Chapter 1: title page
Chapter Text
Taken
by
MB5
Chapter Text
I just thought that if I could take you from her
Maybe then it would prove that I'm worth something
Now I'm alone and I'm hurt
Wishing I'd taken you at your word
When you said that you were taken
I'll be a very good girl
I won't even think about it
I'm just feeling like I can't help it
I know you said you had a girlfriend
I just want it if it's taken
I know you said
I just want it
Catherine Gavin, Naomi McPherson, Josette Maskin, “Taken”
Notes:
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ladyofthelakes05/let-it-linger/
Let it Linger playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4lEO9ssMHjhkOFgD6gPMw0?si=c2d29a49fa8e4334
Priya’s playlist:
1. “Taken” – MUNA
2. “Frankly, Mr. Shankly” – The Smiths
3. “What’s Your Pleasure?” – Jessie Ware
4. “Girl, so confusing” – Charli XCX
5. “Close to You” – Gracie Abrams
6. “Talk talk featuring troye sivan” – Charli XCX, Troye Sivan
7. “HISS” – Megan Thee Stallion
8. “Money” – Cardi B
9. “Solid” – MUNA
10. “Guess” – Charli XCX
11. “Slut!” – Taylor Swift
12. “Thot Shit” – Megan Thee Stallion
13. “Don’t Cha” – The Pussycat Dolls
14. “Taste” – Sabrina Carpenter
15. “love is embarrassing” – Olivia Rodrigo
16. “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” – Arctic Monkeys
17. “Losing You” – Solange
18. “Red Flags” – Tinashe
19. “so sad so sexy” – Lykke Li
20. “Slow” – Kylie Minogue
21. “Erotic City – Let’s Go Crazy 7” B-Side Edit” – Prince
22. “Alien Superstar” – Beyoncé
23. “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” – The Smiths
24. “Black Mascara” – Raye
25. “Saturday Night Divas” – Spice Girls
26. “Training Season” – Dua Lipa
27. “2 On (feat. ScHoolboy Q)” – Tinashe
28. “Does Your Mother Know” – ABBA
29. “Lost In My Bedroom” – Sky Ferreira
30. “What I Want” – MUNA
31. “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” – Janet Jackson
32. “Red Wine Supernova” – Chappell Roan
Chapter 3: one degree of separation
Notes:
The increasingly popular show Love Island returns to Mallorca for the summer of 2021. The eleven starting islanders have been announced and fans are already speculating who will be “coupling up” with who on day one. (The line-up includes Lottie Kuras [23], Hope Reeves [26], Ibrahim Kirk [22], Bobby McKenzie [24], Elizabeth “Lizzie” Torrance [25], Priya Alli [29], Gary Rennell [23], Hannah Campion [21], Noah Martin [25], Rocco Stewart [21], and Marisol Warner [25]).
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
She had been flattered when the producers had reached out to her on Instagram, eagerly pressuring her to apply for Love Island. She had even been flattered when they suggested that she be the show’s first bombshell, feeling proud to be in the company of Jess Shears from season 3. However, as she walked out to the lawn with a bottle of champagne and a loud, “Need some company?” Priya’s excitement deflated at how cold the other girls’ greetings were.
The boys were eager (she was used to that) but the air hugs and kisses from Marisol, Hope, and Lizzie were full of cool grace. Behind them, Hannah and Lottie hung back, whispering about her entrance, and making it clear that they would do anything in their power to evict her from the villa in the first week.
The natural blonde one, Lizzie, seemed the most set on trying to be welcoming. She kept a narrow gaze on Rocco as she asked her, “What’s your usual type?” Priya wouldn’t have called Lizzie’s look territorial, and she wondered if Rocco had already given Lizzie reason to doubt his loyalty.
She was grateful for any question at this point. “Cheeky, flirty,” she gave a light shrug and then laughed at how she sounded, “Isn’t that everyone’s type though?” Lizzie’s gentle expression made her a little too comfortable and she added, “I struggle with commitment – it terrifies me. But I think this is my opportunity to find something long term.” She looked at Lottie and Hannah still whispering together at the firepit. “Why won’t those two come say hello?”
Lizzie glanced over at Lottie and Hannah too and looked embarrassed that she had to try to excuse them. “Honestly? I think they’re probably a little threatened.” She was surprised that Lizzie was honest about it. Maybe she could be her ally against the OG girls.
“Hey! Lottie! Hannah!” Bobby yelled across the lawn. When he had their attention, he added, “Coming to say hello?” As the girls walked over, he whispered to Noah, “How does that look? I’m coupled up with Lottie.”
“No one is judging you,” Noah muttered back, rolling his eyes at Lottie.
“Sorry! We had something important to discuss,” Lottie’s air-kiss was scented with the candy flavor of her lip-plumping gloss. “What’s your name again?”
She knew she was on camera so as much as she wanted to say something snide, she warmly answered, ”Priya!”
“It’s nice to meet you. Must be hard coming in like this.”
“I’m kind of loving the attention,” she could feel the tightness of her fake smile at the corner of her eyes. “Is your accent Australian? How rural!”
Lottie opened her mouth to say something, but Noah cleared his throat, “Isn’t it a bit early for… this?” He waved a hand between Priya and Lottie.
“Yeah, the first night isn’t the time to start with the falling out.” Hope frowned.
“Sorry, not loving the idea of being dumped tomorrow,” Lottie said in pointed frustration.
“Well…” Marisol twisted the rings on her right hand. “Who do you have your eye on Priya?”
“Probably Ibrahim and Rocco,” she said sheepishly. “But I also don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.” She almost wanted to steal Lottie, but she was paired with Bobby and while he seemed friendly enough he also didn’t seem worth stealing. The girls who were putting on a welcoming face were unfortunately the ones with the interesting guys.
