Virgin Lips

40. Took you long enough

Blindly, because tears were fogging my sight, I grabbed his hand, and started running. I wasn't sure where to go, I just ran, Ben on tow, until I found a secluded enough place for us to speak privately. Unfortunately, that place turned out to be a not particularly pleasant bathroom, but oh well.

Sighing, I fell against the wall of a stall where I'd dragged Ben. It was way smaller than I thought at first. It was hard not to brush against each other, but luckily the bad smell averted my attention from that. I placed my hand over my heart, trying to catch my breaths. Ben was busy being a dad – calling Valerie to let her know the aliens hadn't abducted us, his daughter wasn't orphan.

I didn't think things through, though. When Ben looked at me expectantly, wanting to know why did I drag him into a smelly bathroom stall, why were my cheeks tear-stained, I felt cornered.

He knew it was an anxiety attack, and he knew there wasn't much to do other than the one thing he always did – hug me. This time, however, he didn't try to. However, before I could think the worst, he read my mind: "If I touch you now, I'm not gonna be held responsible for what follows."

I frowned, baffled. "What ..."

He leaned against the wall opposite to me. "We're in a small bathroom stall, barely inches away from each other."

"It was the first place I found, it's smelly, but ..."

"JoJo." He stopped me. "If there's one thing you've never even noticed, is just how difficult it was not to kiss you every time you were in my arms. You think the smell of a dirty bathroom would be a deterrent? Not even your vomit that time you almost threw up on me was enough."

"Gross."

He chuckled for the first time today, and my heart slowed down a bit after the frenzy of the race and the quasi-anxiety attack. "It's called love." Ben claimed cheekily, his light brown eyes fixated on me. "For the billionth time, silly woman, I love you." Contradicting his own words, he grabbed my hand, and pulled me into him. "And you love me back."

And there goes the heart restarting its race. "I ..."

"Tell me you don't." Ben demanded defiantly, cupping my cheeks, eyes always fixated on mine. "I dare you."

"That's ..." I sighed, trying to lower my glance, but he didn't let me. So, I just closed my eyes. "You're leaving."

"Only if you let me."

I reopened my eyes, this time looking straight into his light browns. "You mean it?"

"On one condition."

Somehow, I knew what he wanted. "I ... Jeremy, he ..."

Ben fainted a smile, caressing my cheek. "No offense, JoJo, but we both know Jeremy is just a parenthesis."

"That's unfair ..."

"Maybe, but true."

"You pushed me into him."

"Because my life is a mess." He cupped my cheek, our lips nearing. "I have a daughter and a family that demands a lot of me."

"And?" I scoffed.

"And ... you're a crazy cupcake that needs to let out some of her craziness. I can't cage you within family life when you haven't even had a chance to live."

"Seems to me, you don't have your ideas much clear either."

He laughed, pecking my lips. "I know I love you." He claimed. "And I understand now your main concern is that I might abandon you."

"You did."

"I gave you space."

"You messed up."