Timeless Reunion

Chapter 26- Still

2 months later

Jenn's pov

It was just a month after our divorce, and Ben had come over to see Eliana and Lola. Eliana was playing happily on the floor, and Lola was snoozing in her bassinet when he arrived.

"Hey, Jennifer," he said warmly as he walked in, giving me a friendly hug.

"Hey, Ben," I said, smiling back at him.
As we chatted amicably, I reached down to pick up Eliana, but as I did, I noticed Ben's gaze lingering a little longer on my chest than usual.
That's when I realized with a thump of the heart that the faint mark on my chest - a hickey from a recent hookup - was visible to him.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Ben asked quietly, his voice tinged with jealousy.

"Yeah, it's fine," I responded quickly, trying to make light of the situation. But I could sense the tension between us.

I could tell that Ben was struggling with his emotions, and while there was no longer any romantic feeling between us, I could still see the hurt in his eyes.

In that moment, I knew that even though we were no longer together, our complicated emotions would continue to play a role in our interactions, and that moving on would be harder than either of us had anticipated.

As Ben played with the girls, I could feel the weight of our shared history bearing down on me. Despite how much we tried to make it work, our relationship had ultimately run its course. But seeing Ben there, playing with our daughters, I couldn't help but wish that things could have turned out differently.

Ben's pov

As I spent time with Eliana and Lola after our conversation earlier, I couldn't help but notice the hickey on Jennifer's chest when she bent over to pick up Eliana. A pang of jealousy hit me, but I tried my best to keep it hidden.. I know I asked earlier but I had to know...

"So, have you been seeing someone?" I asked tentatively.

Jennifer shrugged, not shy about it at all. "I actually hooked up with someone a few nights ago. But it was just a one-time thing, nothing serious."

I felt a lump form in my throat as I tried to keep my emotions in check. The thought of Jennifer being with someone else hurt me deeply, but I knew that I had no right to feel that way.

"That's okay," I said, trying to sound casual despite the knot in my stomach. "We're both free to see other people now."

But even as I spoke those words, I knew that they weren't completely true. I hadn't seen anyone since our divorce, and the idea of Jennifer with someone else made me feel sick to my stomach.
Feeling the need to seem like my life had moved on since the divorce too, I said, "Actually, I've been seeing someone too."

Jennifer looked over at me, surprise etched on her face. "Really? That's great"

I could tell Jennifer was surprised by my revelation, but I kept up the façade regardless.

"Yeah, it's nothing serious either. But it's been nice to have somebody to talk to."
Jennifer gave me a small smile and nodded her head. "I'm glad you've found someone who can make you happy."

I felt a pang of guilt for lying to her, but I knew it was for the best. We both needed to move on with our lives, even if it meant pretending that everything was okay.

Jennifer's voice was soft as she said, "Is it weird for us to be seeing other people? I mean, we were married for so long, and now we're just... friends."
I took a deep breath before responding. "It is a little weird," I admitted. "But just because we're not together anymore doesn't mean that we can't still be best friends. The love and respect we have for each other never went away."

Jennifer nodded, looking relieved. "Yeah, I know. And you've always been there for me, no matter what. I just want to make sure that things don't change between us."

"They won't," I said firmly. "No matter who we see or what happens, we'll always be there for each other."

Jennifer looked up at me with a playful glint in her eye. "Since we're just friends now, can I give you a kiss?" she asked, a hint of flirtation in her voice.

I chuckled, feeling a little taken aback by her boldness. "Sure, why not?" I responded, deciding to go along with the playful mood.
As she leaned in, I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. What did this mean for our friendship? Was it still possible to keep things strictly platonic?

But as her lips touched mine, all of those worries faded away, and all that mattered was the warmth and affection that we still shared. When we pulled away, Jennifer grinned up at me mischievously. "Still got it," she said.

I couldn't help but respond to her playful comment. "Still got it?" I called out teasingly.

Her eyes sparkling with mischief. She grabbed my hand and pulled me closer, leaning in to give me another kiss. "I miss you," she whispered, her lips inches away from mine.

The warmth of her touch and the sincerity in her eyes made my heart race. Then, hesitantly, she asked, "Could I ask you to stay tonight? Just one more night."

I felt a mixture of emotions – surprise, warmth, and an overwhelming sense of connection. As we stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, I knew that our friendship was special and rare, something that was hard to let go of.

"Yes, of course," I replied, feeling a sense of comfort in being near her again. We needed this time together, to strengthen our bond and embrace the love we still shared, even amidst the changes in our relationship status.

We stepped back, gazing into each other's eyes, both of us cherishing these precious moments that seemed like a blessing from above.

To be continued...