*Bianca*
Leo’s old beater of a car worked harder than usual to reach the speed I was in need of as I flew down the highway. I was already running so late for my mid-morning class. I was worried I wasn’t going to make it.
Thoughts of Leo had been distracting , entirely. He had been avoiding ever since he ca ho the other night, and I woke up alone the next morning. I still hadn’t even told him I was pregnant.
He had ntioned briefly at breakfast yesterday morning that he was busy handling the “Michael situation,” as he referred to it. Apparently, by busy, he had actually ant, consud by.
So, I had been trying to do the sa with my schoolwork. I thought maybe if I could distract myself in my studies, it would help stress less about Leo avoiding .
It was kind of working, but there were nights I wasn’t getting any sleep. With Leo being gone almost every night, all night, I was left alone. I slept better next to him. So, without him, I was left to lay restlessly between empty sheets.
Those sleepless nights had caused to wake up late this morning. Usually, Leo would insist on having one of his n drive to my classes. However, ever since he had started to avoid , I started to refuse his driver. If Leo felt the urge to avoid , then I had decided that I felt the urge to not let Leo be able to keep tabs on .
It’s not like Leo was around to force to obey his wishes.
Once I finally arrived in the parking lot of the building where my class was, I hurriedly grabbed my binder from the passenger seat of the car. I rushed inside with darting eyes, trying to find a seat amongst the already filled room.
Luckily, I spotted an empty seat next to a guy with dirty blond hair. He looked like he could be one of those skater guys or a surfer. Maybe both. We were in LA, after all.
I sat down and he glanced over, offering a smile. I returned his welcoming greeting. The professor began walking around to each student, collecting the assignnt that was due.
“Shit,” I cursed under my breath.
“You all right?” The guy beside asked, kindly.
“I forgot my textbook at ho,” I whispered, as I allowed my head to collapse in my hands.
“Don’t stress,” I heard him say. “We can share mine.”
I looked up and t his eyes. “Really? You’d do that?”
He nodded his head and chuckled. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I? You are clearly in a state of distress, it’s the least I can do.”
I couldn’t help but look at him with a grateful expression. “Thank you.”
“Don’t ntion it,” he smiled. “My na is Taylor, by the way.”
“Bianca,” I replied, smiling.
The professor reached our seats. Taylor handed him his assignnt and just as I was about to hand him mine, my eyes grew wide. Internally, I began to panic. I forgot to write my damn na on the paper! How could I have neglected such a small, but incredibly important detail?
Taylor must have sensed my panic because he suddenly spoke to the professor.
“Actually, Professor, could I see my assignnt quickly? I just rembered I wanted to ask you a question about sothing.”
The professor took the paper that was on top off of his stack and handed it to Taylor with his back facing . Quickly, I went to grab my pen.
Shit!
I only grabbed my binder, therefore, I didn’t have any kind of writing utensil on . This day was just getting better and better by the minute.
Suddenly, Taylor subtly slipped his pen over to . I sighed, looking at him with a grateful expression on my face, once again. I took the pen from him and hurried to write my na on the paper. A few monts later, I handed the professor my assignnt.
I sighed heavily, but quietly.
“Thank you,” I whispered, as I handed Taylor his pen back.
“No worries, at all,” he said in a comforting tone.
Once class ended, I offered Taylor to join Isabela and for lunch after our next class. He happily accepted without hesitation. After I gave him the location of Isabela and I’s usual spot and the ti we’d be eting, we said our goodbyes.
I wasn’t sure what it was about him, but he felt familiar in a way I couldn’t quite explain. Though, it could have been just because I had seen him around campus before. Yeah, that was probably it, I assured myself.
I headed to my next class and tried hard to concentrate. The hour seed to pass quickly and before I knew it, I was on my way to et Isabela.
I t her outside of her class because she had offered to drive the both of us to lunch.
“So, I invited this guy from my class as a way of thanking him for saving my ass in class today,” I confessed to her.
Isabela looked over at and eyed suspiciously with a devious smile on her face. “You invited a guy to lunch?”
“Yeah,” I laughed, shaking my head. “Why are you being weird about it?”
“Don’t you have a boyfriend? Like a really hot, rich boyfriend?” she asked, looking back and forth between and the road.
“Yes, of course. Leo,” I stated.
“Does Leo know you are about to have lunch with another man?” She chuckled.
“No, not yet,” I confessed. “But it’s not like I invited him on a date! I asked if he wanted to join and my friend, being you, for lunch as a way for to say thank you for saving in class.”
