The reason

Chapter 19

"Are you okay, dear?" Ruth asks. We're standing back in the lounge around the table with four cups of tea.

"I'm fine Ruth." I say and give her a smile that feels as plastic as a Barbie doll. She shoos us away so she can dispose of the tea and I traipse back upstairs with Ben.

"I'll go murder that guy for you if you want." Ben offers, dead serious as we lie don on his bed. He wraps his arm around me as if shielding me from the harsh realities of the world. Funny thing is, I do feel safe and it's not a feeling I'm used to.

"He's just doing his job. Let's talk about something else." I suggest and he looks down the bed at me. "Like what?" He asks.

"Where's your dad?" I ask, genuinely wondering. I noticed the absence the first time I stayed here, but haven't really remembered to ask the question with all the action that's been happening. Is there some hidden story there, something he wants to share?

"Dad's a pilot. He's always gone for a while, flying tourists to all these countries. Occasionally he gets some kind of mission or deal. Right now he's in China helping them to construct plans for a new model. He's been gone two weeks, he'll be back within the next one." I can hear the pride in his voice, the respect he holds for the man. He sounds so happy when he talks about him, it's adorable. I feel a small pang of jealousy at how close he is to his parents, but I push it away.

"Tell me about him." I prod, and he absently starts rubbing my shoulder with his fingers.               "What people remember about him is how funny he is. He loves meeting new people, sharing jokes. He can make the strictest man laugh, which is why he's so good with tourists. It's why he helps so much in different countries. But he can also be dead serious, even while acting casual. He takes his job seriously, because he knows that every passenger's life is in his hands. And he'd do anything for me or mum. One time in year five I forgot to make my science fair project so he stayed up really late the night before, helping me to create this really cool project. I got second place for that." A cute little smile plays across his lips at the memory, and it makes me feel happy. He's had a good childhood, I can't imagine anyone ever hurting him. Maybe his good life doesn't need a stain like me in it. But I'm too selfish for that, I don't care what others think of us. I'll stay at his side until he orders me away.

"You will come with me tomorrow, won't you?" I ask him, desperately hoping he'll say yes. I hate how much I sound like I'm begging, before him I never begged for anything. I guess having someone to lean on makes you realise how hard it is to stand alone.

"Count on it, daffodil." He says in reply.

"I still think that's a ridiculous nickname." I tell him giving him a fake glare. He brushes it off, easily reading my bad attempt.

"I think it's cute. And glaring like that only makes you even cuter." He teases, and gapes at me when I hit him in the stomach, before laughing again.

"Ha ha." I mutter and place my head on his chest, feeling the rumbling of his laughter and hearing the steady lullaby of his beating heart. "If you get to call me daffodil, I get to call you something." I say up to him.

"Okay, what's my new name? Flash? McJagger? Mr. Buff Lightning pants?" Giggles rise within me and I have to work on keeping a straight face before I answer.

"I'm not sure yet....Poochy." I say, and my lips tremble, trying to hold the laughter in at his incredulous face.

"Poochy? That's not even manly." He protests and I grin wickedly at him, giving in to the laughter bubbling out of me.

"No, I definitely think you're a poochy kind of guy." It only makes it funnier when he pouts out his bottom lip in a sulk. I'm laughing so hard at his expressions that tears gather in my eyes and my ribs ache painfully. He smiles and wraps his arms tighter around me. Slowly my laughter dies down as I snuggle into him, feeling comforted by his warmth.

"I forgot, it's Monday, shouldn't we be at school?" I mumble. Not that I'm eager to get there, the whole town probably knows by now. Well, they won't know everything, they'll just think they do. I can imagine the rumours, Ben punching my mum and killing her. My mum overdosing on purpose.

"Hey, we've had a pretty adventurous weekend. Mum said you could have the day off because of yesterday and I drugged her so she'd let me stay home too." He says it all with a serious face.

"Right." I say in as much of a disbelieving voice as I can manage.

"You doubt my drugging skills, daffodil? Let's go ask her then, should we?" Gently shifting my head, he leaps off the bed.

"Coming ragamuffin." I call after him and run to catch up.

"Raggamuffin? Where'd that come from?" He asks.

"Dunno. I'm still deciding what to call you." I reply as we enter the lounge and flop onto the couch. Even though we aren't doing much, it's keeping my mind away from everything right now. I'm glad nobody's asking me about it or acting like a counsellor.

"Why don't you two play a game or something. You used to love monopoly, Ben." Ruth says as she sticks her head around the door.

"Nah, I don't want to put Reegan to shame." He says, flexing his biceps as he puts his hands behind his head.

"Please. I haven't played in years, but I could beat you hands down." I scoff, and he immediately jumps at the challenge. A few minutes later we're sitting at the dining table with our money dealt out.

"Yes! Trafalgar Square, I'll buy that." He comments, swapping money for the card and showing it to me in glee.

"You have no other ones in the set. It's useless." I remind him and he sticks his tongue out at me.

"But I will get the others soon. You're up against the master here." He gives me a wink and hands me the dice. Shaking them I let them scatter across the board.

"A double." I say and roll them again. Smiling, I move my counter to Mayfair.

"Oh, would you look at that? I think I'll buy it." I rub the card smugly in his face.

"It's okay, I still have one card up my sleeve." He poses in a masculine way, going a bit over the top. He keeps his face serious and tries to give me a smoldering look. I bite back a laugh and act like I don't find that incredibly sexy.

"Sorry, cupcake. Your distraction isn't working." I tell him. An hour later I have most of the squares and his are all mortgaged. I have hotels set up on all my properties and he only has a few dollars left. Landing on Piccadilly, he hands over the last of his money (albeit grumpily), bankrupt.

"Now who's the master of monopoly?" I tease him.

"You cheated." He accuses me and I bat my lashes at him.

"Was it my stunning looks?" I flip my hair and smile at him, showing lots of teeth.

"Beginners luck." He grumbles.

 A/N This chapter's a little lighter, to take the edge off all the seriousness. It's more of a filler, just showing how their relationship is growing. I hope you like it :)