Apparently, I have no inspiration for anything else but Bobby pain and angst, so cheers to his precious soul getting torn apart.

Bobby and Artemis walk on parallel paths and neither one of them can move on from who they love. However, while Artemis pines over Noah, Bobby can't stop thinking about Artemis.

Chapter Text

Bobby shifted in bed, awoken by the girl next to him’s body moving around the bed restlessly. She can’t sleep properly either, he observed and got out of bed, unable to get another second of rest. The moment he stood up, the hard pang of a migraine hit him. The wine from last night, of course. Red wine never did him any favors and they had surely tried to drown whatever sorrows they had been building up in the last month. In another second everything that had happened came back to him. Random flashbacks of her naked body and her lips screaming his name into his ear, the way her nails dug into his skin and her sharp breaths. Is that why he felt like there is a massive hole in his chest? It felt like his heart had shrunk at least twice in size and it almost didn’t dare to make a beat.

“What a fucking idiot!” he whispered to himself and rubbed his face. He hoped that it was a dream. One of those really wildly realistic dreams you have when you’re drunk. But his inner voice told him better. It definitely wasn’t a dream. It all had been very real. He had done something he couldn’t possibly undo and there was a lot at stake.

The first sunrays of the day shone through the window and illuminated the shape of the woman still asleep in the bed. Her orange hair looked like the fire that burned inside her with the sun gently caressing it and giving her porcelain skin a soft glow. God damn it, she was beautiful, so beautiful.

Bobby caught himself admiring her beauty once again and immediately scolded himself for it.

She will never love you the way she loves him. You’re no Noah. You’re just a hospital caterer that likes baking.

“Bobby, are you okay?” her voice groaned, raspy from last night’s adventure. “Why are you just standing there?”

“Yeah. I’m alright.” he grinned and plopped himself on the empty space next to her, leaving no sign of his desperation visible. “Are you hungover too?”

“Kinda, yeah. Flying will be a massive bitch with that headache, huh.”

“It’s a short flight to London. You’ll survive. Are you so excited to go home? Your fam waiting for you?”

She didn’t respond at first but instead sat up and looked down at her fingers.

“You want to go back to the Villa, huh?” he murmured and leaned his head on her legs.

“Don’t you?” she replied and their eyes met. Both pairs hurting but for completely different reasons.

“Yes and no. Sure, I miss everyone and how careless we were but at the same time...there’s nothing for me there. “

They sat in silence for a while, each trying to realize the situation and figure out what they had done wrong. Truth was, neither one of them had made a bad move. They were just stuck in a circle of heartbreak and utter despair. It was nobody’s fault that they had fallen in love with the wrong person.

A loud series of knocks on the door made them jump and pulled them away from their spiral of thoughts.

“Wake up, guys! Flights in 3 hours. “ the assistant shouted.

“Time to get ready then.” Artemis got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, her lips twisted in a very deep frown.

Bobby wasn’t sure if she was maybe upset with him but he really hoped that they hadn’t completely massacred the friendly bond that had been established. Hell, if he couldn’t make her love him the way he loved her, he at least wanted to keep her in his life in any other way. He didn't even mind being her friend. She was way too lovely for him to just let go.

After all, she used to be his Artemis before that one cursed kiss that was also his fault. If he had never asked her to join their stupid Operation, she probably would have probably still been with him and she wouldn’t have realized that it was Noah she was so in love with. What the fuck was with Noah anyways? The guy barely spoke 2 words to anyone whose name wasn’t Hope and no one was sure if he spoke to her either. He definitely had noticed the two looking at each other longingly during the show, however he never managed to understand why that was.

Suddenly, Bobby felt angry. Anger wasn’t a usual feeling for him and he wasn’t used to the way it made his body feel. Almost as if hot lava had been poured on him and where his soul would be. Anger and pain.

On top of everything, Artemis was acting super frosty, right before their flight home. As if it wasn’t already bad enough.

“Artemis?” he called, once she was back in the room, fixing her suitcase.