“Is he cute?” She inquired, vainly.
“He looks like he could be a surfer,” I offered.
“Ooh, I like surfers,” she giggled.
“Then, maybe you two will fall in love and have surfer babies.”
My words halted. I beca silent and my hands found their new ho on my stomach. Fear, anxiety, and nausea started to bubble up inside .
Breathe, I thought to myself. Not right now. Please don’t do this right now, I begged myself within my head.
I didn’t want to have a breakdown in front of Isabela. Especially, when she had no idea of my current situation.
I rolled the window down and inhaled the fresh air. My thoughts slowly transford as I pictured the burger I was going to get at the restaurant. Soon enough, the panic had begun to fade.
We arrived at the restaurant and outside the building was Taylor. He was leaning against the brick wall with one foot on the ground and the other resting on the red brick.
“That’s Taylor,” I inford Isabela.
“Damn, girl. He is cute as hell,” she smiled, wiggling her eyebrows.
I rolled my eyes, playfully, at her before opening the car door. Isabela and I t up with Taylor. After I introduced the two of them, the three of us headed inside. We found a table and sat down.
The place was small and more like a café. It didn’t take long after we placed our orders that our food was sitting in front of us.
The three of us spent the hour talking about classes, campus, different professors, and other topics of shared interests. Taylor was actually a pretty cool guy. He seed to really know the ins and outs of school and had proved to have a rather outgoing personality.
Who knew, maybe Isabela and Taylor would beco a couple. They seed to really hit it off. I was just happy to have another friend around campus. Isabela and I only shared two classes together, so it was nice to share another class with a new friend.
After Isabela and I said goodbye to Taylor, she drove back to my car. I was feeling anxious to get ho to see Leo. I had hoped he would set his avoiding behavior aside long enough to have dinner with .
When I got ho, I imdiately felt disappointed to find Leo’s car missing from the driveway. He hadn’t been parking in the garage the past few days so he could better make his escape when Franky summoned him.
I walked inside the empty house with the familiar hurt resurfacing. After I set my stuff down on the kitchen table, I checked my cell phone. Sure enough, a ssage from Leo was waiting for inside the soulless device. A text over a tiny computer. He couldn’t have taken five minutes to write a sweet note with pen and paper to make the effort seem a little more sincere?
The stupid text consisted of him letting know he’d be late coming ho and to have dinner by myself.
I sighed, sinking into the chair in front of . My thoughts began to spiral. Tears spilled from my eyes.
More than anything, all I wanted was Leo to be by my side. To talk to . To love .
However, ever since his plan to take down Michael had co to life, all he’s done is pulled away from . Further and further he kept getting and I didn’t know what to do about it. He refused any questions I’d ask him about Michael. He was shutting out again. And it felt terrible. Especially with the life growing inside .
I inhaled a few tis before wiping the tears from my cheeks. I stood up and walked upstairs into my bedroom.
I needed soone to talk to. So, I pulled out my cell phone and called the one person I knew would be there for .
“Hey, girl,” Amara answered on the first ring. “Are you all right?”
“No,” I sighed heavily.
“Awe, Bianca,” she spoke in a quiet tone. “Tell everything.”
I went on to tell her about how Leo had been avoiding and pulling away from . How most nights I’d go to sleep alone and wake up just the sa. I told her how he had been so consud in his plan to take down Michael, that he had been completely neglecting .
“All I want to do is talk to him,” I told her. “But every ti I try, he runs out on .”
“Hmm, all right,” she humd. “I have an idea.”
“Please, tell . I’ll do anything at this point,” I confessed.
“You should set up a date night,” she offered. “That way he can’t run out on you.”
“You think that would stop him from doing so?” I questioned, wondering if that would really keep him from leaving.
“I an, it absolutely should,” she replied. “He’ll see that you took the ti to set up sothing special for the both of you. He wouldn’t want to ruin that by bailing.”
I thought about that for a mont. “Maybe you’re right. I’ll do that.”
“Good. I think it will work,” she said, believing it. “Let know how it goes.”
“I will,” I assured her. “Thank you, Amara.”
“Of course, girl. I’m always here for you,” she replied, easily.
After we said our goodbyes, I got to work on setting up a date night for Leo and I. It was worth a shot. I needed to do sothing because I felt like I was becoming desperate to talk to him about being pregnant.
So, I had decided, I’d stay up until he got ho and demand his attention. I deserved that much.
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