searching.

It had been a particularly long week, so, yes Frankie was indulging in a couple of scoops of Reese's peanut butter ice cream. She wasn't one to frequently give in to her sugar cravings; she felt like it made her a hypocrite. But on this particular evening, well... Hypocrisy be damned. When a stray bit of ice cream melted and dribbled down the side of her palm where she was grasping the cone, the woman shamelessly dipped her head to trail her tongue along her now sticky skin... Only to look up and into the eyes of another. "Okay, listen, it's been... a rough week. A long week. Don't judge me, okay?"

Enzo had been standing in the produce section, sorting through a pile of potatoes when a familiar voice cut through the hum of the grocery store. He glanced up, instinctively assuming the worst before he was met with a familiar face. Livia. Her smile certainly came as a relief compared to many of the other potential run-ins he could have had. Straightening up, Enzo raised a brow, a half-smirk tugging at the man's lips. “Oh, hey Liv."

He took her in for a second, noting the subtle changes in her appearance since he'd last seen her. Perhaps the biggest difference was the fact that Sonny wasn't standing by her side. “I’ve been…” he started, allowing the words to trail off with a breathy laugh. “Alive. Mostly. How about you?"

"Mostly alive?" Livia repeated. That wasn't exactly an answer that she had been hoping to hear. But then again... It meant that he was moving forward and that was not a bad thing either. "I've been good. Trying to drown myself in work and lately I've realised that is probably not the best way to go." She truly had to be doing something more than just work.

The woman motioned at the leather cut that he was wearing. "I am probably going to be asking the most stupid question; but are you here on your bike?"

The question that followed caught her a little off guard, though. She didn’t answer right away. Just kept walking, her strides slow and steady, like the rhythm might help untangle her thoughts.

“I don’t know,” she said eventually, voice quieter now. “Peace, maybe. A version of myself that doesn’t flinch every time things get too still.”

Another shrug. Another small smile, more real than the ones that came before. “But that’s a conversation for higher altitudes.”

Her gaze cut to Livia, eyes warm but sharp. “So yeah—after the run, we plan the trip. Hold me to it. You’ve got that look in your eye like you actually will.”

Livia took in her friend as she admitted to what she was searching for. She slowly nodded, in agreement that the beach of Briar Ridge was not the place for that conversation. A cabin in the mountains where no one else could listen along, was a better place for that.

"You know me. It takes a bit to take a step but once I've decided I'm taking that step, I'm not letting go. So you better believe that I will hold you to it."

But when Livia started explaining, the teasing dropped from his expression. He swallowed down the questions bubbling up in his chest.

“Wow. You guys reconnected fast,” he said, doing his best to keep the edge out of his voice. He didn’t begrudge anyone for welcoming Sonny back with open arms. It just… stung a little. Like he was the only one still struggling with her sudden reappearance. The only one worried about what it meant—for Eli, for all of them. And that made him feel like the bad guy.

“We’ve, uh… bumped into each other a couple times now.” A rueful shake of his head followed. “She scared off a date the first time I saw her.” He still couldn’t believe she’d had the nerve—but then again, that was classic Sonny. Folding his arms over his chest, he kept his eyes on Elijah and added, “She’s given me bits and pieces. But I still don’t have the full story.”

"I wouldn't say reconnected fast. It's still a search for the both of us." The same - and even more - it would be for him right now. And the fact that she had kept in contact with Sonny, had helped for Livia as well. But she could not tell him that. Clearly. And the fact that their relationships with Sonny were just completely different as well. Yes, it was a search for them, but at the same time... it was as if things hadn't changed at all.

Livia raised her eyebrows at the news that her friend had scared off at his date. That was something that had not been talked about yet. "Okay, that's not nice. Also. Who was that date with? Were you ready to start dating again before she turned up?"

He clapped his hands together and grinned as Juliana nailed a move. “There you go, J!” he called out, beaming as he turned back to Livia.

Her praise made his smile widen. Of course, he thought Juliana was amazing at everything she did, but hearing it from someone else—especially someone like Livia—meant a lot. “Well, that’s mostly because she’s got a great teacher,” he said, nudging her playfully with his elbow. “If you didn’t make class so fun, I doubt she’d be catching on this fast.”

When Livia made her suggestion, he let out a warm laugh, shaking his head. “You’re dreaming big with that one, Livia. Juliana would probably ban me from the studio just to avoid the embarrassment.”

He raised an eyebrow at her, grin still in place. “But seriously, when do the parents get to see you in action? I think we deserve a little showcase of Miss Char's moves.”

"Sometimes children figure out what they are good at pretty quickly." No matter who was standing in front of the class. "But I will take the compliment, thank you," Livia said with a smile on her lips as she watched Juliana as well for a moment longer.

The woman scrunched her nose for just a moment when Cameron explained that he didn't want to be banned from the studio out of embarassement. "I'm sure you aren't that bad," she countered him, because that was what dance lessons were for in the end. "Maybe Juliana will love it to dance with you instead, despite the fact that you think you are not quite good at it."