“Yes?” her voice was soft but there was a hint of something else in it. Something that he wasn’t able to recognize.

“We will see each other again, right?”

“Of course we will. You’re family, Bobby.” she sounded surprised but still kind of...low.

“Because I don’t want…”

“Whatever happened last night stays in last night and in this house. We’re still friends, no matter what.”

Fair. She didn’t want to talk about it. Or think about it, for that matter. He wanted to ask her if she regretted it but had a feeling that she would cut him off, so he never dared to.

They got ready and packed their tiny suitcases in silence and once it was time to go, the same jeep from that had taken them away from the Villa was back to drive them to the airport.

Away from Noah and everyone else. The show had about a week left before the finale and then everyone had to fly back for the winning announcement.

Bobby had imagined winning with her countless times. In the beginning, when she was looking at him with the same eyes that were now looking at Noah. Before everything had gone down and they had done whatever they had done in secret. Before Artemis had realized that she could never love him because she loved someone that wasn’t willing to be honest with her and give her all the love she deserved back.

And it hurt. It hurt to see her break apart a little bit at a time, every time Noah chose Hope and every time he gave her a little faith that they might have a future together but never doing anything to back it up.

It hurt that the woman he loved so dearly was getting crushed by someone else and there was nothing he could do about it.

When the girls had gone to Casa Amor, Bobby had gotten into a fight with Noah about what he was doing and it hadn’t done a god damn thing in her favor. He had still switched while she had remained loyal and had come back alone, expecting a new beginning.

Unfair.

“Promise me you will come to Glasgow sometime. “ he asked on the way to the airport and earned himself a stunning smile from her.

“You know I will. I’m expecting one hell of a cake too.”

“Oh, baby, you know it. Best of the best for you.”

“Same goes for when you’re in London too. My home is your home. I can't bake you a killer cake but I can order a mean takeout.”

They smiled at each other and couldn’t help but hug on the back seat. “Bobby, I’ll really miss you. I don’t know how I’ll survive without your baking, blanket forts or your pranks.”

“I’ll miss you too, babe. We’re still partners in crime, yeah? Next time we all meet we can pull an epic prank of everyone. “

“You've got yourself a deal, sir.”

The hug became longer and longer as neither one of them wanted to let go but eventually they were forced to as they parked in front of the terminal.

The pain in Bobby’s chest became worse and his stomach clenched even harder than his heart. It was over. Love Island was over. No more texts and challenges. No more sunbathing all day and grafting. No more pranks and hanging out with the gang all day. No more recouplings. That was it and it was never coming back.

They checked in together and walked to her gate since her flight was an hour before his. It felt like they were never going to see each other again even if they both knew that they had less than a week before they had to meet again. A whole era of their lives was about to wrap up and neither one was ready to let it go.

“Do you reckon we should just run to the Villa and beg them to let us in?” she giggled adorably.

“Absolutely. Ditch the luggage and run for your life. I’m sure the others would lend us some clothes.”

An awkward pause made its entrance and danced between them until she wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed him so hard he couldn’t breathe.

“I’m so sorry, Bobby. I really am. I wish things were different. You have no idea how much I’ll miss you.”

“Everything will be fine. Don’t worry about it. Some things aren’t meant to be and that’s only because better ones are.”

“Did Chelsea tell you this?”

“Maybe.” he winked playfully and they let go of their tight grasp.

Artemis kissed him on the cheek and sauntered to the gate, boarding pass in one hand and the suitcase handle in the other. Before she completely disappeared, she turned around one more time to wave at him and he was suddenly happy that she was so far away and couldn’t see the hot tears that were pooling in his eyes.

Why was he so sad about it? It was fine. It was totally fine. They lived ridiculously close to each other by plane and he knew that she wanted to remain close to him. So why was he feeling so heartbroken? Why did it feel like his head was being pushed underwater and he couldn’t catch but a breath? Why did it feel like he was losing her forever?

