On top of the usual photographers’ parked cars she’d become familiar with, there was a news van today. A reporter stood facing the camera, speaking into the microphone as if she were covering some important news story. “Oh, give me a break,” Bianca muttered as she drove past the reporter and into the shop’s parking lot.

Both she and Gio had agreed to stop reading or watching any of the ridiculous tabloids. Each day they came up with another twist to the story that as far as she was concerned was over. She wasn’t even able to see him now. How could there be any more to add? She’d made Toni promise again to keep anything new she heard to herself. Bianca didn’t need to know even one more stupid unfounded detail of what they were saying.

She heard the cameras as the photographers stood in the street blatantly snapping away. Why the hell they wanted more photos of her walking into her grandmother’s shop was beyond her. Like she had all week, and unlike Gio, she refrained from flipping them off.

To her complete surprise, Felix was waiting for her inside. The last time she’d heard from him was the morning he found out. He’d obviously been furious because both texts were utter filth—the F bomb among other outrageous accusations. And when Toni had gone to pick up Bianca’s things from Felix’s place she hadn’t even been allowed on the property. Felix had one of the drivers meet her at the gate with a trunk full of Bianca’s belongings. The media had a field day posting pictures of the very van from the incriminating ‘caught red-handed’ photos driving up to Felix’s gate.

She stared at him speechless. No words. None at all came to mind. She hadn’t bothered to prepare anything to say to him if she ever spoke to him again because she honestly thought she never would.

“Can we talk?”

Bianca glanced at her mother and Nana who stood behind the counter. He’d obviously already spoken to them because they didn’t seem to have an issue with walking into the back room and leaving her alone with him in the otherwise empty shop.

Curious about what he could possibly have to say to her Bianca nodded. She walked around behind the counter and waited.

“I wanted to apologize to you.”

Bianca kept her jaw from dropping open as she stared into Felix’s genuinely remorseful eyes. She shook her head unable to find the words.

“I was mad when I found out—real mad. And hurt like hell, but I shouldn’t have said those things to you. I’m just glad I was too proud to call you. I didn’t want you to hear the hurt in my voice. I probably wouldn’t have even made it through the call the way I was feeling. You probably think I’m the biggest hypocrite in the world now. I should be…” He took a deep breath and glanced away. “I should be the last person on earth who’d buy into the media crap and maybe it’s just wishful thinking but I have to know. Is there any truth to what they’re saying?”

Bianca blinked, not understanding exactly what he was asking. “What they’re saying? They’re saying a lot of things, Felix. Most of it is all made up or assumptions but those pictures…” she gulped back the wave of guilt that threatened to drown her. No regrets. “The pictures were not doctored or anything if that’s what you’re asking me.”

“No, I know that. But I know I wasn’t completely honest with you before about Shelley and now that she did the interview I got to thinking maybe there is some truth to it. Maybe you did already know and that’s what drove you to—”

“What are you talking about? Because just so you know I haven’t watched or read any of it for days.”

His eyes went wide for a second before he recovered and stepped forward. “So you don’t know?”

Now she was getting annoyed. She’d gone out of her way to avoid hearing anymore of the madness and now here was Felix, of all people, forcing her to hear what the latest stupid story was. But she had to admit she was curious. It was big enough to have him come see her. “No, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Shelley.” He scratched his head. “When I told you about having seen her again even after me and you had become exclusive, I didn’t tell you everything. You were so mad already, I was afraid to.”

Just like he had the day he confessed the first time his eyes bounced all over the room before coming to rest on her. A few customers walked in forcing them to pause their conversation.

Bianca smiled at them. “Someone will be right with you.”

Having heard the bells on the door Nana was already out from the back. The customers stared at Felix, obviously recognizing him and then their wide-eyed stares were on Bianca. Bianca motioned for Felix to follow her in the back. “Where did you park? I didn’t see any of your cars out front.”

“I came in through the back. They still saw me but didn’t have as good an angle as they would’ve had if I came in through the front.”

Bianca walked through the small storage room all the way to the back door and stuck her head out. If there were any photographers out there they hid well because she didn’t see any. But then there’d been plenty of photos of her where she’d clearly been oblivious to the photographers because she didn’t remember seeing any of them when those particular photos were taken. Those were the ones that crept her out the most.

She turned back to Felix. “You think any of them are out here?”

“If they are, don’t worry. My bodyguard is out there. They already know him. He does the same thing I saw Gio do to one of their cameras.”