Knock Knock

Chapter 12

Rey panted underneath him. She blinked a few times. He couldn't have said that. Could he? She must have heard him wrong. His chest was pressed against hers; his head was buried in the crook of her neck. She couldn't see his face. She didn't want to disturb him. She didn't want to ruin the perfect moment, but she had to, because she had to know.

'Ben?'

He looked up at her with red, tired eyes. The words were on the tip of her tongue.

Did you mean it? Do you love me? Tell me you want me... please... Ben... please...

Instead she slipped a hand through his hair and smiled at him. Offering him a get out clause she hoped he wouldn't take.

'You need to sleep,' she said gently.

He looked surprised and relieved by her words. It tinged her heart. He nodded and peeled himself off her. She felt bereft as he increased the distance between them, rolling over to his side of the bed.

'Goodnight, Rey.'

'Goodnight, Ben,' she croaked in response.

She stared up at the dark ceiling. Her heart hammered in her chest. It took her sometime to fall asleep. In her dreams, she stood before Ben and asked him over and over again if he loved her, but he never answered her. He just sat motionless, gazing back at her. Eventually, with angry tears in her eyes, she slapped him hard across the face. He didn't react and she sobbed as she watched a red welt appear on his skin in the shape of her hand.

In the morning, she awoke in the bed alone, her cheeks wet with tears. She wiped at them and looked around. No Ben. She got out of bed and pulled on some clothes and searched the house. Still no Ben. She felt the tears form in her eyes once more. He was gone. Again. He didn't love her, and he was too much of a coward to tell her to his face. Chewie appeared at her feet and Rey sank to the floor and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his soft fur as she cried.

*********

'So seriously, thank you again for introducing me to, Rose.' Hux gushed.

Ben plastered a smile on his face and nodded at Hux as they headed out for lunch.

'She's wonderful,' Hux said with a soft look on his face. Ben felt his heart contract. He should be able to talk about Rey like that. Why couldn't he just admit how he felt? She would hate him now. He didn't blame her after the way he had left things between them. What kind of a person walked out on a girl like Rey, twice?
'You're a fucking moron,' he hissed under his breath.

'What was that?' Hux asked

'Nothing, where do you want to go for lunch?'

Hux looked around. 'How about here?' he asked. Ben looked up and realised they were outside the same restaurant where he had first met Rey. He looked up at the apartment above the establishment. The place where they had...

'Something wrong?' Hux asked.

Ben shook his head. He couldn't risk telling Hux anything. 'Nothing, this is fine.'

They went into the restaurant and found a table. A large, fat, balding man with a big grin approached their table.

'Hello! Welcome! What can I get you?'

'Are you the owner?' Ben asked.

'Yes.'

And that's when Ben remembered why he had been avoiding that particular restaurant. So, this was Claude. This was the disgusting asshole who had thrown Rey out on her ass because she refused to sleep with him. Ben's hands curled into fists at his sides. He glared back at Claude.