Once she was gone, he waited until her plane took off and started an aimless journey around the terminal to kill the remaining time. He thought that maybe the walking would distract him from his vicious swarm of intrusive thoughts and memories of the summer, however the only thing it did was to clear his head and make more room for what he was initially running away from.

One good distraction were the first fans that recognized him and ran towards him for a photo. He hadn’t even had time to realize that he was somewhat of a celebrity and walking around town was probably never going to be the same or at least not until his newlyfound fame died.

“Was that Artemis just now?” one of them asked in a condescending tone which pushed the wrong button in his head.

“Yeah, it was.” he responded calmly. He figured that maybe lashing out at a fan wouldn’t be the best choice no matter how much he tr…

“I can’t believe the nerve of her! You deserve so much better. Honestly, her and Noah deserve each other.” the girl carried on and he almost gave in. No matter what Artemis had done, it was no one’s business. It was between him and her. And the rest of the country that had watched the season apparently.

“So happy to see you girls, but I’m afraid I gotta go catch a flight now!” he sneaked out of their grasp and waved with a wide smile that almost hurt him to fake.

Maybe a night out with his boys was going to help ease the pain. It usually did when he found himself in the middle of the heartbreak.

He made it safe home, through crowds of people recognizing him and smothering him in compliments and attention that he wasn’t ready for. Yeah, he figured that his name would go up the social ladder, however he had no idea what the cameras had shown to the millions watching and frankly, a part of him was terrified of finding out. The fact that everyone had seen him do bits with several girls wasn't helping his insecure nature either.

Being back in the real world hit him like a nasty sucker punch. Everything had prices, there were strangers everywhere and they all knew him, it was loud and overcrowded, chilly and gloomy. Overwhelming and loud. Suddenly he wasn’t in a reality dating show and he was back where he had started but with a suitcase full of fame and fans.

Going home to his flat had also been bittersweet. His old phone waited for him exactly where he had left it and everything looked untouched except the few plants in his kitchen his sister had been watering while he was gone and the two empty bags of chips on his tea table in front of the TV which he figured were also hers.

Bobby wasn’t too familiar with depression, unlike anxiety that had been a loyal friend of his, and he wasn’t sure if that’s what he had fallen into for the first week of being back in Glasgow but he also had absolutely no time to even try to figure it out since his schedule was completely full of interviews and casual appearances from the first day and then it was time to fly back to Spain for the finale.

Apparently the whole thing with Artemis, Noah and him had caused the whole country a shock and that’s what everyone wanted to hear about. How did he feel now that he was home? Will him and Artemis remain friends? Will him and Noah remain friends? Is there anything he wished he had done differently?

To none of that he could be honest about. He gave the exact same answer to the same questions and it was never true but what the public wanted to hear. They wanted to see the cheerful and goofy Bobby they had all fallen in love with and that’s exactly what he gave them. Sometimes it hurt more and other times it felt almost natural to fake his usual happiness. One thing he knew though, is that media couldn't know how he was really feeling about his friend.

Artemis had gone MIA on him and everyone else. She had appeared on TV a couple of times but she hadn’t said a word to anyone from the show. Maybe she was upset with him for some reason or she had realized that there was no way for them to ever be friends again after hooking up. Maybe she hadn’t meant a word that she had said when they were saying goodbye. Maybe they were never going to see each other again.

No, that was wrong, the finale was happening and she had to be there. Everyone did. Great. He could see her there and ask her if she’s okay.

Love Island’s second season was won by Lottie and Gary. An absolutely deserved victory and luckily, they had both become his best friends and even family. The runner ups were Chelsea and Henrik and last, only because there was no other couple in the Villa - Noah and Hope.

After Artemis’ exit, Noah had gone full dark and quiet until Hope had pried out of him a day before the finale that he actually had feelings for Artemis and he had only realized how strong they are once she was gone. Another massive Villa scandal and another hit for Artemis to take from the public. Bobby had called and messaged her so many times with no success. She didn’t want to be reached and she didn’t want to talk about what was happening more than she had to. What she probably didn’t know, however, was that he missed her terribly and he just wanted to hear her voice for one god damn second. He wanted to hear her laugh again. He wanted to wake up in the Villa and hold her again.

