Dream Girl

How Can You Really

Rhys' P.O.V

Rhys walked down the very busy Michigan Avenue, better known as the Magnificent Mile, in Chicago. She was just coming from lunch at The Grand Lux Cafe on the corner of Michigan and Ontario. She had never been to Chicago so she wanted to take in the sights by herself. She watched as all the people rushed past her. Some dressed for the office, some were obviously tourists. There was a man covered in silver body paint performing on the sidewalk and she threw a 50 dollar bill into his hat. She browsed around until she got bored and headed back to the hotel room. She took the elevator up to the 17th floor and entered her room. Ben had to book her a separate room because it was prohibited for him to have a non-family member staying with him.

She sat her purse down on the bed and looked out the large window onto the street below. The car horns blaring were faint in the room. She sat on the bed and turned the television on and watched the local news. Chicago seemed to be a busy city in many ways, and Rhys did not like the fast pace of this city. She looked down at her phone and a few notifications, none of which were important. It was times like this that she was reminded she had no family. The only person that would check on her was Ziggy and she would be at work during this time. It was a lonely existence that she was mostly okay with, but that didn't mean the sadness never consumed her when she thought about it.

She went up to the bar, Baptiste & Bottle, on the twentieth floor of the hotel. She ordered a spirit free drink called 'Oopsy Daisy' and sipped on that. The bar and restaurant had a great view of the street and the surrounding buildings. Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she looked at the name. Ziggy Tackitt. "Hey," she answered. "I can feel when you're lonely so I decided to call," Ziggy said. Rhys chuckled and then took another sip of the drink. "How's Chicago?" she asked. "It's nice; not as cold as I was expecting. It's fairly mild for winter weather and there is only a dusting of snow on the ground".

"Maybe I should've came," Ziggy laughed. "It's fucking freezing here. It was so cold my car almost didn't start". Rhys took another sip and stared out the window. "This place is kind of overrated to be honest," she said. "Too loud and far too congested. I don't know how people find peace in this". A door could be heard being closed on Ziggy's end of the call. "I'm not sure if people go there to find peace, Padge. I'm sure high paying jobs are abundant out there and that's what draws most people". She shrugged and finished her drink. "That's probably the case. I don't live here so it doesn't really matter. I was just making an observation".

Rhys walked over to the bartender and paid for her drink. "Have you done any shopping since you're like kind of close to the high end stores?" Ziggy asks as Rhys pressed the down button for the elevator. "You know I don't like to shop, but I did get you a little gift," she said. "Ahh!" Ziggy lets out as the elevator door opens. "And what is my gift?" she asks. "It wouldn't be a gift if I told you now would it?". Rhys walked into the elevator and then got off on her floor. "That's true but you know I like to know these things". Rhys opened the door of her room and Ben was sitting on the bed. "Let me call you back". She ended the call with Ziggy and smiled shyly at him.

"Benjamin," she said softly. "I wasn't expecting you back so early". She sat her bag down on the chair and walked over to the mini-fridge. "Do you want anything to drink?" she asked him as she grabbed a bottle of water. "Nah I'm good". She sat down at the table and looked at him. "Did one of the events end early?" she asked. "Something like that". She looked over at him in concern as he was never this short with her. "Is something bothering you?" she asked. "You could say that," he said with his hands folded in his lap. "Well what is it?" she asked with a curious grin.

Ben's P.O.V

"I've been trying to have a conversation with you for the past three weeks," he said. "We've had plenty of conversations over the past few weeks. I'm not sure what you mean," Rhys wondered. "Stop playing stupid". Rhys looked at him as she brushed her behind her ear, looking somewhat frightened. "You know exactly what conversation I'm talking about. You've been avoiding it since that night at my house". She sighed and then drank some water. "Care to explain why you just left like that?" he sneered at her.

He looked at her angrily as she attempted to gather her thoughts. He had been patient for so long, but the night at his house was the last straw. He had grown increasingly frustrated with her over the past three weeks and almost considered asking her not to come with him to Chicago. He wanted to ask her to be his girlfriend that night but she left without notice and then didn't talk to him again until four days later. This moment was going to make or break them. If he didn't hear what he needed to, it was over between the two of them.

"I'm not ready to have that talk just yet," she finally said. "Well when then? In three and a half months it'll have been a year since we met. It's now been six months since I told you I loved you. I stuck by you after I found out you were married and even supported you through the divorce. I could've walked out the second I figured out who that guy was, but I didn't". Rhys smiled at him. "And I'm glad you didn't walk out". He rolled his eyes and continued to talk.

"I gave you some time after the divorce to see where your head was at. That night I finally thought we were on the same page and then you just fucking left!" he yelled. She sat back in her seat and bit the inside of her lip. "I thought I gave you enough time to figure out what you wanted but-" Ben stopped as Rhys cut him off. "And what makes you think you know what I want?" she asked. "Maybe what we have now is exactly what I want from you. Nothing more". Ben sucked his teeth and nodded. She turned in her chair to face him.

"But it's not what I want," he said. "I'm supposed to want what you want? Is that what it is?" she stressed. "That's not what I said," he mumbled. "That's exactly what you said!", she hissed. "You gave me time and expected me to come around to you because you wouldn't leave me alone? And even though I told you from the very start what this would be, you expected me to change that for you?". Her eyes narrowed at him. "Have you ever once thought about how I felt in any of this or was it all about you catching some prize? Like, are you proving to yourself that you can win over the girl who is emotionally unavailable?".

Ben sat still with his hands in his lap. He wasn't expecting this kind of blow back from asking a question. "Let me ask you something: how can you really love someone who can't love you?". Ben's heart sank in his chest when she asked him that. "But you said you loved me," he murmured. "I love you in the only way I can and that's at a distance, on my own terms". She walked over to her suitcase and began packing it. The two of them were silent for the remainder of the time in the room. Rhys zipped up her suitcase and stood in front of Ben.

She kissed him on the lips and walked to the door. As she opened it, Rhys said, "How about you go and find somebody who can love you". She walked out of the room and quietly closed the door behind her. Ben clenched his jaw as a single tear fell from his eye.