Stars Collide

Chapter 15

"How's your girl?" Ian asked. He was spinning around in my chair.

I sighed wistfully and Ian laughed. "That bad, huh?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "That bad that she isn't here with me right now."

Ian punched me in the shoulder. "Benny, you've got to stop being such a girl."

"I'm serious," I told him, rubbing my shoulder. "She's just so amazing..." I trailed off.

Ian's face grew serious. "Benoit Weber," he finally said. "You cannot do this to me."

"Do what?" I asked, shrugging.

"Abandon me for some girl."

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "First of all, it was you who convinced me to go out with her. Second of all, I can't leave you with Jack. You know that."

Ian laughed. "I know. Just... use protection, okay?"

This time, I was the one who punched him in the shoulder. "Ow!" he exclaimed rubbing it. "Come on, Benny. Tell me you weren't thinking about it."

"I wasn't thinking about it," I told him. I shook my head disapprovingly. "Why am I even friends with a slut like you?"

"A slut?" Ian burst out laughing. "Ben, that's a term you use to describe a girl that's a whore, not a guy!"

"Well, I just used it to describe a guy," I countered stubbornly.

Ian's face clouded over again. "What's wrong?" I asked. "I'm sorry for calling you a slut."

He shook his head. "No, it's not that. It's just that... I think I might be in the same boat that you are."

"What?"

"I like a girl," he said. "A lot. And not just to get into her pants."

"Who is it?" I asked. This was a side of Ian that I had never seen.

"Chiara," he said. "Your chick's friend."

"Chiara!" I exclaimed. "Really?"

He nodded. "I don't know why. She just seems really nice. I just don't know her and it's kind of weird."

I nodded, understanding. Ian suddenly clapped his hands together. "Ha, got you, didn't I?"

"What?" I asked.

"You really thought that I, Ian Decker, liked someone? For their personality?"

I shook my head in disappointment. "Some people will never learn."

But Ian was holding something back from me. I could tell.

The next day was Saturday so I decided to go visit Leah. I needed someone to talk to. Ian had been really distant lately.

"Hey," she said softly when she opened the door. "What's up?"

"Nothing," I said, coming inside. "What about you?"

"Same," she said, looking at the floor. "Same old, same old. How's... everyone?"

"Good," I told her.

This was getting awkward fast. I needed to say something to get the conversation going.

"So, how's Chiara?" Really, Ben?

"Good," she said. "She made a new friend the other day. Now she spends all her time over there."

"Awww," I said, patting her hair as we both went to sat down on her bed. She turned to me.

"What's your last name?"

"What?" I asked, confused.

"I don't know your last name," she told me.

"Oh," I said dumbly. "Well, it's Weber."

"So, Ben Weber. Doesn't sound very European."

"My given name is Benoit," I said sheepishly.

She smiled. "Benoit. I like that name."

"What's your last name?" I asked her.

"Reynolds," she told me. "And my first name is Leah."

"I figured," I told her, grinning. "Leah, why are you here?" I stroked her hair, loving the way it felt through my fingers.

"My parents wanted me to be more independent."

"But you already seem so independent."

"Yeah, well, they're my parents." She looked at the ground and I saw a side of her that I had never seen before. She looked so vulnerable. I lifted her chin so that she was looking at me.

"I know it's tough having businessmen and women for parents," I told her. "But there's so much good that comes from it."

She shook her head. "My parents are amazing but a lot of other business parents I've seen don't put too much emphasis on values." She looked up at me. "I'm glad your parents did."

I smiled. "Leah, I probably shouldn't say this but I want to kiss you so bad."

"What's stopping you?" she challenged, standing up. I stood up with her and wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer. She put hers around my neck and leaned in close. The moment our lips met, I felt a shock go through me. We took our own sweet time pulling away.

"Ben," she whispered. "I have a problem."

"What?" I asked.

"I've never had a boyfriend before," she continued. "And I think I'm falling in love with my first one."

"I think I'm falling in love with you too," I replied, holding her close. I put my chin on her head as she buried her head in my neck.

Once we pulled away, I pretended to glance at my watch. "I have to go," I told her, giving her one last quick peck. "I'll see you later." She nodded as I fled the room.

I didn't really have to go anywhere. I just couldn't stay in that room and get sucked in deeper. I was already in so deep. I needed to get out. I ran to Ian's room and knocked on the door loudly. "Go away, Ben!" came his reply, followed by female laughter. Great.

When I got to my room, Jack was at my door. "What?" I asked impatiently.

"I thought you might want someone to talk to. Would I make the cut?"

I sighed. "Come in, Jack." He came inside and made himself at home.

"Okay," he started. "What is it, Weber? You think you've made yourself too big of a hole?"

"How do you know?"

"I just know. Listen, Ben, I know what you're going through. I just wanted to tell you to go with it. You won't regret it. What you will regret is climbing out of that hole and leaving it there for dirt to settle into. Maybe someone else will come in fill it up with cement. You don't want to lose this girl. You know that she means something to you. Don't throw it all away."

I'd never expected Jack to give me this kind of advice. "Thanks," I told him.

He smiled and left the room. "Anytime."