The finale.

Literally everyone had been there. Islanders, families, friends, crew, fans. He saw all of his friends. All of them except one.

“Hey, have you seen Artemis?” he asked Priya. She ought to know. Artemis and her were very close in the Villa.

“I was going to ask you the same. I haven’t seen her either. I think she might not have come at all.”

Fuck.

“Have you talked to her at all? She’s been ignoring me completely.”

Priya winced and obvious worry painted her face.

“No. Just once when she first went home. I think she’s been avoiding everyone. She mentioned she might stay over her brother’s for a bit. I don’t blame her though. The whole thing was pretty rough. I just hope she’s okay.”

“Tell me if you hear from her, okay? I worry about her.”

Priya nodded and smiled graciously at him then grabbed his hand and squeezed it lightly.

“Bobby, what about you? How are you holding up?”

“Oh, I’m fine. You know me.” he grinned. “It’s been wild at home. Who knew we would get so famous, right?”

“Yeah, my job is definitely busier. The press is also crazy. All these brands wanting to try this and that. I can’t even gather my brain, honestly.”

The two chatted for a while before they got distracted by someone else and then someone else until they had gone around everyone. Bobby kept looking for Artemis and every time he didn’t see her orange hair, his heart dropped a little lower and lower. She really hadn’t come.

Why hadn’t she come?

Because she couldn’t face anyone. She couldn’t face Noah or the others, for that matter. The utter shame that had overtaken her had refused to lift no matter how much she thought about it and how many times she told herself that she had done nothing wrong.

“Artemis, you can’t hide here forever.” James told her and sat next to her on his couch while she was watching the finale episode of Love Island. “I love you and I love having you here but you can’t just avoid all of them forever, you know.”

“I can at least try.”

“You don’t think that talking to them could make you feel better? It seems to me like you and Noah definitely have things to discuss.”

Artemis sighed and hid herself under the fluffy blanket she had dragged out of her brother’s bedroom. She didn’t want to think about Noah, let alone talk to him. He was for sure going to be upset with her for not showing up, hell, she was also upset with him. All of the emotions that had been mixing inside her, had also crippled her. The severe anxiety, shame and anger had glued her tightly to her seat and she could barely do anything.

“You should really take a shower too. You’re starting to not just look like a gremlin but smell like one too. Come on, sister, I’ll buy you dinner if you get clean and ready. I refuse to let you rot in my house and stink up my blankets and my living room. “

“People outside know me and they hate me.” she murmured from under the blanket.

“Wear a hat and some sunglasses then, borrow some of my clothes. I don’t care. We’re going out for dinner. You need to get some fresh air. Mom will kill me if she knows the state I allow you to live in. ”

“You know what, James? I hate you.” she whined and got up. She knew he was right. He was always right and he always took care of her no matter how obnoxious she had been and how many time she had told him to piss off. James also knew exactly how she felt. Maybe it was the twin bond or maybe he was more empathic than everyone suspected. Or maybe he had been hurt way too many times himself. All of her heartbreaks, she had survived only because of him and his unlimited patience towards her and her bullshit.

“Whatever, Artemis. Hurry up!”

Frankly, sometimes, James was annoyed with his sister’s choice of partners but because he loved her as much as he did, he always transferred that onto the partners themselves and the nerve they had to hurt his sibling. He had watched every episode of the show and had talked to her all about it and he still couldn’t understand why she felt so deeply for Noah and not Bobby or literally anyone else on the show.

“You will understand when you see him in person. It’s hard to describe. There’s just something about him and the way we connected.” she always said and started crying every single time.

She beat herself up for not liking Bobby too. It was Bobby we were talking about. He was great, perfect guy. Funny, caring, charismatic, good cook, amazing listener, very attractive and the list went on. She couldn’t put her finger on the reason why she couldn’t be head over heels for him considering he was more than willing to dedicate his life to her. It just didn’t click.

