Last Girl Standing

“I’m really glad Niall picked me for your date,” Jenna said as her cheeks reddened. Liam was looking down at her with a bright smile, his hand wrapped around hers.

“I don’t think he really had a choice.” Liam chuckled. “After you helped his girlfriend out of bed this morning, it was the least he could do. And besides, he knows there’s no other girl I’d rather go on a date with.”

Jenna smiled, and he quickly wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her against his chest. It made her footsteps heavier, but she didn’t mind, because she got to walk alongside him.

When their feet hit the end of the boardwalk, at the place the wood met the sand, he kicked off his sandals and she did the same. He pushed them toward the grass, so they would be hidden from anyone who would try to take them, before dipping his toe into the sand. Smiling, she followed suit, and he wrapped his arm more tightly around her.

The sun was beginning to set in the distance, the bright ball falling behind the ocean’s horizon. The whole sight looked perfect, and Jenna wondered if the producers set up dates like this on purpose. Originally it had been intended for the winner, which had been Niall, who would have picked October, but with her being as sick as she was, Niall gladly passed the date onto Jenna and Liam so he could stay in bed with her.

As much as Jenna hated that October was sick, she was thankful that she got to spend another perfect night on the beach with Liam, away from the other people in the house. Even though she got along with a few of them – mainly October and Sadie – there were still more that didn’t like her. The only time she was happy in the house was when she could be with Liam, and the moment on the beach was perfect for that.

“Would you like to sit?” Liam asked, as they made their way closer to the shore. The waves were just a few feet away now, but they would sink as the moon got higher in the sky.

Jenna nodded her head, even though she didn’t really want to sit. She was wearing a dress and was worried about all the tiny sandpaper like grains that would rub against her skin, but she’d have sat down on hot coals if Liam had been sitting there with her.

He sat down, spreading his legs out wide, before tapping the place between them for Jenna to sit. She quickly obliged, crossing her legs in front of her, as she leaned back against his chest. His hands fell to hers, wrapping around them, and his thumb rubbed gently against her skin.

His lips met the top of her head in a soft kiss, and he admired the way her velvety hair felt against the sensitive skin. The scent of vanilla filled his sense – something he’d come to equate with the honey-haired girl – and he smiled, thinking how perfectly the scent matched her personality.

She was sweet, like vanilla ice cream or a slice of birthday cake, and the flavor had always been his favorite. Even though most people preferred chocolate or something fancy, he always loved vanilla. It was classic, but so perfect, and you could never go wrong with vanilla.

Looking down at her small frame, he knew he was right. Jenna was his vanilla, and though she might not have been everyone’s favorite, she was his, and he knew he made the right choice. He could never go wrong with Jenna.

“I wish we could spend every night like this,” he whispered in her ear, his warm breath sending chills through her skin. “It would be perfect.”

His hands left her, to wrap around her waist, and he held her tightly, wanting to feel her body against his for as long as possible. He wasn’t sure how many more nights they’d have alone together in the house, but he hoped for a thousand more after they left.

“Let’s never leave,” Jenna said, chuckling as she spoke. “Let’s stay here forever. We can be beach bums and live off the land. We’ll eat sand for dinner and steal water bottles from all the families on vacation.”

Liam titled her head to the side, so he could place a light kiss against her temple. He held it there for a moment, before pulling away with a smile. “You can have a permanent sunburn and I’ll be left wearing this awful Henley for the rest of my life.”

“Your shirt doesn’t have to stay on,” she joked. “We’re on a beach, Li.”

“Is that a challenge?” he asked, pulling away from her with his eyebrows raised. “Did you just challenge me?”

She shook her head quickly, chuckling as she did. “What? No. It was –”

“I think that was a challenge,” he interrupted. “You don’t think I’ll do it.”

He moved his fingers to the hem of his shirt and she latched onto them, holding them tightly so they couldn’t move. Twisting her body around, she sat up on her knees, so she was facing him, with her hands still holding tightly onto his.

His face wore a bright smile, and he tugged at his lower lip with his teeth. A bright glint flashed in his eyes, and she chuckled at him.

His fingers wiggled out of her grasp, so he could place his hands gently on her waist. Even through her light dress, he could feel how soft her skin was. Moving his fingers gently up and down, he lightly grazed over her hipbone, before pulling her against him. He crashed to the sand, with his back against the grains and Jenna’s small body on top of him.

Her legs fell perfectly between his, with her head landing comfortably against his chest. His fingers moved to her hair, running through the honey locks over and over, just the way he knew she liked.

With every other girl, he would’ve tried desperately to get that dress off and feel the soft skin beneath it, but with Jenna it was different. He didn’t care whether she was fully clothed or only in her panties, he just wanted her with him, and there on the beach, with the sun setting in front of them, he never wanted to let her go.

“Jenna,” he whispered, his eyes focused somewhere high up in the sky. The sun was getting lower, and he could just barely see the beginnings of the stars starting to show themselves.

“Liam,” she whispered back, her voice nearly muffled by his skin.

His teeth tugged at his bottom lip, and he lifted his head slightly, so her soft hair was in his sight. His fingers moved to the top of her head, giving one long stroke through her perfectly shaped curls, before he wrapped his arms around her.

“I want you to be mine,” he said, his voice louder than before, as if he wanted everyone to hear. “Even when we’re off this island and away from all the competition, I want you with me. I want you to come to my shows and I wanna fly out to see you on my breaks. I want to spend hours on the phone with you every night and wake up with you every morning that I can. I don’t ever want anyone to take you away from me.”

A smile fell to Jenna’s lips – the biggest one she’d had since she arrived at the house. Her fingers gripped more tightly onto his shirt, and she snuggled her face as close to his as she could.

Jenna whispered back to him, her breath falling lightly against his ear. “That’s all I’ve wanted since the very first time we kissed. You’re all I’ve wanted since then.”

Liam smiled, knowing that it was true. He hated himself for toying with her for so long – back when he wasn’t sure what he wanted – and he was determined to make up for it in any way that he could. Even though she already believed him, he was going to prove to her that she was the only one he wanted. Just like Harry had done with Sadie and Niall had done with October, he was going to prove that Jenna was the one he wanted to be with. Even when the competition was done, he wanted to have her with him and he would do anything to make it happen.