Chapter 360) That One Night

Newcrest
The Elysium

The young man sighed, rolling his eyes, frowning, then took a big sip of the beer. The party sucked. Well, maybe it didn’t, Chase, Hailey, Colton and Maddie’s parties were legend, but it did nothing for him. Suddenly the dynamic changed, someone pulled the bottle from his hands, putting a finger on his lips, while his eyes got big. Bianca!

“Shh … come!” she said and pulled him with her, he was too surprised to even think about fighting it, following her to the front door, they slipped out, and started running.

“That way! To the park” Bianca instructed after a brief moment of hesitation.

Somehow Gavin’s horrible mood vanished, he didn’t even question any of this, as both started giggling, which turned into full on belly aching laughter as they kept running, stumbling.

Newcrest
Avalon Park

By the time they reached Avalon Park, Bianca was out of breath, they made it to a quiet corner by the lake, where she plopped down on the ground, still giggling and laughing, as Gavin dropped down next to her.

“I am just not athletic enough for sprints, especially not in cute heels …” she giggled, gasping for air.

“What are you doing here, Bianca? I mean, in Newcrest at the Elysium. I am related to the birthday boy, Connor’s my nephew, and Keira is as good as another niece, even if not by blood, but didn’t think you were close with Chase or Colton or their wives.” Gavin wondered.

“My sister Giulia is your sister-in-law Hailey’s sister-in-law, remember? Reason number one thousand and something why you and I would just be too weird as a couple. Aria-Grace dragged me along to Newcrest, but I got cold feet about running into you at that party, so I tried to hide out at Giulia’s, but they were all going too and dragged me with anyway. Then I saw you all sad hiding in a corner sucking down one beer after the next and decided I needed to talk to you. So, how have you been? You look … good. Gawd, what am I saying? I sound like an idiot! I am such a mess!” she sounded as distressed as she looked, leaving Gavin to wonder how to react properly, fighting the urge to just embrace her, while also still hurt and upset with her.

“Nah, I get the awkwardness. You look pretty tonight too, as always, but I know first-hand that looks are only superficial, I am a mess too. I don’t even know what I am doing here, with you. It’s been rough, Bianca, not gonna lie. I want answers so badly, but every time we talk about us, our relationship, I come out more confused than before. This isn’t ever gonna be easy for me. Mostly for the reasons I already told you. I could maybe get over a breakup, but it was never a breakup. There is no closure for me. I wish I could just move on, like you have, but I can’t.” Gavin’s tone was calm, quiet and factual.

“Can I tell you a secret? I probably shouldn’t but I had some wine too and I want to say it, feel like I have to, even though I know it’s wrong.” she said quietly.

“Yah, sure.” Gavin said, slightly worried about what would come next.

“You were right. About everything. I am so conditioned to my life having to go a certain way. But it’s complicated and convoluted and there is no way out. I am just holding on, trying to keep it together to get through the days, feel like I need to get through college, maybe then I can … change things. Maybe my father will do what he did for Adrianna and give me some part of his business to run. At least then I’d be somewhat independent and valuable in my own right. I wish I could be different, stronger, but I am not. Just wanted you to know. It’s not you. Never been you, the reason we broke up I mean. You are the one I really want. But I can’t. We can’t. So many reasons why.” Bianca spoke, her voice cracking again and again from withheld tears.

“You know you don’t need your dad’s money if you wanted to be with me, right? My parents are wealthy too. Probably even wealthier than yours.” Gavin told her after a pause.

“It’s hard to explain. It’s not even just the money, although I am not gonna lie, I am afraid to be cut off, from more than just the funding. Giulia, the sister that lives here in Newcrest, married Hailey’s brother Grady against dad’s explicit wishes and my dad did what he said he would. She’s never seen a penny, dad always makes it very clear that he only comes to visit the grandchildren, whom he made college funds for. They are in the will, Giulia isn’t, and he is still very aloof around her and barely talks to Grady at all. It’s been almost 15 years and Giulia is still miserable about it. I am not strong enough for that. I was so little when my mom died, the older siblings were all long gone, Sandrine was about to move out, all I ever had was daddy and Adrianna. She’s long gone too, married, living and working in San Myshuno, now when I am not on campus with AG, it’s just daddy, the stepmom and the half-brother, who gets all the attention cos he’s a boy. Aria-Grace is gonna marry Rohan at some point and they will go live somewhere that is NOT Tartosa, so I would be all alone. I need daddy.”