She couldn’t go to the finale and face both of them. Not just Noah or just Bobby but both of them in the same place, surrounded by all the other Islanders, all thirsty for answers. Her phone was chucked somewhere around James’ apartment and she didn’t dare to look at it. He had though and had told her that several people were blowing up her phone but she had told him to ignore it. After all, Love Island had done more damage than good to her and she partly regretted ever auditioning for it. Of course, she couldn’t have known Chelsea, Lozza and Priya without it, so she definitely felt grateful for them but the state she was in after getting dumped definitely had to be one of her lowest points that she struggled to get herself out of.

It hurt that she knew and he didn’t. It hurt that he hadn’t taken a step forward towards her. It hurt that he couldn’t choose her. Why wasn’t she good enough for him?

The same question Bobby asked himself every day. Why wasn’t he good enough for her? Why did Artemis insist on shutting him and everyone else out of her life so badly? Why did she feel like she couldn’t talk to anyone?

The more time passed the less he believed what she had said and that they were really at least friends. It had been a week after the finale and she had definitely attended several TV shows with Chelsea and Lottie and that meant that they had spoken to her about how she was. So why hadn’t she responded to him? What was so awful about him that she just didn’t want to even hear?

Either way, he didn’t give up until he heard from her and at some point she had to look at her phone and respond.

And she did.

She called him almost two weeks after the finale in the middle of the night to apologize for disappearing and to explain what she had gone through. The conversation ended up lasting for over 2 hours until the sun had risen.

“Hey, I have a thing on TV next Wednesday in London. We should have lunch or something.” he had suggested, trembling with fear that she would reject him.

“No way! Absolutely. You can sleep over mine if you’re staying for more than a day.”

Sudden relief and then utter surprise filled him, followed by happiness.

“Really?”

“Of course. I told you you should come visit me whenever you want. Don’t be silly. You could teach me how to bake a cake or something. I’m still a hopeless case when it comes to baking.”

“It will be my pleasure. “

They spoke for a while more and he realized that she was never mad at him. It had never been about him. Why would it be about him? She wasn’t hopelessly in love with him. It had been about Noah. Of course.

Regardless, he could barely wait to see her again and spend time with her. Make her laugh and hear her stupid jokes again. He couldn’t wait to be surrounded by her existence again and a week seemed like too long but it eventually squeezed through.

She had sent him the address of her flat and for some reason, once he was in front, his body almost froze with anxiety. He had no idea what to expect. Artemis only opened up whenever she wanted to and the rest of the time she was like a guarded fortress that couldn’t be accessed. No one knew anything about her unless she wanted them to. And she surely didn’t want him to know how she was really doing, so she had left him in the dark.

“Bobby!” she screamed once she opened the door for him and threw herself on him, legs and arms wrapping around his toned body. “Oh my, I can’t believe you’re here! How was the filming? Tell me everything. “

Before he could even say anything, he took a second to take her smile in and smile himself. She looked good. No dark circles under her eyes, no weight lost either, cheeks were flushed in a healthy way. She looked amazing.

Her apartment was very tidy but for some reason felt very...empty. He couldn't identify it but it felt somewhat empty and as if it wasn’t a home and from what he knew about Artemis, she loved feeling cozy and warm. Something was missing. Maybe it was the useless clutter of random things everyone had on their shelves or maybe it was just the lack of any mess around the place. There was a sterile feel to it where he almost felt guilty to move around, afraid to not make a mess.

“That’s a sweet home, babe.” he noted while she gave him a wee tour of the place. It took his several hours to truly believe that she was there and then she didn’t want to imagine what leaving the next day was going to feel like. He hadn’t seen her or talked to her for way too long to be okay to just leave again. He wasn’t sure he would be able to take another flight to Glasgow after saying goodbye to her.

