The Leftovers

Chapter 4

Chapter: 4

Ben’s POV:

“I’m glad I finally know your name.” I say as I stare at her beautiful eyes.

“I just want you to know that what happened yesterday had nothing to do with you. I’m just sick of sympathy.” She says.

“Okay,” I smile “So does that mean if I push you in I shouldn’t feel bad?” She laughs and I grab her waist. We jump into the water together.

“I figured that we should start from the beginning.” I say and she laughs. She laughs so hard that I have to grab her and keep her from going under. She begins to splash me and I splash back. We laugh until our stomachs hurt. As our legs get tired, we swim towards the dock. I lift her onto the dock and then hoist myself up beside her, our legs touching.

“Who are you?” She asks after we sit silently for a few moments

“What do you mean?”

“Tell me everything I need to know about you,” she replied with a small smile, “You must already know about me.”

“All I know is that this gorgeous blondie named Charlotte is someone I want to get to know.” I guess by her expression I didn’t say what she had expected. 

“The girl whose house burned down...and whose mother died after delivering her seventh child...The girl who works 2 jobs and whose Father is never home.” Her eyes fill with tears. “I’m that crazy 17 year old girl that is a mother to her siblings and doesn’t really get out much.”

I look at her is disbelief. “You work two jobs? And go to school? And take care of 6 kids?”

“Eight actually, including Jeanine’s kids,” a small smile creeping across her face as she whispered her last sentence.

“Who’s Jeanine?” I ask, now confused.

“When our house burned down, we didn’t have the money to move. Our neighbor had just lost her husband and let us move in with her.”

“Wow,” I said. We sat there in silence, looking down at our entangled feet.

“So,” she said trying to lighten the mood.

“Yes Beautiful?”

“Who are you?”

“I, my lovely lady, am Benjamin Scott Leandro.” She laughed as I jumped up from the dock into a sweeping bow.

“And?” She prodded, hardly containing her giggles.

“Well my mother and my father had me when they were very young. My mom left me with her sister and her husband - she wanted a life without a baby - so I don’t even remember her. My father however visited me every week…almost two years ago he died…” I trailed off for a moment before I picked back up, “I have two dogs that moved here with me a few weeks ago. I just got a job at the grocery store…and I really like you.” I finished off with a smile as I gently kissed her on the nose.

A guarded smile crossed her face and she looked up to me. I could tell something wasn’t right. “Ben...” she started off, “I really don’t think I can do this.”