Missing Piece

Chapter fifteen

Melanie

I was about to plug the earphones in when a very loud honk blares from right beside me. Startled I turn to the source of sound only to see my husband rolling down the window of his car.

"Goin' to office?" Benji asks. The morning light bounces from his hair, giving his raven locks a shiny look. The usual annoyed look that he wears in my presence is absent from his face. And his dreamy blue eyes aren't throwing daggers at me now. I wonder if he woke up on the right side of bed today. Or maybe he's started to hate me less. "Are you planning to answer anytime soon or are you just gonna stand there and stare at me creepily."

Creepily?

I narrow my eyes at him and he quirks his lips.

"Office or not?" He asks again.

"Office." I respond.

"Hop in." He says starting the car. "I'll drop you off."

While I just stand there staring wide-eyed at him. Still not believing whether he actually uttered those words.

"What now?" He asks impatiently. Ha! There's the frown that I missed.

I step closer. "You want me," I point to myself then I point to his car, "to get in your car, so that you," I point to him, "could drive me to work?"

He stares at me for a full minute before nodding his head, unsure. "Yeah."

I still don't make any efforts to get in his car.

"Are you worried that I'd take you to some deserted place and murder you and then drop off your body in the woods?"

He watches way too many crime shows. I wasn't even worried about that but now that he's said it, should I be worried? Nah. Obviously. It's Benji we are talking about. He can't even hurt a fly. So, I shake off that thought quickly.

"I'm not worried about that. I'm just curious to know why you are being nice to me?"

"Because I'm a nice person." He admits. And I scoff.

A nice person wouldn't talk about throwing my plant babies out every time I do something a little wrong.

A nice person wouldn't talk about ending my life every other minute.

"Yes Benji. You're the nicest person I've ever met." I mock him. I put the earphones back inside my bag and ask him with my eyebrow raised. "What do you want?"

"I want you," He points to me and then he jabs the finger towards passenger seat, "to get in the car. So that I," he points to himself and I bite my bottom lip to stop from smiling, "can drive us to work."

I shake my head and reply, "No." He doesn't waste another second and starts the ignition. "Wait wait Benji, I was just kidding. How could I ever refuse a chance to ride with you." I quickly run to passenger side and get in.

Benji waits for me to put the seatbelt on and starts the drive.

I lean back in the seat and catch the whiff of Benji's musky cologne. In closed space it's even more prominent.

Has he always smelled this good?

I turn my head a little to left. Benji's brows furrow as he drives the car in concentration. A few stray stands of his gelled hair fall onto his forehead. And he uses his right hand to sweep those strands back. He looks exceptionally handsome in his charcoal grey suit.

"Benji." I call his name. He hums in response without looking at me. "I haven't really thanked you for letting Jay stay with us. It was very kind of you."