****Delilah's POV****
Waking up on my own was super weird, this is the first time in what three nearly four weeks where I've slept on my own in a room and I did take just a moment to revel in the silence before I knew everyone would be asking about where I was. Entering the main bedroom everyone's attention was on me as I could see the girls making their move so I gave Jacques a quick hug before making my own escape.
"Good morning, my ladies." Ekin said as we took our seats on the terrace. "Fill us all in on the situation then Tasha."
"I'm kind of in a situation of like I really need to think about what I'm going to do. I either do 100% of Andrew at the moment or do I keep myself open and then potentially lose what I have with Andrew in a way."
"Right come on before we avoid the situation any longer." Gemma turned to me. "Where did you and Jacques go like halfway through the night? And then we all wake up and you're no where to be seen."
"Where did you go?"
"We both just went and sat on the stairs and just had a little chat there."
"That's cute." Antigoni commented.
"Yeah it was. This whole like love triangle, or lopsided triangle as I like to think of it, I think it's starting to get to us all a lot more and then I decided the best thing would be just to sleep in the dog bed tonight and then work out what to do this morning before it all gets any worse."
"How about you Indiyah? How are you feeling?"
"We just had a good chat in bed, there were definitely kisses but I was too tired for any beauty shop stuff."
"How are you Danica?" I asked.
"Just send me in somebody that loves me and is obsessed with me. But also fits my description of tanned, light eyes and nice teeth."
"Pray for Danica."
That morning I got changed into my light pink bikini with my rainbow sarong to act as a little cover up.
I knew the first person I had to speak to this morning was Jay or Jacques and seen as how Jacques was no where to be seen, when I found Jay just finishing his work out I managed to pull him over for a chat.
"How was your night last night, all right?" He asked as we took a seat by the pool.
"Yeah it was good, obviously you probably saw that I left the room with Jacques at one point but I could see he was like in his own head and I wanted to help him out with that. I don't want you to think that we were like sneaking around and for it to be awkward. The I just felt like the easiest thing to do was for me to take myself out of the equation and put myself in the dog bed."
"Oh no not at all, I didn't know. Is Jacques OK? Was he..."
"Yeah yeah he'll be fine, he'll be good."
"It's just difficult in here because like, because you can only do so much before it's like... I don't know. Do you know what I mean?"
"Yeah."
"I don't want to be that guy that's like lingering around but then if we were on the outside and we were dating and stuff then you'd be able to be much more flirty and fun because you can be."
"So do you think you're holding back then?"
"Probably yeah because I just don't want to put you off. Like I don't want it to be too much for you, I appreciate you're trying to take things slowly. Understandably like trying to be cautious and not a bull in a china shop like me"
"No I like all that side of things, the playfulness," With Jacques, "I guess you've just got to try and be yourself as much as possible in here."
"Do you remember the challenge, where we shared a kiss. Some people are like very, very on tongue contact immediately. But you were almost pushing that away."
"I was in so much shock at that point, like that came completely out of the blue for me. Plus some times guys just don't know how to use it so I don't bother"
"You had no idea?" He seemed surprised at that.
"No, you didn't give me any signs at all."
"So if you had gone for that balloon who would you have gone for?" Basically asking who was my second choice against Jacques.
"I honestly have no clue." I didn't want to say definitely not him but I genuinely did have no clue.
"At least you're honest."
"I try to be."
Still nothing and even when I'm trying to give him some hints he keeps coming back for more.
****
Next on the list was Jacques and seen as how I found him nearly falling asleep on the sofa I decided to join him and just enjoy the silence. This is another of the things I liked about being with him, we could just be here together and it wasn't awkward at all.
"Am I alright to join you guys?" We looked up to find Ekin coming over. "Is Jacques asleep?"
"Yeah I put him to sleep all the time."
"How are you guys? Are you good?"
"Yeah we're good thanks, how's your morning been?"
"It's been fine. We were just talking by the beds..."
"Who's we?"
"Obviously where Dami is." Pointing over to a group of Dami, Gemma, Indiyah and Charlie. "Dami was doing like a crazy mind reading thing and I was surprised about one comment he made. He said to Gemma, 'I think you like Luca but I think Luca's more interested in you. And if a guy walks into the villa that is your type you have a slight chance your head could be turned.' And she agreed."
"Oooh." Jacques gasped at what she said.
"It's not necessarily a bad thing though." I commented.
"It's not a bad thing." Ekin agreed. "I was just surprised that she would admit like that and how do you think Luca would feel?"
"Where's Luca now?" Jacques asked.
"No don't say anything." Ekin said.
"No I'm going to have his back man, I'm not going to wind him up. But he's going to be hurt I'm telling you now."
"Yeah but would Luca not.."
"Luca's head wouldn't turn." Ekin said.
"Yeah but what Gemma's saying isn't that her head would turn or anything like that, she's just saying that she'd be open to having those conversations."
"But then Dami said Luca wouldn't do the same thing and she agreed."
"This is going to rattle him big time. Cos he's smitten mate..."
Ekin went off and I think Jacques went to go and calm down before he spoke to Luca so I took the chance to go and speak to Indiyah and Gemma in the pool.
"I heard you had an interesting convo." I told them.
"With who?"
"You and Dami, and his predictions."
"Oh yeah."
"What did she say?" Indiyah asked.
"It was if another guy came in that was your type, your head would turn."
"What?"
"That's not.."
"Wait, was that not...."
"Yeah but not like that." Indiyah clarified.
"Do I say something because I'm not having that?"
"No but you need to tell me what actually happened in the conversation."
"I want you to tell me what she said first."
"Don't quote me word for word but this is basically the gist of it. If a guy came in that was more Gemma's type or that suited Gemma more, her head could turn."
