Ch. 12

Nic

Nic waited nervously for Olandria to finish getting ready and join him for dinner. The producers had brought them food and champagne and had even thrown in a vase of roses for the table. He'd set the table up, prepared both of their plates, and filled their glasses with champagne. There was nothing more for him to do but wait.

Eventually, the door slid open and Olandria stepped outside. She looked mesmerizing–as always–in a flowy, pink and orange dress. The colors complimented her dark complexion so well and Nic was once again blown away by her beauty. He didn't understand how it was humanly possible for someone to be that beautiful; it was almost as if she'd been dropped on Earth from another planet because there was no one, literally no one, on this planet who held a candle to her beauty.

Nic was so gone for her. So, so gone.

He pulled out her chair for her and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead before taking his own seat.

"You look immaculate," he told her as he situated his napkin in his lap.

Olandria's face lit up at the compliment and she smiled at him appreciatively.

"So," By the tone of her Olandria's voice, Nic knew they were about to have a conversation he wasn't looking forward to. "We need to talk about Cierra."

Nic almost choked on the piece of asparagus he'd been chewing. "Wow, you're really jumping in, huh?" he said after he'd finally stopped coughing.

"We've avoided it long enough, Nic" and she was right–when was she not–but he really did not want to talk about Cierra right now. He wanted to forget about everyone except her. Wanted to pretend they were the only 2 people in the world for just a little while longer.

He sighed, "okay then. Let's talk."

Olandria moved her food around her plate, seemingly too nervous to eat. He reached out and squeezed her free hand in reassurance. She took a deep breath, "what are we going to tell her?"

"The truth?" Nic offered.

"That we got dumped off the island and whisked away to a secret hideaway where you made me cum so hard I saw stars?" Olandria's fork clattered onto the plate, "she's going to be pissed, Nic. So pissed and heartbroken. I am a terrible friend." She buried her hands in her face and groaned.

"Hey," Nic reached under the table and squeezed Olandria's thigh. "You aren't a terrible friend. You're on a reality TV show exploring connections and looking for love."

Nic understood why Olandria was upset but he wanted to remind her why they were all there. They were supposed to be looking for their person and that meant doing things they wouldn't do in the real world. Like exploring the same person as your best friend.

"Nic, we did NOT have to do anything sexual to explore our connection. That was something we did because I have no self-control." He hated that she was blaming herself when he was equally responsible.

"I didn't eat your pussy for the sake of eating your pussy although I would and will, just say the word," Olandria glared at him and he had to fight the urge to smile. They were having a serious discussion but she looked so fucking adorable when she glared at him like that.

"Sorry, what I'm saying is I think we did need to have that moment to explore our connection. If you think about it, we've had 3 weeks of foreplay," Nic thought of all the kisses in the challenges, the sneaky glances, the cheeky smiles.

"We needed that moment to be able to move forward without lust clouding everything. Sex can change things but for me all it did was confirm what I've known for a long time." That Nic wanted her more than he'd ever wanted anybody. He didn't just want to fuck her. He wanted to be the person who made her laugh, who affirmed her, who held her when she cried. He wanted to be hers.

Nic thought she'd freak out if he told her all of that though and when she didn't ask him to finish his thought, he knew he was right. So he took a bite of chicken and didn't say anything.

"Why are you not worried about Cierra?" Olandria questioned, narrowing her eyes at him. "I thought you really liked her?"

Nic chewed the chicken and thought carefully about how he wanted to respond. He didn't want Olandria to think he was some sort of fuck boy who was playing with Cierra's feelings because that was the furthest thing from the truth.

"I did like Cierra," Nic began. "We had a great connection and I was interested in seeing where we could take it but I wasn't ready to close things off yet. It felt too soon." Watching the video of Elan and Cierra in Casa Amor had confirmed waiting to close off the relationship had been the right decision. Nic hadn't wanted to watch the video. He'd been fully prepared to pretend it didn't exist but Olandria had insisted and because he couldn't deny her anything, he'd pulled out the tablet and pressed play.

He'd been surprised to see that Elan resembled him...a lot. Cierra definitely had a type. It was clear that she was enjoying getting to know Elan and that their conversations had more depth to them than the ones she'd shared with him. Nic had searched his emotions for jealousy but only found genuine happiness for her. Even if he did find Elan corny for the C-shaped pancake he'd been so proud to make.

The video, and the lack of jealousy from watching it, had affirmed exactly what Nic had already been thinking: Cierra was a great girl but she wasn't the girl for him.

"When I was dumped from the villa, I was devastated. I wanted more time and not just with Cierra. I mean, yes I wanted more time with her but I also wanted more time to make sure she was the right person in the villa for me and if she wasn't, more time to be able to find the person who was." Olandria was staring at Nic so intensely as he spoke that he felt as if he was on trial. He knew if he said one wrong word, he'd risk the chance of losing her for good.

He continued, "Being given the opportunity to come here with you, just you, has been the additional time I desperately wanted after the recoupling. It showed me that there were feelings I needed to address and decisions I needed to make first."

Olandria nodded slowly and swallowed nervously, "and what have you decided?"

Nic held Olandria's gaze and said with complete certainty, "that if the choice is between going home or coupling up with you, I'm choosing you. I'm always choosing you."