“Maybe you could be strong enough, with me. I would never abandon you, Bianca. I know I should have figured out a career by now, everyone’s been in my ear about that, I just didn’t see much of a point, but if I had to, I am sure I can do something that makes us enough money and if not, my parents would NEVER cut us off. We can do this. I could even move on campus with you. My dad owns that house anyway.”

“That would be so wonderful, but it will never be more than a dream, Gav … Daddy would NEVER sanction me dating a Vampire, let alone more, and we couldn’t hide it forever. Especially since he already knows your parents and what they are. And your dad and mine really don’t get along. He’d never say yes to us being together. He’d do to me what he did to poor Giulia and I just couldn’t bear it. And if you and I were to ever break up, or even just as much as fight, I’d be all alone. My family won’t go against daddy’s wishes, I could visit them, but never live with them.”

She sounded so incredibly sad, that Gavin threw all caution to the wind and grabbed her, held her.

“You would never be alone. I would always be there for you, take care of you, protect you, I know I messed up with you once, but you never have to fear me. I went through a lot of extra training, I just lost control a little bit, once. But I would never leave you or hurt you. I got you.” Gavin told her.

He rocked her gently in his arms, until she suddenly stiffened, and pulled away.

“What am I doing? I shouldn’t have … I am so sorry, Gavin.” she sniffled.

As she tried to get up, Gavin pulled her back down, straight into his lap.

They just sat like this, staring into each other’s eyes, for a split-second Gavin considered compelling her to change her mind, but realized he didn’t want it like that. It wouldn’t be real. He wanted her to want him out of free will.

So instead, he leaned forward and kissed her. Again, she didn’t fight him, but leaned into the kiss herself.

Giggling, she folded her legs back to a kneeling position, never once breaking the kiss, until she pushed him down, climbing on top of him pinning him down.

The kissing turned more and more intense, until she sat up again, looking down at him.

“Do you like my dress? I wore it just for you. I don’t know why, wasn’t even sure you’d be there, but I did.” she told him breathlessly.

Smiling absent-mindedly, he nodded.

“I love it. And I love YOU!”

“I love you too, Gavin!”

She sat up fully and began to wiggle out of her panties, slipping them into the pocket of her jacket, before undoing the button of his jeans, freeing him just enough.

Using Vampire speed, he flipped them around placing himself atop her, not giving her a choice to chicken out anymore, even though it didn’t seem as if she wanted to. Quite the opposite.

Passionately and breathlessly, she fired him on, begging him to do things to her, while responding to his efforts in kind, they both renewed old experiences which they had charted together years ago for the first time. It was risky, doing this out in the open, right there in a public park at night, but neither of them cared. Gavin had been so desperate to feel Bianca like this again, if any paparazzi were covertly taking photos of them now, he’d clip every single one of them and frame them for a Gallery Wall in his room!

That night ended too soon for both, they parted way as secretly as they had found together, but it had done wonders for Gavin’s mood.

Del Sol Valley
Cameron Mansion

Back home in Del Sol Valley he continued to be on that happy high, and for weeks following their raunchy rendezvous he exchanged secret messages with Bianca keeping his mood elated.

Then, all of a sudden, without any warning, that stopped abruptly. No more replies, then one day her number was disconnected, all other means of contact blocked. Gavin suspected her father, wondering when and how to best to confront Bianca to confirm. One morning in the kitchen, lost in his thoughts about all that he mindlessly took some letter his mother handed him, she had been talking to him, but her words had been just background noise, rolling off him like water off a raincoat, until he eyed the piece of paper Scarlett had slipped in his hands.

“I considered not showing you, but I felt you should know. I am sorry, baby …” he heard his mom say with sad eyes.

His interest piqued, he focused on the paper in his hand, realized it was printed on heavy and expensive cardstock, reading the words they started fading before his eyes without him realizing it was because of tears … he didn’t notice he sunk to the floor, his mother never letting go of him as he cried for pain and disbelief.

The image and words in the frilly lettering had forever burned themselves into his memory, into his bleeding heart. Part of him demanded clarification, as this made absolutely no sense to him, another part of him felt deepest betrayal, never wanting to see or speak to Bianca ever again.