“And this is…”

He interrupted her just as she was about to show him the bedroom and sharply pulled her in for a hug. She was stiff at first but slowly relaxed into the embrace.

“I missed you, Artemis. I was worried about you. I didn’t think I would miss you so much.”

She sighed and leaned her cheek on his shoulder, suddenly taken aback by him.

“I missed you too. It was a rough couple of weeks. I still haven’t accepted the fact that it’s all over.”

“Have you spoken to him at all?”

“No. Have you?”

“No.”

No one had any idea what was going on with Noah after the finale but it was clear to everyone that him and Hope hadn’t made it out of the show as a couple. He had been on the same mission Artemis had gone on and isolated himself away from the world in his library, surrounded by the books he had devoted so much love to.

Staying over Artemis’ wasn’t nearly as scary as Bobby suspected it might be. They had a lovely dinner that didn’t have one awkward second in it and instead laughed hard like the good old times and caught up on everything that had been happening. Once that was done, they had gone back to her apartment and watched silly movies and ate their favorite candy until it was time for bed and she had told him they could share her bed but he had insisted that he was good on her couch.

Sleeping on her bed next to her was only going to revive memories and that was the last thing he needed at that moment. And what he needed was to accept that they were only ever going to be friends and nothing more.

She didn’t love him.

She didn’t desire him.

“Uhm, before we go to sleep, I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for being gone for so long. It was very selfish of me.”

Her eyes strayed away from his and her teeth sunk in her bottom lip deeply.

“You did what you had to do to move on, babe. No one blames you for going MIA. We were just worried, wanted to know that you’re okay. How are you feeling now?” he placed his hand gently on her knee in a gesture of support.

She sighed and finally looked at him again. Her hazel eyes had gone darker, sadder.

“I can’t move on, Bobby. Every day I wake up and wish I could stop thinking about him and I cannot. I thought about texting him but I can’t do that either. I’m terrified that he doesn’t want to ever hear from me again or maybe he’s moved on and forgotten all about me. Maybe he even hates me for ruining his relationship with Hope. Every day I wake up wishing that maybe he would text me and tell me how he can’t move on either but it’s always the same blank screen and it never hurts less.”

Tears rolled down her cheeks and she hid her face in her palms, failing to conceal the muffled hiccups.

Bobby’s heart clenched again for two different reasons. One of them being that he hated that the girl he was so in love with was hurting like that and the second was that the girl he was so in love with just wanted someone else. He almost hated Noah even if the guy had no idea that Artemis was so anguished over him.

He pulled her small body in his arms and she gave up in his embrace.

“It will feel better at some point, love. And we’re all here for you. How about we don’t go to bed but make some muffins and hot chocolate instead? Baking always helps the heart and soul.”

She nodded faintly and once her crying wave was over and she felt calmer, he unwrapped his arms and they moved to the kitchen.

Bobby raided her cupboards and got all the necessary ingredients out. They were planning on baking either way, so they had bought everything on the way back home from dinner. He tried to be as funny as possible, swallow the heavy lump that had been lodged in his throat for the past hours and distract her from her sorrows and for a while it seemed like he was doing it right. There was still a slight darkness in her eyes but she laughed genuinely and it seemed like she was enjoying herself and his company.

He allowed himself to imagine that’s what being domestic with her could be like. Baking muffins after midnight, watching stupid comedies all evening and then cuddling until they fell asleep. Bliss. He saw a version of her that he hadn’t seen in the Villa. She looked a lot more vulnerable and somehow...fragile when there were no cameras following their every move and he felt the utter need to protect her from all evil even if he needed her protection himself. He had also forgotten how clumsy she is. It took her almost no time to get batter in her hair and flour everywhere. She also kept sticking her finger in the thick mixture and licking it afterwards.

“Why does it taste so good? Here have a taste. “ she offered him her finger with chocolate dough dripping from it. He gently took her hand and licked it almost sensually. The smile on her face melted away and was replaced by...confusion? Frustration?

