Annika Noelle Reveals How Hope Really Feels About Thomas on B&B (EXCLUSIVE)

It’s become very clear that this is a very different Hope on THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL than the one viewers have been watching for years now. And portrayer Annika Noelle is excited about her alter ego’s newfound confidence.

“She isn’t scared of other people’s judgments about her like she had been in the past,” she declared to Soaps In Depth. “Right now, she is concentrating on herself, what makes her happy, what is best for her life, and has finally stopped giving so much power to other people’s opinions. She is making her own destiny.”

And that destiny just so happens to include a relationship with Thomas, despite all those warning her away from the guy. While Hope turned down his marriage proposal, the fact that she agreed to wear the engagement ring on a chain around her neck shows that there might come a time when she’ll say “yes.”

“I think there could be,” Noelle allowed, “if she feels confident that she’s in a place of security and not just reacting. That Beth and Douglas are in a good place as well and ready to handle a change. And if marriage is even necessary. I think at this point, she has been burned a few too many times and is reevaluating love in general.”

While Hope has been enjoying being with Thomas, it’s clear that his feelings for her run much deeper than her own for him. So just how does she feel about the guy? “She cares for him deeply,” the actress explained, “they have been through many things together, and for better or worse, it has solidified a bond between them that is undeniable. And until Hope can be clear and confident on what she is feeling, I think we may all be in the dark about the ‘L word’ question.”

Some fans still can’t believe Hope would fall for Thomas after some of the terrible things he’s done to her, and wonder how she reconciles that past with their potential future together. “Amnesia would have been the easiest option,” Noelle joked with a laugh. “But since they didn’t go that route, I believe the only way for Hope to be with someone who has done the things that he has to her is because she truly believes that he has changed. That he is not that man anymore.

“And as the saying goes,” she added, “love is blind… we’ll have to see if that proves true.”