Choosing Home

Chapter Forty One

A couple of weeks went by before Chad and Ben found themselves lounging on the back deck of Beast Castle. Ginny and Mal were off in the distance, spending some quality time with Genevieve. As Mal often argued, Ben couldn't hog her all the time and she was to be Mal's sister-in-law.

"I get it now, you know," Chad said softly, pulling Ben out of his thoughts.

"What?" Ben asked, his voice soft as he looked over and gave Chad a smile.

"I get how you can look at Mal like she's the only girl who exists in the world," Chad explained.

Ben's smile only grew and he patted Chad gently on the shoulder. "It's a good feeling isn't it? I'm happy for you Chad. She seems like a good girl."

"She really is," Chad said, returning the smile. "I guess I owe you a thank you too. For getting engaged to Mal I mean. I'd have never met Ginny otherwise."

"You're welcome I guess. It really was nothing too difficult," Ben said with a chuckle.

Chad couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Yeah, except for the whole 'concussion' thing."

A dark look graced Ben's face before it faded as he shook his head. "Yeah well...there was no way I was going to let him ruin Mal's night. Plus you know I kinda owed Mal one from when she saved the day at my coronation."

Chad nodded. "Sorry I wasn't at Cotillion by the way."

"No worries dude. You really didn't miss much."

"I missed my oldest friend getting engaged. I'd call that missing something," Chad said with a slight smile.

Ben shrugged but smiled back at Chad. "Technically, if you were watching on the television, you didn't miss it."

"I wasn't. I mean I heard it on the radio so I heard it but I didn't see anything. I was...I was helping Audrey change the tire on her limo. She kept the radio running so we could hear what was going on. She...she wasn't exactly happy when she heard you..."

"I figured," Ben said with a small sigh as he ran his hand through his hair. "Considering what all she did..."

"Do...do you think she ever really loved either of us?" Chad asked, his voice not above a whisper.

"I think...I think she loved the idea of our titles," Ben said. "Of what we could give her status wise."

Chad shook his head. "I used to tell myself that she loved me...even though I knew that if she ever got a shot to have you back she'd take it in a heartbeat but now...having someone who actually cares for me and not my title...I sometimes wonder how I never picked up that she never cared at all."

"Hey I missed it too," Ben told him. "Remember all the debates Akiho and Emir would have with me about breaking up with her because all she cared about was my crown? Wasn't until I met Mal and realized all I was missing that I saw that they were right. Audrey was a good actress. It's not your fault."

Chad let out a small sigh. "It's not your fault either Ben. She made her choice. Though...and this is going to sound cruel but some part of me wants to laugh at the irony that with obsessed Audrey was with status...she lost everything for a guy who had none at all."

"You want to laugh? I've been holding it in as best I can but I can find the irony in it amusing," Ben shook his head. "There's a larger part of me that feels bad for her though...though considering she cursed Mal, that part gets smaller by the day every time I remember that fact."

Chad snorted in amusement. "Hard to believe Audrey's a mom twice over though. And truthfully? Aurora and Phillip might be the only reason I feel bad about the whole thing. I...I just felt relieved when I heard Audrey had died because it meant she wouldn't be able to shove me in another closet. And then I felt guilt for thinking that because not only was she one of our oldest friends but she was also my ex."