Bianca
The three days following Felix’s early return, Bianca managed to keep him at arm’s length. She spent the days working and at school. Then in the evenings, Felix was understanding of the fact that she was still hurt about his betrayal to even cuddle, much less do anything else. The guilt would start to become too much to bear. Then she and Gio would have one of their silent moments where she was caught in his eyes again, or he’d send her a text that would have her walking on air, and she’d be back to square one, feeling ready to do or say whatever it took just to be near him.
Felix was doing everything he could to try and remedy things. Now that Bianca didn’t really care and since he supposedly confessed to the real truth behind the stories, she’d begun to watch more of the tabloid shows. It helped ease her guilt. At the same time, whenever she came across any of the stories while he was in the room with her, it helped support why she wouldn’t be engaging in any intimate activity with him any time soon. She just couldn’t—not anymore. She had to take full advantage of the tabloid stories now.
Tonight they were all going to Winterfest, a rail jam event in town. The festival was part of the ongoing events surrounding the snowboarding championships. It was a nice break from the last two awkward nights, and she was looking forward to the possibility of getting a moment alone with Gio. So far, since Felix had gotten back, they’d had a few, but in the cabin, it was impossible to do much more than exchange knowing and longing gazes.
They reached the downtown area of Big Bear where the event was taking place. They hadn’t been there very long when Felix was recognized, and the fans requesting pictures with him started up. Felix’s bodyguards allowed a few and then they started again through the crowd. Though they tried to remain inconspicuous, it was impossible to do so with two burly bodyguards in front of them and two behind them. The one time she wished his busybody publicist Andy were here to distract Felix and pull him away like he usually did at public events, he wasn’t here.
Gio had been quiet ever since they’d gotten out of the car, and for the first time in days, she’d allowed Felix to hold her hand. It was out of habit. They were walking through a crowd, and it was more of a protective measure on his part so as not to get separated in the crowd.
Now that they’d stopped and a breeze blew, making Bianca cringe, he wrapped his arms around her from behind in an effort to warm her. Bianca knew holding his hand was probably what Felix was waiting for to work his way back to the way things were before, and she now regretted it. She’d hoped to hold onto the no-touching rule for a while longer. If she did anything with Felix, the guilt would eat her up alive because these last few days Gio’s texts had become more and more heartfelt. He was feeling exactly what she was, and if she had to see him with someone else, it’d be worse than anything she ever felt when hearing about Felix with other girls.
As if on cue, Felix reached over and tapped Gio on the shoulder. He’d turned his back on them the moment Felix had wrapped his arms around Bianca. “Check out who’s here.”
Bianca turned at the same time as Gio in the direction where Felix was pointing. Over by the beer booth, Evelyn stood posing with two guys holding beer cups. She wore a white ski suit that appeared to be painted on with the word Budweiser written down the front of it. The matching white high-heeled boots that went up to her thighs were in no way made for the snow. Her long dark hair looked perfect even in this God forsaken weather. Even with all the men standing around waiting for their chance to be photographed with her, Bianca knew the moment she saw Gio he’d have her full attention.
“You should go ask her what time she’s off,” Felix said. “Maybe she could join us after for drinks somewhere or come back to the cabin for some and hang out.”
Bianca had to bite her tongue to keep the word NO! from flying out. She stared at Evelyn for a moment then turned back to Gio who smirked then shrugged. “Maybe later. She looks busy right now.”
Normally her ears, like the rest of her extremities in this weather, were freezing cold, but right now, they were on fire. If Evelyn rode back with them, or worse Gio left with her in her own car, Bianca didn’t know how she would deal with it.
Feeling her throat already swelling, she suddenly knew what Gio must be feeling watching her with Felix, and she pulled out of Felix’s embrace. She knew it was abrupt, and she’d surprised him, but she didn’t care. “I need to find a ladies’ room.”
The startled look on Felix’s face eased up a bit. “Oh.” He looked around.
“I know where they are,” she added quickly. “Just wait here. I’ll be right back.”
“Is the men’s room near there too?” Gio asked, and their eyes instantly locked.
“Yeah, I might as well go too.” Felix said, squashing any hope of sneaking a moment alone with Gio. “I had a couple of beers before we left, and it’s just a matter of time before the urge to go kicks in.”
They all walked slowly through the crowd of bundled up spectators. Bianca knew of closer restrooms in the vicinity where they’d been standing, but it meant walking past Evelyn’s Budweiser stand, so she led them to the ones in the opposite direction. The image of Gio and Evelyn making out on the dance floor flashed through her mind. Bianca dropped Felix’s hand. She’d make every effort tonight and from here on to not give Gio any reason to even consider bringing Evelyn back to the cabin. That would be the only thing that would have Bianca running far from that cabin for good.
Felix was stopped by some fans asking to take a photo with him, and Bianca gestured to him that the restrooms were just a few feet away and kept walking. The mere thought of Gio bringing a girl back to the cabin had her in near tears. Feeling like a complete hypocrite, she wiped at the corners of her eyes as she entered the restroom before she could shed even one stupid tear.
Because the restrooms were further from the main crowd, they were less crowded like she knew they’d be. She was in and out quickly.
Feeling a bit more composed, she glanced around for Felix and was completely startled when someone suddenly pulled her hand. She turned to see Gio and followed him quickly behind the small building that housed the restrooms. Once behind it, Gio backed her up into the wall and kissed her frantically.
Breathlessly and oh-so-happy, Bianca kissed him back just as madly, savoring the familiar taste of his mouth. Her heart pounded now as both the excitement and the reality of the enormous risk this was set in. Even as desperately as he kissed her, the boy obviously knew what he was doing because his kisses were anything but sloppy. They were just as perfect as she remembered; his tongue maneuvered magically in perfect rhythm with hers.
She pulled away just long enough to say what she had to. “Don’t bring Evelyn back to the cabin.”
“I won’t,” he said simply and continued to kiss her.
“I haven’t been sleeping with him,” she said against his lips. “I’m not going to anymore.”
Gio stopped and stared at her, breathing hard. “You’re not?”
“No, I promise, but promise me you won’t see Evelyn anymore.”
The response to that was a longer, even more vehement kiss. Then he stopped and looked at her. “I’ve no interest in Evelyn—none.”