After Us

Chapter Fourteen

It was two in the morning and my phone woke me from my dreams. "Hello?" I asked quietly. My voice sounded scratchy from sleep but I didn't care.

"Annalise hi." My heart stopped.

"Ben?"

"Sorry to call so late, I couldn't sleep and I needed to talk to you." I couldn't tell if this was another one of my dreams or if it was real. "Ann I really miss you," he said.

"Ben. What?" I sat up in bed, "Aren't you with Gracie?" There was a few seconds of silence but then he said that he was still with her but even so, couldn't stop thinking about me. I started remembering all our fun times togehter but then I also remembered that final night. The night that he dumped me. I'd headed over to his house as a surprise but when I knocked on the door Gracie answered. I automatically knew it was over when I saw Ben'shocked face. A dead give away that he'd been cheating on me.

"Ann, I swear I was going to tell you," he whispered not looking at me, avoiding eye contact.

Gracie stood there awkwardly, "I'll just go and give you guys a minute." She said and hurried inside. I shook my head at Ben scurrying away from his house.

"You're together with... with... her??" I tried to talk but my thoughts and words were scrambled with confusion.

"Look. I swear, when we were dating I really had moved on Gracie. Annalise you were the only girl for me. Only that recently I've just been missing her and...."

"You fucking idiot," I yelled at him, "how could you do that to me, I loved you." Tears started streaming. Ben tried to get closer to comfort me but I didn't let him. I didn't need his sympathy. I backed away as he tried to explain.

"No Ann, no I loved you too." His words felt shallowand I simply didn't believe him.

"So what? You just had a change of hear and suddenly decided you get back with her?"

Ben shook his head, "No. Not at all. Look I'm sorry." I couldn't talk or look at him anymore. My mom had dropped me off so I was there outside his house with no ride home. At that point, I felt so desperate to escape from this awful situation that I didn't care. I just ran.

"Ann, you there? Please say something." Ben spoke on the phone and brought me back from the memories with a sudden jolt that here I was at two in the morning, talking to the boy who had betrayed me. I couldn't believe this was happening. After everything that happened, he just calls me and tells me he misses me. I wasn't having it. That night when I ran home I didn't stop crying. My mom ran to meet me when she heard me race to the door, home earlier than she had expected. Out of breath and in an emotional state I had told her what happened, and, even she looked like she was about to cry. I spent days in my room thinking that I was the problem and I that I should have tried harder. It was only five weeks later that I was sufficiently composed to actually talked to Ben again in person. I honestly needed to talk to him in order for me to clear the air and get over him properly. This time we were calmer and he gave me a proper apology from the heart. As much as he had hurt me I eventually learned to forgive him. He even brought me flowers which I thought was a sweet touch to show that he really was sorry. After that, I saw him around town from time to time which was still extremely awkward as he tugged on my heartstrings. As the weeks passed by, and my feelings slowly settled, one thing became crystal clear. I was certain that Ben Renhard was history and I knew that I didn't want anything further to do with him.

I took a deep breath and put the phone closer to my ear. "Ben. I'm sorry but we're more than over and it's about time that we both move on." Saying this made me suddenly feel like a heavy weight was lifted off my chest. I felt relief wash over me.

I could hear Ben sigh through the phone. "Your right Annalise, you've always been right." He says. "I'm so sorry I even called."

"Ben. It's okay," I said and put my hand to my heart, "let's just leave it."

Ben agreed and then we said bye and hung up. I starting thinking about how he said he was still with Gracie. She probably didn't know he called me but I didn't care. It wasn't my problem anymore.

I put my phone back on my nightstand and got out of bed to go to Ben's room. I quietly opened his door but it wasn't so quiet because he woke up.

"Hey," he said, "are you okay?"

"Mind if I sleep next to you?" I asked sounding little again.

He smiled and then lifted the sheets enough for me to crawl in. "Course you can."

The next morning we both were up early. I really didn't get any sleep last night but I didn't mind, I wasn't that tired. I giggled as Miles got back on top of me and started leaving more wet neck kisses. "Miles," I laughed, "you're crushing me." He was so gentle but aggressive at the same time and even he started laughing and went back to my face. He looked me in the eyes as he wanted to see how much of a smile he created on my face. Within seconds, his lips smashed into mine with no mercy. He started to bite my lip and I laughed again, "don't be such a vampire!" I added.

Miles smiled and rested his head on my chest, snuggling in tight he whispers, "I love you." My heart went so warm and started to beat fast. After I came in his room last night we only fell asleep for two hours and then just spent the remaining time just talking.

We both sat up and Miles ran his hands through his brown messy hair."I love you to Miles," I say back. Never in a million years would I think I was making out with Miles Miller and telling him I loved him. I did though, he was perfect. I always knew it but this trip and seeing him again with new eyes made me realize how much I loved him.

"Ann," Miles says coming back and we both lied down together. I grabbed another pillow for my head to rest on. Miles wrapped one of his arms around me, "will you be my girlfriend?" He asked. The same warm bubbly feeling came back again.

"Miles," I blushed running my fingers through his hair, "of course I will." He smiled and once again our lips went back to touching. I felt so happy, Miles Miller was mine and I was his. No more Ben, no more stress, no more worries about the perfect summer, and finally no more being single.