Prove Me Wrong (A Ben Mason/Connor Jessup Novel)

Target

"Pope's right." Ben continued. "I'm a potential target. If a Skitter were to walk into this room right now, what use would I be? Within in seconds I would be enslaved and you'd be left to fend for yourself. What good am I to anyone?"

River began to protest but Ben cut her off. "What you said yesterday, it's nothing new. It's what everyone in the camp's been saying for months. I am a danger to the Second Mass. If it weren't for these stupid spikes, we wouldn't have a problem." annoyed, he rose from his chair, moving towards the window. "You know the day I got captured, it was an accident. I was so stupid. It shouldn't have happened but I didn't use my head. I...I'm such an idiot. I swear, sometimes I have the biggest urge to rip the spikes out myself and just be done with everything. Just be gone from this...life." his voice became quieter. "I would be one less burden to worry about."

When he didn't receive a response, he turned to face his friend. She was sat very quietly on her bed, looking down at her hands, which rested on her lap. River wasn't crying yet but she was close to tears. "I..." her voice broke. "I regret everything I've said the last couple of days. They've been nothing but fear-induced words. I didn't mean any of it." a few tears escape her eyes, creating salty tears diwn her cheeks. "I really didn't. I don't know what's been wrong with me but I've just been acting like-"

"-Someone who's come to their senses?"

"No." she stressed her words. Struggling to get out of the bed, River willed her body to obey her commanding movements. She had been aided by her friends for too long. She needed to pull herself together. Pope was not going to scare her.

Ben met her halfway across the room. As soon as he was in reaching distance, River pulled him into a hug, her face pressed against the material of his jacket. "You're not useless. You're one of the bravest, most skilled fighters the Second Mass has got. Most of all, you're my best friend." her voice reached his ears as a muffled plead. "I'm already so proud of you. I don't care what everything else thinks. I promise I don't. I was just...a little freaked out. Pope hit a nerve but I'm fine now. I've snapped out of the anxiety." she buried her face further into his jacket. "And if you died, I would be so lonely and heartbroken."

He held onto her tightly too, her hair tickling the side of his handsome face. "You would?"

"Of course I would!" she exclaimed, pulling away slightly, her expression a mixture of shock, undeniable sadness and anger. "Ben Mason, we've known each other for how long? You're my best friend. No, you're much more than than, I love you and I would sure- as a sure thing- miss you if you died."

Then River realised what she had just said to the now tense male, whom her arms were encirling. She'd just admitted that she loved him. River had just told Ben Mason that she loved him.

Uh oh.