HAUNTED
୨⎯ chapter fifteen ⎯୧

Bianca sat down on the lounge chair with another flower crown that susannah made over her hair. she wore a white tube top dress and has been smiling for susannah for about an hour now.

she didn't mind though, she loved this moment with susannah. the woman kept on telling her how happy she is that bianca finally has time to do this. susannah's face was all lit up and a wide smile plastered on her face the entire time.

"so," susannah said clearing her throat. "any new boys?" she teased smirking at bianca as her face heated up. "any previous boys? come on, bee, tell me everything."

"susannah, you already know." bianca breathed out. she quickly checked her phone. lena was going to text her when she arrived back to the house to take off bianca's braids and straighten her hair for the debutante ball. she wanted to make sure to give susannah a heads up.

"yeah," susannah giggled, "steven. little steven and baby bianca. awe! come on tell me everything!"

"nothing much is going on. we're just doing whatever we're doing right now." bianca said shrugging her shoulders. bianca glanced down at her hands and blushed furiously. "we've been close to doing other stuff but never nothing too serious. oh god i can't believe i just told you that."

"oh don't worry! i'm open ears even though i still see you as my baby." susannah said laughing looking away from the canvas and at bianca. "plus, i'm the only one you can go for advice. i'm the cool mom, haven't you noticed?" susannah said flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder.

bianca laughed nodding her head. "susannah," bianca sighed deeply and looked back up from her hand. "i'm scared to like open myself up to him. it's weird because i've known this boy for my entire childhood and teenage years and all of a sudden we're this and-and i've never fully opened myself to no other boy that wasn't my dad or my grandpa. i'm going to let this boy who's been there through my horrible years and my best years. steven is going to see me in a different way once i open up. and that scares me. what if when i do open up he'll just go back to seeing me as his best friends little sister or his little sisters best friend."

"i'm going to tell you what i wish my mom told me. every relationship is hard. no relationship is perfect and i'm sure you've seen it." susannah said and bianca thought about it. she has seen it. blaise and lena did have their days where they would argue for the entire night but not a single time during those argument did blaise lay a single figure on lena. it was always shouting. disagree to disagree.

"but the best part of having a relationship is getting to know them. for me personally i think that. getting to know the flaws of your partner, their hobbies, the things they dislike, the things they love and hate. sure it's also spending time with them, kissing them and doing other stuff but the getting to know each other is a whole different level in a relationship. your fear of opening up to steven and then him coming to conclusion that he doesn't want to do anything with you because he realizes how much it truly takes to be with you. i say drop him. fuck him if he does that."

"susannah!" bianca gasped putting a hand over her mouth. her eyes widen at susannah who shrugged her shoulder nonchalant and tugging her lips downwards.

"that's normal to feel. scared to be vulnerable with your partner and them not doing it back or finding you weird. but honestly, that's the beauty of a relationship. finding ways to help with the struggles that your partner has. going through life together in a way that only you two understand." susannah said. bianca could see the way that susannah eyes started watering up. her lips started twitching and her chin was wobbling. "open up to him. let him know who you are behind closed doors because trust me, you'll not only feel so much better that you aren't alone but you'll fall even more in love."

bianca's eyebrows tilted up and her lips tugged down as susannah let out a breath and a single tear slipped out of her eye. bianca put her phone and down rushed over to susannah who breathed out a cry and a laugh. bianca threw her arms around susannah's shoulders and dropped her head on top of susannah's blonde hair.

"thank you, susannah. thank you for being there for me. understanding me. loving me." bianca whispered to susannah who cried throwing her head forward and dropping her painting brushes. "i love you so much."

"i love you too, baby." susannah cried tilting her head to the side. she put her hand in bianca's cheek and locked eyes with bianca. bianca's heart sunk as susannah looked tired. sad. drained. something was wrong with susannah. she's seen this before.

bianca knows the looks that susannah has. it's the same face that haunts her every single night knowing that there is nothing she can do to help. that all she can do is be there for him, make sure that his last few months were the most memorable nights of his life.

bianca's eyes watered and she shook her head and susannah. "susannah," bianca hiccuped continuing to shake her head as the face was clear as day in her mind. there wasn't a single difference between his face and her face. "no. susannah."

"listen," susannah said placing her hand on top of bianca's and giving her a tight squeeze. "you're a smart girl. i know how smart you are. i love it." susannah said laughing but this time bianca didn't laugh. she was crying uncontrollably.

