Below The Belt

Intermission

Bianca's POV

I know. Everyone's thinking what the hell is wrong with Bianca? How could she do that to Romeo? How could she be so heartless?

I love Romeo. I want nothing more than I want Romeo. When I told them I needed time before we could be together, I meant that.

What I didn't mean, was to run into Miles.

I've known Miles for years. He knew me before I was Bianca. At one point I thought he was the love of my life.

When I told him I didn't feel like a man anymore, he changed. He beat me until I could barely see and then he tossed me out of our apartment and told me not to come home. I tried to beg him, because at the time he was all I had. My family had already abandoned me by then, and I never had any friends. He was all I had, and when he abandoned me too I felt like I needed to beg to stay with him.

I ended up using what money I had to stay in a motel for a few days while I found myself a job— Which is how I ended up with Auntie at the parlor. I stayed to myself during that time. I focused on getting my money up. Auntie helped me figure out the best way to save money, then helped me start hormone replacement therapy.

And then Romeo showed up.

They came in looking for a place to showcase their talents in a business that would respect their identity, and Auntie took them in without hesitation.

They were quiet, preferring to use their body language to get a point across. I remember being mesmerized by them and the stories they told without speaking a single word.

Neither of us spoke to each other for the first week of them working in the parlor. We're both naturally quiet individuals. I usually just sit and let patrons tell me their life stories while I serve them, and Romeo only came to do their job on stage and then leave.

The first time we spoke, Romeo had just been asking for napkins after someone had accidentally spilled a beer on them. It was my first time hearing their voice, and I remember loving it. Deeper than I expected it to be, but they spoke gently. They didn't speak much, like their words were sacred and needed to be saved for moments of importance.

We ended up talking more after that. They'd always find an excuse to end up back at the bar. Grabbing a drink after a performance, or asking for a towel for their sweat or offering to handle particularly rowdy customers for me.

Talking eventually turned into flirting, and flirting soon turned into touching and kissing and false promises.

Though I never meant for the promises to be false.

When I told them I needed time before I could be with them, I meant it. It wasn't some lie to let them down easily. I really do want to be with them— yes do, not did.

I love Romeo. I want to be with Romeo.

I was doing good. Therapy was going well, I was getting over my trauma, and I was starting to become satisfied with myself.

And then he came back.

I haven't seen Miles in years. I'm not even sure how he found me or how he recognized me, but he did.

I'll admit, for a moment I was happy to see him. It was almost easy to forget that he was the same man who beat me and threw me out for wanting to be happy with myself. It was so easy to remember the good times and how good he was to me.

He lured me in with a false sense of security, and I paid the price for my naivety.

I thought that we could be friends. I thought we could move past our past.