The park is buzzing when I arrive. I scan the crowd, my pulse kicking up as I spot Clara near the front, arms crossed, her face unreadable. Thomas is speaking with a few of the other business owners, but no one looks particularly pleased. I step closer, clearing my throat. “Clara? What’s going on?”
She turns, lifting a brow. “Wish I knew. Ben just called everyone here. No one seems to have a clue what for.”
My stomach twists.
I glance at the gathered crowd, the uneasy expressions, the way everyone murmurs to each other, waiting. The uncertainty coils around my ribs, squeezing tighter. If no one knows why we’re here then this could be anything and I’m not sure I’m ready for what that means.
Then I see him, Ben, standing where the fountain once stood, his hands tucked into his pockets. He looks calm, composed, but I know better. There’s tension in his shoulders, a weight in his stance.
He turns when he sees me, something shifting in his gaze, but he doesn’t falter.
“I called you all here today because I owe you an apology,”he begins, voice steady. “And a promise.”
A murmur ripples through the small crowd, but no one interrupts.
Ben continues, meeting their eyes one by one. “I came here with a plan that I thought made sense. A business decision. But I didn’t stop to think about the people it would affect.” He exhales, shaking his head. “That was a mistake.”
Someone scoffs. “A big mistake.”
A few chuckles follow, but Ben doesn’t flinch. Instead, Clara crosses her arms, lifting a sceptical brow. “So, what? You just woke up this morning and decided to grow a conscience?”
Ben lets out a breath, nodding. “Something like that.”
Thomas scoffs. “Convenient timing.”
Eva chimes in, arms folded. “You’ve put us through hell these last few months, Ben. You can’t expect us to just roll over and be grateful.”
Ben meets their stares head-on. “I don’t. I know I messed up. I know I’ve been a complete bastard about all of this. But I want to fix it and I’m willing to prove that this isn’t just some PR move.” He pauses. “I get that words aren’t enough. So, let me show you.”
Clara exchanges a glance with Thomas, then sighs. “You better, because if you pull something like this again, I swear to God, I will personally make sure your hair never looks good in this town again.”
Ben smirks slightly. “Terrifying. Truly.” Instead, he nods. “Yeah. I deserve that.”
He glances at me then, just for a second, before turning back to the group. “I’m cancelling the development. Instead, I’ll be reallocating the investment to support the businesses that have been here long before me and I’ll be funding the restoration ofthe water fountain.”
Silence.
Then, “You’re serious?”
He nods. “Completely.”
Another beat of silence, then Thomas lets out a heavy breath and claps. Eva follows, and soon others join in. Another joins in and suddenly, the mood shifts. There’s cautious optimism in the air.
Ben lets them have their moment, then says, “I don’t expect you to trust me overnight. But I want to earn it.”
I stare at him, my heart hammering, something unsteady curling in my chest.
***
I wait as the last of the crowd disperses, watching Ben. He stands there, hands still in his pockets, eyes heavy with something I can’t quite name. When the last person finally leaves, it’s just the two of us, the rustling leaves and distant hum of the city our only company.
He turns to me, his expression gentler now. “I’m sorry I left early,” he says softly. “There was some unfinished business I needed to handle.”
He pauses, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes, something darker, quieter. “Old ghosts, I guess.”
I swallow hard, suddenly finding it difficult to speak.
“I meant what I said,” he murmurs. “I know I’ve been a complete prick. I know I don’t deserve an easy fix. But I need you to know that this—” he gestures around us, “it was never about revenge. I was just a greedy bastard who thought I could bulldoze my way through everything and call it business.”