“You could just leave,” Lottie said nastily. Lizzie stifled a gasp.
“Or you could have a drink!” Hope said in forced excitement. “Come on - she’s been here for ten minutes and none of you boys have gotten her a glass!” She gave Priya’s arm a squeeze, “Go grab some boys! Get grafting!”
She was soon left without defense amongst the boys. While she chatted to them at the in the kitchen, champagne finally in hand - Hope and Lizzie disappeared to the rooftop to whisper about something. There were cliques barely forming in the villa and she was determined that her choice tomorrow night wouldn’t result in her being shut out of one of them.
As planned, the boys couldn’t keep their eyes off of her when she came into the bedroom in a silky pajama set at the end of the night. Lottie was practically green with jealousy and once again Lizzie and Hope didn’t seem to care about any threat that she might pose. She wondered how serenity came to them in a place like this. She felt the overwhelming urge to be heard and seen, to make her mark in case her time in the villa was short.
“Damn Pri!” Rocco whistled at her. “I’m gonna have to dig out my silk boxers.”
“Do you even own silk boxers?” Bobby asked.
“No but I could!”
“You own a cocktail van, I don’t think you could,” Rahim shook his head.
She almost missed Lizzie rolling her eyes as she listened to Rocco and said goodnight to Hope. She wondered what the roll was for – Rocco or just the energy of the boys in general.
Hannah giggled nervously and offered a semblance of an olive branch, “Well I think we’re all going to have to get our beauty sleep if we want to keep up with Priya.”
She was more than a little surprised that someone with Hannah’s disposition had been willing to be on the show. Lizzie had the whole “girl-next-door” attitude on lock and Hannah only added the personality of “cripplingly shy”. Oh well. Luckily for the auburn, she wasn’t even looking twice at Gary.
“Well lucky for me then, I get a bed to myself,” she starfished on the double mattress. It was only for the night, and she was kind of glad she didn’t have to share just yet.
“Keep it that way,” Lottie mumbled under her breath as she went to bed.
Priya grit her teeth but didn’t rise to it. Maybe she’d go after Bobby for fun tomorrow, just to set Lottie off. The boy she really wanted was Noah but something about his and Hope’s instant closeness gave her the feeling that she’d be all out of allies if she did that. But then again… in all the whispering in the dark she could tell she didn’t have any allies anyway.
----
The producers asked her about her game plan the next morning. She gave the camera an exaggerated wink and laughed, “Obviously the plan is to try to couple up with all of the boys in one go! All for me! None for the others!” She paused, “I do want to clarify that is a joke. I think I like a few of the girls so they can stay.”
“Which girls?”
“Obviously the ones who are okay with me. Hope, Lizzie, and Marisol… which is unfortunate because I do rate all of their men.”
“What do you think of Lottie?”
She bit her lip, deciding what kind of person she wanted to come across as. Unfortunately, she had really never been anything but brash. “Look… I know that I have to steal someone and I’m obviously hot so I’m a threat. But she was obnoxiously rude. I’ve actually been nothing but pleasant to everyone so far and she’s really testing that. Like?” she held up her hands, “Babes, I can screw you over, I just don’t think you want me to.”
“Which boy is your type on paper?”
She sighed dramatically, “Noah. I mean just look at him, oh my god! And he’s so chill. But I think he’s one of the guys you have to get to know as a friend before he lets you jump into bed with him. Rocco is maybe second then. Lizzie would probably take the apology better than Hope anyway.”
“Who do you think the most unstable couple is?”
“It’s only day two! I’d say all of them. Although Gary and Hannah aren’t going to hack it, with or without my intervention.” She batted her eyelashes down the lens, “Now, any more questions or can I go start talking to boys instead of thinking about them?”
They dismissed her with a laugh. Mission charm the producers seemed to be a success. She wanted to make sure they felt confident that they had chosen correctly when they made her the first bombshell. She would give them chaos… not drama but chaos.
Rahim was practically tripping over his own feet to offer her a coffee as she stepped out into the kitchen. She wondered how Marisol was taking his infatuation. She’d take him over Rocco if he wasn’t so awkward. “No breakfast to go with it?”
“Bobby’s already making it.”
“Well, I suppose he’s a chef –“
“He’s only a baker, don’t get your hopes up.” Rahim rolled his eyes, “He’s giving me the middle finger, isn’t he?”
She looked at Bobby over Rahim’s shoulder and laughed, “Yep. Find my by the pool later, yeah?”
“Yeah,” she could’ve sworn he was blushing.
“What’re you making for me?” she slid past Rahim to take a seat on one of the kitchen stools and observe Bobby. Goodbye truce with Marisol! Not that it mattered. She had a feeling Marisol would side with Lottie and Hannah in a villa ice out anyway. Her dream would be to keep Hannah with Gary, give Hope to Bobby, Marisol could keep Rahim, Lizzie would keep Rocco, she’d get Noah, and Lottie would be dumped. But she hadn’t been cast as a producer… just a bombshell.
“Pancakes. Figured the avocado toast thing is going to get boring in a week,” Bobby’s nose and freckles crinkled as he grinned at her. “How’d you find the beach hut?”
“Kind of a thrill!” She was camera shy in real life but not seeing the person behind the camera was working wonders. “Like, you can just say anything that you want in there.”
“If you want to,” Bobby added. “I think most people are still shy in there.”
“And you aren’t?”
“Fuck no. I think they’re not going to invite me back because I didn’t shut up. Oi! Lizzie,” he waved at the blonde as she came to put an empty coffee cup in the kitchen sink, “Breakfast?”
“Oh! Sure,” she gave Priya a small smile. “What did you make?”