"Yeah but that's not what Gem said, obviouslt it was a prediction but it was just like..."
"It think it was also the fact that you agreed with it and said yeah it would."
Shit is about to go down, we all know Ekin and she won't think she's done anything wrong but then Gemma is saying this is all wrong.
****
Later on that afternoon I was stood around the kitchen when Jacques came over, to where Jay, Tasha and I were stood.
"Fancy going in the pool?" He whispered to me.
"Yeah, I'll be there in a few minutes, just need to do my hair before it gets ruined."
"Ok."
Just as I was grabbing the hair brush that was there, Jay and Tasha followed me over and started up the conversation again. I could see Jacques was there with Andrew so I didn't see the problem in making him wait a few more minutes before their conversation was over and I could have him all to myself. But before I could he made a move over to Indiyah and Dami so I just stayed talking to them and then made my way over when he was just with Antigoni, ready to apologise for being late.
"Hey, you two alright?" I asked.
"Yeah just drying my hair." Antigoni answered but silence followed from Jacques.
"Are you ok?" I personally asked just him.
"Am I ok?"
"Yeah."
"Yeah I've just got my shoelaces undone because I was supposed to go in the pool with someone and..."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Are you guys going for a swim?" Antigoni asked thankfully breaking the ice.
"No, no. I don't want to now, I'm not arsed."
"I was just finishing up the conversation." I knew what he was making the sly digs at.
"Yeah and I was just here waiting."
"I saw you speaking to Andrew."
"I literally took my belt off and then I looked over and you still wasn't coming so I spoke to him because I didn't want to look like a prick."
"I'm going to leave you guys..."
"No, I'll leave." However much in the wrong he thought I was, he didn't have to be such a prick about it all.
Thankfully Indiyah and Dami were still over on the sofa so I went over to them, face planting the bed next to them.
"What's wrong?" Indiyah asked.
"I fucking hate drama. I'm so done with today."
"Talk to us."
"Can I maybe go for a private chat with you?" Dami said. "Come and tell me."
"Ok." I didn't even want to look at Jacques as he still sat around the pool and we went to the den. "Yeah so basically all that happened just then was I was in the pool speaking to Jay and Tasha, having quite a good conversation about life, and then Jacques came over and asked to go in the pool so I said I would be a few minutes. It's rude to just completely stop. But I could see he was with Andrew so I thought he'd found someone else and didn't think he would be alone if I stayed chatting but then he went off to you guys and I thought he didn't want to. Then I went over to go and apologise and he just had a face on him."
"I feel like he obviously has opened up to you a lot now and everything is getting to him a bit more and everything.."
I get Jacques feels vulnerable but doesn't everyone. If I wanted to be around someone who couldn't handle their emotions I'd go back to crying babies all day.
I really hoped he'd sorted his mood out quickly as Dami quickly made an exit when he saw Jacques walking over, leaving us alone.
"I was a bit snappy then wasn't I?"
"Just a bit, I think it was uncalled for."
"No it was literally pathetic, I realised straight away when you left."
"I was literally about to come and apologise for being late and then you bit my head off. Like I get you opened up to me and you're feeling vulnerable but that's what being in a couple is Jacques. If I wanted to be around someone who can't handle their emotions because I'm speaking to a guy then I would just go and pick some guy off the street."
"I'm sorry for that, it's just because of Jay and everything's that's happened."
"But you've got to trust me, I plan on speaking to Jay tonight but I've literally told you not to worry about anything."
"I know."
"So stop stressing about these little things because they just build up over time and I don't want us to ruin what we have because of something like that."
"No I agree."
"Good, so just talk to me first. Tell me if something is bothering you before you let it build up in your head."
"I will, thank you." He leaned over to give me a kiss on the shoulder and finally wrap his arms around me.
"No worries."
****
That night was a blue party so I chose probably one of the only party dresses that I had that was truly blue only in keeping with the theme.
I was determined for this whole situation to be settled tonight so after a bit of dancing I pulled Jay over to the fire pit.
"You ok?" He asked.
"Yeah I'm all good. You just said the other day that you'd rather me be direct with you."
"Yeah."
"I don't think it takes a genius to see that me and Jacques are like...."
"Solid."
"Yeah, I think we are and to be honest like when we've had conversation I still see Jacques as being like the one for me. But I didn't want it to be awkward between us."
"No not at all, to be honest that's the impression I got straight away. To be honest tonight I was going to clear everything up and say I don't want to get in the way of anything progressing between Jacques and yourself. I'll make the wall between us if that would make you feel comfortable."
"Thank you, I'd rather just be open rather than you hearing things going round the villa."
"No I completely agree. I made my bed and I had to lie in it even though I knew it would be difficult from the start. I knew the opportunity was there at the start and I just didn't take it."
"I am sorry."
"No don't worry, have a good night."
"You too."
We did end up having a good night but I wanted to keep my conversation away from Jacques for the night, give him a good morning tomorrow. But we did have a cuddle before I went to bed.
"How did I ever get so lucky?" He whispered as we shared a cuddle in his bed.
"I don't know but I'm equally as lucky then."
"Never." He whispered, giving me our good night kiss. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Night babe."
Even though I slept with Jay that night I kept the talking to a minimum and reached for Jacques' hand, his thumb stroking mine and his scent covering me as I drifted off to a more peaceful sleep than I've had these past few days, hoping that tomorrow would be the start of a new beginnign for us.
**** Author's Note****
I hope you like this chapter.
I really do love your suggestions and I try to take them on board when writing this, do you have any for tonight's episode and the way the challenge and the aftermath went????
Please vote and comment any suggestions.
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