The Summer of Love ♡ Benny Rodriguez

19. Always be here

I have been working at the diner for about 5 days now, almost a week. Working with Molly made it so much easier since now I have another female friend who isn't related to Benny to talk to. She really is a kind, generous and a hard working human being and I'm glad that I get to work with someone as passionate as her.
Molly lives with her father and helps him with everything she can. He works as a doctor and sometimes comes home late. She has told me that her mother died in a car crash when she was very little and hardly remembers a thing. I felt very bad for her but she told me that she is fine and loves her father dearly. She also hopes that one day her father could find someone new and fall in love again. For her age, Molly is very mature and just wants to see her father be happy again.
Molly and I have shared everything with each other and now we are very close. She has also told me one of her most darkest secrets that she hasn't told anyone, not even her father. She said she can trust me with the secret because she said I look like the type who won't say a word. The secret she so much is scared to tell anyone is that she doesn't like boys, she feels more attraction towards girls. She was afraid that people would look at her differently and no one would want to be her friend because she likes the same sex. All I did was smile at Molly, grab her hand and told her,
"I don't care who you like, whether that be a boy, a girl or both I will always be here for you. As long as you are happy with the person you love I will support you."
She bursted into tears and fell into my arms. Those weren't tears of sadness, no no no, those were tears of joy and relief. She was scared of rejection from the world. She thought that there was something wrong with her. I had to remind her that there is nothing wrong with loving someone nothing wrong at all.
We then started talking about me for some reason and I told her about Benny and she wouldn't stop teasing me. I only told her that Benny and I have become good friends over the past month and things started to get pretty confusing after sleep over. She gave me advice and the one that I can remember clearly was,
"Baby girl, just live life while you're still here, go for it."
Thought about it real hard but I just brushed it off. We are just good friends nothing more. Then speaking of the devil, the diner door flings open and I see Benny and the boys come in. That's when I accidentally lock eyes Benny for a second and look away quickly. Molly giggles and I could feel my face warm up.
"It's your turn to take this order." She says while putting the notepad and pen in my hands and she pushes me playfully. I fix my skirt and slowly make it to the table.
"Hello, May I take your order?" I politely say to them. All I get were stares from them. "Hey! I'm trying to do my job here you guys are making it harder for me."
"S-sorry we just never seen you in anything other than jeans... it's something we're not used to." Says squints. Everyone else nods in agreement.
"Just shut up and tell me what you want, got other people's orders to take." I stated. The whole time I couldn't help but notice that Benny was looking at me but then when I felt his eyes on me and I looked at him, he quickly looked away. What a strange guy.
I went back with the order and gave it to the chef. Molly then grabs my arm and pulls me close to her.
"Oh my god Natalia, he was staring at you a lot! He's so into you!" Cooed Molly while tugging on my arm.
"M-Molly keep it down a little, people are staring at us now." I stuttered while biting my lips.
I couldn't help but think that she might be right but what all he cares about is baseball.
I felt as if someone's eyes were on me again, god I hate that feeling. I look around and see Benny staring at me again and once again he quickly looks away from my gaze. I really don't get boys sometimes.
Molly gets close to my ear and whispers, "He can't stop looking at you. It's because you're gorgeous he can't help but admire you from afar."
I couldn't help but blush and I push her off immediately in embarrassment. "Molly! Stop saying nonsense!" She started to giggle and that's when the chef kept ringing the little bell over and over and over again.
"Ladies stop messing around and get to work!" He commanded.
"Sorry sorry!" I quickly grabbed the food while Molly went to take the new costumers their order.
•
"God I'm ready to go home and go to sleep, I'm tired." Molly said sleepily and yawned. I look at her and laugh while I clean the last table.
I wash the rag and put it away as I headed to the kitchen and grab some leftovers to eat when I get home because boy was I hungry.
"Hey wanna walk home together?" I ask Molly who was about to head out the door.
She looks back and gives me a smile. "Yeah, I'd like that."
"Well shall we leave?" I hummed as  I walk towards her and we head out the door.
It was kinda cold out but luckily I had my jacket on. Guess it tends to get cold at night and very hot during the day. I look at Molly and she looked like she was freezing to death.
"Aren't you cold?" I ask with a bit of concern in my voice. She looks at me and she shakes her head.
"No no I'm fine... just a little chilly out. It's nothing I can't handle." She answered with a smile on her face.
"If you say so. If you get cold just tell me." I tell her and she just shook her head. It was very silent and all you can hear are our breathing and footsteps.
