Chapter 4
Are you in love with Daphne?
He was heartbroken to see Daphne so upset, but at the same time, he was relieved. He always knew she and Joe weren't a good match, and now it was his chance to tell her how he felt. It was a shame he let Frasier talk him into waiting a day, but deep down, he knew his brother was right. Daphne was obviously smitten with Joe, and the break up had her reeling. Though he wanted to so desperately, he knew the timing was wrong.
Imagine his surprise when the very next day—when he was preparing to let her know—she had a date with another a man, a man she met the same night of her break up. He could've easily been that man, but he let his nerves and his brother get the better of him.
Instead of calmly accepting it and realizing that her relationship with this new man may not last—giving him a chance—he decided to follow in Daphne's footsteps and have Roz take him to "A Sure Thing."
Adelle promised to be a breath of fresh air, just the thing he needed to get his mind off Daphne. She was a beautiful, intelligent woman, and he was lucky to be with her. Yes, he was happy, and he could move on.
Of course, every time he had found a sliver of happiness, something had to ruin it, and that something was Daphne's new beau, Rodney. The man she had chosen was so similar to Niles that it was freaky. They had the same mannerisms, and they even looked the same. If Niles had only pushed Frasier away, he could have been with her!
His anger with his brother lingered until he realized that he had Adelle in his life. Though he was becoming uncertain as to whether or not he could truly be happy with her, he had to at least try. If Daphne was out of his reach, there was no reason he should be alone.
"Niles," Frasier said. He gestured behind him, and Niles turned to see Adelle and Rodney on a date together at Café Nervosa.
Niles was outraged. He stood up. "I don't believe this! No one treats Daphne like that!"
Without thinking, he stormed to the couple. Adelle apologized for their actions, but Niles didn't really feel any pain from what she did. He was more upset with what Rodney did. He didn't give a second thought to the fact that Adelle was cheating on him. All he could think about was Daphne.
And so, Niles met up with Daphne at the bar. She was nursing a drink, looking dejected, and Niles could hardly blame her.
They sat together, imagining how their lives would be if they had met at the bar. It was a cute, fun scenario that Niles would have loved to experience.
"I would have said… 'What are you doing for the rest of your life?'" Niles finished.
Daphne chuckled. "You always know just what to say. Oh, I love you, Dr. Crane." Her hand fell on top of his for a brief moment that was both electrifying and comforting.
He didn't know what to say to her. Her tone of voice suggested she loved him as a friend, and that was probably what it was. With a sad smile, he picked up his drink and replied, "I love you, too, Daphne."
Frasier had once asked Niles if he was in love with Daphne, and he did—in more ways than one.