"Neither did I." She said with a little laugh, looking up into Bianca's eyes. The sparkle she had loved to see before had intensified. I did that? She thought. How did I make her that happy? She looked down, starting to lose her confidence. I shouldn't be doing this. I can't do this to her. Conflicting feelings tore through Frankie, and a tear slipped out of her eye. She sniffed and wiped it away. Bianca didn't overlook this, and gave the girl's hand a little squeeze.
"Hey, what's wrong?" The sound of Bianca's voice made the tears flow faster. Frankie felt her guilt and self-loathing rush over her, and she gulped back a sob. Bianca let go of Frankie's hand so she could pull the fragile girl into her arms. Frankie curled around Bianca, desperately clinging to her strength. Bianca rocked her back and forth a little, kissed the top of her head. I wish you would tell me what's wrong, Frankie...I can't help if I don't know what's wrong. Frankie pulled away slowly.
"I'm sorry, I just... " She started, wiping her face with her hands. Bianca cut her off with a finger on her lips.
"Shh. Don't be sorry. Never be sorry for sharing yourself with me." She assured. Frankie sighed.
"This is new for me, having someone care about me, like this. I'm not used to it." She admitted.
"Well, you're going to get used to it." Bianca said with conviction. "I do care about you, Frankie, a lot. No matter what, I care about you. Remember that, okay?" Bianca said, turning Frankie's face towards hers so she could look at her. Frankie managed a weak smile, although Bianca's certainty almost brought more tears to her eyes.
"Thank you, Bianca. You don't know how much that means to me." She said, her voice still shaky. Bianca brushed a lock of hair out of Frankie's face, and was struck, not for the first time, by the beauty of the older girl. Even after the minutes of crying, the girl had a glow about her. She let her hand stroke the girl's cheek, caressing the soft damp skin. She was mesmerized by what she saw in Frankie's eyes; the vulnerability, the pain, but most of all, the trust. This girl was trusting her with so much, could she rise to the challenge? One look in her eyes was all it took for her to know that she could.
Bianca's eyes drifted to her soft, slightly swollen lips. She leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Frankie's lips, reassuring the girl that she was there.
"Look, I really hate to do this, but..." Bianca started. Frankie smiled.
"You need to get home to your mom." She finished. Bianca smiled back.
"Yeah. I'm worried about what she might do. Besides, I have some calls to make tonight." She took Frankie's hand again. "Are you going to be okay?" Bianca asked, concerned. Frankie nodded.
"I'll be fine, don't worry." Bianca scoffed.
"I'm going to worry, but I'll try not to do it too much." She smiled as she stood, pulling Frankie up with her. "Do you want to call me tomorrow morning? We could grab breakfast together, and try again for a place to stay."
"Okay." Frankie smiled. She moved closer to Bianca. "I'll talk to you tomorrow." She said, leaning up for one last kiss before the girl left. When it ended, she kissed Bianca on the hand. "Now go home. Your mom'll be worried." Bianca smiled back before heading to her car. Frankie watched her with a lightening heart, her lips still tingling from the contact.
