Who Would I Be Without You? //Ben Cook fanfic// *FINISHED*

Fourteen: Paint Stains and Lunch Dates

My phone buzzes from the coffee table and I am temporarily snapped out of the intense focus on the movie me and Josh were watching in the living room. I lean over and grab my phone, careful to not wake Ben, who's head was currently laid on my lap. He was still trying to get over the stomach bug that he contracted under a week ago and had fallen asleep 5 minutes into the movie and had remained that way for the last 2 hours or so.

I unlock my phone and check the message that just came through.

You busy?

It was from Sky, and I couldn't help but let the shadow of a smile appear on my face as I message him back.

Just watching Deadpool 2 with Ben and Josh. Why?x

A reply comes back seconds after I hit send.

We haven't hung out in a while and I wanted to invite you out to lunch :)

That's true. Me and Sky really haven't had a chance to hang out all that much since I arrived in New York, at least not alone that is (unless you count that one time when Ben had to go to the bathroom when we were out getting coffee and we talked for 5 minutes.) We've been texting a lot, face timed a few times, but no proper alone time due to Ben dragging me along on his errands and to the theatre and any spare time I have off is dedicated to lying on the couch with Josh, Iain, Demarius, Erika, Taylor  or literally anyone from Mean Girls, watching movies and eating junk food.

What did you have in mind?x

There's this pizza place I know you'd love, not too far from my place, text me when the movie's finished and we can meet up.

My stomach growled as I read that. Pizza did sound amazing right now and I hadn't had breakfast so this was perfect!

The movie finishes in 20 minutes. Meet you at the end of the block?x

Sounds great! See you then ;)

I lock my phone again and put it back on the coffee table, getting comfortable again and tuning back into the movie. 5 minutes later, I look over at Josh to see that he's looking at me, smirking, I dart my eyes from side to side before making eye contact with him again. "What?"

Josh shrugged. "Oh, nothin'...just curious as to who you were texting?"

"Just Alex," I lie, holding a pillow to my chest, "I told him to text me once he landed back home."

Alex had gone back to Virginia yesterday and I had gone with him to the airport to wave him off. I hugged him and told him to text me as soon as he landed which he did, but I saw that text when I woke up this morning.

"Ah," Josh nodded, turning back to the TV. "Funny, I guess you clicked on the wrong number then, cause I'm pretty sure I saw Sky's name while you were texting..."

My head whirls around to him and I hit him with the pillow I had in my arms. "You are such a snoop!" I laugh as he throws the pillow back.

"Well...we're you going for your date?" he sang out, flinching as he saw me hold up the pillow, threatening to throw it again.

I huff, blowing a piece of hair off my face. "Just a pizzeria uptown, nothing special, don't give me that look!" I say, narrowing my eyes at him as he smirks and wiggles his eye brows at me.

I gently lift Ben's head up from my lap and get up, gently placing his head on one of his pillows from his bed that he had been using on the couch for the past week and head for his room.

I rummage around in my suitcase for something clean to wear. After a few minutes of searching, I decide on my favourite green dress, a denim jacket, a thick pair of black tights and my combat boots. I then go to the bathroom, wash my face, brush my teeth and hair before throwing it up into a loose, low bun and push my glasses back onto my face.