Spy School: Life After Graduation

Chapter 47: I Knew I Loved You Then

Hey, no A/N today, hope you enjoy.

Living Room
Berica's House
12:30 PM
Wednesday
July 29th

Ben's POV:
"I love you Erica. You're amazing. You're beautiful. I LOVE you. But please LET ME GET UP!"

I was pacing from the living room to the kitchen.

"Nope."

"WHY NOT!?! I'm fine!"

"Because you need to rest."

"I HAVE RESTED FOR THE PAST 5 DAYS!"

"And yet you're still not healed. So you will keep resting." She giggled.

"Ericaaaaaaaaaa! Stoooooooooop! It's not funnyyy!"

"Well you're 19 and acting 4 so... sorry but it really is."

"Erica why are you being so bossy? I am 19. I am an adult. I can make my own decisions."

"Aww," She fake pouted. "Maybe, but I am your wife and the doctors said I'm in charge of what you can and can't do given you are injured and stubborn. And I'd like to point out the only reason you even ended up in a coma was because you were stubborn and didn't rest."

"It's been like a month since I got shot, so those are healed. It's been like a month so my ribs are like a little over halfway healed. It's been like a month so my leg is mostly healed. It's been like a month and I can remember everything and can do everything again."

"Your point is...?"

"I'm mostly healed. If I don't start training again soon I'm gonna recess. I worked so hard to get almost as good as you. Now I gotta do it basically all over again. I want to get it over with. I want to move on!" I sat down on the couch angrily.

"I understand that Ben but you don't limit yourself. You keep pushing yourself even when you're bleeding out with broken bones. You don't rest unless I make you."

I continued pouting and looked the opposite way.

"Ben." She said softly. "I love you. And lost you for weeks. Because you don't understand that sometimes the only thing any of us need is for you to take care of yourself. Do you understand how hard it was for me? For any of us? To have to wait and hope you were okay? That you would be? Do you have any idea how hard it is to wait for someone?"

"No. You're right. I have absolutely no idea how hard it is. To wait a few weeks for someone. Wow that must have been hard." I said sarcastically. "I waited for you for years Erica. I texted you almost every day for so long hoping you might answer me. But there was no response. Ever."

"Ben I'm sorry."

"At least you knew I loved you and would kill to be with you again. You knew where I was, who I loved, what happened, what I wanted, who I wanted to be with. Me? I had no idea if you even remembered me. If you'd moved on. I didn't know where you were or what you had been doing. I didn't know if you loved me. Or if you even liked me. But worse, I didn't know if you were alive." My voice cracked. "So please don't act like I don't know what that feels like. Because you graduated 2 years before me. But I waited for you since I was 12. I dated one person and as soon as I did I knew you were the only one I wanted. For those 2 years until I graduated, I didn't hear a word from you. Believe me if anyone knows about waiting for the person they love, hoping they were okay, I'm certainly one of them." 

A single tear rolled down my face. She sat down next to me and wrapped her arms around me.

"Ben I'm sorry. I truly am. I didn't mean to upset you. It's just really hard to wait for someone that long. I don't understand how you waited over 2 years for me. And 5 before that."

"I knew I loved you then. But you'd never know. Cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go. I knew I needed you. But I never showed. But I wanted to stay with you until we were grey and old. I'm so in love with you, and I hope you know. Darling, your love is more than worth its weight in gold. We've come so far, my dear. Look how we've grow.n And I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old. From a song by James Arthur. And it was like the song I listened to whenever I missed you. I listened to it at least once a day."

"Aww." She blushed slightly.

"I waited because I love you. 7 years, 9 months, 1 week, 4 days, 2 hours, 32 minutes-"

"But who's counting?" She joked.

"I've loved you since you tackled me. And you were all sarcastic and rude, but I knew it was an act. It was you trying to protect yourself from getting hurt again. I was so intrigued by you. You were beautiful and amazing and strong, but broken and hurting. Only you wouldn't let anyone know. For fear they'd use it against you. I knew it'd take time to get you to let me in. So I tried my best to be there for you. I tried to get to know you at every turn, so I'd be able to help you. I cared so much because I love you."

She began shaking a little as she cried into my shoulder. She was now curled into a little ball by me so I put my arms around her.

"Aw no I didn't mean to make you cry..." I kissed her forehead and rubbed her back.

She sniffled and looked up.

"Baby no don't cry..."

"You're amazing Ben." She said softly.

"Aw I was just trying to explain why I was able to wait for so long. I never meant to make you cry."

"I know but I couldn't help it. I always loved how you'd stand up for me and try to impress me. And how you always said you liked me for my personality and not my looks. It was adorable. But I never realized it was because you knew I needed a friend that you tried so hard. And I never realized you loved me then."

"Always."

I hugged her tightly for what felt like forever. Neither of us wanted to move. Mav decided we should though. He jumped up onto us and wriggled under my arm.

"The fam together again." I laughed.

Okay here's update 2. 2 more on the way, so stay tuned.