Since Gio started training with Felix, between the other trainers and Bianca always being around, he hadn’t had a moment alone with him. Because Felix showed up unexpectedly early Gio finally had time alone with him. The other trainers wouldn’t be back until later that afternoon.

From the moment Felix had met him at the gym, Gio had picked up a strange vibe from him. He wondered if by any chance Felix had noticed anything between him and Bianca. But he couldn’t have. Gio had been in the same room with them for just seconds before he’d bolted out of there. The real test would be later tonight and every evening from here on that Gio would have to spend time around them.

After his taste of what that might be like Gio wasn’t beyond feigning sudden illness to leave the room abruptly if he had to. Judging by his reaction this morning it wouldn’t be hard to fake feeling sick to his stomach.

They wrapped up their run and were enjoying a water break in the gym. Felix sat on the edge of the boxing ring and Gio sat across from him on a bench. After downing his water, Gio decided to just go for it. “I saw you on TV the other night. So what’s up with you and that chick they keep talking about? Any truth to that?”

Unlike most of the times when Gio or any of the guys inquired about gossip they’d heard on TV about Felix he didn’t smirk and give his generic response of “You know me.”

Slam dunking his crushed water bottle into a box next to the ring Felix frowned shaking his head. “Not anymore. But now that the word is out about Bianca the media is having a f**king field day with old photos trying to generate a story when there isn’t one. I hate having to explain this shit to her over and over.”

Gio thought about the photos of him and the girl the day he got stranded in Chicago. “So all that is old stuff? What about the stuff in Chicago the day you got stuck out there?”

“That’s the only recent one. And that was just dinner and a few drinks. Sort of a farewell thing.” Felix stood up and shook his arms in the air loosening them up. “I explained to Bianca about that. It’s all this other shit they’re bringing up that sucks. What girl wants to hear about her boyfriend’s exes right? I sure as hell don’t wanna hear about hers.”

Or about who she’s currently messing around with on the side. Lost in thought Gio pondered what Noah had said. She was the only one in the equation getting everything she wanted. He was the guy on the side. This wouldn’t be his first time but in the past he actually liked it that way—no need to even talk about committing—he was just the guy on the side having his fun and then waving goodbye. No hard feelings. Only now, he didn’t want to be that guy. He didn’t even want to be the main guy. He wanted to be the only guy.

“Hey, Bravo!”

Gio looked up a little startled by Felix’s sudden raised voice. “Huh?”

Felix laughed. “Did you even hear what I said?”

Gio peered at him feeling stupid and smiled. “Sorry, my mind was…” he shook his head. “I don’t know. I didn’t hear you.”

“Yeah, no shit. I asked what you thought of Bianca’s meadow?”

Gio had no idea how they’d gone from talking about Bianca’s exes to the meadow but the thought of the meadow, especially the one this morning in his sleep made him smile. “It was cool. I liked it.” Understatement of the decade.

“Really?”

Gio stood up when he saw Felix walk over to the cabinet and pull out the hand wrap. His mind was still enjoying the memory of his dream as he walked toward Felix ready to help him wrap his hands. Felix turned around to face him making a face. “I thought it was kind of boring. I guess I’m not the hiking type.” A smirk replaced the face he was making and he chuckled. “Although rolling around in the grass, having my way with my girl was fun.”

Gio was sure even Felix heard it—the visual of his dream shattering violently like a glass frame into a million pieces. He couldn’t even respond to that. Not even with a chuckle like he normally would’ve. “Give me that,” he said holding out his hand and Felix handed him the wrap.

If Felix noticed the hasty change of subject when Gio started talking about sparring techniques, he didn’t say anything. This would’ve been the best chance to find out what Felix’s thoughts were on his and Bianca’s relationship—how serious he was about her. But Gio decided he’d rather not know. This was worse than he thought. Gio’s heart had already begun to claim Bianca as his. He wouldn’t even be able to stomach hearing Felix speak in terms of his girl. It was happening already and he hadn’t even slept with her.

CHAPTER 19

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.