When she got the question returned, Livia shook her head with a smile. "My public dance performance days are over. Only way you get to see that, is to stay the entire dance class from your daughter. So you know what to do, I guess."

“Funny,” Val said, folding her arms across her chest, her tone laced with challenge. “Because I double-checked the schedule last night, and this studio had my name on it. So unless the front desk suddenly changed their mind this morning, I’d say you’re the one squatting."

She took a slow step closer, her gaze sweeping over Livia—sharp, assessing, and just a little too lingering.

She bent to unroll her mat with practiced ease, not bothering to hide the way her gaze flicked briefly to Livia, then just as quickly away. “But hey,” she added lightly, “if you’re that desperate for extra floor time, I’m sure one of the other instructors would be happy to trade. Someone with a smaller class, maybe?"

She couldn't care less that she wasn't very nice at the moment, but Livia was here to earn money and not to cancel a class. And not even Valentina Flores was going to stop her at that.

"I am pretty sure you are the desperate one here." She put away her phone and moved back to the yoga mat that she had been warming up at. It was there that she took a seat and continued her stretching exercises to warm up. Nope, she wasn't leaving.

"Don't you need to check with the main desk where the mistake is? Because you know... It turns out that you only want to see what you want clearly."

“Try you?” he echoes, eyes narrowing slightly in amusement. “That sounds dangerously close to a challenge, and I’ve been told I have a bad habit of not backing down from those.”

He lets that hang in the air for a second, gaze still on her—curious, but not pushing. At her response about boxing, Travis exhales through his nose, the ghost of a grin curving his mouth. “Alright then. Guess I stand corrected. You’re not a voyeur—you’re just sizing up the competition.” He nods once, like he respects that. And he does. There’s a different kind of weight in someone who knows what they’re doing, and it’s clear she’s not just here to play around.

When she throws the gauntlet of a next time, ass-kicking—Travis leans off the bag, towel still draped around his neck, one brow arching just slightly as his head tilts. “Careful, Livia. Confidence looks good on you, but you start talking like that and I’m gonna think you’re trying to impress me.” He lets the comment breathe, a grin tugging at the edge of his lips now—half teasing, half sincere. Then, quieter, as his tone dips into something a bit more low and smooth, he adds: “And for the record… if you ever did wanna kick my ass, I wouldn’t stop you. I’d just make sure you earned it first.”

The woman knew that with the big words she was using, she would have to make it true as well. In the end; Travis was quite a bit taller than her and probably a bit stronger as well. But that made the challenge only more fun.

"Alright, I'll try to earn it then to kick your ass. And it will be my pleasure trying." Livia chuckled as she looked at the bag he was still leaning against. She then motioned at it. "And? Will you spill the secret on the bag?"

After a moment the woman found the source of the voice and the sight was a bit comical. A smile formed on her lips because of it, also because of the sound of the dog coming from behind the fence as well. She had seen Emil around the neighbourhood a lot, but she wouldn't exactly say that they weren't very familiar with each other. But the offer was friendly none the less and from her place she had to admit; it did smell really good.

"You know what; I actually am. That and the dog that I hear, I love dogs," Livia said with a chuckle as she moved closer to the fence. Her eyes caught sight of the husky and she smiled at them. "Thank you for the offer, I have seen you around with the cutie over there in the neighbourhood. Emil it is, right?"

She lowers her mug slowly. Carefully. Like even the ceramic might decide to spill her secrets for her if she isn’t cautious enough.

“…Okay,” she says after a long moment, her voice quieter, more sheepish. “So. Technically… I might have had one, very isolated, deeply unremarkable—and, let me stress it, purely coping mechanism-fueled—drunken encounter with a stranger a couple of weeks ago. Like… barely even knew his last name let alone first name, kind of stranger.”

Her fingers tap the side of the mug now, eyes flicking toward the window again like she may just escape out of it if this conversation veers sideways.

“It may've even been after I saw Shane for the first time,” she adds, almost in a rush, not quite looking at Livia now, out of guilt. “I didn’t talk to him yet, of course. Just… saw him, you know. Across the street. Just long enough to confirm that it was still him. Still here. Still…” She trails off, then laughs under her breath with a dry, almost humorless note. “....the same guy I walked out on seven years ago with nothing but a suitcase, a chip on my shoulder, and a world-class ability to avoid conflict and my father.”

She waves one hand vaguely in the air, as if brushing the entirety of this new emotional landfill under a rug. “Anyway. I wasn’t exactly thinking straight, okay? Let alone, at all. I just—God, I wanted to feel something that wasn’t guilt, you know? Or regret. Or like the world was tilting sideways every time I remembered what I did. So, I drank too much. Said yes to a guy with decent bone structure and zero emotional permanence.”

She pauses, glancing at Livia now with a crooked smile, eyes still tired and worn down but sincere. “It was alright. Not bad, but not exactly good either. Just… empty. Like trying to light a fire in a downpour. Afterwards, I just felt worse though. Lonelier. Like I was trying to plug a leaking faucet with nothing but paper thin tissue paper. And so, I've just been trying to forget about it altogether. Pretend like it never happened.”