“Pancakes.”
She accepted the plate he gave her but took it with her as she went to the dressing room to change. Bobby looked frustrated that she hadn’t stayed.
“Got a crush?” Priya laughed as he finished preparing her own food.
“You’re a lovely lass but…”
She laughed again, “Maybe invite her to eat with you next time instead of just passing it off.”
“You stayed behind!”
“I’m not safe right now.”
“Arguably you are the saftest person right now,” he countered. “Next to me of course.”
“Of course.”
“Now you know all my secrets. Who are you eyeing?” he leaned in conspiratorially.
“All of your secrets?”
“I’m an open book and you’re deflecting.”
“A girl’s allowed a few secrets,” she reached out and bopped his nose. “Besides, I can’t you running around spreading gossip.”
He tapped his nose, “Right on.”
----
She held court with the boys by the poolside for the rest of the morning. The only one missing was Noah who seemed glued to Hope’s side. Lottie came over to hover in his stead. She seemed to busily be taking mental notes on all of the things she could gossip about with the other girls later.
Priya needed an ally, “Lizzie!” The museum collections manager had outdone her in a skimpy bikini and tousled hair, but she still had better tits. “Want to help me grill the boys?”
“Grill?” Ibrahim looked ready to run.
Lizzie laughed at Rahim’s expression., “She just wants to get to know you! You aren’t sitting for a-levels!”
“Or aren’t they?” Lizzie smirked back at her and for a brief moment she finally had a sensation of solidarity in the villa. “I just want to get a feel for my options! You play good cop, I play bad?” She teased Lizzie and ignored the glare that Lottie sent their way.
“Sure!” Lizzie also ignored the glare that Lottie sent their way. Her voice became flirtier despite looking uncomfortable with the gazes of all the boys on her, “Do you want history, maths, or spelling?”
“You make the spelling bee sound sexy, Liz,” Lottie couldn’t take all of the interest out of her lazy tone. When she caught Priya looking at her, she narrowed her gaze slightly.
“Don’t knock a good strip spelling bee until you try it,” Lizzie challenged back.
Gary let out a low whistle, “Damn, Lizzie, I thought you were a little bit sweet like Hannah.”
“I can be that too,” her sultry tone took her off guard and then Priya smiled to herself. If she took Rocco from Lizzie, the girl would be completely fine. In fact, the boys might be more willing to race to couple up with her… an OG.
“I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic,” Priya laughed, “But I love the attitude.” She waited for Lizzie to ask the first question of the group. She did have the advantage of knowing the boys for about eight hours longer than she did.
Lizzie looked nervous for a moment before she made some kind of internal choice and stood up to twirl in place, “How’s this for a question? Boys, what do you think of my bikini?”
She was so set a moment before on stealing Rocco from Lizzie but now she was afraid she’d miss out on the chance to be Lizzie’s friend and ally. There was no way she could be mad at her pulling a move like that. Maybe she had been wrong, and Hannah was the true girl-next-door all along. “Shameless! Forget my being the bombshell, I’m going to have to keep an eye on you.”
“Me too,” Rocco looked possessive.
“You do look stunning,” Lottie begrudgingly agreed.
“Thanks, hun.”
“It’s the color.”
“Mate, it’s the fit.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s the body.”
“A vision!” Rocco blew Lizzie a kiss as she sat down next to Priya.
“Thank you.”
Lottie snidely added, “Guess it’ll be hard for you to graft Rocco, Priya.”
“You might be right,” she didn’t actually feel like conceding that ground to Lottie. If only she liked Bobby like that and then she could steal him to get even. But maybe she’d be doing him a favor by taking Rocco.
“How are you going to choose later?” Bobby asked as if he’d read her mind. “I know you can’t just steal me away without giving this lot a chance,” he puckered his lips at her.
“I mean everyone here is fit, so I can’t go just based on looks. If I’m sharing a bed with someone, I want it to be based on connection."
“I just go off the vibes,” Rocco sighed.
Bobby started to sing ‘Good Vibrations’ by the Beach Boys, causing Ibrahim to groan, “Please don’t ruin that song for us, Bobby.”
“How about this?” He started to sing Marky Mark’s ‘Good Vibrations’ instead.
Ibrahim turned his large brown eyes to her instead and asked shyly, “Is there anything other than how Lizzie’s outfit looks that you want to ask us?”
She had recognized him from one of the gag gifts her friends had given her for a birthday present last year and decided to tease him a little, “Yeah… weren’t you in that ‘Hot Golf Men’ calendar?”
The other boys began to rib Rahim as he both seemed embarrassed that she’d revealed his status as Mr. June and grateful that she just gave him an edge.
“So, there are no mocktail truck owner calendars?” she teased Rocco next as he pouted over the attention Rahim was getting.
“Well, you can find out sometime what the pictures could’ve looked like,” Rocco attempted to flirt back.
Lizzie didn’t look disgusted so much as confused as she clocked the conversation, “Excuse me? I am still right here.”
His blush barely showed through his sunburn, “It’s just in my nature to flirt, Lizzie! Absolutely harmless!”
“It’s incredibly unfair to your partner,” Lizzie frowned.
Lottie jumped in to give her unwanted two cents, “I agree. It’s disrespectful and honestly can be the sign of a cheater.”
“I think it’s all relative. But I don’t usually like when a guy is too smooth.” She sometimes wasn’t sure what her type was on paper. Her friends called her “the Samantha” because she was always with someone know but in reality, she was really just bad at relationships.
“Neither do I,” Lottie glanced at Rocco’s abs for a moment and then caught Priya’s eye, getting annoyed that she’d been caught.
She finally worked up to ask the question that was really plaguing her mind. “What’s the deal with Noah and Hope, by the way?”
