it? Do I do it in private?"
Peach rocked her head back and forth. "I don't know, I guess it depends on the person, right?"
"Yeah," I agreed with Peach. "Personally, I would rather be asked in private. But I think Polly would like all of her friends to enjoy the moment with her."
"What if she says no?" Lucas asked, causing his anxieties to heighten.
"Eh, I doubt it. She really likes you," Peyton said.
"I don't know much about either of you, so it's hard to give advice," Sara let out a quiet laugh. "But, if I were Polly, I'd want there to be flowers."
"Flowers, great idea!" I commented.
Lucas nodded and began short-circuit pacing through the room. "Okay. Flowers. How do I make it personal to her?"
"Well, first of all, don't get her name wrong," I joked. "In all seriousness, I think Polly would want you to go all out."
"How do I do that?" Lucas asked.
"I know! I know!" Giselle grinned at her idea. "Have a performance! Charlie on keys, Sara can sing vocals, and Maddie and I can sing backup!"
"Okay, perfect! 'All of Me' by John Legend is one of her favorite songs," Lucas said. "We could set this all up in front of the giant neon heart in the garden ... and we could have rose petals, and have her walk down the aisle ... or is that too much?"
I shook my head. "I think that's exactly what Polly would want."
"Okay then," Lucas smiled and rubbed his hands together. "God, I'm nervous. What do I say?"
"Whatever comes from your heart," Peyton advised. "And for the love of God, please use the words 'will you be my girlfriend' and not some lazy alteration."
He scratched at his head nervously. "What's an example of something I shouldn't say?"
"Will you go out with me," I commented. "Super informal. If someone asked me that, I'd say no."
"Even if Charlie did that?" Peach asked.
I laughed at the thought. "I'd tell him to try again in two business days."
Lucas took a deep breath and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Okay ... I'm going to go wake up Charlie." He stepped into the dark hallway and closed the door behind him.
"How'd everyone sleep?" I asked. Some were more chipper than others.
"That whole night felt so weird," Peyton shook her head. "Is it okay if I talk about Mason?" she directed her question to Sara.
"Girl, I'm just as shocked as you were. Speak freely," Sara nodded her head.
"Thank you. I can't believe he did that to me. There was no discussion, not even a hint in his monologue that he wasn't going to choose me. That's the worst part, the lack of emotional preparation. So then I'm standing there, in line, like a dead fish. And now I'm coupled up with Anthony? " Peyton pressed her head into her hands. "This whole thing feels backward and now we're a final couple."
Giselle let out a soft sigh. "Count yourself lucky. You could be in another friend couple."
"I think Joshua wants to be more than friends," Peach said.
"But I don't know him like that! I'm not nearly at the level of affection he's at," Giselle shook her head. "And now I'll never have a shot with Anthony. I'll never know what could have been."
"I think it's for the best," I said. "If he can't see how amazing you are, then you need to find a man with better vision."
Giselle smiled lightly up at me. "Thank you, Maddie."
Lucas and Charlie appeared in the doorway. Charlie's face was blushing furiously from embarrassment while Lucas couldn't stop smiling. His lips were stretched in a huge grin.
"Hey ... what's going on?" I asked.
"Tell them, Charlie," Lucas held back a laugh.
"I'm not telling them shit," Charlie responded.
"Fine. I woke up Charlie and he kissed my forehead. It was very intimate."
"I thought it was Maddie," Charlie defended himself. He crossed the room and took a seat next to me. "Now what's going on? Why are we all awake before the sun's even up?"
Lucas smiled bashfully over at him. "I'm going to ask Polly to be my girlfriend."
"Oh, that's awesome!" Charlie paused and looked around. "How do I fit into this?"
"We need you to play piano," Giselle said. "Sara, Maddie, and I are going to sing. Do you know 'All of Me' by John Legend?"
"Of course I do," he answered.
Lucas nodded and took a deep breath. "Perfect. Let's do this."
After drafting a few more Islanders, we were able to get completely set up just after sunrise. The neon heart glowed pink in the early morning fog. Lucas stood beneath it in a white polo and dress pants. I'd helped him style his hair so that he could feel and look his best. The path leading up to the heart had been covered in flower petals salvaged from across the neighboring bushes.
The producers had helped set up the piano in the grass and Charlie sat on the bench, ready to play the keys as needed.
"I'm so nervous," Lucas said. He shook the nerves out of his hands in an attempt to calm himself.
"You've got this, buddy." Gray gave his shoulder a light tap.
"Are we ready?" Giselle asked, looking around and making sure everyone was in position. She walked across the grass and disappeared inside the bedroom, returning moments later with a sleepy Polly.
Charlie began playing the opening chords. The melodic tune was blissful to my ears and seemed to immediately calm Lucas. Polly stepped out onto the grass and looked around confused, then held her hands up to her mouth. Giselle slowly led her forward as Sara began singing in a strong alto voice that flowed seamlessly through the air.
Polly looked down with a bright smile as she kicked red petals with every step. Finally, she reached the end of the aisle and found herself standing beneath a giant neon heart with Lucas, who held her hands as he prepared his speech. Sara's vocals quieted and Charlie played the keys softer.
"Good morning, Polly. Um... I hope this is alright. I've been wanting to do this for a long time, actually, but I was never really sure how to say it, or when to say it. But you're my soulmate, I think. I mean, I know. I know you are because we fit together perfectly. And I can't believe how lucky I am that I found my person because, before you, I never knew what love was. I had a good guess, but I'd never experienced it. But I do now. I love you, Polly. Will you please be my girlfriend?" Lucas asked. It was the most confident I've ever seen him, apart from his hands shaking a little bit now and then.
