"Can you all gather around the fire pit." She calls.
My stomach aches in nervousness, my body drips in sweat, and I can't process anything except for the thought that I'm going home.
*****
Ella P.O.V
"You're all probably wondering why I'm here."
Caroline is stood in a gorgeous green playsuit. She has a stern look on her face.
I place my hand on Alex's leg, and he comforts me by squeezing it. "The public have been voting for their favourite couple. The Islanders in the bottom three couples risk being dumped from the Island tonight."
"Please can you all stand up."
I take a stance beside Alex and Georgia. "I will now reveal the couples that are safe, and will not be dumped from the Island."
Georgia thrusts her arm into my own, and I grab her hand. "You'll be fine, baby girl." She whispers to me.
"So will you G."
Caroline announces. "The first couple safe is ... Jack and Dani."
That was the obvious choice. As they're boyfriend and girlfriend, they're obviously right for each other - a match made in heaven is what we call them.
"The next couple safe is ... Georgia and Josh."
Georgia hugs me before she hugs Josh, which Josh pulls a face at. "Well done babe."
"Thanks, hun," She smiles.
"The next couple safe is ... Wes and Ellie."
That leaves one couple. I seriously don't want to leave, and I couldn't bring myself to say goodbye to everyone. My insides rattle with anxiety, and my shortness of breath means that Alex has a job to keep me calm.
"The final couple safe is ... "
"Alex and Ella."
Thank God.
I kiss Alex quick, and at the moment, all of the anxiety is flushed away. However, that leaves Megan and Eyal, Zara and Adam, and Samira and Sam.
"Congratulations Alex and Ella, you are the final couple safe."
"Samira, Zara and Megan, please stand on my right. Sam, Adam and Eyal, please stand on my left."
My fellow Islanders line up beside Caroline, and myself, Dani, Georgia and Ellie group on the left-hand side of the sofa.
Caroline turns to the Islanders that are stood beside her. "Now, one boy and one girl will leave tonight. That decision is not in the hands of the public anymore, but in the hands of your fellow Islanders."
"Girls, you must dump either Adam, Sam or Eyal. Boys, you must dump either Zara, Samira or Megan."
I feel like welling up and crying so much until I dehydrate and then I can't hear a thing. I don't want to send any of the precious guys home, and I don't want any of my beautiful girls to leave.
We drown into whispers, and six of my friends stand waiting for two of them to be dumped.
"So first, Adam?"
"He's had a lot of chances in here." Dani whispers. "I don't really like him."
"I do believe that he and Zara have something different though." Ellie backs up. "And will the boys send Zara home? I don't think so."
All the time Adam and I have spent together, he has changed - a smidge. Maybe he should stay, as I can't bear to break him and Zara apart.
"We can't send Sam home," I emphasise. "He and Samira are finally happy, and I know 100% that Alex won't let Samira go home."
Turning to look at the boys, their heads are grouped together in deep whispers.
"And Eyal?" Georgia questions. "He and Megan have broken off, but he's starting to form bonds with Ellie now."
"But how real is it?" I ask. "I've seen them together once and they seemed ok. Not overly obsessed. Just okay."
It takes a while for us to come to our conclusions, but finally, we've decided on a boy.
"Girls, I'm going to ask you first. I understand this hasn't been an easy decision, but I have to ask you now, which boy are you going to dump and why?"
Adam, Eyal and Sam all have pleading puppy eyes. "We are dumping this boy from the Island because ... we feel that his couple is the least compatible compared to the others. He hasn't been able to find true love, whereas the others are on the right tracks."
It pains me to speak. "But the boy we have decided to dump is ... Eyal."
Eyal's puppy-like expression breaks and creates a malformation of sadness and upset.
The boys give their speech too. "We would like to dump this girl because ... she has had the smallest impact on the villa, and we feel as if we have loyalties to the other two girls. It wasn't an easy decision, but the girl we have decided to dump is ..."
Say, Megan.
Say, Megan.
"...Zara."
Zara immediately breaks down into tears, and her sobs echo out loud off of thin air. Ellie, whose eyes have filled with tears too, rushes up to her and encases her in the tightest hug.
"I'm sorry Zara and Eyal. You will be leaving the Island tonight." Caroline announces. "You have 30 minutes to pack your bags and say your goodbyes.
It takes a lot longer for me to say goodbye to Eyal than it does to Zara. Eyal and I have been tree-hugging besties, even though it doesn't seem like it.
We promised each other that if we didn't find love, we'd get married to each other and live in an eco-friendly hobbit house.
"See you soon." He gives me a smirk and a hug. "Alex? Look after her?"
"Forever and always." My partner promises, wrapping his arms around my waist.
Waving both Zara and Eyal off, it's difficult, but I didn't expect it to be that difficult.
"Come on Ell," Georgia takes my hand. "Let's go take our makeup off and go to bed."
In bed ...
My eyes feel swollen and red from the tears that keep falling. It's only when I tuck myself into Alex that they stop falling.
Zara and Eyal both played a part in my Love Island experience, and they'll be a huge loss to the villa. Adam and Ellie are struggling especially.
"I want to ask you something tomorrow." Alex wipes a tear from my eye.
"Just ask me now?"
"No." He shakes his head. "It's too special. I want to make it special."
How does he manage to make such a special moment suspenseful?
"Goodnight beautiful." He teases, pecking my cheek and rolling over.
I roll over too, and led there is Adam, all by himself.
The next morning ...
The lights switch on, and my left eye stings for a second. As they adjust, I slip my crooked eye mask off and throw it to the floor.
The bed seems cold. No arm is wrapped around me. The sheets are pulled back.
"Girls?" Dani says.
"Yeah." Georgia groans.
"Where are the boys?"
I look up properly, and Adam isn't in his bed either. Neither is Jack, or Sam, or Wes, or Josh.
"Maybe their outside?" Samira proposes. In unison, Megan barges through from the lounge.
"I've just checked everywhere! The boys have left the villa!"
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Hope you all like these chapters so far! Xx