It Could Only be You

Episode 44: Dissatisfaction

Lucas nudges Daphs, getting her focus. "Will we head to the daybeds?"

Daphs nods, and he takes her hand as they head over, passing by Bobby and Priya and doing her best not to notice Bobby at all.

On the daybed, they lay along it, facing inwards, legs wrapped together, his hand on her waist. "Ah, it has been a challenge getting you on your own tonight for more than thirty seconds."

Grinning, Daphs says, "Well, you have me all night now."

He smiles as he leans in and kisses her. "Good," he says, pulling back. "Gary had me for a moment there; I really thought he was going to pick you."

Daphs leans in, giggling. "Oh my God, same. It would go perfectly with every recoupling I've had, right?"

"It's moments like that where you see how strong your friendships are."

Daphs nods but doesn't get much further in the discussion as they're joined by Hope and Noah, who sit down at the end of the bed, holding hands. Lucas moves his feet up, so they've got more room.

"So, what do you guys reckon about the Lottie and Ibrahim situation?" Hope asks.

"I don't know if I see it, but if they want to give it a go, why not? I don't think Gary's giving up easy, though," Daphs says, looking at Hope, but her eyes flick to Noah at the end.

"Don't know what Rahim's going to do if it doesn't work out with Lottie and no one else comes in," Noah says. "If things haven't worked out with him and Priya, or him and Marisol, and Daphs has told him it's not on the table –"

Hope's mouth flies open as she zaps round to Daphs. "Whoa, when did this happen?"

Brows shooting up a little, Daphs gets a bad feeling in her stomach. She does her best not to look at Lucas as she replies, "Oh, down there before the recoupling. He said that if has to think about it, Lottie and myself were really the only viable options he had."

"And you shut it down on your end?" Lucas asks, a smile cusping his face. He doesn't look annoyed.

"Of course, I did."

"So, why didn't you tell me?" He looks a little irritated now.

"Well –" Daphs begins, feeling oh-so awkward. "I don't know, it hasn't come up –"

"It did," he replies, cutting her off, a crease forming between his brows. "In the kitchen before."

"Do you mean when everyone was around?" Noah asks, looking a little unimpressed. "If Daphs didn't want to drop anyone in it in front of everyone –"

"Yeah, but it was hardly a big deal, it was only a chat," Hope says, looking at Lucas as she replies to Noah. "Everyone expects it if someone's been made single." She turns to Daphs and says, "It wouldn't have been a big deal if you'd just said, it's not like it would have been hurting anyone."

Daphs face is straight, her heart thumping. She looks about them all and blankly asks, "Why is this being made into a thing? Why is this becoming a deal?"

"I don't know, Daphs," Lucas says, sitting up, his voice far testier than before. "It isn't a big deal, so I just don't know why you wouldn't have told me."

"I didn't have a chance yet, and like you said, not a big deal, and I didn't let it get anywhere. Literally, my name was dropped, and I very pointedly declared how happy we've been, how good we are –"

Noah nudges Hope, nodding for them to go. Looking a little put out by that, Hope still goes, following him hand in hand. Daphs hears them heading to the crowd of others in the kitchen.