Bees & Honey [H.S]

Chapter 66

Bianca's POV

Oh, how I had missed London.

I knew I had only been in Malibu for a week, but ever since my birthday it felt like I had always been on the go. Not that I didn't love every single minute of it, I did. Couldn't have asked for a better summer and start to autumn. Because it was just that- autumn. It was easy to forget with the warm weather in California. The blue skies and consistent sun almost tricked you into believing that it was still summer. However, reality set in as soon as our plane landed in Heathrow, rain crashing down on the small windows from the dark clouds we had been in only minutes before.

I shared a taxi with Grimmy back to London, dropping him off at his place first. As soon as the door closed behind him and the car started driving, I suddenly became very aware of missing one special person. All of our trips before this I had always spent this ride with him, savouring the last minutes of vacation. Now the space next to me screamed with the reminder that I was alone in the car, and for some reason it tugged my heartstrings.

As the suitcase fell to the floor next to my feet when I stood in my doorway, staring straight at my empty little flat, I sighed into the silence. No surprises, no exhausting emotions, no must, no nothing. Just me. Realising that, I smiled. Because it actually felt good to have a minute for myself for the first time in a really, really long time.

I was more than being back in my everyday routine and work. During my vacation week my new work partner Greg had a lot of time to get warm in his clothes, really taking ownership over The Breakfast Show. It really showed when I returned to the office, getting to watch him in the studio- and I loved to see it. Since Greg had become more confident, Clara Amfo had been nagging him about letting him lend me for a couple of small projects with the midday show and the Live Lounge. Of course, I was more than thrilled when Greg shared this news with me. The Live Lounge and working for Clara was still somewhat unexplored territory for me, but a definite dream and goal of mine. Greg wasn't dense, he could see that by the way my eyes widened with light as soon as he brought it up. So, he kindly let me jump between helping him and Clara for the upcoming month. Splitting my work time between The Breakfast Show and the Live Lounge- it was the most fun I had had at work since the period with all of Harry's BBC projects.

By the end of October, Philippe came back to London after staying in France and Paris since before I left for California. It was just a little over a week before Harry and Mitch would come back to London. The last month had been so peaceful, just being able to fully focus on myself. For a very valid reason, I was stressing that it would change. Jack had been clear about that since our first chat when I returned back home.

It was just a day or so after I first had returned. We had all hung out by the bar as usual before we moved along to Max's place for dinner and a last bottle of wine- or two. When the evening was coming to an end, Casper of course stayed to spend the night at her place. Meanwhile Jack and I made our way to the tube, heading home. I think we lasted a block before he brought up what had caused him to glance a bit extra in my direction the entire day and night. So, of course he cut straight to the point in his chilled and kind way. Clearly he had been carrying this ever since that night we all met for drinks before my trip, him catching me in a lie. But his extraordinary patience made him wait for a moment to bring it up. As soon as he got it, he took it- not wasting a second.

"So Bibs, did Harry cheat?" Jack asked smoothly.

A bit taken aback, I took a moment to look up at him before answering. The streetlights reflected a cold white highlight against his dark skin on top of his prominent cheekbones. He had definitely chosen the right profession, that was for sure.