It Could Only be You

Episode 94: The Big Split

Daphs is finishing up the dishes from the breakfast Bobby had made for them, looking out over the Villa garden during the scorching morning.

Noah, Jo, Gary, Lucas, and Rahim are getting in their morning reps, while Bobby and Mickey chill at the pool where they've been since breakfast wrapped; Hope, Hannah, and Kitty are topping up their tans on the daybed while Elisa and Lottie do the same on the sun loungers. Chelsea is with Daphs washing up.

Without Marisol and Graham, it feels like someone is missing.

"Aw me!" Chelsea sighs, throwing her towel down before stretching. "Think that's me for the day! I'm off to top up my tan. You coming, Daphs?"

"Might as well," Daphs says perkily, realising she really doesn't have much else to do.

She and Chelsea take their full water bottles and set off for the decking sofa's. They lie across together, their heads side-by-side while their bodies extend in opposite ways.

"How are things going with Mickey, then, hun?" Daphs asks.

Chelsea lets out a breathy sigh. "Pretty good! I've asked him if he's interested in getting to know the other girls, and he's said that he's pretty happy with how things are with us and doesn't see the point in upsetting things, you know?"

"That's reassuring."

It niggles Daphs stomach that if she only had that attitude when Lucas first arrived, she and Bobby might never have been separated. She just had to entertain the notion of them. It's embarrassing to think about.

"Yeah, totes, especially when that's three other girls in total who want to turn his head," Chelsea continues on. "I know Elisa is grafting on him the most out of the three single gals, but he has told her there isn't anything likely to happen there. Even if there was, he said that hearing her talk to Marisol in that clip we saw on the Movie Night totally killed any curiosity there! And, like, yeah, I totes agree!"

"Looks like she's relying on Lucas, then."

"Mm, and good luck to her, no one knows which way his head is turning."

"I'd be surprised if he knew himself."

"Same, to be honest." Chelsea sits up on her side, looking at Daphs properly. "Like, I think that he's just a little lost because for him the obvious choice is you, but it's totally done-done now. Like, forever, you know? But, like, I do genuinely think that despite all that talk of the game and you being his only chance in here of actually staying in, I do think he did genuinely want you for you, Daphs."

Daphs does not disagree.

"Do you think Gary would dump Lottie for Hannah?" Daphs asks curiously, not looking for anything too deep. She turns her head towards the gym where he's doing weights on the bench.

There's a long pause that Chelsea fills in with a humming noise. Finally, she answers Daphs.

"Don't get me wrong, I love Lottie, and I'd be super bummed if she left," Chelsea says, it all coming out hurriedly and in as little breaths as possible, "and I know you two are super BFF's, but I wouldn't be totally opposed to Hannah and Gary reigniting. I actually really get on with Hannah! She's been so super chill!"

... As opposed to Lottie, who is super not chill.

Daphs nods. "I get where you're coming from," she says. "I don't want to lose Lottie, but I don't want Hannah to go either. I've actually quite enjoyed her being back. If she stays, however, I don't want her and Gary to get back together. I just don't see it."

"Oh, that's where we disagree! I totally see it, especially with this new fierce energy she's got going on. One hundred percent Ginger Spice going on there, hun! And come on, you've totally seen Gary's head picking up on it, too. He's interested."