With This Secret

Aldie took the victim route. “Why would you be eavesdropping on our conversation?”

Bianca ignored her and poured herself some orange juice from the carton sitting on the counter.

My first pancake was done. I slid it expertly onto a plate, sprinkled some blueberries and cranberries on top, then took it to her.

She looked up at my arrival, her eyes were so bright in the morning light they completely stopped me in my tracks.

“What?” she asked.

I wondered if she realized I would do anything for her. I was so thoroughly and completely in her grasp that it made my chest constrict with fear. Breaking her gaze, I laid the plate in front of her.

Before I could walk away, she grabbed my hand.

Aldie, seemingly oblivious to the strong currents in the room, was cutting up more strawberries.

My heart was thumping in my chest.

Bianca rose to her feet and stood in front of me. Her head barely reached my shoulders. Her hair was piled on top of her head with strands framing her beautiful face. “Levan,” she pleaded. “Please tell me what’s going on.”

Somehow, I found a smile. “Wouldn’t Aldie be easier to coax?”

She shot a look at her best friend.

“Impossible,” Aldie called out. “She knows I’m immune to her antics.”

“And I’m not?” I asked my brows rising.

“Only one way to find out,” Aldie replied, her eyes filling with amusement. She bit into a strawberry and leaned against the counter to watch the show.

I returned my gaze to Bianca, but before my eyes could even connect with hers she had lifted herself to the tips of her toes and pressed her lips to mine.

All reason was instantly blasted out of me.

My mouth was filled with the taste that drove me wild and at the same time left me spineless. There wasn’t a better feeling in the world. “Bianca,” I muttered as I tried to pull my lips away from her.

Undeterred, she linked her hands around my neck, and slipped her tongue into my mouth. She drank in my flavor, her tongue dancing against mine … then just as suddenly as she began, she broke it off. With her fingers to her lips as if she could not believe what she had just done, she took a step backwards.

I remained stunned into immobilization.

“Fucking hell,” Aldie muttered.

Bianca took another step backwards. She opened her mouth to speak but then shut it, her face tightening. She turned around to leave.

I grabbed her by her t-shirt and without a word, I turned her around, pulling her with me despite her protests.

“Aldie,” she cried.

Her best friend, who seemed to be beside herself with amusement, had turned Judas though. “Take her away, Levan” she called treacherously. “Don’t bring her back until you’re both good and ready.”

“Levan …” Bianca struggled, breathlessly.

I didn’t let go until we were in the office down the hall. I pulled her inside and shut the door behind me,

Before I could speak, she did, “I didn’t mean that,” she said.

I scowled at her.

“Aldie … she pushed me to it.” She held her hands up in surrender or apology. “That was just me being absolutely stupid. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Okay.” There wasn’t a trace of amusement in my tone. With a hard look at her, I turned and left the room.

13

Bianca

“What did he do?” Aldie asked the moment I returned.

I took a seat and stabbed my pancake with a fork. I hated myself right now. I had never behaved so irresponsibly or so crazily in my life before.

She hurried over to me, spatula in hand. “Well?”

“Let it go, Aldie. Let’s just try to find my dad and bring this whole thing to an end.”

“There’s nothing we can do about finding him. When your dad wants to disappear for good, he does.”

I tore off a tiny piece of the pancake and held it out to Biscuit. “You’re right,” I said. “The only time he was really present and in contact at all times was when we all knew Mom wasn’t going to make it. Before that, he would be gone for weeks at a time without either of us knowing where he was.”

“Exactly,” she said, rubbing my arm in consolation.

“He cares,” I said, even though the statement tasted like bile in my mouth. “He does. He is a complete mess, but when he figured out Mom was dying, he rushed back and he never left until the last day.”

Aldie squeezed my hand.

“Do you think that perhaps he is not aware of what has happened?” I asked hopefully.

“Well, he’s usually great at watching from afar,” Aldie said dryly.

“Not when it’s this serious,” I said, trying to convince myself more than her. “Not when our lives are on the line.”

She had bent down to pick up Biscuit, but I didn’t miss the look she tried to hide.

“What?” I asked.