Teaching Jenny (student/teacher)

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Recap:

"Dad please," I tried one last time. I couldn't let him do this. He couldn't take the man I loved away from me. My dad turned and continued towards the phone.

"I love you so much," I said as I turned back to Ben. Tears staining my cheeks as my arms wrapped around his body. He wiped away the endless stream of tears and his hands cupped my face.

"I love you too, so much. I don't regret any of this for a second. You were worth it," he said and like that I knew he knew we had lost. There was nothing we could do. My dad had made up his mind. It was over.

I couldn't believe that after everything we had been through it was my parents who would be the ones to end us. After his family had reacted so well I had hoped that mine would to. I knew they wouldn't be pleased, but I never thought my dad would take it this far. I didn't know what this meant for my relationship with my father but at the moment I couldn't even look at him. How would he feel if mum had been ripped from his grasp like this?

Finally, pulling away from Ben's embrace I turned to see if my father had done it. However, while I was talking with Ben I had noticed my mother approach my dad. I hadn't seen her take the phone from his hand and sit him down at the breakfast bar. I didn't see her talk to him as his head collapsed into his hands.

I missed her talking him out of it.

My eyes stayed focused on my parents, not sure what was happening. My mum soothingly rubbed circles on my fathers back as he sat hunched over. Ben's hand remained on the small of my back as I clung to him, too afraid to let go.

"I think you should go. We can talk more about this tonight," my mum finally said with a small smile and nod in our direction. Still in a state of confusion, without thinking I dragged Ben from the house and back to his car. It was there it hit me all over again.

The tears started to flow, and sobs quickly followed. I felt like my whole word was crashing around me. I just prayed that mum would keep dad calm enough to not call the police on Ben. I couldn't live without him. I needed him more than anything, I just had to make my dad understand that.

"Please don't cry Goofy," Ben pleaded looking like he was in pain to watch me cry. However, I couldn't help it. It was all too much. Burying my head in his chest I wrapped my arms around his neck as I tried to calm myself down. His strong arms pulled me closer to him.

Finally, I managed to gain control of myself. Ben took me back to his place where we spent the rest of the afternoon talking everything through.

It was about an hour after we arrived back at Ben's apartment that his mum called. Putting the small device on speaker, Ben answered the phone.

"Hi mum," he said softly, his voice finally revealing the stress his was feeling.

"Hello Jane," I spoke next, my voice barely a whisper.

"Not good?" She asked, and with that I could feel the tears escaping my eyes again. Ben dropped his head to his hands which were supported by his elbows on his knees.

"Not really," he muttered and I knew he was scared. He was the one who was most affected by all this. He was the one who could go to prison.

"I'm so sorry," I croaked, now turning to the most incredible man before me. This was all my fault. Everything that had happened between Ben and I was my fault, so why was he the one paying for it? Why was he the one being punished?

"It's not your fault Goofy," he said as he turned his head in his hands to face me. He sounded so defeated that even more tears fell down my cheeks. His eyes were rimmed red as he tried to hide all his emotions. I had never before seen him look so broken, and it killed me.

"It is," was all I managed to say. The lump was so big in my throat is was now impossible to speak. It felt like nothing was possible any longer.

"Oh what happened?" Jane sighed, sensing something was wrong.

"He said he was going to report me," Ben whispered. I was still unable to speak. "He has every right to do so...." Ben trailed off, his Adam's apple bobbing as he gulped.

"Oh Ben," Jane murmured, her voice laced with emotion. Her son could go to jail, all because of me. I was like the plague to this family, if I had never met Ben none of this would have happened. He would be happy in his first teaching job, not sitting here wondering if tomorrow he will be locked away in a cell.

"I'm sorry," I croaked again. I knew my apology didn't mean a lot, but it was all I could say or do. Nothing any of us did would change my dads mind if he does finally decide to call the police, it is all up to my mum now.

"Jenny we don't blame you for any of this," Jane said.

"But if you hadn't met me..." I started but Ben cut me off.

"I don't care what happens. I love you and that will never change. If I hadn't met you I would still be on my own not sure of anything, you changed that. I wouldn't change anything that happened over the past year for anything, because then I wouldn't have met you. You are honestly the best thing that has and will ever happen to me," Ben said fiercely, his hands taking mine into his.

Bowing my head, I gulped back the tears as I took in his words. No one had ever given up so much for me and I didn't know how to feel. He was truly the most selfless person I had ever met. "I can't let him do this," I suddenly spoke.

Ben looked at me while Jane stayed silent. "I won't let him ruin everything we have been fighting so long for. I need to go home," I said defiantly. Looking a little unsure Ben nodded before telling Jane he would call her back and leading me downstairs to his car.

Ben dropped me off back home where I stormed into the house with my head held high. I had done nothing wrong. Falling in love shouldn't be considered a crime. I just needed to prove that to my father.

Marching into the kitchen I was met by my parents sitting hand in hand across the kitchen table. "Jenny," my mum started but I didn't give her a chance to finish.

"Look I know what you think happened is wrong, that our relationship is sick and Ben took advantage of me but you're wrong. You were too quick to judge us. You don't understand what I feel, only I do. Do you honestly think I would risk so much for a fling? I love him. I love him so much I can't even explain it. All I know is that I need him, it's like when he's not around it's a little harder to breathe, like a part of my is missing, I'm not whole. I can't live without him, and I know we didn't start under the best circumstances but that doesn't mean that what we feel isn't real. That's why you can't report him, because I need him. I need him so much," I finished. Unshed tears blurred my vision but I was proud to have been able to hold them back.

Both my parents stared at me. My dad was clearly in shock while my mum had a small smile on her face, showing that despite everything she was proud of me. She was happy that I fought for what I wanted.

Standing up from her chair my mum walked towards me and enveloped me in a hug. Flinging my arms around her I buried my face in her hair. I just wanted them to accept Ben into the family like his family had done to me. I knew it was a tough thing to ask but I hoped that maybe one day they would.

"I won't report him," my father's voice came from behind us. Peaking up from my mum's shoulder I looked to my dad who was still sitting down, but looked as though he had recovered from the shock of my speech.

"Thank you so much," I grinned at my dad. Relief fell down upon me as my mum wrapped her arm around my shoulders. Maybe one day in the very distant future Ben and my father would actually get along. "I promise you aren't making a mistake," I continued.

"We know we aren't," my mum spoke. "We can see how the two of you feel about each other. He was willing to go to prison for you, and when you made that speech, you were willing to lose you relationship with dad for him. You don't just do that for any guy," mum said softly before she kissed my cheek. Smiling I wrapped my arms around her for the second time and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you so much," I whispered. She honestly had now idea how much their approval meant to me. I knew it would take a while for my dad to stop glaring daggers in Ben's direction but I would finally be able to stop lying to them. Progress would be slow, but I knew it would be worth it in the long run.