Bobby, meet Lucas

day 10 - packing

It would be safe to say that Lucas Koh lives in Bobby McKenzie's head rent-free. First thought in the morning, last thought at night before drifting off to sleep... All that and then some. It's some sort of strange torture, watching him walk around the villa with those designer swim shorts clinging to his body in all the right places. Watching beads of sweat form on his skin during workouts and water droplets drip down his chest after a swim. It's annoying how often Bobby has to adjust his own shorts whenever Lucas is around, which is, of course, constantly.

It's almost enough to make him wish that Lucas had never entered the villa in the first place.

Almost.

It would just be nice if the man would spare him more than a passing glance every once in a while. Give him hope that maybe, just maybe, there could be something more between them.

Something more than Bobby's puppy love and Lucas's quiet disdain.

Because since those first couple days, nothing's changed. Nothing Bobby has done has broken down the barrier between them. He can't figure out why all the other guys are able to chat with Lucas like they're old friends, but when Bobby tries to join in, the conversation falls flat and Lucas dips at the first opportunity.

Having a front row seat to the blossoming romance between Lucas and Tess doesn't help. Less, he likes to call them. Because with every passing day, he has Less of a chance with either of them.

It would have been easier if he had gotten dumped, but he couldn't even manage that. No, for some reason when it came down to the girls voting for the boys who were least likely to leave the villa with a girlfriend, he'd been overlooked. Whether it was pity or they actually thought he'd find someone in the next couple weeks, he's not sure, but somehow he survived the dumping that sent Rocco and Henrik packing. Most likely they just forgot about him completely.

It came as no surprise, of course, when he was the last one picked at the next recoupling. The way Marisol's mouth pinched before and after she said his name, Bobby's pretty sure she was silently cursing whoever voted for Henrik as least date-able, because even if she couldn't have Rocco, anything would've been preferable to being in a friendship couple with Bobby. It is Love Island, after all, as everyone keeps telling him.

He's well aware. And he's found love, it's just that it's a love he's not able to share.

"Morning, Bobs!"

The daybed he's been lounging on dips as another body sinks onto it, and he cracks open an eye to see that Priya has joined him, a bowl of cereal in her hand.

"Mind if Rahim and I join you?" she asks brightly.

She's already making herself comfortable, so he can hardly say no.

"Sure! Where is the big man?"

"Right here."

The deep voice coming from behind him makes him jump.

"You should pay more attention to your surroundings," Rahim says as he comes around the bed and passes a mug to Priya, steam rising from it. "It's like Violet Man always says, 'It's easy to find evil lurking in the shadows, but beware the evil that you do not see. A hero must always look over his shoulder.' Wise words."

Bobby's eyebrows scrunch together. "Wait, does that make you the bad guy?"

Rahim taps the side of his nose as he lowers himself onto the bed. "Pay attention and find out."

"Anyway," Priya cuts in, turning to Bobby with a sympathetic smile. "How're you feeling? When the lights came on this morning, you were already gone."

"Still on baker's hours, is all."