Lizzie carefully answered. She may have been bad about keeping her facial expressions from revealing everything she was thinking, but she was incredibly good at finding the diplomatic words, “They’re pretty serious… maybe a little too soon. It’s dangerous for your emotions to put your heart on the line this quickly.”
“I’ve gotta agree,” Gary nodded. “Hope is a proper sort and Noah’s a good bloke, but it does make me wonder that they’re so attached at the hip.”
“You think that they’re playing the game?” Ibrahim furrowed his brow.
“No!” Lizzie said almost too quickly.
“I think it’s early days is all,” Gary added.
It was only day two. Honestly, she found it suspicious that Noah and Hope had seemed to find the love of their life. “Interesting. Do you think Noah’s head could be turned then?”
“Unlikely,” Rocco sighed. He must have a crush on Hope. Actually… he might just have a crush on every girl.
“Hmm,” Priya flounced back against the lounger. “This day is going to be a toughie.”
“Maybe you’ll just wind up being sent home,” Lottie stood and stretched.
“Ugh, no my summer has only just begun,” she wanted Lottie’s summer to end tomorrow. How the hell was she getting away with being so snide? Not a single person could call Lottie out and defend her? She found herself souring to Lizzie for a brief moment.
----
Lottie’s secret council meeting with the rest of the girls was the perfect opportunity for her to finally seek Noah out and just chat. She wouldn’t choose him this time, she had decided firmly on that, but maybe he’d be willing to choose her next time. “Missed you at the pool,” she said as she flopped next to him on a daybed.
“Heard it was a little –“ he made a face.
“It was fine. All of the conflict will die off as soon as a new bombshell comes in.”
“At least you’re confident.”
She wanted to take his sunglasses off to better read his face, but he and his perpetually dry tone weren’t giving anything away. “Have to be don’t you think?”
He nodded.
“So you and Hope tie the knot yet?”
“Early days for that isn’t it? Promise ring first.”
She gaped at him, unable to tell if he had pulled a Kem Cetinay infinity bracelet on day one.
Noah softly chuckled, “Not literally. I don’t know who that would scare more, me or Hope.”
“I was going to say…”
“Hope’s really a catch.”
“But? And?”
“And it’s day two so I’m not losing my head,” he countered. “Who are you stealing today?”
“Rocco or Bobby,” she said just to say it. It was too early days for her to admit to a crush.
“Bobby?”
She could tell from the change in his tone that he knew she was just saying his name because of Lottie. “He’s lovely.”
“He didn’t play a prank on you yet.”
“He did on you?”
“We don’t need to talk about that. Rahim has a crush on you too.”
“Yeah, I kind of think I need to get to know him more. I feel like I might scare him off by jumping the gun,” she hoped he would pick up her hint.
“Yeah, that’s fair. You like superheroes?”
“What?”
“Rahim’s a fan. Maybe you could talk to him about them.”
She wanted to roll her eyes. He was so fucking oblivious. “Yeah sure. I’ll see you later.”
“Later.”
----
The producers made her steal in the daytime. She had hoped that maybe they’d let her do it last minute so everyone could just go to bed instead of standing around gossiping. Instead, she stood before the other ten islanders and waited for the chime of her phone tell her it was time to take a man. It was too early to couple up with someone as friends, no matter how much she wanted to stick it to Lottie. “First, I want to thank all of the boys for making me feel so welcome. You’ve all been really lovely and have made this decision especially hard for me. But I do have to choose someone who I think I have chemistry and the possibility of a connection with. So, the boy I’d like to couple up with is… Rocco.”
Rocco jumped up to join her and kissed her cheek. Lizzie wasn’t giving anything away, but she did gently pat Lottie’s hand as Lottie hissed in her ear, “I knew it. I could’ve told you-“
Everyone else gave the new couple a smattering of applause before falling silent as Lizzie’s phone beeped.
“Lizzie, Priya has chosen Rocco, leaving you single and vulnerable. Get grafting because the girl single at the first recoupling will be dumped from the villa!”
Hope smiled, “At least you’re staying!”
“Priya could’ve gotten her dumped,” Lottie didn’t lower her voice.
“Shall we?” she said to Rocco, hoping to leave the firepit before the arguing got worse.
Lizzie’s only hint at how she was feeling about the whole thing was in her choice to sleep outside that night. Otherwise, she had remained nothing but kind. Priya really did want to make a go of it but now that she’d stolen Rocco, she didn’t feel any attraction to him. His wandering eyes were all over anyway. They were both people who loved a chase and unfortunately the game was up.
“I just want to sleep,” she growled as he tried to spoon her, hands getting a little too friendly with her body.
“Suit yourself,” he rolled over and was quiet for a second before saying. “You know thanks for picking me but I’m probably going to pursue Lizzie tomorrow.”
She couldn’t imagine Lizzie being any “easier” than she was but maybe she was actually horrible at reading people. “Fine then."
“Fine then.”
His soft snores filled her ears as he fell asleep remarkably quickly. Shit. Maybe she should have just stolen Noah. It couldn’t be any less awkward than this. She then thought of Hope’s possessive hovering. Maybe it would have just been as awkward. There wasn’t space for three to sleep comfortably in a bed.
