Can't Turn Back Now, I'm Haunted (A Ben Willbond Rom Com)

Chapter Thirteen | The Premiere

"Oh my god, I cannot believe it — you and Ben??"

"Shhh—" hissed, closing the door to the bathroom behind us.

"I mean you should've seen my face when I saw you two, my eyes were like saucers—"

"Martha, please," I whispered. "Yes, Ben and I were out the other night but please, please be quiet because we don't want the others to know!"

"So what is it??" Martha lowered her voice, expressing her enthusiasm instead with a massive grin and an excited bounce. "Are you two together?"

"Oh, god," I breathed, covering my face and laughing. "I don't even know. I guess... I guess we are a little bit—"

"Ahh!" She squealed. "How did— when did— oh my god, I have so many questions!"

I clapped my hands on her shoulders to steady her.

"Martha— Martha! Take a breath!"

She held up her hands.

"Sorry, sorry, it's just—" She grinned again, her eyes shining. "Oh, I'm just so happy for you two, you're both so lovely."

I couldn't help but smile. It felt good to share this with someone who knew us both — and even better to see someone who knew Ben so well approve of the pairing.

"So what's going on?" She asked, perching on the side of the bath.

I took a deep breath and looked up, pondering the question. What is going on?

"Well," I began, rubbing my temple. "After he and Amy split up, we sort of... well we sort of kissed. At your house."

"At my house??" She clapped her hands over her mouth. "And you didn't tell me??"

"It was all very—" I laughed, remembering. "We were out on the stoop, and I just kissed him. And then he kissed me back — but then we didn't know what to do after that so the next day on set we were sort of awkward, but then it wasn't awkward, it was... well it was pretty hot, to be honest, so he came over my place for dinner and... now we're here."

"Unbelievable," she said, shaking her head. "You two— nobody has any idea, or at least, nobody's mentioned it! I wouldn't have known if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes!"

I covered my face again, blushing and snickering.

"So... what, is it just shagging?"

"Martha!"

"What!" She stood again, unable to contain her excitement. "When I saw you two last night, it didn't look exactly casual!"

I opened my mouth to answer, then closed it again.

"It's... it's short-term," I said finally. "I wouldn't call it 'just shagging' — we definitely care about each other — but I'm leaving in a couple of days. And that's where it's ending."

"Oh, no," she opined, looking crestfallen. "Seriously?"

I nodded, a stab of pain wracking my chest.

"I have to go back to LA," I said with a sad shrug, attempting a lighthearted air. "I've got irons in the fire there, my reps would kill me if I ran away with some British guy."

She looked deeply disappointed. Her hand alighted on my arm and she gave it a fond squeeze.

"But you seem to really like each other!"

"We do," I said quietly, through a wan smile. "But you know... just because two people really like each other doesn't mean that pragmatically, it's meant to be."