Polly grinned up at him with an eager laugh. "Yes! Yes, I will!" Polly threw her arms around Lucas' neck and pressed her cheek against his, then kissed him proudly in front of all of her friends. The chorus and piano kicked in simultaneously, leading to an incredibly romantic moment that brought tears to my eyes, and I wasn't the only one. Giselle and Peach joined me with misty eyes. "I have a boyfriend!" Polly giggled and gave Lucas one last hug. "This is amazing."
"This is for you." Lucas pulled a picture-perfect rose from off the neon heart structure. "Because you're beautiful and you smell good."
"Aw, Lucas." Polly grinned as she accepted the gift and held it tightly in her hands.
"I think this is cause for celebration," Charlie suggested. He stood from the piano and led the group to the bar for a champagne celebration.
After our resident bartender poured everyone drinks, the villa split into two groups to discuss the previous night's recoupling. The boys recouped at the loungers while the girls sat in the shallows of the pool, sipping our cold drinks through metal straws and relaxing as the sun crept toward the sky and began warming the water.
"Last night's recoupling was wild, " Peach said. "Only Maddie and Polly stayed in their couples, everyone else switched up."
"That's crazy ... a bit scary how the most random recoupling is also the last one," Polly said.
"Tell me about it," Peyton said, leaning forward. "I know I'm not the only one who got what they want, but wow ... I'm a little upset with Anthony, to be honest. But I understand why he did it. We have a lot in common, and we both love working with kids. But he should've talked to me about it first. And Mason should have too! " She thought about it for a moment and shook her head. "Maybe I should be grateful that he saved my ass last night."
Giselle nodded her head. "Absolutely, you should be grateful. I'd switch with you in a heartbeat."
"Have you even given Joshua a chance?" Polly asked her.
"Not yet. I'm willing to, but he has to make more of an effort," Giselle said. "His first day, he said he was interested in me, but I'm not seeing the level of admiration that I know I deserve."
Peyton agreed with this immediately. "Speak your mind, girl! And Sara, how are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling a lot of things," Sara laughed nervously. "A bit sympathetic, because I know that Mason was a really good partner to you. If I'm honest, I am glad he picked me ... he's the only guy I was really interested in here. I just wish it happened under different circumstances. "
"Not to pry, but what did you guys do on your date?" Peyton asked.
Sara shrugged. "Normal date stuff. Watching fireworks while eating a multi-course meal on the back of a yacht," she joked. "We drank, though. But never during our date did he mention coupling up with me, or I would have marched straight up to you and talked to you about it."
Peyton was satisfied with this answer. "I know you would. Thank you." She took a deep breath and looked around. "Guess there's no use in being sad. Might as well make the best of out a bad situation."
"Precisely," I smiled.
"Maddie!" Charlie jogged over to the side of the pool with a pink towel and leaned down to talk to me. "Can I grab you for a chat?"
"Yeah!" I smiled. I took his hand and he helped me to my feet. He wrapped the towel around my shoulders as I stepped out and followed him back to the loungers. "What's going on?"
"We need to know what the girls are thinking," Anthony said.
I rolled my eyes. "Guys, come on. You chose the wrong person to ask." I turned to walk away and Charlie gave my hand a soft squeeze, a silent encouragement to turn back around and help. I let out a soft sigh as I cleared my thoughts. "What?"
"We don't need all the juicy details, we just want to know if the girls are happy in their couples are not," Mason explained.
"That's really something you should be asking the other girls." I turned around and directed my voice to the pool. "Get over here, ladies!"
"Maddie, no," Anthony whined.
I turned back around and shook my head. "This isn't high school, these are grown women and you're going to treat them as such. Don't try to forge this grand master plan, just talk to them."
The girls walked up, dripping onto the patio.
"What's going on?" Polly asked. She reached out and twisted her blonde hair, wringing chlorinated water from the thin strands.
"Nothing," Anthony dismissed. I shot him a look. "I think we should all break up into our prospective couples and have private chats."
"Okay ..." Peyton said and reached out her hand. "Let's go."
Anthony stared at her blankly. "What, like, now?" Peyton rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, leading him inside the villa. The other couples followed suit until Charlie and I were alone at the loungers.
"Guess we should have a chat, too." Charlie took a seat on one of the cushions and patted the seat next to him. "Are you happy in your couple?"
I took my seat and leaned my elbow on the back of the lounger. "I'm very happy in my couple. And my partner has nothing to worry about."
He nodded at my answer with a thin smile. "And you're aware this is your final couple, right? There's no turning back now. Til vote do us part."
"Clever. I'm aware and proud of the couple that I'm in." I drummed my fingers against the synthetic fiber cushions. "We should kind of start having the more serious talk, though. If we get dumped soon, or if we make it to the end, are we still gonna see each other?"
Charlie sighed. "Maybe for press tours, publicity. I guess I'll see you around campus-"
"I'm serious!" I laughed.
"Of course we're still gonna see each other. And I'll take you on dates that don't even compare to watching fireworks on a yacht or painting on the beach," he grinned. I laughed and fell into him, leaning my head against his shoulder. He accepted this closeness and tugged my legs closer, gently running his fingers along the skin. "And we can meet each other's friends and families, go Christmas shopping together, go to basketball games ..."
"Ah, I do look good in the IU candy stripes," I joked with a small smile. "I'm glad you said basketball and not football because if I'm going to watch a sport, I'd prefer it to be indoors with heat."
"Oh, totally." Charlie smiled down at me and gave my forehead a soft kiss. "No matter what happens, I'm excited to live a normal life with you." His words turned my heart into a messy puddle of warmth. "You're my forever."
I looked up at him with a small smile. "Hey, Charlie?"
"Yeah?"
"I think I'm falling in love with you, too."