Four days later Bianca sat at a table at BJ's. Her mother was on a business trip and the house felt so empty that she had had to get out of there. In front of her sat half finished math homework. School had started a few days ago and she was glad that she had something to occupy her time and keep her mind from wondering, it was Friday night and she was alone and missing Frankie. It seemed like a lifetime since she had been happy, she had taken her time with Frankie for granted and now she missed her more than she thought was humanly possible. They had fit so well together, they had led such different lives but it had never been an issue between them. It felt as if she was without a part of herself, and she marveled that after only two months together she had been able to see her future so clearly. How could she have been so wrong about Frankie? How could she have imagined the look in her eyes when they talked or touched? How could she have imagined the tenderness in their kisses, the magic they had shared that night in the snow, how could she have deluded herself into believing they were in love?
She twirled her straw in her drink and listened to the ice clank against the glass. Maybe she was looking at the situation the wrong way, maybe Frankie had loved her and left to make it easier for them both, she just didn't know. If only Frankie was there! A part of her wanted to ask for answers, to look in her eyes and see the love she had thought was there, but she was so afraid of getting hurt all over again.
Bianca looked up as Jenna walked over to her.
"Hi," said Bianca smiling as the other girl sat down.
"Hey Bianca, how are you?"
"I'm holding in there, how are you?"
"I'm doing fine, I just got off work and thought I'd come get a bite to eat."
Bianca waited until Jenna ordered her food and then she asked a question she hoped Jenna would give her an answer to. "Do you think I should try to find Frankie and talk to her?" she asked quickly, she wanted advice from someone who could be impartial and knew the whole story.
"Do you think you should?" asked Jenna reflecting the question back at her.
"I don't know, that's the problem, a part of me wants to though, I want to know if she ever loved me, if this was just a horrible situation that she got into and couldn't handle, I need to see her one more time."
"It looks like you answered your question for yourself," Jenna said with a smile.
"You know you are going to make a very good psychiatrist."
"Thanks," said Jenna with a laugh.
"I don't know where she is, probably in New York, but what if she never wants to see me again?"
"There's only one way to find out."
"You're right, I have to go find her," she said making up her mind, she was going to find Frankie and get some answers.

Unbeknownst to Bianca, Frankie was much closer than she realized. She had just stepped out of a car on the Pine Valley highway, her beat-up green backpack over one shoulder. It looked like she hadn't slept in days because she hadn't. She'd taken all of her money and bought a bus ticket that hadn't even gotten her a fourth of the way to Pine Valley and the rest of the way she had hitchhiked. If Bianca didn't want to see her Frankie didn't know what she would do, she figured if all else failed she could ask her Aunt Vanessa for money. She began walking , night had fallen and she was hungry and tired and her body was aching for drugs, It had been four days since she had actually taken anything, she just needed to find Bianca and explain face to face, to beg for forgiveness, to confess the overwhelming love she didn't think she could ever forget, or find again. After a while she stopped in the park where she had first met Bianca, that seemed like a lifetime ago. That day she had been sure that she was going to get everything she had ever wanted, she'd been wrong and right at the same time. After her first few meetings with Bianca she had wanted her friendship and then her love and now she had neither and it was all she wanted, all she would ever want. She got up off the bench and started walking again and soon she found herself at Bianca's house. It was dark and as Frankie rang the doorbell she guessed no one was there. She was freezing and tired so she climbed up the tree outside Bianca's window hoping it was unlocked, and she was relieved to find out that it was so she pushed it open and let herself in. She hoped Bianca would be home soon. Frankie sat down on her bed to wait and soon fell asleep.

Bianca got home and was trying to think of a way of tracking down Frankie in New York or wherever she was. She couldn't let their relationship end the way it had, a week ago though she would have persistently insisted that she never wanted to see Frankie again, but she knew if she was ever going to move on she had to. When all was said and done Frankie hadn't given Donald Steele his story, she had been so angry about the betrayal that she hadn't even thought about how Frankie hadn't gone through with helping Donald with his story, she had never let herself think about what Frankie had been going through but now she was ready to listen. Bianca went upstairs to her room and when she opened the door and turned on the light she got the shock of her life.
"Frankie?" the name left her lips, barely a whisper.
For a moment Bianca thought she had gone mad. Quietly she walked over to her bed and touched Frankie's arm, she was really there! Bianca slowly backed away with felt like a thousand emotions running through her mind at the same time. Carefully she climbed on the bed and sat next to Frankie, what should she do? Wake Frankie up or leave her sleep? Just by looking at her she could tell she hadn't had a goodnight's sleep for days. Bianca looked down at Frankie and the anger she had held onto slowly began to fade away. Frankie always looked so innocent in her sleep, so vulnerable. Bianca laid back next to Frankie and soon fell asleep too. In her sleep Frankie moved closer to Bianca and Bianca put her arms around her, if only for one night they were complete.

