<div class="floatleft">(https://image.ibb.co/kMDRQ6/muscular-metalhead.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Devon Daniels (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=308599.msg15007879#msg15007879)<br/><strong>Age:</strong>28<br/><strong>Sexuality:</strong>Heterosexual<br/><strong>Hometown:</strong>New York City<br/><strong>Date/Time:</strong>4 July, 2019 | Morning<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Villa Fire Pit - Recoupling Ceremony<br/><strong>Wearing:</strong>Mercenary 11 Dreams t-shirt (http://shop.mercenary.dk/54-thickbox_default/11-dreams-t-shirt-2015.jpg), camo-print cargo pants, boots, sunglasses (https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/bDwAAOSw2gxYrZs7/s-l300.jpg)<br/><strong>Coupled with:</strong>Whelp...<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Everyone<br/><br/><hr/><br/>You could remove the lump in Devon's throat with an ice cream scoop. It was big enough he felt like he could choke on it. Once Cassie sat down he had realized just how poorly his words had been chosen, but he shrugged it off and figured he'd explain his meaning later. After all, they cleared the air, but it wasn't like sparks were flying. Not like they had with Elsa the not prior. Didn't mean that things couldn't work out, but if one were to treat this game in a simple fashion, then the clear response would have been to have chased down and competed for Elsa.<br/><br/>Which, it turned out, he really ought to have done... that, or given the brunette Sam a chance.<br/><br/>JJ made his choice, and without hesitation Cassandra accepted. Her attempt at lightening the blow only convinced him that people had the wrong impression of his secret, reminding him of the devastation this game had already played with him just the morning prior. He wasn't even able to take in the happiness he could feel for Corey or James being coupled with their chosen women. The whole week just began to bum rush him in the gut. The first pass by Cassandra, the reveal of his secret, the loss of his partner, and now this.<br/><br/>All this because he wanted to avoid "playing the game" and hurting anyone's feelings.<br/><br/>He clasped his hands together, resisting the urge to look towards Elsa right now. After their moment last night, and the reveal that men could still choose an already taken woman, she must be feeling as if her feelings had been toyed with. He chose not to step on Owen's toes instead of allowing Elsa to choose her own dance partner. True, she might have accepted the giant anyway. Just as Devon was unaware that Cassandra and JJ had apparently hit it off, he was more than ignorant of any potential chemistry Elsa had shared with Owen.<br/><br/>To rub salt in the wound, Devon's decision led to Samantha being booted out. Someone that chose to be on Love Island was now leaving. Devon didn't choose to be here. Not like that, at least. He was only here on a dare, intent on being a bit of an unpredictable variable. Then a rebel, electing to remain the good guy and clash with no one. Yet here he was, the object of Samantha's exile.<br/><br/>So Caroline betrayed her position as an unbiased party, the intonation of her voice, the squeeze of her fingers, the expression in her eyes, all indicating that he should not yet leave. The power was in his hands, after all. He could save himself, or he could take this as a sign to just step away from it all.<br/><br/><em>I shouldn't be here,</em>he thought to himself. He turned his eyes on the rest of the cast. Owen now coupled with Elsa, Logan and Rhonda, JJ and Red, James and Gwen, and lastly, Corey and Grace. All people that had volunteered to be here. All strangers that had hoped to find love.<br/><br/><em>I should just leave now,</em>his mind berated.<br/><br/><em>Don't be a pussy, pussy,</em>the voice of Lezzy said with a smirk on her face.<em>You gonna man up or keep moping?</em>said Marshall, uncrossing his arms as if he needed to beat the masculinity into Devon.<em>Fuck 'em in the ass!</em>shouted Jersey, bald-headed Stitches nodding beside him.<em>It's already, dear, you can still fix your mistakes,</em>comforted the familiar wrinkle-faced Moms, followed by a surly grunt from Pops. Devon couldn't help but grin and shake his head, hair covering the blush upon his cheeks. His mind had turned into one of them corny old cartoons where all the rainbow colored critters of the forest came out in support of Princess Mary Sue as she fought against the evil-yet-totally-boner-worthy sorceress.<br/><br/>"Well," Devon sighed, looking up once the heat in his face was gone. There was a smile on his face as he prepared to confirm he'd remain in.<br/><br/>Then the vision of<em>her</em>flooded into his mind. Avery. His ex. The one that, really,<em>he</em>had cheated on... or at least, had begun to. After over a year of dating she had gotten sick of Devon's attitude towards love and sex, his lack of proper commitment. One day she walked in on him, drunk, her roommate exposing him, ready to cross that line. That was it. Avery called it quits then and there, and for the next several weeks she refused to speak to Devon. At first he believed she had just taken it too seriously, bought into society's Hallmark imagery of love and monogamy. But as the time went on... he had begun to miss her. Her nicknames, her laughter, their conversations. He finally understood. Sometimes, you just find that one person that is irreplaceable. So he bought that damn ring, but with her feelings hurt and their relationship over, Avery had fled to the arms of another in order to feel...<em>something</em>.<br/><br/>Devon wasn't ready for this.<br/><br/>That he even made the bet at all proved he was trying to return to his old ways, but it couldn't work anymore. He knew that love<em>could</em>be real, and he had thrown his opportunity away. He needed to change, but he couldn't do it here. He did his best to avoid hurting anyone's feelings, and look what happened. It fell apart all around him. It was a disaster. This show wasn't about love, it was about manufactured drama for the popcorn munching gossips at home tapping their slander and hot takes out on their phones and flinging them onto Twitter.<br/><br/>This wasn't where he needed to be. It<em>couldn't</em>be where he needed to be.<br/><br/>"I think... I need to go," Devon said. The smile remained, but it lacked the cheer and warmth it had previously. "Thank you, Caroline, for the opportunity, but I don't think I'm a good fit for Love Island, nor is Love Island a good fit for me." He turned to face the others, his eyes lingering on Elsa. His smile grew stronger then, and in his eyes he hoped she could see the apology bursting from his heart. He finally turned towards Grace and Corey, giving his one male companion on the island a firm nod. "You win this, man," he said. Then he looked to the rest. "If any of you guys find yourselves in New York City, look up a dive called Thrashers. I'll be there."<br/><br/>With that, he made his way out from the fire pit. He followed the producer's guidelines, going where he was instructed, informed of his belongings being gathered. In many ways, it felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his chest. In others, though... well, it only revealed to him how confused he was. He needed to move on from Avery, to move on with his life and grow. To what end, though? Well... he supposed he'd have to find out some day.