Burning Heart ▹ CIAMPA [COMPLETED]

37 ▹ present

I remembered this house, like it was the back of my hand, and these hallways were all too familiar to me as well. While walking down the one that had the bedrooms on, I suddenly bumped into someone on my mission to find Bianca.

I was surprised at who I found, being Bianca's adopted-older brother, Lincoln, who was Asian. I didn't get the chance to see him before or at the actual service. This is the first that I have seen of him in a year. He had grew a beard and everything. I couldn't believe it.

"Lincoln?" I breathed out in surprise, my eyes wide. "Holy crap."

"Nik," he breathed out as well. He extended his arms out and brought them around me, hugging me almost to death. "I can't believe you're here. I didn't think that you would make it."

"I did," I whispered in his ear, since we were still embracing. "I had to. Not just Bianca, but for myself, too. We all had to say goodbye together."

"Exactly," he whispered back and, then, we separated. He dusted himself up and our eyes met. "It wouldn't have been the same if you didn't make it, though, since you were always like another daughter to him."

I nodded, obviously agreeing, and sighed. Lincoln was always like a brother to me, too, that used to chase me around, tease me, and pull my hair. He was a straight-up bully when we were growing up, but he was always there, though, when either Bianca or myself needed him.

Whenever these guys would hit on us in high school or if anyone was mean to us at all, he was immediately there and ready to drive his fists through their mouths. He's the closest person that I have to being an older brother, apart from Johnny, of course.

"How are you?" Lincoln asked first, after taking a step back and looking me over. "Bianca told me that you and Pete finally split. I'm sorry to hear about that, especially for Bianca's role in it."

I shrugged, trying to play it off. "It's okay," I decided to say, even if it wasn't the complete honest-to-God truth. "I mean, it's not, but it is what it is. To be completely honest with you... I wasn't exactly happy with Pete, towards the end there. We were slowly pulling apart without either of us actually noticing it, y'know?"

He nodded and replied, "I completely understand, but it still isn't good for what Bianca did, though. Plus, my long-time girlfriend and I just split, ourselves, almost two months ago. Surprisingly enough, she cheated on me with my best friend, too. My best friend from college, that is."

"Gosh, Lincoln, I am so sorry," I apologized and touched his arm for that extra act of comfort. "I suppose we're both wearing a sign on our heads that says, Cheat On Me!"

He laughed, which I managed to do in this time of need, and he nodded, too. "Yeah, well," he dryly chucked out now. "It seems like it, but, unfortunately, that's life. Or, at least, the ones that we chose."

I nodded and sighed, looking up to meet his gaze. "Yeah, well, I did choose this life after I let him keep cheating on me and I kept taking him back every time. This time was different, though, because Bianca was involved."

"I'm worried about her, though, Nik," Lincoln suddenly said and my face suddenly grew with worry. "She isn't doing good, not from the phone call where she told me that she had been diagnosed with major depression and all that."

I took a deep breath and decided to fill him in to what he doesn't know, what Bianca managed not to tell him. He couldn't believe it, but, at the same time, he wasn't shocked, either.

"Wow," he breathed out in disbelief afterwards. "Well, I can't say that I'm not completely surprised. You and her not being friends anymore and her not being with Trevor, either, took a toll on her. Apparently, I heard from your friend, Johnny, earlier that she told Trevor not to come. Not even to comfort her."

"I can already tell you that I'm predicting that we won't be making up any time me soon," I told him and he nodded. "As far as her and Trevor, I don't think so, either. But, only the future can tell, though... Anyways, I need to get going. I'll see you around, Lincoln."

"Okay, Nik," he smirked and we embraced once again. Just as he was letting me go and I sat back, he added: "Oh, by the way, I was thinking about moving down to Florida to live with Bianca now that Dad is gone, y'know? I wanted to stay with her to care of her. Mom is selling the house and moving to her sister's close-by. I don't think there's much holding me here anymore, y'know?"

I couldn't believe it, but I was happy that he had said it, though. "Lincoln, that," I paused and grinned. "That's a wonderful idea! She's going to need you, I think. Does she know that you're wanting to move down there, though?"

He shook his head and answered, "Nope, but she will find out soon, though. Like, when I show up on her doorstep with my bags."

We chuckled together until I concluded: "Alright, well, I gotta get going. I'll see you in Florida!"

"See you then, Nik," he smiled before he turned his back on me and disappeared down the hallway.

I turned away in the opposite direction and headed deeper into the hallway, where I passed by Bianca's old bedroom before I paused and heard crying coming from within it. I already knew, before peeking inside, that it was Bianca.

I did manage to peek in and look, seeing Bianca sitting on the edge of her old bed and crying in her hands while wearing her funeral black dress.

I'm not going to lie when I say that I really did want to go in there and comfort her to the best of my ability. Yet, things aren't like they were before with us — even in this time of grief.

She still had so many demons to fight before she lets anyone get too close to her again...

• Hey, guys! I'm backkkkkkkkk... Did yah miss me? Because I missed each and every one of you!! ☺️ Anyways, this chap was sort of short and sweet to the point, y'know? I'm hoping to update again tonight, but we shall see... And, also, guys, this is all little steps that are headed towards the end of this book and going towards B's book ✨ All the love .xx •