Frankie woke up first, winter sunlight filling the room with a pale glow. She felt arms around her and knew who's they were, she had dreamed so many times about waking up in those arms, safe and loved. Frankie closed her eyes and imprinted the feeling in her mind, the sound of Bianca's breathing, her scent, she wanted to remember everything. She didn't want to leave the comfort of those arms but after awhile Bianca stirred and Frankie knew she was awake too. What would Bianca say? Scenarios raced through her head but they did nothing to prepare her for what Bianca first said.
"Good morning."
Bianca didn't know how she got any words to work past her throat as she told Frankie good morning, she knew how stupid it sounded, but she couldn't think of anything else to say. She sat up and ran her fingers through her hair, what now? What was she supposed to say? She had so many things she wanted to ask but none of them would make there way out of her mouth. Bianca watched as Frankie sat up, her back to her. When she turned around and faced Bianca there were tears in her eyes but she held them back.
"Bianca…" she savored the name as she said it. "I'm sorry." She knew the words were inadequate but she couldn't say anything else, it was like her mouth wouldn't work.
"Why did you do it? Why did you lie to me?" asked Bianca her voice trembling.
"Honestly? I did it for the money and then…then I did it because I fell in love with you and I thought if I told you the truth you'd hate me, so I kept trying to postpone telling you and finally I couldn't lie anymore. I hated myself for lying to you, I thought it would be easier for you not to see me again, but the truth is I was afraid to face you and what I'd done, I've spent the last two weeks trying to forget but I can't, I never believed I could fall in love but I did and it scared me." Frankie had to stop and wipe tears from her cheeks, she watched Bianca who sat silently.
After a few moments Bianca spoke, "I was so heartbroken and angry when you left. What hurt me the most was that you left without seeing me face to face, you at least owed me that."
"You're right I did, I was stupid and cowardly and you will never know how sorry I am, Bianca."
Again Bianca was silent and Frankie got off the bed, she had said what she had come here to say, she looked at Bianca one last time, trying to memorize every detail about her, a wave of despair hit her, and she had to clear her throat a few times before she could talk. "I'm going to leave now," she said softly and she had to blink away tears, how was she going to leave, how could she walk out on the love of her life again? She made herself walk to the door and before she had touched the doorknob, Bianca said her name and Frankie didn't think she could ever walk out that door.
"Yes?" she asked trying desperately to gain some self control.
"Where are you going to go?"
"Probably back to New York."
Bianca got off the bed and walked over to Frankie who had her back to her.
"I was going to go to New York to look for you," she said quietly.
"Why?" asked Frankie unable to keep the surprise from her voice.
"Because I had to see you, I – I had to know if you ever really loved me."
That Bianca had ever doubted her love cut to Frankie's heart. She turned around and met Bianca's gaze, "You are the only thing that has ever been good in my life and I lost you and when I did I was empty, I didn't think I could ever leave you but I made myself because I thought I was doing the right thing no matter how hard it was. I never deserved anyone like you and I would have rather died than hurt you the way that I did."
"Don't say that," said Bianca wrapping her arms around Frankie, she had never seen so much anguish, except maybe her own. Frankie was trying to talk but Bianca shushed her and held her until she stopped crying. "It's going to be okay," she said softly.
"I have to go," said Frankie brokenly.
"I don't want you to," Bianca said into her hair.
"What?" asked Frankie.
Bianca pulled away from Frankie, "I want you to stay," she said touching Frankie's cheek. Through all of this she had been thinking about what her life would be like without Frankie in it, yes she had been lied to but she had been given something so precious and she couldn't let it go. "I never stopped loving you, Frankie. I can't stand the thought of never seeing you again, I want to wake up to you every morning, I want to fall asleep with you in my arms, I can't let you walk out of that door."
Frankie didn't know whether to laugh or cry, Bianca still loved her, it was more than she had hoped for coming here, she thought it would take a miracle for Bianca to forgiver her, to love her.
"Bianca, I love you so much," she said kissing her, she was happy for the first time in weeks, she finally felt like she was complete, miracles really did happen.

The End!