Derailed

Chapter Seven

There was a blue Ford truck parked on the street out front when I got home. I walked down the driveway to check it out, wary about who it could be. A quick examination made its owner abundantly clear. The variety of bumper stickers advertising Mathews Fishing Tours and the Grizzlies was a dead giveaway.

What was Ben doing at my house?

I assumed he was around back, but decided to go inside first to drop off my bag. I took one step inside and heard the music—Snow Patrol—a song I only had on a mix CD Ben made me senior year.

I took the stairs slowly, pausing at the door to my room. Ben looked up from his spot on my floor. "Hey, feeling nostalgic, huh?" He held up a few pictures from the box of mementoes I hadn't returned to my closet yet.

"What are you doing here? And how did you get in?"

He grinned, stretching out his legs. "I used my key."

I walked into the room. "You have a key to my parents' house?"

"Yeah, you gave it to me when I came by to feed Pretzel when you went on vacation."

"You still have the key we gave you junior year when you came to feed the cat?"

"You never took it back. You knew that. I used it a few times senior year when your parents went away."

I definitely remembered those few times. Those were the only nights we ever spent together, and we did everything but sleep.

"So you just happened to have it with you tonight?"

"I guess I never took it off my keychain." He shrugged. "But I wouldn't talk. It looks like you kept everything." He gestured to the pile in front of him.

"I was always sentimental."

"We had fun together, didn't we?" He held up a picture of us making goofy faces. It was from a photo booth at the local movie theater, and it was one of the many photos of us that used to stick out from behind my mirror.

"Yeah, we did. But you didn't answer me. What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like? I'm looking through pictures." He looked at me innocently.

"Come on, why are you in this house?"

"I thought I'd come by and surprise you and to make sure you weren't swimming without me. Where were you anyhow?"

"Over at Kelly's." I specifically left out who was there. I had no idea whether Ben and Gavin knew each other.

"Have you two been catching up?"

"A little, it's good to see her."

"How about me?"

"What about you?" I asked hesitantly.

"Is it good to see me?" He pulled a pillow off my bed and lay down on the floor. Tired of standing, I sat down next to him.

"I guess."

"You guess? You seemed really glad to see me last night."

"You caught me by surprise."

"Oh, was that all it was? So you don't want it to happen again?" He sat up to lean on one elbow. "Are you sure about that?"

I nodded.

"I'm calling your bluff." Without warning, he pushed me down, pinning my arms above my head as he hovered above me, his lips mere inches from mine. "Tell me you don't want me to kiss you. I dare you."