a recoupling for the books
The dressing room was tense that evening. The girls thinking over every possible scenario as they got ready. Isa put on the sexiest outfit Tom had packed her, thinking that if he fucked her over, at least she was going to be looking amazing.
The girls made her way to the little fire pit, meeting up with the boys and sitting until the producers began asking the girls for their decisions.
Claudia was the first girl to head out, choosing to stick with Casey. Olivia was next up, choosing to recouple with Maxwell. The two were off, and then it was Lana's turn to head back to the Main Villa on her own. Finally the producer turned to Isabella.
Main Villa
"Tom, how are you feeling?" Maya asked the boy as he stood.
"I think this gave me what I need to come to terms with how I really felt," Tom said, feeling Lana and Claudia's eyes burning into his face. "In here you do have to savor every moment, and I do think I did that."
"Before Casa Amor, you were coupled up with Isabella," Maya continued. "You seemed to be very strong."
"I think Isabella is an amazing girl," Tom nodded. "She has been a huge part of my journey in here, and I think she and I do have something special."
"Well Tom, have you decided to stick with Isabella? Or recouple?"
"Like I said, I do think Casa showed me what I had and really how I felt. So I am going to just stay true to myself," he sighed. "So I have decided to stick with Isa."
"Alright," Maya nodded. "You have chosen to stay loyal to Isabella, but has she stayed loyal to you? If she comes back, and she is not alone, you will be single and vulnerable."
Tom nodded with a sigh, turning his head to watch the door to the villa. He felt his heart freeze when it opened, seeing Isa's head peek out. As soon as the door closed behind her, Tom laughed and let his head drop. Looking back up with a huge grin to watch as she approached.
"Isabella welcome back," Maya said with a smile. "You can take a breath now," Maya laughed as the girl sagged in her spot a bit with a giggle. "As you can see, Tom is standing here alone, which means he has chosen to stay coupled with you, does that feel good?"
"Yeah, feels very good," Isa laughed lightly, unable to look away from Tom. "He knew, he knew," Isa shook her head as Maya turned to Tom.
"Tom, how does it feel having Isabella back?"
"She's already giving me shit, it's like she never left," everyone laughed along with him. "But yeah, missed her loads. I am very happy we're both stood here alone for sure."
"Well, Isabella, please go join Tom," Maya grinned as Isa took off in a little run. Tom swept her into a hug, the two sharing a hard kiss before they took a seat.
"You're a little shit," Isa pinched his thigh, though she couldn't stop smiling, turning to look at Maya as Tom's hand came to wrap around her waist. "My heart is pounding," Isa took a deep breath as Maya turned back to her.
"Isabella, do you think you stayed loyal in Casa Amor?"
"Yeah I do," she nodded. "I knew that I felt something strong for Tom and for me this just proved it. I knew that I did what I needed to to be true to myself and my morals."
"Tom, did you think you were loyal?"
"I think coming into Casa I was open to the experience," he said honestly. "I spoke with the girls and I had some deeper conversations but I do think I stayed loyal, and I think I was respectful to Isabella as well."
"Who was the girl you were getting to know?"
"Lydia," Tom nodded to the woman in the white.
"Lydia, anything to say to Tom?"
"Listen, he thinks they have something special there, and I can't fault him for that," the woman shrugged.
"Do you really think it was respectful to lead her on?" another one of the Casa girls piped up, Isa's brow cocking.
"Tom, do you think you led Lydia on?" Maya turned to the boy, Isa turning as well to face him.
"I don't," Tom shook his head. "I sat her down and said I specifically didn't want to do that and let her know my heart was with Isabella. I honestly don't think my actions should have made my decision come like a shock."
"But do you not think-" the other woman piped up again, Isabella cutting her off.
"I'm sorry, I don't want to be rude here," Isa looked to Maya who nodded for her to continue. "I want to cut to the chase. Lydia, did you feel led on?"
"I don't think so," Lydia shook her head. "I think in all honesty he was very respectful."
"Did you two share a bed? Kiss outside a challenge?" Isa looked between both of the two, who shook their heads. "Then, I love the fire for sticking up for your friend," Isa addressed the girl who had been speaking. "But where was there leading on? And that is coming right from Lydia? Honestly, I don't want to harp on this. Why are we making a problem where the actual involved parties don't see one?"
"That's a bit rude isn't it?" Layla said, causing Isa to roll her eyes.
"It's rude to sit there and speak on behalf of someone," Isa said. "Lydia, I am sorry if you feel hurt and I think Tom deserves to hear whatever else you have to say."
"Honestly, I'm good," the Scottish woman confirmed. The group then turned back to Maya.
"The fuck was that," Isa whispered as she relaxed back into her seat.
"She jumped down Casey and Claudia's throats too," Tom said under his breath as the producers told Will it was his turn to choose. Isa smiled as she watched the blonde and Jessie reunite across the fire pit. Isabella cooed as she watched the Aussie cry at the idea of being back with Will, her smile soft as she watched the two embrace. Her smile quickly turned upside down, the brunette audibly gasping when she heard Will admit to not being loyal.