Molly lives in the same neighborhood as me just a couple of houses down from mine. She really is a sweet girl and I'm happy that I got to make a friend at work who's the same age as me or else I would have been lonely.
She's kinda similar to Camila but there sure are some differences. I really do miss her and everyone else back home. I honestly hate my father for all the bad things he's done. I just wish he'd just forget about us and move on. We all have done that already mom, Luna and I are living a great life without him. I just wish he'd leave us alone.
"Hey you okay?" Questioned Molly. I look up at her and shake the thoughts away.
"Y-yeah... I'm fine. It's just that you remind me of my friend back from home." I simply answered.
"Ah, that's an honor. By the way you talked about her she sounds like an amazing person." She smiled.
"I guess you can say she was amazing. She was always there for me whenever I needed her. We were inseparable... she was the shoulder I could cry on. We have been friends for literally my whole life. But now I can't spend summer with her like we used to... if  it weren't for my selfish dad we would have been a happy family. We wouldn't have to go through the trouble of moving states. We had to tho because he's capable of anything. I'm... I'm..." I paused. I felt like crying but I don't want to cry. Not here not now. It's all his fault. God I hate him. I hate home with a burning passion.
We arrived shortly at my house. Molly stops and looks at me with a big smile on her face. "It's okay."
Before I can go inside I stopped and look at her, I'm at the verge of tears. She walks to me slowly and pulls me into a hug.
"I'm scared Molly... I'm really scared." I bawled my eyes out as I cry on her shoulder.
"Don't be, I'm here for you just like you are for me... he won't find you and your family. I won't let him." She hugged me tightly.
I'm grateful. I'm very grateful to have moved here and start a new life. I'm glad I met the guys. I'm glad I get to play baseball with them. I'm glad I got to have met Katie and Molly. Im glad I met Cole. I'm glad to be here. Most importantly, I'm glad to have met Benny.
I'm glad, I'm very glad to have people who truly care about me around me. I feel loved for once.
I let go of Molly and wipe my tears. "Thank you." I thanked her with a smile. "Thank you for everything."
Her eyes softened and she gives me the most brightest smile I've ever seen. "No need to thank me, that's what friends are for. Now enough of the sad talk I wanna see you smile. Soooo lets start talking about the way Benny kept staring at you today."
I start to blush and I playfully hit her on her head. "Molly! Stop we're just friends!"
"Mhmmm sure more like friends with benefits." She smirks.
"You're so mean." I cross my arms and pout. She started to laugh and I couldn't help but join her too.
"I'm here for it tho! Oh my god wonder how your guy's kids would look like!" She continued to embarrass me.
"Just shut up already." I angrily tell her but I couldn't stay mad for something as silly as that. "It's getting pretty late, you should get home."
"Yeah I'm still very tired... I'll get going." Molly replied. "Oh, since tomorrow is a Saturday and we don't have to go to work... is it okay if I tag along with you tomorrow."
"Of course I don't mind. We leave at 8am is that good?" I ask her. She smiles and nods. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Yeah, good night Natalia! See ya tomorrow." She said as she walked away. I smile and wave back at her then I go into my house.
•Benny's POV•
I watch Natalia as she went inside her house and her friend from work went home from my window. This was a first for me... seeing her cry so much. The pain in her eyes and voice, I hate seeing her like that. I can't bare to see her sad at all. I wish it were me she hugged so tightly. I want her in my arms so bad... no. I need her in my arms. But she only thinks about me as a friend and that's it.
"So that's how you feel."
♡
A/n
Oh goddddd here I am BACK FROM THE DEAD! Yes it's been months and here I am with an update!!! Got some stuff to say... the first thing I have to say is IM SORRYYYY!!! I'm so sorry I took so long again but I am just lazy and I can't help it. I also can't think about what to write :( also I have gotten to watching anime again... 6th grade me screaming lolol. Also been playing Mystic Messenger because I've been told to download it and now my sleep schedule is even more ruined. So uhhh yeeee another thing I have to say is hehehehe I made a lesbian character! I had the thought of making a character who's part of the lgbtq+ and I have finally done it. It was kinda scary because I didn't know what you guys would think but then I remembered this is my book so I can do whatever I want. THE LAST THING I WANNA SAY IS THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT AND FOR 11K+ READS ON THIS BOOK!!! Seriously I can't thank you all enough and also thank you all for your patience... I just haven't been motivated much but last time we were at 8k and now I'm so happy to say that we have passed that by a lot. I just can't stop saying thank you to all of you so I should stop because this is already to long hehe. Again thank you and stay safe please :)
- Natalia G ★