Rewrite the Stars

Chapter Two - The Dreaded Encounter

Heavy knocks on the front door surprise me the next day as I sit on the kitchen counter and eat my cereal. My eyes go to the clock on the wall and I notice that it's still quite early. I have no idea who it might be since just a few people know where I live and I am not expecting anyone.

More heavy knocks sound before I open it. The person that greets me on the other side of the door is someone I am not ready to talk to yet.

"So, the rumors are true."

Benjamin is standing there with an angry look on his face. His eyes soften for a moment when they land on mine, but it's gone as soon as it appears.

Standing there in his black suit, Benjamin looks as good as he did three years ago if not better. I feel my legs giving out on me so I hold the door so hard that my knuckles go white just to keep my balance.

"Would you like to come in?" I ask him nervously, not wanting to have this confrontation out on the street with nosy people trying to get the gossip of the day.

Benjamin nods firmly and steps inside my house. I close the door then turn to look at him.

"I heard rumors that you were back in town." He starts. "People saw you at Little Goat's Diner. I didn't believe it at first. I thought to myself that no Rosalinda wouldn't come here and not even talk to me, but I guess I was wrong." He looks so disappointed, and it is a look I didn't want to see.

"I wanted to talk to you." I begin to say above a whisper, but I'm cut off with Benjamin's angry voice.

"But you didn't!" He yells. I can feel him barely holding in his anger and emotions. "You leave, out of the blue, you just leave. Head out of town, you just disappear!" he goes on. "Not even a good bye. Was I not worthy enough for a goodbye?" He asks me.

"Benjamin, Please." I plead with him to understand me.

"Please what, Rosalinda?" He has only ever used my full name before when he was angry or about to tell me something serious. "You didn't even have the decency to tell me you were leaving." He didn't even let me say a word. He just keeps going. "Were you in love with someone else? Was that it? You ran away with him?"

I know that Benjamin is furious and I know he's just saying that because he's angry, but I feel a pang of hurt that he thinks so lowly of me. That he thinks I might have cheated on him. I would have never done that. I loved him so much to think of someone else. I still love him. He will always be a part of me.

"Are you implying that I cheated on you?" I ask him outraged.

"Maybe I am." He says firmly.

"Well, you're one to talk." I scoff. "You didn't waste any time finding other girls to warm your bed."

Benjamin runs his hand through his hair. "Let me guess. Wyatt told you that?" I look at him with confusion written all over my face. "Yeah, it's a small town, Rosalinda, in case you forgot. Nothing's hidden or private here."

"Just like your relationship with Cheryl, I'm guessing." I fire back.

Benjamin and I have never fought like this, and it breaks my heart that we've reached to this; to treating each other with hostility. Not for a second did I imagine my first encounter with him would be this heated. I didn't expect him to be waiting for me with open arms, but I didn't expect this either.

Benjamin winces, and starts walking back and forth in my living room. "You know about Cheryl." He says it as a statement rather than a question.

"Yes, Wyatt told me." I inform him. "Good for you. You found someone that makes you happy." I tell him softly.

Benjamin stares at me for a moment. I feel his eyes taking me all in. "She does make me happy." He says. "She knows how to keep a promise too."

This sentence did not go unnoticed by me. I know what he means and I know he's saying that to hurt me and make me feel guilty that I broke my promise of a lifetime with him. My eyes well up with tears and I can barely hold it in. I'm in a war with my tears, but I'm adamant about not losing.

"I'm glad that you left. You let me dodge a bullet by being with someone like you!" I lost. I lost the war. A silent tear falls down my cheek, but I'm so glad that Benjamin was out the door before he could see me completely break down.

I slide down to the floor and just let the tears freely fall down. I hear my phone ringing in my bedroom, but I can't find it in me to move. I am too emotionally drained so I just let it ring.

"Open up, Rosa." I hear Esmeralda's voice outside my door.

"Aunt Rosa!" Philip, Esmeralda's son, runs to me and tackles me in a hug.

"Hey, baby boy. I miss you." I tell him as I ruffle his hair.

"I'm not a baby" He exclaims with his hand on his hips.

"Rosa, I called you." Esmeralda comes closer to me and hugs me, well as much as her baby bump allows her. She then takes a good look at me. "He's been here." She says in a matter of fact tone and I nod as fresh new tears spill down my face.

Esmeralda leads me to the couch then busies herself in my kitchen making a cup of tea. Philip is sitting on the floor watching his favorite cartoon.

"Here you go." I gratefully accept the hot mug of tea as Esmeralda takes seat beside me on the couch and angles her body towards me so that she's facing me.

"You gave him my address right?" I wasn't accusing her of anything. I just genuinely wanted to know.

Esmeralda nods. "I'm sorry. I had no other choice. He came barging in early this morning demanding that either Collin or I give him your address. I knew if I didn't give it to him, he'll figure out a way to get it." She pauses for a moment as she looks at me then nervously says. "He's really angry, Rosa. He knows that we lied to him. He knows that Collin and I knew where you were all this time."

"You didn't say anything, right?" I was suddenly so afraid.

"Of course not, sweetie." Esmeralda assures me. "Collin and I promised you that we wouldn't say a word to Ben and we didn't." I sigh in relief.

"Is it true he was having flings when I left?" I asked her, just wanting to make sure.

Esmeralda simply nods. "I thought you didn't want to know anything about him."

When I moved I made Esmeralda promise me not to tell Benjamin anything about me and I didn't want to know anything about him as well. In my mind, if I knew what he was up to I would miss him. I didn't want to forget him, but I wanted him to forget about me. For his own good.

"I don't." I answer meekly as I take a sip of my now warm tea.

"Sure, you don't." Esmeralda smiles warmly. "What you need to know is Benjamin was in a very bad place when you left. He broke our hearts. He was so lost. He'd get in fights and Collin once had to bail him from jail." My hands suddenly go to my mouth as I gasp. "Don't ask. It's not my story to tell." I nod wanting her to go on. "You're my sister Rosa and I love you, but Benjamin is very dear to me as well and it broke my heart to see him that way. He deserves to know the truth. Maybe not right at this moment, but when you're ready."

I know that what Esmeralda said is right and that I need to tell Benjamin the truth. He deserves to know the truth, but I'm not ready quite yet. I just pray to god that he won't look at me differently when I do tell him.

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