The Intern - SEQUEL to The Mentor

Repair

Rey's POV

Gwen sat with me for a while in the room just trying to calm me down after I had a pretty intense anxiety attack. The unknown of where he is or what he's thinking has me convinced that we're over and I can't seem to get myself settled down. She and Hux left a little while ago to give me my space and to go to whatever activity they had scheduled for the afternoon.

In an effort to distract myself, I put my swimsuit on and climb into the Infiniti pool, hanging on the wall that leads out to the ocean. I let out a cleansing breath to relax, allowing my legs to float behind me, and the water laps against my shoulders.

My stomach leaps up to my throat as I hear the villa door open and the sound of sneakers walking across the tile floor. The screen door leading to the pool deck opens and the footsteps stop abruptly.

"What the hell Rey?" Ben's voice comes from behind me with a bite and I take a cleansing breath before turning around. He stands there with arms crossed, wearing athletic clothes.

"Let me explain," I say moving back to the pool stairs. He rolls his eyes and sits down on one of the tanning chairs, I sit across from him after grabbing a towel, our knees a couple of inches apart.

"Okay, explain." He says.

I look down and notice the absence of his ring on his finger and his knuckles look bruised signifying he was probably in the gym and using the punching bag. Even when he's working out though, he usually has a silicone ring on so it's absence adds to the feeling that he is done. I swallow, trying to settle myself as I think about how to start explaining this.

"I don't have feelings for him," I say.

"Rey those photos make you look like a straight-up couple. I'm sick of hearing about how you don't like him like that and how you don't have feelings."

"I get that, but I'm telling you, from my side, we were just friends until the very end of our friendship." He watches me, his dark brown eyes soft, and I'm glad to see his expression is at least open. "The week before Christmas he kissed me. It took me a second to process the shock and I immediately pushed him away."

"Is that why your hands are on his chest in that photo?"

"Yeah. I would never do that to you, you know that right?"

"I think that's the main reason I was able to come back to you so easily today. I was hurt and angry when I saw the photos, but I knew deep down that you wouldn't do that."

"I'm sorry Ben." I grab his hands and he looks back up at me. "I've been so close with Poe for so long and he has never made a move on me, so I thought it would be no big deal to have another friend that was a guy. But nick is nothing like Poe."

"Not even close." Ben laughs.

"I ended the friendship. I told him that because he has zero respect for my relationship, I can't be around him and that he should forget I even exist."

"He clearly didn't do that," Ben laughs.

"I'm shocked it took this long for him to sabotage actually. From the look of it, those photos were taken between July and December."

"Rey?" He asks looking at his feet. "When I tell you I don't like something and I'm not comfortable with it, will you please hear me out and trust me?"

"Yes, I'm sorry."

"We could have avoided this," He says quietly looking up at me.

"I know I'm sorry," I whisper. "Are we okay?" I ask and he stares at me for a second before answering.