She had felt it too. That same old spark they used to have in the beginning of the show when they had been coupled up. The same spark that made them make out everywhere around the Villa and do other naughty things that had completely disappeared after he had asked her to kiss Noah.

He had killed it. It was his fault that their passion had disappeared. If Operation Nope never happened, Artemis most likely would have had the chance to fall in love with Noah and she was still going to be with him. Hell, maybe they would have won the show together.

He felt like crying and wished he could turn back time. But he couldn't. He couldn’t show her how much he was still hurting for her and how much he wanted to kiss her and spin her around the room like a princess.

She doesn’t love me. She doesn’t love me. She doesn’t love me. She doesn’t love me. She doesn’t love me.

“Of course it’s delicious. We’re making it, after all. We really cut the mustard with this one or whatever people say. “ he found strength to grin at her and mellow out the sexual tension that had been building up for the short minute her finger spent in his mouth and then on his lips. “You said you have moulds, right?”

“Yeah, they’re over here. I’ve never even used them. I was thinking of throwing them away but I’m glad I decided to keep them. They’ve been made to be used by you this whole time. “ she rummaged through her pots and pans cupboard and found a pink silicone muffin mould.

“That’s perfect! You should pour the batter in there while I check the oven. “

The cupcakes and the hot chocolate turned out to be great, to no one’s surprise and they both felt pleasantly sleepy.

He tucked her in and went to the couch that she had made comfy for him and they fell asleep eventually, after some rolling around, thinking about what was and what could be.

The next couple of weeks went smoothly. Artemis had been talking to everyone again and was trying as hard as she possibly could to move on and be happy, so this time when everyone had gathered for a reunion brunch, she had shown up. Noah and Hope, however, hadn’t and that definitely had affected her. Chelsea and Priya had made it their mission to distract her as much as possible and Bobby had joined the group of Artemis saviors.

One thing that didn’t change however was the feeling he got every time she called and messaged him and how stunned he felt every time he laid eyes on her. Maybe once she had completely forgotten about Noah, she could give him a chance again and they could rekindle that previous spark. Maybe if he was convincing enough, she would realize that Noah couldn’t make her as happy as he could. Maybe .

A month after the finale, he had another gig on TV in London, so he decided to surprise her. She had mentioned that she has an interview that same day, so after asking the girls if they knew what she was up to, he figured that she could only be home.

Why did he think that?

He didn’t ask himself why. His mind had gone blank and the only thing that was rational at that moment was the conversation he wanted to have and everything he needed to get off his chest. He needed to tell her that he couldn’t stop loving her and that he just wanted another chance. Just one more chance and nothing else.

Once he was in front of her apartment building, he looked for her car but he didn’t see it, which was the first strike in his gained confidence. He called Chelsea again to see if maybe the two had decided to have lunch together but she didn’t know anything about where Artemis was. The only thing she knew was that she was done with the interview from a text she had received an hour ago.

An hour ago.

Perhaps he could wait some time, hoping that she had gotten stuck in traffic or decided to pick up something from the store.

But even thirty minutes later, there was no sign of Artemis and that same dark hole had opened up in his chest and was devouring all of his happiness and excitement about the speech he wanted to give her and the odds of her saying yes.

She wasn’t answering her phone either. The plan was a gigantic flop. What if Noah had finally reached out to her and they were somewhere together? What if they had finally gotten together in secret and had decided to not tell anyone yet?

No, no, no, no. That couldn’t be.

On the next day, she had texted him everything. How she had driven to Romford despite trying to get over Noah and how he had taken her for a walk around the city and then how they had gone over his place and talked long and wide about their feelings and the worst of all - they had decided to finally be together. Anxiety and dejection spread through his body like poison in his veins. Pain, he definitely wasn’t used to and never even wanted to get to know in the first place.

Bobby wished to believe that after all, the universe was still going to align somehow in a way that brings Artemis back to him.

But he knew it wasn’t going to.

Because she didn’t belong to him.

And she never was going to.

No matter what.





