It Could Only be You

Episode 105: Gut Feeling

Note: apologies to the Lottie stans, these next few chapters are not her best look!

Daphs flings herself into Bobby's arms as he sits in his beanbag, both feet resting in the one opposite him, crossed at the ankles. He had been sitting by himself, absently swinging his water bottle, as he looked out over the countryside until Daphs came by.

She buries her face in his chest, sunglasses going askew, but she doesn't want him to see her face, so she puts up with it if it means being in his arms.

After the shock of her sudden appearance, Bobby puts his arm around her, twisting round into her. "Everything all right?" He asks casually.

Daphs nods her head. "Yeah."

She holds him tighter.

"Love you," he says, running a hand through her hair. "How did Noah take that?"

Daphs huffs to delay talking. "He was ... he'll be fine."

"What?" He presses, bringing his hand down to her chin. He turns her face up so she's looking at him. Daphs notes that he does look concerned.

"He just ... uh, like I get it, I've been there," she says, adjusting so she's no longer awkwardly looking up at him, but more face-to-face. "When he came to me and told me he wanted a break from us being friends, I'll admit that it hurt, especially with the timing of it, but I dealt with it at the time."

Not strictly true as Daphs had made a scene in front of him the next day. She hadn't cared at the time if he was willing to deal with her, but she had been so relieved when he had.

"So, like, I get what he's feeling, but he said ... he made a comment that made me feel pretty shitty."

"What did he say?"

"He basically said that he never should have bothered being my friend in the first place."

"Yikes," Bobby says, wincing. He drops his hand to her arm, running his fingers up and down, tracing back and forth over her skin so lightly it tickles. "Though, I can get where he's coming from. In my eyes, I think he clearly wants to be with you, but it's just not happening. Don't get me wrong, I love him and Hope, and I think Hope is great, but it's not hard to get the impression that Noah is settling because he can't be with you. Being your friend is the only way he can be close to you, and you've taken that away now."

"But we were on a friendship br–"

"Before, yeah, I know, but that was on his terms. He made the decision, and he had prepared himself before coming to you. There was none of that today."

"I know, and I didn't want to hurt him –" Daphs has to stop herself, feeling her throat going dry, eyes moistening, and her heart racing.

"Come on, Daphs, you did the right thing if he really is going to give things a try with Hope," Bobby says, stealing her closer to comfort her better. He can obviously sense where her emotions are leading.

Daphs isn't done and she doesn't want the conversation to end, but she hears approaching feet. A very feminine sigh – albeit, maybe one a tad rural – rings out before Lottie comes into view.

She kicks Bobby's feet off the other beanbag before plopping down. She has a small bag in her hands which she pops down the side of her.

"Daphs, I didn't know you would be joining us," Lottie says once she's firmly plopped. She doesn't look up at Daphs as she speaks, instead focusing on making sure she's in her strappy bikini properly. "I thought you were spending the morning with Noah, hun..."