Notes:
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ladyofthelakes05/let-it-linger/
Let it Linger playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4lEO9ssMHjhkOFgD6gPMw0?si=c2d29a49fa8e4334
Priya’s playlist:
1. “Taken” – MUNA
2. “Frankly, Mr. Shankly” – The Smiths
3. “What’s Your Pleasure?” – Jessie Ware
4. “Girl, so confusing” – Charli XCX
5. “Close to You” – Gracie Abrams
6. “Talk talk featuring troye sivan” – Charli XCX, Troye Sivan
7. “HISS” – Megan Thee Stallion
8. “Money” – Cardi B
9. “Solid” – MUNA
10. “Guess” – Charli XCX
11. “Slut!” – Taylor Swift
12. “Thot Shit” – Megan Thee Stallion
13. “Don’t Cha” – The Pussycat Dolls
14. “Taste” – Sabrina Carpenter
15. “love is embarrassing” – Olivia Rodrigo
16. “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” – Arctic Monkeys
17. “Losing You” – Solange
18. “Red Flags” – Tinashe
19. “so sad so sexy” – Lykke Li
20. “Slow” – Kylie Minogue
21. “Erotic City – Let’s Go Crazy 7” B-Side Edit” – Prince
22. “Alien Superstar” – Beyoncé
23. “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” – The Smiths
24. “Black Mascara” – Raye
25. “Saturday Night Divas” – Spice Girls
26. “Training Season” – Dua Lipa
27. “2 On (feat. ScHoolboy Q)” – Tinashe
28. “Does Your Mother Know” – ABBA
29. “Lost In My Bedroom” – Sky Ferreira
30. “What I Want” – MUNA
31. “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” – Janet Jackson
32. “Red Wine Supernova” – Chappell Roan
Chapter Text
“Sorry,” Bobby said as he passed Priya on the stairs. Her heart sank as she realized his apology meant that he felt an obligation to side with Lottie in any arguments that might develop. She didn’t even have Rocco on her side which meant that she was still alone in the villa. It would have been the same if she had chosen Noah so maybe she should have.
The prospect of grafting again was wearying. She was supposed to have been the bombshell, done her thing, and then settled into the group. Even with Lizzie and Hope’s olive branch in the bedroom of lounging by the pool with them, she felt there was no group for her to settle into. After all, it was probably just a gesture from Lizzie to show that there was no bad blood in her choosing Rocco, not in wanting friendship.
Priya thrived on friendship. She ran through guys, sure… but she was in her right to do that. Her friends though? She was fiercely loyal to them and quick to make more. She didn’t want to become jaded in the first week.
Lottie didn’t move out of her way in the hallway to the bathroom, forcing her to awkwardly slide against the wall to reach the dressing room. She was relieved to know that the cameras were watching them, showing the UK what was going on in the villa. But maybe everyone was already on Lottie’s side and her trying to take the high road didn’t matter.
“I wouldn’t go out there,” Rahim said coming into the bathroom to brush his teeth and noticing no tension between the girls.
“Why?”
“Marisol and Hannah,” Rahim shook his head.
“Marisol and –“ Priya began a little confused on how Hannah got involved but less confused that Marisol might instigate something. She had clocked that Marisol might be trying to do some quiet bomb-shelling of her own.
“Hannah?” Lottie finished for her. “What happened?”
“I guess they both want Gary,” Rahim slid a hand across his rows. “Marisol said something about Lizzie trying to sort it but…”
Lottie let out a long huff before heading downstairs.
“Sorry about Marisol,” Priya knew she really didn’t sound sorry at all. Here was her opportunity to jump ship from Rocco. How kind of Marisol to drop Rahim in her lap.
He shrugged in an attempt to not look bothered, but he did in fact look bothered. “If she and Gary have a connection.”
“You know they don’t have a connection.”
“Do he and Hannah?”
“You have options.”
He made eye contact with her for a moment and then shyly looked away. “Do I?”
She wanted to say Rocco was a mistake, to get Rahim to flirt with her just because she knew she could get him to flirt with her. The chase was looking too good again. And this time he wasn’t unavailable. She restrained herself, “I’m open to options.”
“Rocco isn’t your cup of mocktail?” he chuckled to himself at his bad joke.
“All mock, no tail.” Maybe it was the other way around… seeing as he seemed to think she’d put out last night.
He nodded as if what she said made absolutely perfect sense. “Good to know.”
She let him keep his cards close to his chest, and also made sure he was in the bathroom still as she went to get in the shower. She had a lot of advantages she was willing to play to stay in the villa. Rahim was just a tough egg to crack, exactly like Noah.
----
She sought out Noah again. My god she must look desperate on camera but at least she could still keep getting to know him instead of wondering “what if” about a person who she wasn’t even compatible with. He glanced up at her from the protein shake he was making and gave her a smile. At least he didn’t have his sunglasses on so she could read his few expressions. “How was your first night in a couple?”
“Could have gone better. He wants to keep pursuing Lizzie.”
“Rahim is still…”
“I know. And I suppose I don’t have to feel bad because Marisol is pursuing Gary.”
“It’s the name of the game, I wouldn’t feel bad regardless.”
She tilted her head, “So if Hope were to-“
“She hasn’t yet so I can’t say. But I can’t discount her when she hasn’t been tested.”
“Oh, so I’m just a test?”
“No,” he looked flustered for a moment. “I think you’re here for the long haul. I just meant-“
“I know. I was teasing,” she sighed. “Although I think the girls just see me as a test anyway.”
“You know when you go to uni and the friends you make in the first month aren’t the friends you have by the end? That’s what it’s going to feel like at the end of the week,” Noah looked resolute as he said it, as if because he had said so things were going to have to be that way.
“Even for the boys?”
He nodded but chose not to elaborate. “Just don’t count out anything right now.”
Even you? She wanted to ask but didn’t. “So just hope the dust settles soon?”
“Exactly. As soon as another bombshell comes in, you’ll be closing ranks too.”
----
“I’ve got a text!” Marisol stood up from the pool steps to announce to the villa, “Islanders, tonight there will be a recoupling. The girl not chosen to be in a couple will be dumped from the villa. #fightorflight #ringaroundthefirepit #getgrafting.”
