Say Something | Ben Tyler Cook/Newsies

Chapter Twenty-four

I was equally confused as I was disappointed.  Thoughts circulated in my brain until they caused a headache.  Were Ben and Kim still an item?  Sky had used past-tense to explain their situation, so they couldn't still be involved in a relationship.  Could they?

If they weren't, Kim certainly was acting like they were.  For example, the innocent peck on the cheek---or what she might've depicted as innocent.  Or maybe that was exactly what it was: a harmless gesture shared between two childhood friends---or lovers, according to Sky.  Was I reading too far into this? 

Despite my flurry of unspoken ans unanswered questions, Sky and I engaged in a friendly conversation, whilst Ben and the others had theirs.

"I didn't know you were going to be here," Sky said after a lull in our discussion.  He remained in his casual stance, his arms folded neatly across his chest. 

"I know?  What're the chances that we randomly meet up in the park?" I replied.

Sky's eyebrows furrowed, evidently puzzled by my rhetorical question. 

"You mean, Ben didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" What else was Ben concealing?  Not that I earned the right to know his business, it just would've been appreciated if some light was shed on different areas.  Such as Kim.

But it didn't concern me, and I certainly wasn't about to pry or appear desperate.  Though curiosity clawed at my stomach like an angry feline.

"I guess it doesn't really matter, anyway," he muttered, his dark irises focusing on something in the distance.  Had an object caught his eye or was he "casually" avoiding eye contact?  I tried to deconstruct the emotion behind the relaxed layer masking his face---but it was futile.

"So," I pressed, suppressing my anxiousness, "what is it then?" 

"Nothing.  We just texted Ben saying we were meeting here."

No wonder Ben randomly invented the idea, I thought reproachfully. 

"I just assumed he told you," Sky concluded, adding a slight shrug.

"And by 'we' you mean...?" 

My fingers were mentally crossed, praying that he meant just himself and Tommy. 

"Me and Tommy."

I closed my eyes (in what I hoped to be a casual manner), pretending to prolong a blink.  Relief warmed my stomach as I thought of Ben being completely oblivious to Kim being here.  Maybe his reaction was genuine after all.

I was slightly concerned, however, about Ben not telling me of Sky's text.  Did he think, by telling me his reasoning for going to the park, that I wouldn't still be interested?  Like Sky had stated, it wasn't a huge deal, it just left me bewildered.

Suddenly, the familiar chime of Ben's mobile notifications snapped me back into reality.  I'd heard that noise before---when we were leaving the restaurant.  That must've been when Sky texted him.

Seconds later, Ben touched my arm, sending an unwanted giddy feeling streaming through me.

When I turned to face him, his signature smile was plastered across his lips, and his perfect sapphire eyes bore into mine.  Any intimidation had disintegrated, leaving me with a peculiar combination of fangirl-ish-ness and envy.  I think the jealously was activated when I knew that only a platonic intention lay beyond his eyes. 

"Good news," he said. I noticed that everyone, included Tommy, was silent and fixated on Ben. "Josh texted me: Ginger just woke up."

Sorry for the extremely short, filler chapter.  Something longer and, hopefully, more interesting will be posted next ✌