The Unexpected

Lake

Ben turned his phone off. We knew everyone would call and text. We went to bed and hugged each other, trying to comfort ourselves into this new episode of our lives. His fingers ran through my face over and over again, trying to ease my mind. He was much more used to the media than I was, and he softly told me he was going to protect me from anything that would happen from that moment on.

The following morning, we decided it was time to leave the chalet. We already spent enough days there, and it was time to move on. We packed our things and exited. Of course, everyone was staring at us, so I put on sunglasses as a way to disguise the nervousness in my eyes.

Some people also got close to us, and politely asked for selfies. I set myself aside at first, but they also wanted me there.

"Me? Why?" I asked.

"Because you're Ben's girlfriend," they said.

I had no idea being his girlfriend would make me immediately famous. I then understood why some people approached famous actors: to be famous too.

That was a thought I did not have before, but it disheartened me. It made me feel so sad, knowing that in this world, there are selfish people who only want to benefit themselves, at the expense of someone else's life and even happiness. Why would those people do such a thing? It made me wonder, and I hoped nothing like that would happen to Ben for the rest of his life. Fortunately, Ben knew I did not want to be with him for his fame or money, as I did not even like fame in the first place. I loved that man for who he was: a sweet, candid, and amazing man who swept off my feet and loved me for who I was.

After the selfies, we decided to leave that place right away, as we were sure those people would tag us and on social media. We were not sure where to go next, so we just took our things and went to the airport. Once we arrived, we looked at the panel and saw that soon, there would be a departure to another country, and we heard their landscapes were beautiful. We did not give it a second thought and bought our tickets.

We traveled in a pleasant and comfortable plane, and of course, people looked at us. None of them approached us, but they used their phones to take pictures. Some of them dissimulated, while others were quite bluntly. We felt on the spot but tried to focus on ourselves instead of them. Once we landed, we changed our winter clothes for something fresher and more according to that great weather. It was a gorgeous landscape, but we still wanted something more private.

Ben asked some locals for a beautiful place to stay in. They recommended a great area, where there was only one cabin for rent and no other one in kilometers. Ben decided to rent it, together with a car, and we went there. We passed by the local shops to get groceries and other stuff we needed. After that, we geared ourselves to the cabin. It was on a dirt road, way uphill, almost at the top of the mountain. When we arrived, we saw the immense landscape around us. The airport was a couple of hours away, but we saw it from there. There was also a lake nearby, probably half an hour down the road, and a few trails we could hike into.

When we entered the cabin, I noticed it was small but cozy. There was only one bedroom, but we did not need more than that. There was also a tiny kitchen, a sofa with chimney, and a television. It was all we needed.

We unpacked our things and then rested. I rested on the sofa, I was exhausted from the trip, and I slept until sunset. A delicious smell woke me up. Ben cooked something, and I could not wait to see what it was. I got up and noticed he cooked salmon and potatoes. I was starving, so I loved his intention of making something great for both of us.

We ate until we could not anymore. Everything was delicious, as every time Ben cooked. He always said he enjoyed my cooking, although, to be honest, I thought he prepared everything better than I did. My thought was that he was trying to be polite because, to me, my food was edible and not necessarily delicious.

After I helped with the dishes, we cuddled on the sofa and talked for a while. Everything seemed to have passed so fast since we reunited, from the moment he entered the coffee shop, until now, everything was such a whirlwind of emotions and actions.

The following days, we decided to hike and go sailing. We walked in the different trails we had nearby, and even though I was not fond of that, I did not mind doing it, as the scenery was breathtaking. My thing was sailing, though. It was unbelievable for me to go on a sailboat, going from one small town to another for sightseeing or grocery shopping. I never thought buying groceries could be so much fun.

He did not enjoy much, though. I think he preferred being on something he could control better, but he knew how much I loved doing that sport, as I spent most of my time smiling while cruising the lake... and my smile made him happy too, just as it made me happy when we hiked, which he was passionate about.

Every now and then, we encountered people during our hikes or at towns and usually asked for autographs or a selfie. Ben was not happy about it, but we tried to take things lightly. It was impossible not to encounter others.

His fans were always happy and congratulated his films and our relationship, which thrilled me, as I started feeling accepted by everyone.

After various days of not being connected to the world, Ben turned on his phone. There were so many missed phone calls, messages, and more that decided to turn it off again. He chose to deal with that later on.

After that, we turned on the television. I actually did not watch it for months, and interestingly, there was nothing new on it: the same tv shows, the same negative news, and not many other kind things.

We continued changing channels until we found ourselves in one, where recent pictures of Ben showed up, and a couple of mines, too. Ben was immediately upset, but I was not so much, as I was already used to travel so often and so much.

I turned off the tv and said: "it's time for new adventures."

Ben smiled, and we packed our things again.