“Ugh.” She had known it was coming but literally a day after she stole Rocco? She didn’t even know if Rahim would choose her over Lizzie. Would Bobby take her as a friend? Was it desperate to say she’d be okay with that?
Lizzie looked completely relaxed on the sun lounger next to her. She wondered if she had already spoken to one of the guys and settled up. Even if she hadn’t, Lizzie’s face of Zen was making her jealous.
“Aren’t you even a little stressed?” she voiced.
“Babe, you have no idea,” Lizzie didn’t elaborate.
“You’ll be safe though,” she was trying to keep the other girl talking… practically begging for a friend.
“Maybe,” Lizzie chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, the first sign of nerves. “I dunno, the dynamic is going to be fucked whatever happens tonight.”
“You mean the Marisol and Hannah thing?”
“I mean the everything thing.” Lizzie took off her sunglasses and met her gaze, “Everyone hates someone else in this place and everyone has a person they will get a chip in their shoulder for if she goes home. We’re fucked.”
“Don’t sound so optimistic now.”
Lizzie smirked before mulling something over in her head. Priya wished she would come right out and say it, but Lizzie was too good at diplomacy. “Just… know that you aren’t everyone’s person they want to be sent home.”
“Who’s yours?”
Lizzie glanced up at one of the small cameras trained on them. “I promised Hope I’d find her. I’ll see you later.”
She knew that was Lizzie trying to play nice, but she just wished someone would bitch with her. She suspected if she had been one of the OG’s with Lottie, they’d be gossiping about every person together but now they both had chips on their shoulders that wouldn’t go away. She’d already talked to Rahim and Noah and there was no point in tracking down Bobby or Rocco when they’d made their stances for the day clear.
She smirked as she watched Marisol corner Gary in the gym. She was forward, she’d give the girl that. Maybe she should have been the bombshell instead.
----
In the mayhem of the dressing room that evening, she still felt alone. The other girls kept moving between helping one another and keeping awkwardly to themselves. She was forced to just keep curling and re-curling the ends of her hair, cursing softy to herself as the blowout style kept falling flat. Maybe it didn’t even matter…
“Ugh!” Hannah’s growl silenced the room as all of her clothes tumbled out of her cupboard. Lizzie was the first to act, kneeling on the floor and carefully refolding shirts and dresses. “I’m so useless when I’m nervous… I know Gary won’t pick me tonight.”
“You’ll be fine, hun.”
“Listen to Lizzie,” she inserted herself into the conversation. She was growing desperate in her attempts to be seen as a non-threat. “You’re a total package. A stunner, a sweetheart, a beautiful way with words.” She laughed at herself, “Maybe I should’ve coupled up with you yesterday. Seems I made the wrong choice anyway.” The silence was overwhelming as no one laughed with her.
“Someone’s bound to pick you,” Lottie added, defiantly staring down Marisol.
“Well… que sera,” Hannah murmured.
“Huh?” Lottie’s gaze flicked back to Hannah.
“You know? Like the Doris Day song?” she started to sing the song and Lizzie and Hope quickly joined her before Lottie cut them off with a possessive hug for Hannah.
She schooled her face to hide her suspicions on that. She prayed to no one in particular that Lottie would go home, and Hannah would stay. Lizzie was right when she said that everyone was hoping for one other girl’s downfall.
No one wanted to mingle as they waited awkwardly for the text to tell them to stand in front of the firepit for the recoupling. It was easier to face it head on instead of hoping that some last-minute grafting would change anyone’s mind. All of the girls joined hands as they waited and she was glad to finally feel some sort of solidarity, even as she stood on the end, barely holding Marisol’s right hand.
Noah quickly recoupled with Hope and Bobby seemed torn before making his choice to save Lottie. He was maybe loyal to a fault. She had to wonder at his picking Lottie when Lizzie was right there and completely available. Then again… she didn’t choose Noah when she could have. Rocco beat Rahim to the punch of picking Lizzie. She could tell in Rahim’s face that he had been intending to pick Lizzie over herself, but she was still grateful for the sweetness of his maybe fake speech, and decision to keep her from being sent home.
Marisol and Hannah were left at the firepit. Not what she would have wanted but it was certainly expected. Gary gave a halting speech before making his choice, angering Lottie as Hannah was sent home.
“You okay?” she whispered to Rahim as they watched everyone else say goodbye to Hannah. She wanted him to have the chance to turn her down before they got into bed together.
“Yeah, I had the easy part,” he smiled at her and her worry dissipated. “How are you feeling though?”
“I got what I wanted,” she gave his hand a squeeze. God. Lying was too easy. Nothing she wanted happened. Noah didn’t give her a second glance and Lottie was still sniping glares at her.
He squeezed her hand back, seeming to forget that he had wanted Lizzie first and falling for her easy lie. “Want to just chill on the daybeds after this?”
“Sure!” The taking charge was something she admired. Maybe she didn’t need a spark for something to be right. After all, Rahim’s compliments were genuine and his quick attachment to her in the hope that this thing could be the right thing was easy to succumb to.
Later, however, she stared up at the bedroom ceiling and wondered why his body next to hers still felt so wrong. She wouldn’t allow herself to start the chase over again until she was certain the cold feet weren’t just her nerves. She was already thinking again about new bombshells and Noah. But she couldn’t ask whoever was up there to let her get what she wanted because she wasn’t even sure what she wanted. Easiness? A crush that never left? Fun over substance?
----
It was refreshing to not be the only one on Lottie’s bad side. Most of the bedroom awoke to Lottie and Gary angrily talking to one another across the beds as Marisol tried to make up her mind on whether to hide under the covers or upstairs in the bathroom. She could never help the urge to insert herself. “Um – “ she began from hers and Rahim’s bed.
