With just under forty-five minutes to spare before she had to be at the shop, the obvious direction to head was to Toni’s place, to tell her about the mess she was in now. But she had a feeling even Toni would attempt to talk her out of going back and that’s the last thing she wanted to hear. No amount of reasoning was keeping her from going back.

The fact that this was so unlike her was what scared her the most. Growing up Bianca had always been the voice of reason in her crowd—the good girl. She never took risks or did anything that would disappoint her mother even before her father died but more so after.

When her father was killed her mother made a huge sacrifice to keep them in the same house by taking on an extra housekeeper job during the week and another one on the weekends. This after her grandparents had offered to let them move in with them in their more than ample Big Bear home. Bianca knew it was tough on her mom but her mother said she wouldn’t traumatize Bianca further by uprooting her from the only home she’d ever known and from all her friends.

To show her mother her gratitude Bianca never even dreamed of doing anything bad. She never ditched, snuck out or even drank before she was of legal age. What Bianca was doing now felt so wrong—so bad. Something she knew her mother wouldn’t approve of but even that couldn’t stop her now.

With nowhere else to go, Bianca parked in front of a coffee shop, and got out. That morning when Felix walked in so unexpectedly just as she was pouring her coffee she’d been so crushed about her day’s plans with Gio being ruined she’d all but lost her appetite and barely got in a few sips. She needed the caffeine now. It would help her think.

Taking a seat in one of the booths after getting her coffee she took a long swig and closed her eyes. Then it came to her. Here she thought she’d have to wait until she had a moment alone with Gio to find out what, if anything, more was going to happen between them. She’d forgotten all about the fact that they’d exchanged numbers that first day on the slopes.

Feeling the butterflies in her stomach going wild, she pulled her phone out of her purse and searched her contact list for Gio. Always the fast thinker she edited it to read the first name that came to mind—Lala—the name of the coffee shop. She always locked her phone anyway but had been known to forget on occasion and she wasn’t chancing Felix accidentally coming across any texts between her and Gio.

After changing the name on the contact she stared at her screen not sure what to text him. Three words came to mind over and over. The same words she’d said to him last night. So she typed them in.

I miss you.

Her heart fluttered as she hit send. And then she waited, her stomach churning. She’d seen the look on his face that morning. Saw how after the initial shock of walking in on her and Felix just as he was about to kiss her, his eyes traveled immediately to Felix’s hands caressing her. She wondered now if perhaps he was upset with her but how could he be? He knew what he was getting himself into when he first kissed her. Knew just like she did how impossible this situation was.

Despite the impossibility of it all and knowing the huge risk she was taking just sending the text, here she sat eagerly awaiting his response. This was crazy. She felt like she was back in middle school waiting for the boy she was crushing on to pass the note back in class. But this was so much more than a crush.

The phone beeped and a tiny squeal escaped her. She covered her mouth glancing quickly around the small coffee shop feeling silly. No one seemed to have noticed her ridiculous little outburst. Fumbling with her phone nervously she hit the envelope from “Lala.”

I miss you too.

Her heart nearly doubled over as she brought her hand over her mouth again. How was it possible she could get so excited about something like this? Toni was right. As excited as Bianca had been in the past about anything with Felix she’d never felt anything quite like this. She was still thinking of how to respond without sounding too needy when a second text came through.

SO much.

If Bianca was excited before she was bursting now. She didn’t care how needy she sounded she was telling him exactly what she was thinking. Her fingers couldn’t type the words fast enough.

I can’t wait to be alone with you again. I can’t! This is insane. It’s all I’m going to think about from now until then.

She held her phone after sending her message, staring at it obsessively, willing it to beep. After an excruciating few minutes, he responded and she read it anxiously.

You and me both. We’ll think of something. We have to. Insane? Don’t get me started. You have no idea! But I gotta go for now. We’re about to go for a run. I’ll text you later. MISS YOU!

G.

Her only response to that was a very excited set of x’s and o’s. She stood up, her lips outstretched to capacity. Now she could start her day and just like she’d felt that morning when she woke, the butterflies swarmed around her belly in anticipation of when she’d see him again. She wasn’t exaggerating when she said it to him. This was pure insanity. Insanity that now seemed to fuel her heart and run through her veins but the craziest thing about it was that she welcomed it.

~*~

Gio’s magic pill had come through again. Just reading those three little words had been enough to calm him from the torment he’d been feeling ever since he’d seen Bianca with Felix earlier. Then reading her follow up text confirming that she was feeling just as anxious as he was about being forced to be apart was enough to convince him that staying here was the right thing to do. Even a moment alone with her would make it all worth while. Though he still worried about how he would handle seeing them have their moments together. He didn’t even want to think about that right now. For now, he’d concentrate on the positive news that she was feeling just as tortured by all of this as he was. That had to be good thing somehow.