𝑅𝑒𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛 - 𝐵𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑒

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐸𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

Waking up with warmth inside of me, I couldn't believe it. Hearing Benjamin saying three words within eight letters from him, it's all I ever wanted from him when he was reading on our first night together. Wrapping around his arms as I was sleeping while I'm in front of him, seeing our hands collide of different complexions becomes united into one. I look at the time and it's quarter to 11... I try so hard to not wake him up as I get up from bed, I walk quietly to my restroom to get in my cream lace robe as I brush my teeth. I collect the clothes leftovers from the bedroom to the hallway as I'm smiling, remembering what else happened last night.

After putting aside clothes and picking up Benjamin's bag and my book back to their place, I begin to make coffee for both of us. Benjamin is still sleeping from what I am hearing now... As I pull my hair up in a bun, I start to make English breakfast. It's a huge dish for two with an over-easy egg, a couple of slices of bacon, two sausages, fresh tomatoes, baked beans, hash browns, and a couple of toasts.

What can I say? I love cooking... especially my Mom's cooking. She used to teach me how to cook English meals and meals I found for the family to try when I was young. I hear Benjamin coming down the stairs as I'm cooking bacon and sausages, while the egg is hashbrown and beans are making their way through. "They smell delicious, Lia." I smile as he kisses against my head, he gets dressed up in his grey sweats, "Can I help you with anything?"

I jokingly ask him, "Can you toast?" He nods and smiles at me, I start to put food on the plates on the kitchen table. Benjamin was done with his toasts and fetch me another cup of coffee. We begin eating our hearty breakfast with sparks between us. "Last night was... something."

Benjamin smiles, "Yeah, it was..." My dial phone begins to ring in my office, knowing that it's from my family. There were many missed calls from Patrick and Leo wondering what happened yesterday, wondering what I did with Benjamin.

I look down guilty as Benjamin is looking at me, "They're gonna not stop until you tell them. Checking you got rid of me."

"Benjamin, I know they're just protecting me but... they don't understand that I'm taking control of... even you."

"Protecting is one thing, Lia, you know that," I took a sip of my coffee, understanding Benjamin. "Zealousness is another thing too. Your family, your own family spied on me so that they can fill your head with lies. They don't want us to be together."

I look at Benjamin with guilt and remorse, I had come from a family who never even talked to me all of those years, and now they're protecting me from Benjamin. Just because we look and age differently together. "Just for a moment, a split second I thought for once they accepted me as their real sister and love me truly yet to realize that they never will, opened my eyes that they only care about the money I have and it was never about me or us. I agree with you, truly I do yet my heart feels the pain of never being accepted who I am, maybe I will always feel like this until I found the truth out behind my past, my biological parents, and may then I will start to accept myself, not caring anymore about the opinions of the family who raised me."

Benjamin grabs my hand, "Lia, you'll get what you want in the future... Your past, your biological parents. I know it. Escaping is done in your life, now your next chapter to rewritten."

I smile at Benjamin, how do I get so lucky to have him in my life now? He understands me, knows where I come from, and is willing to be there for me. Most importantly, he loves me for who I am. I lean over to him and kiss him passionately, but in my mind talking to Patrick about it will be hard to share.

I begin to dress in a casual burgundy long sleeve maxi dress with my hair out of the bun, in my office with Benjamin dialing Patrick to straighten this out once for all. As my dial phone rings along with the connecting speaker for the two of us, the receiver is up. "Hi, sis, I've been calling. How are you? I hope it wasn't too... Well I'm sure it was but at least it's done now and you'll never have to see that con artist again."