"don't tell anyone. and don't let this affect the rest of your summer. please. do it for me. can you do that for me?" susannah whispered asked looking straight at the teenage girl. she thought the cycle had stopped. this scene wasn't supposed to happen again. she can't go through it again. "promise me, bianca."

it took everything inside of the youngest wayne to peel her lips apart from each other and whisper out a soft cry, "i promise."

└─── · 。゚☆ *.☽ .* ☆゚. ───┘

even after susannah tried to lift up the mood and bianca pretended and ignored the way that her heart was aching, bianca couldn't stop crying. she rush up to her room, buried herself in her blankets and sobbed into her pillow.

her heart felt like something was grabbing it tightly, twisting it and stabbing it. her lungs felt like they were being squeezed. her cried muffled with the pillow but everyone in the house that walked by her room could hear the painful cries from the girl.

susannah pressed her ear against the door and she herself started crying as well. lena and laurel pulled their best friend away from the door and into lena's room. the three best friends trying to reassure the blonde that was crying.

"bianca," his voice sounded soft and gentle. like as if he was talking to someone so fragile that if he made a single mistake with his tone of voice he could break her.

bianca peaked her head through the blanket after quickly wiping her tears away and sniffing up. she widen your her eyes so that it wouldn't look like she was crying. conrad stood by the door. his eyes were puffy and he was giving bianca a apologetic look.

"conrad." bianca whispered her eyes still being forced to be wide. bianca gave conrad a smile but the boy placed the door and shook his head. the smile dropped and she frowned her eyebrows.

conrad and bianca locked eyes. they didn't have to say anything. they simply communicated with each other through their eyes. conrad gave her a upside smile and a tear fell down his eye. before conrad could go in fully the boy that bianca has fallen for burst through the door.

"conrad." he said giving conrad a nod. conrad blinked rapidly and walked out. bianca's lips trembled looking at steven. she never realized how much she needed him until her eyes landed on him. he closed the door and locked it. "bianca."

"stevie." bianca breathed out. her voice shaking. bianca hid again under her blanket. she pressed her hand on her mouth roughly and buried her head against her pillow. steven rushed to her side. he kneeled down on the side of her bed and pressed his hand on top of the blanket but on her head.

"hey, hey, bianca." steven said worriedly not knowing what to do to make her stop crying. when bianca didn't budge and continued to force herself to stop crying steven stood back up. bianca took in a deep breath thinking that he left.

"scoot over." steven said pulling the blanket up and slipping inside. bianca gave him a confused look wiping under her eyes and running the back of her hand on her nose. steven laid down by her side pulling her large blanket over himself.

he smoothly picked her half of her body up and put her on top of him. "you're okay, bianca. i'm here." steven whispered wrapping his arm around her bringing her closer to him. he kissed the top of her head, "i'm here now."

bianca stopped crying heavily but there were still tears running down her eyes. bianca threw her arm around stevens torso and buried her head on his chest. she tried focusing all of her emotions on the soothing hand that steven placed on her arm and was running up and down.

"what's wrong?" steven asked. bianca felt in awe as his voice sounded like he was talking to baby. she loved the tone of his voice at this moment. it made her feel safe.

bianca knows that she can't tell him. she can't tell anyone. it's not her business to tell and if she says it out loud it'll be real. "i miss my dad, stevie. it's been ten months and i'm missing him so much." bianca said. it was the truth. thinking about susannah made her think back to blaise it broke her heart even more than her boys will be going through the same thing as she did. and she knows how much it hurts.

steven kissed the top of her head again and kept on comforting her. he didn't say anything. he didn't want to say the wrong thing and upset her even more. bianca liked that he didn't say anything. that he was just touching her in a soothing matter that was calming her down.

bianca and steven stayed on her bed, cuddled up against each other for a good thirty more minutes. bianca's cried softened and became less. her grip around steven was still tight. she was holding him afraid that he was going to go away if she fell asleep.

instead, he fell asleep. while he was soothing down bianca he simply placed his cheek in her head, closed his eyes and let suddenly consumed him.

after about two hours of nap time for bianca and steven, they woke up. they didn't tell each other that the one another were awake. steven started rubbing his thumb on her arm and bianca played with stevens shirt.

"i ran a poker game today." steven said breaking the comfortable silence between them.

bianca's eyes widen. she tilted her head up from his chest. "seriously? holy shit that's insane!" bianca gasped excitedly.

