“Hey,” he says softly.
“Thank you for coming. I feel bad that I’ve dragged you out so late.”
He takes a step toward me, hesitating briefly before reaching up and tucking a piece of my wayward hair behind my ear. “You haven’t dragged me anywhere. You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to be here with you the past few weeks.” His hand cups my face as his thumb gently strokes my cheek. I lean into his touch, loving being this close to him despite how conflicted I feel about us being together. “Seeing you at work and not being able to hold you... it kills me,” he admits. “And knowing you’ve been here, crying alone... I hate it.”
His words hit me hard, leaving a dull ache in my chest, and I have no idea what to say. I keep wishing things were different, but they’re not, and there’s nothing I can do to change that.
“I just can’t believe this is happening to Taylor and Seb. They’ve only just found each other. What if…what if she never wakes up like…” I trail off, unable to finish the sentence.
He sighs and drops his hand from my face, pulling me gently into his arms. I go willingly, wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my head against his chest.
“I wish I could promise you that Taylor will wake up, baby, but it would be an empty promise.”
“I know.” I slowly lift my head, my eyes meeting his. “It must feel like you’re reliving what happened to Molly all over again.”
“I’m okay. It’s you I’m worried about.”
“You’re worried about me?”
He nods. “I don’t think you realize how much I care about you, Ash. I know things between us are a little strained at the moment, but you’re all I can think about.” I drop my head onto his chest, and he tangles his fingers into my hair. “I probably shouldn’t even be holding you like this, but I can’t stop myself. I know you have your family, but I’m here for you too, whenever you need me.”
My eyes widen at his words. “I don’t know what to say,” I whisper.
He increases his hold on me and presses a kiss onto the top of my head.
“You don’t have to say anything. I just want you to know how I feel about you. I’m not expecting anything in return.”
I lift my head from his chest.
“Maybe we should talk. Do you want a drink?” I ask softly, stepping out of his arms and heading toward the kitchen.
When he doesn’t immediately respond, I glance back.
“Ben?”
He swallows hard. “Yeah. A beer sounds good.”
He looks tense, like he’s steeling himself for whatever’s coming. I’ve never been afraid to speak my mind, even if doing that with him has been harder than I’d like to admit. But there are things I need to ask, difficult things, before I can let myself believe this has a chance. Parts of me are still holding back, andno matter how much I’ve missed him, I need to know where I stand.
Once we both have a beer in our hands, we move to the living room. I tuck my legs beneath me on the sofa and gesture for Ben to sit. He hesitates, then sits beside me.
I reach out and take his hand in mine, intertwining our fingers. His eyes flicker with surprise, and I give his hand a gentle squeeze.
“I’m not going to pretend that what you told me that night didn’t shake me. It wasn’t just that you’re married,” I say quietly. “I believe you when you say you and your wife planned to separate, and I get that it’s complicated and messy and not how anyone expects their life to end up.” I pause, staring down at the bottle in my hand, picking at the label with my thumb.
“But you had a whole life that existed long before I came into it. A wife, even if it was ending, and a daughter. You were a family. I know that everyone has a past. I accept that. I’ve just been wondering where I fit into all of that, or if I do.”
I glance at him, my chest tight.
“What happens when your daughter looks at me like I’m the reason her world cracked wide open? I don’t know if I can be the reason someone’s world crumbles, Ben, and as much as I’m trying not to listen, there’s a voice in the back of my mind asking what happens if this all unravels.” I drag in a breath. “I’m not looking for guarantees, I know life doesn’t work like that. I just need to know you’ve thought about it… that you’re choosing me with your eyes open. Not just because it feels good in the quiet moments, but because you believe in it even when everything else is falling apart.”
The air between us thickens, but I force myself to keep looking at him, open, honest, and the most vulnerable I think I’ve ever been.
Ben’s quiet for a beat, and my stomach twists. My words are out there now, raw and honest, and I can’t take them back, not that I would. I needed to say them, and he needed to hear them.
When he speaks, his voice is low and steady.
“You’re right, Ash. My life was already complicated long before you walked into it. But the time we spent together… it was like my world tilted. I didn’t expect you. I wasn’t looking for someone, but I found you anyway, and suddenly, nothing else made sense anymore.” His eyes hold mine. “You’re not the easy option, Ashlyn. You’re the reason I started seeing a future again.” He pauses. “I can’t promise it will be smooth, and maybe we will have to face questions and fallout, especially from Laney. She didn’t take it all that well when I told her Molly and I had planned to separate, but she just needs time to process everything. If it gets messy, we’ll navigate the mess together because I can’t imagine facing it with anyone else.”