Lizzie beat her to the punch, seemingly having been up for the whole argument and not confused over what the pair were going back and forth about, “Lottie, I miss Hannah too but if it wasn’t her, it would have been Marisol. Someone was always going to be hurt in this scenario.”
“Stay out of this, babe,” Lottie snapped at Lizzie and Priya readied herself again to jump into the conversation to try to protect her only kind of friend. “You didn’t even get to know her! Just a comforting shoulder and then into bed with another girl!”
“Marisol is someone I want to get to know!” Gary’s voice rumbled through the echo-y bedroom. Everyone was awake now.
“This is not the vibe I wanted to wake up to,” Bobby said, forcing a laugh but awkwardly looking at Lottie who seemed to forget they were sharing a bed.
Gary stormed off to the kitchen, leaving Marisol to head up to the bathroom to hide the fact that she was crying behind her sunglasses. Lottie remained either oblivious to how she was coming across or she didn’t’ care as she began to talk about what she hoped they would do that day. “We need to have like a really sexy challenge –“
“Got a text!” Rocco saved them all and read out a text that they were having brunch in their couples out on the lawn.
“What’s your brunch go to?” Rahim asked Priya.
“I really like a savory brunch but with the heat probably just a mimosa and big grapefruit,” she told him. “What about you? And don’t give me that sports crap like ‘a protein shake’.”
He looked sheepish, “Well…”
“Babe, this is vacation.”
He raised an eyebrow and his eyes flicked to Lottie, wordlessly asking her if it really felt like a vacation. “Well in this place, I’ll eat whatever’s in front of me.”
“You might want to take that back before we get a food challenge.”
“Touché,” he laughed.
She and Rahim probably had the most lowkey brunch next to Noah and Hope. She got him to talk about golf and he got her to talk about the party scene in Manchester. He didn’t really care about her being a relator and she actually didn’t really care about it either. A selfish part of her hoped that she’d stay on Love Island long enough that going back to her job wouldn’t matter. “Have you ever bought a mattress?” he asked her intently.
“What?” she wasn’t sure if she had heard him correctly.
“I think it’s the sign of really being an adult. No hand me down mattresses or pre-furnished apartments…. You know?”
She didn’t really know but she did find the thought exercise amusing, “Yeah I have.”
“Damn.”
“Have you?”
He shook his head sadly, “No. I travel too much to train for golf. One day I’ll find something permanent.”
“How does that work with dating then?”
He shrugged, “I wouldn’t say I’ve really done dating. Mostly one or two nightstands. Just haven’t had anything to make permanent. But I want it. How many people have you-“
“Slept with or dated?”
“I was going to say dated…”
“Dated, like two. Slept with…” she actually didn’t know the number and she was trying to figure out if that would make Rahim mad or if he realized she was allowed to have as high a number as he probably did.
He didn’t notice her hesitation, “Damn you’ve bought a mattress and dated. I’m behind.”
She didn’t want to say anything about her being like seven years older than him. He thought she was hot and fun, and she was going to leave it at that.
----
She tried to get the girls to bond now that they weren’t fighting over who went home but her attempts at forcing them to play a game were stalled by the announcement of the producer vetted challenge. The boys were covered in paint and the girls had to grind against two of the boys to mix a new color of paint. Everyone would get to rub up against their own partner but also would have to do the same to someone else’s.
It was only a game… and so all of Priya’s light allegiance to the other girls went out the window.
She didn’t need Noah’s color but why wouldn’t she take the opportunity to continue to remind him that she was there and available as soon as he decided Hope was too much for him.
Marisol had the same idea and ignored Gary in favor of Bobby and Rocco. Lottie didn’t seem to care about that, only about the perceived slight of her performance with Noah.
There was no coming back from the fight, no matter what efforts Hope, Lizzie, and Marisol made to try to fix the growing rift between Priya and Lottie. She knew something was up between Lottie and Gary, she had seen her twisting all over the paint on Gary and Rocco’s bodies during the challenge but instead all Lottie cared about was making sure everyone knew that she had taken the chance to rub up to Noah.
“It was part of the fucking game, Lottie!”
“Is this all being here is to you? A game? Because you’re doing a pretty good job and being an obvious player. Noah would make it, what, the third guy you tried it on with?”
“I wasn’t trying anything on! It was a challenge!”
“You can’t even be bothered to try to make friends with any of us, you snake.”
“Snake?” her voice was dangerously close to a shriek. “That’s rich from someone who couldn’t even pretend to be nice on day one.”
“Calm down!” Lizzie was just shy from shouting at them as she slapped her hairbrush onto the dressing table. “We haven’t even been here a week! Grow the fuck up.”
Priya paused. She had been priding herself on being the oldest girl in here and now the fact raced to the front of her mind.
“At least get some space from each other, even if you don’t feel like talking,” Hope added.
“I’m sorry – what?” Lottie rounded on the two of them. “You’re just letting her talk to me like this? Where’s your sense of fucking loyalty because it could have just as easily been one of you who went home instead of Hannah. You both are just skipping over the fact that she swooped in and stole Rocco from Lizzie?”
“I had to choose someone,” Priya’s voice sounded meek now that Lottie’s anger wasn’t focused on her.
“I haven’t held it over Priya’s head, Lottie. Anyway, I’m coupled back up with Rocco.”
“So? She still stabbed you in the back!”
“I was honest! No one was stabbed in the back. Your sense of ‘girl code’ is so fucking messed up that you don’t realize that you’re breaking it,” the power came back to her voice as she defended herself.
“You’re saying I’m breaking girl code?” Lottie shrieked.
“I’m a girl and I came in on day one. You have been nothing but incessantly rude from the moment I walked in. So yeah, I am.”