"i know! they even invited me to host, i think, more of them. bianca when i tell you how much money i got paid you would think that i robbed it but i swear i didnt. this is so-it's so good! i can you know, help my mom, earn more money for myself. take you out to places." steven said pulling bianca closer to him. he was starting to imagine the places where he could take bianca with his money. all the things he can buy her. spoil her to show just how much he likes her.

"take me out? never knew you were such a romantic, stevie." bianca said faking her amusement.

"people change. you've changed me. in more ways than one," steven said his voice lowering down along with his head. bianca smiled softly at him and leaned up. steven met her halfway and collapsed their lips together. bianca sighed happily into the kiss and she can feel him grin against her skin. steven pulled away but kept close.

"let me take you out on a date. an official date." steven said nervously. that was an affect that bianca gave him that had always been here. her making him nervous for little things and things big such as this.

"a date?" bianca asked her eyes widening in happiness and her lips tugging even further apart. steven nodded his head swallowing and holding his breath.

"today because we have he volleyball tournament tomorrow." steven said quickly.

"i would love to go on a date with you."

└─── · 。゚☆ *.☽ .* ☆゚. ───┘

"this is so exciting! what are you going to wear?! please don't remind me that it's my brother you're going on a date with." belly said adding the last part quickly. she was happy that the two people that she has been painfully watching are finally doing something about their feelings. she just hopes her brother doesn't mess it up and that he grows some to ask her to be his girlfriend.

"i know, i'm happy." bianca said shortly. she entered her closet and started picking out random outfits laying down down on her bed. she kept on repeating to herself what susannah told her, don't let this affect the rest of your summer. and then what her dad said, don't stop living life.

she's decided to not waste another second of her life without acting towards whatever she's feeling. with everyone. her heart with always be affect with what is or did happen to the two most important adults in her life but she made a promise. twice now. and she wasn't going to break her promise no matter how hard it's going to be.

"where is he taking you?" belly asked changing into her swimsuit since it's night outside and everytime before the volleyball tournament she always takes a swim.

"no idea. he said we were going to eat at a place where we've gone before and then to the beach. but i have no idea if the place is fancy or not. why can't boys just say things straight forward." bianca grumbled taking out her last options for the night. she already had a full face of makeup on - though it didn't make much of a difference - her hair was still in braids since she never ended up going with her mom. they postponed it to the next day after the tournament.

"wear this." belly said holding up a silk pink dress that was short but not exaggerated short and a white cardigan that only covered her arms and from her breasts up. bianca quickly took it and rushed inside of her bathroom putting it on.

"bianca?" steven called from the outside of the bedroom. he knocked on the door but never opened. "you ready?"

"yes! hang on!" bianca called out excitedly. she struggled on to put on her high top all white converse and almost tripped. once she managed to put them on she rushed to her vanity and reapplied deodorant along with perfume.

"wait!" belly called out stopping bianca from opening up the door. she stood in front of bianca and smiled fondly at the girl. belly pulled bianca into a tight hug. "be safe. good luck."

bianca giggle pulling away from belly. before bianca opened up the door the two girls squealed widely and jumped up and down waving their hands together. "okay, bye." bianca breathed out after calming down.

bianca opened up the door and smiled widely up at the other conklin. the conklin that stole her heart. "hi," she breathed out now nervous. bianca glanced down at the box that was on his hands.

"hey." steven said smiling down at her. belly was still behind them taking a picture of them. steven rolled his eyes reaching over bianca and slamming the door shut where they heard belly gasp and scoff.

"i got you uh- this. it's not that big you know but like you're birthday is close so consider this as an early birthday gift and a first date gift." steven said nervously handing the box over to bianca. the girl gave conklin a confused look but opened up the box.

there laid a gold ring. it had flowers all over it. a single wavy line creating the stem and leaves. "oh steven," bianca gasped softly lifting up the ring and slipping it to her index finger on her left hand. is where she only had one other ring. the fifteen ring that blaise gave her. "i love it. it's beautiful."

bianca dropped the box to the ground and didn't waste another second. she couldn't wait till the end of the date like how they planned to kiss him. their lips molded together perfectly. bianca wrapped her arm around his shoulder and placed her free hand on his torso. his arms slithering around her waist.

this was it. this was the feeling that bianca has been longing for for her entire life. the feeling of having someone be there for her and with her. the feeling of liking someone so much that it hurts to even be apart. the feeling that she grew up seeing from her mom and dad.

he was giving her this feeling. and more.

▌ c. speaks . . . ˚. 𓄼
not edited!
TWO MORE EPISODES LEFT!!!
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