A Million Petals • Reylo AU (on hold)

Chapter 8

"Well, Rey, are you going to tell me why you are here?"

"Y'know... I- I-"

The boy squinted at Rey's familiar shirt. He knew the logo. "Oh my God, you work for my mother. She sent you here, didn't she? To check up on me? Or get answers?"

"No, no, no," Rey stammered. "I mean, yes, I work for your mother but-"

"Get out! And tell my mother to leave me alone!"

"Ben-"

"That's not even my name. Get. Out."

"Kylo-"

"For Heaven's sake, girl."

Rey's feet slowly shuffled backwards to the door. She had to say something. And if she already seemed crazy... "Rose petals."

Kylo froze. He shook his head and looked around the room in disbelief. "What did you just say?"

"Rose petals." She gripped the doorway. "Does that mean something to you?"

"No," Kylo lied. Something shifted inside him. "But if it did... how would you know?"

Rey inhaled. "They've been coming since you were a child, maybe even earlier. They're not normal petals, there's always a letter on it. You didn't really care about the letter at first, you didn't know what they meant. But you got older, maybe you moved, and they kept coming. The letters started to make sense. Injured. Sick. Well. And they never seemed to correspond with you or anyone around you. So, for your whole life, you're connected to someone you don't know."

Kylo stayed quiet for a moment, masking his astonishment. "Six years ago, injured," is all he said.

Rey understood. "Fell out of a tree. Broke my arm and fractured the other wrist." She thought back. "Three years ago, sick."

"Bronchitis... One year ago, sick."

"Flu." Rey moved from the doorway and sat in the bedside chair. "Two weeks ago. Dying."

"Is that how you found me?"

"I called every person I knew. They all called me crazy," she exhaled with slight laughter. "When your mom didn't show up to work for a while, I thought for sure it was her. Until I found out it was a family emergency, snuck my way into a hospital, and-"

"Found me."

•{•}•

Rey laid awake that night. She wasn't the only person to get petals. All these years, someone had been connected to her the way she was connected to them. To Kylo. She had a million questions. But one kept her sleepless. Did he ever wonder about her?

She forgot she had promised Benny she would fill in for his second shift the next day. A double shift and many long hours later, it was getting late. Rey raced to the bus stop. Traffic was heavier this time of day, and she grew more anxious with every passing stop that wasn't the hospital. Finally, the lights of the hospital sign came into view. Rey ran out and was about to sneak past the front desk when a voice stopped her. "Sorry, miss, visiting hours are over."

"It's family, I need to see him," she pleaded.

"Sorry, but you're going to have to come back tomorrow."

Rey went home defeated, but returned the next day hopeful. She went to the front desk this time, so she could ask where the gift shop was. Maybe get Kylo something. Would that be weird? "Hi, Ben Solo? Also, could you point me in the direction of the gift shop?"

The woman looked down at her computer and typed in the information. "What's your name?"

"Rey."

"Are you family?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, it looks like you're not on his list of visitors."

What? That can't be- "I visited him just two days ago."

"I'm sorry, but we were given a strict list this morning."

Rey turned and broke out into tears. What had she done? Had she freaked Ben out?

Days passed. Rey went over their last conversation again and again. Nothing seemed to change the stagnant hurt until one day, the petal was colorful again. And a simple, yet beyond comforting, "I" was inscribed. Rey dropped everything and went to the hospital.

"I'm sorry, it looks like Ben Solo was released earlier today."

Rey was pushing herself too hard. Racing back and forth. But she wasn't satisfied. She did some nosy investigation the next day at work and found Mrs. Organa's address. There was no room in her ambition to stop and debate whether or not this was a good idea.

She knocked on the door and bit her lip while waiting. An older man, one she had seen at Kylo's bedside, opened the door.

"Can I help you?"

"Is Ben home?"

"Yes. Who are you?" He eyed her wearily.

"A friend of Ben's. My name's Rey. Could I talk to him?"

"Yeah, sure." He turned around shouted up the stairs. "Ben, you have a visitor."

Kylo came down the stairs, dark circles under his eyes, but no longer in hospital clothing. "Dad, that's not my-" He stopped and stared. "Rey."