“Can we calm down?”
“Yeah, you two are going to say things you regret.”
“No. I’m not going to regret this.” She stared down Lottie, “Face it, Lottie, you break girl code all the time.”
“Excuse me?” Lottie was moments away from slapping her.
“You tried forming this little clique with Hannah claiming it was for her good but really, it was so you could try to control her and everyone else. Checking in constantly about our relationships? Telling people who they can or can’t get to know? You’ve done it in here with people you barely know, and I can guarantee that you’ve been a shit friend on the outside too.”
“Oh, fuck you, Priya. You’ve really been that good of a friend in here? Trying so hard to get Lizzie on your side just so she’d lie belly up when you stole her man?”
Lizzie pushed into the small space between Priya and Lottie. “Stop it! Both of you need to calm down. This isn’t going to solve anything.”
“Listen to Lizzie! You’re both in the wrong here! Get some space.”
“I’m done with this bullshit!” Lottie stormed out towards the stairs.
Priya could have stopped. She could have been the bigger woman and let her leave, but she was kind of done with being the bigger woman. “You don’t get to walk away now!” she shrieked.
“You want to keep this going? I can keep it going!” Lottie yelled over her shoulder; accent stronger than ever.
“You haven’t stopped since I got here! Why would you quit now?”
“Get off my fucking back!”
Gary and Bobby looked up at them wide-eyed as they entered, yelling, into the kitchen. Gary interrupted with a forced, fatherly, “What’s this all about?”
“Priya! Obviously!”
“There you go again! Keep my name out of your mouth, Lottie. You can’t keep blaming me for shit when you’re the one who can’t go two minutes without coming across as a complete fucking bitch.”
Gary looked to the other girls for explanation. Bobby whispered, “Who am I supposed to be rooting for?”
Lottie’s ire towards her was forgotten for a brief moment as she rounded on Bobby, “Obviously me, Bobby! Your partner!”
“This is absolutely ridiculous. You two have said too much. You need to stop!”
“What’s Lottie even done?”
“You haven’t fucking noticed? Making salty-ass comments whenever I’m around? Heaven forbid I try to say anything or offer an opinion on someone’s relationship?” She decided she hated Gary. He wanted to fuck Lottie so bad that he couldn’t even open his eyes to the fact that she was a bitch.
“I call it like I see it, babes. And I haven’t heard you talking – just stealing men,” Lottie sneered.
“I’m going to need some concrete examples,” Gary said to Priya.
She wanted to scream back at him. Instead, she settled for, “Why do I have to justify my presence here?”
Lizzie’s patience finally wore thin, and she yelled at them in a tone Priya hadn’t thought possible from her. If she hadn’t been in the argument, she would have been proud of her. “Both of you – knock it off! Priya, go get some space by the pool. Lottie, go to the firepit. You two need to shut the fuck up before this goes any further.”
She followed Lizzie’s instructions, more because she felt like she was going to slap someone and didn’t want to get kicked out for an altercation than an actual willingness to stop the fight. She was surprised when Hope followed her. She wondered if she would start fighting her next, telling her off for grinding on Noah.
“Well, that was something,” Hope said instead. “You know, I thought that would take you two another week to have.”
“You thought we were going to have a fight?”
“You two can barely be in the same room! How is it a surprise?” Hope narrowed her eyes at her with an incredulous laugh, “What? You thought you wouldn’t?”
She laughed too, “I guess that’s fair.”
“She and Gary will fuck soon and then we’ll all be better for it.”
“Babes…”
“What? I have a sixth sense and also, she is way too pissed off at him for being with Marisol to not want to at least hate fuck him.”
“Maybe she and I should hate fuck.”
Hope laughed again, “Don’t give her ideas.”
“I just want it to calm down. Why can’t I feel like I belong here?"
“I’ll let you in on a secret… I don’t think any of us feels like we belong here. Just keep trying and eventually it’ll all shake out.”
Notes:
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ladyofthelakes05/let-it-linger/
Let it Linger playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4lEO9ssMHjhkOFgD6gPMw0?si=c2d29a49fa8e4334
Priya’s playlist:
1. “Taken” – MUNA
2. “Frankly, Mr. Shankly” – The Smiths
3. “What’s Your Pleasure?” – Jessie Ware
4. “Girl, so confusing” – Charli XCX
5. “Close to You” – Gracie Abrams
6. “Talk talk featuring troye sivan” – Charli XCX, Troye Sivan
7. “HISS” – Megan Thee Stallion
8. “Money” – Cardi B
9. “Solid” – MUNA
10. “Guess” – Charli XCX
11. “Slut!” – Taylor Swift
12. “Thot Shit” – Megan Thee Stallion
13. “Don’t Cha” – The Pussycat Dolls
14. “Taste” – Sabrina Carpenter
15. “love is embarrassing” – Olivia Rodrigo
16. “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” – Arctic Monkeys
17. “Losing You” – Solange
18. “Red Flags” – Tinashe
19. “so sad so sexy” – Lykke Li
20. “Slow” – Kylie Minogue
21. “Erotic City – Let’s Go Crazy 7” B-Side Edit” – Prince
22. “Alien Superstar” – Beyoncé
23. “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” – The Smiths
24. “Black Mascara” – Raye
25. “Saturday Night Divas” – Spice Girls
26. “Training Season” – Dua Lipa
27. “2 On (feat. ScHoolboy Q)” – Tinashe
28. “Does Your Mother Know” – ABBA
29. “Lost In My Bedroom” – Sky Ferreira
30. “What I Want” – MUNA
31. “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” – Janet Jackson
32. “Red Wine Supernova” – Chappell Roan
MidnightThorn on Chapter 4 Thu 06 Mar 2025 04:02PM UTC
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