What You Don't Know (Sequel to "Secret Love")(Hunter Hayes/James Marsden)

A Benny For Your Thoughts

Here's a late-ish update (as in the hour, not the days since the last update).

I'm really stoked that everybody is liking this story (those of you who are reading it!)! Keep leaving me comment and things, I love it all! :D Vote it up, follow me! If you want to chat, PM me, too. ;D

In any case, viola. God Bless and Happy Reading!

Later that day, Bethany met up with Benny in the sound booth to watch rehearsal from above.

"Hey, Benny! How's it going up here?" She hugged him around the neck for a moment, and he shrugged.

"It's not nearly as hard as that Trenton guy made it seem. When he approached me about the job, you'd've thought he was asking me to dismantle a nuke or something." He laughed, and Bethany smiled. That did sound like Trenton: always dramatic.

"Well, you're just too wonderful for your own good, is all," she joked, pushing him playfully and taking a seat in the swivel chair adjacent to the one in which Benny was situated.

A few moments passed, wherein the only sound was the dialogue from below and the soft scraping of sound equipment. When Benny was done adjusting the lights and microphone levels for the next scene in the lineup, he turned back to Bethany and pushed one of his bulky headphones off his ear.

"The really nice thing about these lights, Beth, is that they're automatic. I mean, you have to program them and everything, but once you know how they need to be, you can just punch in some numbers and presto! You've got a show. If Hunter had these lights, I wouldn't even have needed to be there for anything. That boy could have done literally everything by himself." He laughed wryly, taking a swig of water from his metal canteen. He did not look at her, but he must have seen the way she shifted uncomfortably upon hearing Hunter's name, because his eyes flashed to her face for a moment.

"Geez, what are you looking so upset about, Beth? You're the one who left him, you know! And I see the way you look at that Trent guy, though God only knows what you see in him."

Bethany sighed. Benny was right, but his words stung anyway. It hardly mattered that she had come to expect rude, abrasive comments from him; it was just his personality to be brusque and a little harsh at times. The fact that he, practically the only person here she could still consider a friend, was seeing her in such a negative light was definitely not a thought she savored.

"Benny, I..."

"Don't 'Benny' me, Miss." Benny looked almost angry, but he took another swallow of his water and visibly calmed down. When he looked back over at her, his eyes were soft and curious.

"Bethany...I just gotta ask. Why did you leave him? What could possibly be better about Trenton McDermott? I mean, I've known Hunter for years, and you two seemed like such a great couple. I really thought you two would make it. What happened?"

Bethany stalled, biting her lip. What could she say? She needed a lie - and quick!

Eventually, she shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "I wanted to explore my options."

Benny cocked an eyebrow at her. "What is that supposed to mean?"

She waved one hand at him as though the answer were obvious. "I had only ever dated Hunter. I didn't want to settle down and get married without making sure there wasn't something else out there! Or, someone...someone who may be better for me, you know? I wanted to look around."

She picked at a loose thread on her jeans, trying to think of something else to say to convince Benny she had made the right choice.

"I don't know, Benny. It's just...when I looked into my future, I didn't see me and Hunter. I saw me, doing something big with my life. I guess I just got sick of living in his shadow."

Benny scoffed. "That's the biggest pile of croc I've ever heard, Bethany James. That boy adored you. He put you on a pedestal so high you would never have tasted shadow. Come on. That's really it?"

She nodded. She straightened her back. "That's it, Benny. Whether you like it or not, it's not really any of your business."

 He huffed. "Well, what's Trent got that's so fascinating? He seems like a pretty boring chap to me."

A note of defensiveness touched her voice when she replied. "Trenton is sweet. And he's funny, when you get to know him. He's terribly misunderstood."

Benny rolled his eyes. "Right. I don't believe that either. You think I don't know what people say about him? How he's cruel to people he works with, and has no friends or anybody he's close to? What kind of man has no friends, Bethany? Don't you think it's weird the way he's always brooding? I don't know. There's something in his eyes, Beth. I think he's dangerous."

His comment rang a bell in her head. He sounded every bit like Jeremy Willakers had the day she had first met him to discuss her mission. Benny was no FBI agent, but if he thought he felt something sinister in Trenton, then there were only two options. One, Trenton was doing a bang-up job preserving his fake reputation, or, two, he really was sinister and everything she had come here to prove was true.

Without a second thought, she burst into laughter. She clutched her stomach and wiped a tear from her eye.

"Trenton? Trenton is... dangerous? That's ridiculous." She stopped laughing abruptly, but kept her smile in place. "You're really funny, Benny." She slapped him on the shoulder, getting out of her chair and preparing to high tail it out of there as soon as it looked less suspicious.

Benny caught her hand and made her look at him.

"I'm serious, Beth. I don't think you should trust him."

She shook her head at him. "Benny, I'm glad you're looking out for me, but there's nothing for you to worry about."

He stared into her eyes for another long moment, then released her hand.

"I have to get back to work, Benny. We should have lunch this week, okay?" She patted his back and turned to leave. Just before she closed the door behind her, she heard him say, "Be careful."

You have no idea.