SWIMMING IN CHAOS~THOMAS CECCON

5

"Bianca"

The suffocating feeling I had experienced this morning was returning. The press was still at our doorstep, the rumors kept growing on social media, and Thomas kept demanding explanations non-stop. This day definitely couldn't get any worse.

"What is all this?" I hear, like an echo coming from outside the bubble of stress surrounding me.

"Can you stop asking so many questions that I don't have answers for?" I say, clearly exasperated by the situation. "What we need right now is a solution to the problem with the press outside. Any ideas?" I ask, seeking support to end all this chaos.

"Why don't you ask Lorenzo for help? You two seem very close," he says with a tone of annoyance, to which I respond with an exhausted sigh.

"I don't feel like arguing. All I want is for this to be resolved so I can go to sleep, because honestly, I'm exhausted," I say, drained.

"You found a replacement way too fast. That guy is beneath you. Let me tell you, you've lowered your standards," he says, winking in a tone loaded with mockery.

"I can't believe we're having this conversation at a time like this, but why am I even surprised? You've always been immature, unable to face problems or take them seriously." His expression changes radically upon hearing my words, and for a moment, I'm thankful he's gone silent.

Once he snaps out of the trance he had fallen into, he interjects, "Well, I don't have time for any of this. I'm leaving; I have plans tonight." I couldn't help but think that Isabella would be accompanying him in those plans, and that was what bothered me the most.

"Are you crazy? Do you want to create an even bigger scandal? If you walk out that door with a suitcase, the speculations will start, and we can't afford that, not a month before the Olympics." At that moment, I came up with an idea I didn't really want to go through with, but it was the only option we had.

"Stay tonight until things calm down and all the reporters leave." To my surprise, Thomas didn't express any displeasure at the idea.

"Fine, I'll stay in the guest room and leave first thing in the morning," he said in a tone loaded with monotony.

"Perfect. It's late, and I'm tired. Good night," I said as I headed to the bedroom, accompanied by a strange feeling since we'd be in the same house but not in the same bed.

The situation overwhelmed me, and I broke down for the third time that day. I couldn't help but feel sad about how everything had ended, how two people who had loved each other so much could be like this now.

I took a shower that managed to relax me and got ready for bed. A sense of comfort washed over me once I wrapped myself in the sheets, but sleep never came.

Bored of tossing and turning without being able to fall asleep, I decided to check the time. The clock read three-thirty in the morning. Oh my God! And I had training tomorrow. I wouldn't be able to perform at my best.

I headed downstairs to the kitchen to make myself a glass of warm milk to help me sleep. To my surprise, Thomas was there, head down and lost in thought, with a glass of milk in his hand. Wow! It seems we have the same problem and the same ideas.

"Can't sleep either?" I ask without thinking, and I almost burst out laughing when Thomas jumped, startled.

"Are you trying to kill me? You scared me!" he says, placing a hand over his heart.

"Wouldn't mind," I add sarcastically. It had been a while since I'd seen Thomas smile so much when we were together, just being silly and constantly joking around.

"The feeling's mutual, don't worry," he says, holding back laughter.

"Hey! I'm not that bad," I say as I playfully shove him.

We both burst into an unstoppable wave of laughter. The scene we were living reminded me of a few months ago when we were still okay and happy together.

Once our laughter subsides, I head to the fridge to prepare a glass of milk for myself. It's then that I feel two fingers brushing against my arm, sending shivers through my entire body.

"Don't you think we're rushing into this breakup?" I hear his voice filled with sadness and a hint of hope.

Much to my regret, I decide to pull away and set boundaries. We had just shared a moment of laughter and joy, but lately, our relationship wasn't working anymore.

"Look, I don't like this situation either, but I think it's for the best for both of us. It hasn't been working for a while now. We spend our days arguing. Now we need to focus on our professional lives, and this will be good for both of us," I said while gently stroking his cheek.

His gaze told me he accepted the situation and, in part, understood it. It was then that he softly whispered, "Goodnight, Bianca."

Before leaving, he placed a kiss on my cheek and disappeared into the darkness of the stairs.

That simple gesture made my head spin for the rest of the night. Tomorrow was definitely going to be a day full of emotions.

The next morning, I woke up exhausted. All I wanted was to stay in bed, but I knew I had to show up for training since I hadn't gone yesterday. One more absence, and the coach would take action.

I chose something quickly to wear and headed down to the kitchen, where I found Thomas making coffee.

"Good morning," I said, yawning.

"Good morning," he replied. When our eyes met, I couldn't help but remember his gesture from last night. As I got lost in my thoughts, he suddenly commented, "Wow, you look like a ghost."

I was surprised by the remark since he hadn't been waking up in a good mood lately, but hearing his laughter made me smile like a child.

I felt better today, seeing that things between us had improved slightly.

"It's strange to see you in a good mood. In the past few months, I've only heard you laugh twice, and never with me," I said.

His expression turned serious. "I've been thinking about everything, and I think you're right. We made the right decision, and it's the best thing for both of us," he said with a maturity I missed seeing in him.

After having my coffee and cleaning up the kitchen, I headed to the door, where Thomas was waiting for me. We decided to leave together to avoid raising suspicion.

As we walked out, the reporters swarmed us, bombarding us with thousands of questions that only made my headache worse.

'Just what I needed,' I thought to myself.

"Miss Ricci, what's your relationship with your teammate Lorenzo Storti? We've seen you two looking quite cozy around the city."

"Thomas, what do you think about Bianca and Lorenzo getting close? Does it bother you?"

"Is everything okay between you two?"

These were the questions that kept repeating.

I breathed a sigh of relief once we got into the car.

"What a nightmare," Thomas said, exasperated.

He immediately started the car, aware that we were running out of time.