A metaphor hates to see Amaya “Papaya” Espinal coming.
While the Love Island USA contestant knows that sometimes she’s not the book that someone should be reading, America is ready to turn the pages. After all, her words of wisdom and off-key songs throughout season seven earned her a devoted fan base.
In fact, Googling her name even spotlights the lyrics to her summer anthem. “I never said I was perfect. I never said I didn’t have any flaws,” reads the search engine’s ticker tape message. “But at least I’m pretty, and at least I’m a little funny, and at least I’m my own best friend.”
It’s the motto she—and let’s be honest, all of us—needed after unsuccessful relationships with Ace Greene, Austin Shepard and Zak Srakaew. But now coupled up with Bryan Arenales, she is ready to spread her wings.
“I feel like I can fly like the pigeons back in New York City, but I’ll be a really pretty, clean pigeon, but I feel free,” she gushed in the confessional after their makeout session during the July 7 episode. “Your girl’s happy and she feels like she can be herself around this man and she gets her smooches.”
Indeed, all her confessionals are TV gold, just like her favorite color.
“I need to shave my ass crack,” the 25-year-old admitted as she prepared for her and Bryan’s evening in the Hideaway. “Girls, show me all of your finest f–king lingerie ’cause, unfortunately, I only packed granny undies.”
She’s self-aware, too. While struggling with her outfit, she told Iris Kendall, “B–ch, I don’t know how to f–king iron clothes. How am I supposed to get married?”
And sure, she’s sweet, but she won’t allow anyone to take advantage of her kindness. As Zak and Elan Bibasattempted to explore connections with her, she pushed back in the confessional, “I’m not going to have a sugar rush anymore for the word candy that you’re feeding me.”
Amaya knows her worth—plus the tax, as she told Ace—and she doesn’t want her circle forced into any square box.
Described as too emotional by Ace, Austin and Zak, she clapped back with, “Many people could view this as a weakness, but to me personally, after everything I’ve been through in my life, I view it as a strength.”
As she put it, “God forbid I’m a sensitive gangster.”
So, it was no surprise America crowned her the most genuine and most trustworthy islander the following day. Then she laid it all out for Zak, calling him “an extremely odd individual.”
She cut the conversation short and walked away, continuing to prove that no one can invalidate her feelings and get away with it. (He is not the one to make her heart rate be tachycardic.)
“Baby, I’m standing on business today,” she said in the confessional. “Last time I checked, I got 10 toes, not one toe missing. So, I’m gonna stand on business on my 10 toes.”
For a closer look at the season seven contestants of Love Island USA, keep reading.
Bryan Arenales
Boston, Massachusetts
Elan Bibas
Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
Courtney “CoCo” Watson
Los Angeles, California
Clarke Carraway
Columbia, South Carolina
Chris Seeley
Fresno, California
Zak Srakaew
Roi Et, Thailand
Zac Woodworth
Portland, Utah
JD Dodard
Dallas, Texas
Jaden Duggar
Los Angeles, California
Gracyn Blackmore
Bristol, Virginia
Savanna “Vanna” Einerson
Salt Lake City, Utah
Andreina Santos
Thomas John “TJ” Palma
Pleasantville, New York
Belle-A Walker
Honolulu, Hawaii
Austin Shepard
Northville, Michigan
Ace Greene
Los Angeles, California
Chelley Bissainthe
Orlando, Florida
Huda Mustafa
Raleigh, North Carolina
Nicolas Vansteenberghe
Jacksonville, Florida
Jeremiah Brown
Los Angeles, California
Olandria Carthen
Decatur, Alabama
Yulissa Escobar
Miami, Florida
Taylor Williams
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Cierra Ortega
Phoenix, Arizona
Charlie Georgiou
Birmingham, United Kingdom