"Holy shit," she murmured as she watched the boy try to explain what had happened, and she could see the pain on Jessie's face. After hearing from Layla, the tensions were still high as Maya gestured for Shaq to stand.
Isabella could feel her heart ache as she watched the boy talk about his Casa experience. Isa sighed as she felt the shock around the firepit as Tanya walked in with Martin, Shaq's face quite frankly heart breaking. Isa tuned out of the conversation had between Maya, Martin, Tanya and Shaq, and just wanted the night to wrap up.
After Maya brought the Casa boys back, she was quick to say her goodbyes. The group were given a few moments to mingle, and Isabella took the time to say goodbye to the Casa boys before taking the time to say a quick hello to the Casa girls.
"I just want to say you've got a good one," Lydia said to Isabella off to the side. "Like he was very well behaved, I promise you that."
"Honestly thank you for saying that," Isa drew her into a hug. "You seem lovely, it's mad to literally meet and then say goodbye!" The brunette let the girl fall into the other women's clutches before she made her way over to wrap Tom up in a hug, burying her face in his chest.
"I missed you so much," he sighed into her hair, pulling back to cup her face and look into her eyes. "That was a hard couple of days."
Isa pulled him down into a quick kiss. "I agree, I'm just glad we're back together."
Isa let Tom give Jessie a cuddle as she quickly made her way to Shaq, hugging the boy. "I'm so sorry honey," she pulled back and looked up at him, her heart sad at his face. "You're going to be ok, no matter what. We've got you."
Isa then quickly made her way to where Kai was off on the side with his new lady. "Isa," the boy grinned and gave her a quick hug. "This is Sanam."
"Oh that is a beautiful name," Isa beamed as she pulled her into a hug. "You're stunning as well, Kai's punching."
"I am," the boy nodded as the two girls laughed at him.
The girls quickly had a few debriefs, and Isa found herself sitting with Olivia and a seemingly shell shocked Tanya. "That was hard to watch honestly," Olivia commented.
"He was like it's over," Tanya said. "Do you think he means it?"
"No," Olivia said immediately, clearly expecting Isa to echo her.
"Do you want the truth?" Isa looked at the girl, who nodded. "I think he does. And I think in the back of your mind you had to know that was a possibility with bringing Martin back. I would not forgive a boy for far less in that position."
Olivia continued trying to comfort Tanya, while Isa chose to just rub the girls thigh and take a walk.
"If I were Shaq, and I had a partner who I said I love you to, and found out that person had been even chatting with other people romantically," Isa made a face in the beach hut. "No coming back."
Isabella went inside to trade out her heels for slides and as she went to go back outside, Olivia and Jessie were chatting inside the door. "I just feel like everything I had with him was fake," Liv said to the two girls.
"With Kai?" Isabella confirmed. "Why?"
"Because he was able to switch his feeling so quickly," Olivia said like it was obvious, but Isa just furrowed her brows.
"Liv, you recoupled too?"
Jessie quickly turned the subject, seeing that there was a potential for a spat with the two girls. Jessie and Liv's venting session was interrupted by Sanam walking through the door, Liv giving her a fake greeting as the girl walked into the villa. Isa took that time to walk out into the garden, and made her way over to where Tom was waiting with two cups of tea.
"Aw, I've missed that little face," Isa cooed as she sat down and cuddled in close to his side. "God I'm glad to be back."
"Me too," Tom grinned. "It was too quiet without you."
"Good, I need to leave an impression," Isa smirked as she leaned over to grab her tea. "So how you feeling after the whole Casa situation?"
"I think like, it really showed me how much I do feel for you," Tom said honestly. "A few of the girls were putting it on me, and I just kept thinking about you. I wanted to be back with you, and I just didn't see anything that was worth like, ruining what we had."
"That's how I felt too," Isa smiled. "Like, I do feel like I can see myself falling for you. And there is nothing in Casa that was strong enough for me to be like, ok I'm done with this amazing connection I've found. I didn't think it would happen in there and you feeling the same, makes me feel a bit giddy."
"I just can't believe some of the other drama tonight, like Tanya and Shaq?" Tom shook his head as the two had a cuddle and debrief on the rest of their Casa thoughts.
"Let me tell you, I hope Shaq sticks to his word. Because if that was me? We'd be done," Isa said. "If you came back and said you kissed Lydia outside of a challenge, to be honest we would have a long road ahead of us, I don't even know if I could come back from that, let alone what he's dealing with."
"I agree, I feel for him," Tom nodded. "I feel for Kai and Sanam too, I know Olivia's going to be going in on that one."
"What do you mean?" Isa asked.
"She gave him all this shit when she walked in and saw he recoupled," Tom relayed. "All about him being fake and his feelings weren't real."
"She is such a hypocrite it's honestly insane," Isa laughed. "She was saying some similar shit inside and I was like Liv, you've recoupled? It's just a laugh."
The two chatted for a little longer before they followed the other islanders inside for bed. Isa spent some time chatting with Sanam as the girls got unready, trying to make the girl feel included. Isabella was quick to get into bed once she was ready, beaming as she cuddled into Tom's side as they waited for the other couples and for the lights to go off.