She sighs again, pressing the mug to her lips now without drinking. “I haven’t told anyone that. Not even because it's a secret really, but because deep down I know what it all means. Or what it's really about. Which is not the guy. It's him." Shane. "It always is, even when I like to pretend it’s not.”

There's a beat, before Sonny continues on more quietly: “I still love him, Liv. Which, I understand is ridiculous. It's been seven odd years. There's no way he feels the same or that he ever will again. Not after the way I left him and Elijah without a trace. I fully get that. But, that doesn't mean the history just goes away either.”

She finally sets the mug down now on the countertop with a soft thud. “So yeah. I may've hooked up with a stranger once and regretted it. And been emotionally constipated ever since.”

Her tone is dry, empty, not unlike her forced smile as she goes on, “Also, this is precisely why I’m not allowed to drink tequila alone anymore. So, please don't let me. Even if I beg you.”

She wanted to keep the conversation light during the morning but there was nothing of that happening, she was sure about that at the moment. So instead, Livia drank the last bit of her coffee and walked over to her friend.

Gently Livia placed her hands on the shoulders of her friend and made sure they were looking at each other before she spoke. "If I had wanted to get rid of you, I would've done so a lot sooner and I would not have let you get back into this place. I would not have promised you to keep an eye out on Shane and Elijah for you. So you better prepare for days with me until the end of time, because you are stuck with me, okay?"

It was then that Livia let go of her friend's shoulder and raised one single, flat hand. "I promise I will try to stop you from drinking tequila on your own. I will stop you drinking tequila completely, or we do it together," she promised Sonny solemnly.

"But we are going to pause the soap opera for the next episode for a while, so we can hit the beach together. Soak up the sun, look at hot guys - we only have to look, I know they will never be compared something to Shane - and have a drink or two. Or more. Is that a deal?"

"How much does a cut and color and blow dry go for around here? One-fifty? Two hundred? If they charge you anything more than four then I can safely say you're getting ripped off, girl," he spoke, pulling his wallet out of his pocket. He actually never carried that much cash on his person but he knew he wanted to check anyway.

He opened the little pouch and found two bills. "I've got forty dollars I could give you if you promise not to sue us. I will use whatever is in my checking account to make sure Miles finds the best baseball couch in the South Carolina area to train him and assure this never happens again."

The woman took a deep breath and shook her head. "I don't need money for a haircut. I was being sarcastic. I was never planning on sueing and by the way, this is my original haircolour. I don't need a color or whatever. Just keep the money and an eye out on your kid. Accidents happen, he will learn from it. So will I learn to not get annoyed too quickly."

As Benny is about to accept her offer, he hesitates when she mentions a sense of familiarity between them. He lifts his head and tilts it, his eyes locking onto hers as he tries to recall where he might have seen her before. He ends up nodding in agreement, a casual shrug accompanying a grin that spreads across his lips. "Briar Ridge is that kind of place," he chuckles, implying that the small town allows for frequent encounters with the same people. However, he can’t shake the feeling that she looks familiar. "But yes, you do seem familiar..." he admits, though he can't quite pinpoint where he knows her from. "Benny," he answers, placing a hand on his chest. He then gestures toward her and asks, "And your name...?"

@liviachar

As Benny made his way through the rec center, he tried to remember the last time he had set foot inside the building. It had been years, and he faintly recalled when Valentina had convinced him to take one of her classes, which left him with a sore body for over a week. Although he was hesitant to take another class from her, he felt like using the gym here instead of his usual one. Something about the smoothies they sold at this rec center really appealed to him, and he was craving one today. Even though he wasn’t considering taking a class from Val again, he still wanted to stop by and say hi regardless.

She had expected one of the people who had taken her class to return because they had forgotten something. Livia had not expected to see the vaguely familiar person standing in the room. She knew that judging people by their cover was the last thing that you had to do. But this tattooed, tall man did not really fit at home at a yoga class in her head.

"No problem, maybe I can help you find that person?" Livia offered the man as she lowered her phone, searching for music being forgotten at that very moment. The least she could do was help him.

"I'm sorry, but you look familiar and I am pretty sure I know you but you have to help me with your name for a moment."

She let out a small, teasing sigh. “I guess that means I’m the restless one, always chasing something I’m not sure I’ll ever catch.”

Her eyes glimmered with something like hope—or maybe mischief. “Mountains sound good, though. I wouldn’t say no to a trip with you. And who knows? Maybe one day you’ll surprise me and change that name.”

She nudged Livia gently with her elbow. “But until then, I’m glad we’ve got a few good years left to catch up—running, hiking, or just sitting in silence somewhere that’s quiet enough for us to hear ourselves think.”

"And what is it that you are chasing now that you can't catch?" Livia couldn't stop the curiousity that was sounding in her voice as she had asked the question.

A gentle smile was on her lips as Elena spoke. The idea to have another few years added to the friendship with this woman, was one that she enjoyed. "I guess we do have to plan a trip to the mountains now if we want to hear ourselves think. I'm all up for it. If we want to make sure we don't back out of that idea, we should start planning for it after our run?"