Chapter 29
TWENTY-NINE
I call Wes the minute they haul Ben away, using his phone. I don’t question why the guy doesn’t use a pin to lock his phone, because I highly doubt he ever lets anyone else touch it.
“Hey, you good?”
“No. He is not good,” I say into the phone.
“I’m going to guess you’re Prue.”
“Yes. Ben has been arrested,” I blurt out. “He told me to call you. Said you could get him a lawyer.”
“Arrested? For what? What did you get him into? Drugs?”
“No. I didn’t get him into drugs,” I snap back. “He got arrested for assault with a deadly weapon.”
“Damn it. That guy, I swear. What happened exactly?”
“Two cops showed up at his door and arrested him.”
“I mean, did he do it?”
“I’m not going to answer that.”
“Great. He is guilty. Fuck. Okay. I’ll call my lawyer, but chances are nothing can be done until Monday.”
“Oh God,” I whisper.
“Listen, I don’t know you, or what is going on, but if Ben is willing to do everything I’ve heard about for you, you matter to him. That means you have to trust me. I’ve known him longer, I care about him more, and I know him best. Let me handle this, and take care of yourself, got it?”
“If you care about him so much, why haven’t you been around?” I snap.
“If you care about him at all, you’ll let me handle this,” he counters. “Trust me, Prue, I’m going to take care of him. He’s like my brother.”
“Fine,” I mumble. “Call me if there are any updates.”
“I will. If he wants me to, that is.”
“He will,” I counter. “Bye.”
I fight back a scream when I hang up on Wes. He has no reason to trust me, and I have no reason to tell him what happened. Unfortunately, I do need to let him handle this, because Ben told me to. I’m not happy about it, but for Ben’s sake, I will let him get the lawyer.
And I’ll stay put. At least until Cameron is home.
After washing the bloody pocketknife and tossing it in a random drawer, I pace Ben’s apartment, over and over.
I turn the picture of him, his parents and the lady I’m sure hurt him around.
I rearrange his little trinkets. Moving the snow globe from one shelf to the other.
I organize the books he has a few times over before I accept that I’m not hearing from Wes or him tonight.
Giving up, I head to his bedroom. The walls are a dark gray.
His furniture is basic and dark. His bed is huge, and the blankets are thrown about.
Guitars hang on his walls. Six of them. All different colors and makes.
An acoustic guitar sits on a stand next to a chair.
He has a few awards on the walls as well. Clearly music does mean a lot to him.
I use his on-suite bathroom, eyeing his shower and smiling at his tea tree shampoo and citrus body wash. He also has facial moisturizer on his counter. Sexy rock star comes at a cost, apparently. I plan to tease him to no end about this.
I wash my face in his sink before stealing some of his mouthwash. It’s odd being in here without him. His absence hurts and I don’t know how to deal with that. We haven’t been together that long, but he has become a permanent fixture in my life already.
There is no way of knowing what is going to happen next, but all I know is I can’t lose him. I’ll take just being his friend, I’ll take whatever he is willing to offer me, because as much as I hate to admit it, I need him.
I strip down to my panties before grabbing a shirt lying across his bed. I don’t care if it’s dirty at this point, I just want to feel his presence somehow.
As I tug it over my head, I soak in the way it smells like him. Clean, smokey, and like the earth after rain. My heart aches knowing where he is right now, and I know it’s all my fault.
I don’t know how I’m supposed to get any sleep tonight, but once I curl up under his blanket, wrapped in fabric that seeps his scent, my eyes feel heavy, and sleep overtakes me.
When I wake up, the first thing I do is call Wes. He tells me his lawyer is going to call Ben today but won’t be able to see him until tomorrow. It’s concerning that Ben hasn’t called Wes or me yet, but I highly doubt he knows my number. And if he did call Wes, I doubt Wes would tell me.
Cameron calls me around noon, asking where I am at and that’s when I decide I can’t take another second being trapped in Ben’s condo without him.
When I walk into Cameron’s apartment, he is sitting on the couch, watching tv. He glances up when he sees me.
“How was your weekend?” He smiles. “I see you did some drinking.” He nods to the bottle of whiskey on his coffee table.
“No. Ben did that. He says he will replace it.”
“Ben? Like Ben Parker?” he asks, and I just nod. “He was here? Are you sleeping with him, sis?” Cameron studies me, surprise written all over his face.
“I took him to meet Mom and Dad,” I say instead of answering that question.
Cameron burst out laughing. “No way. Without me? God, I would’ve loved to witness that. How did it go?”
“Terrible. They disowned me.” I leave out the fact Ben stabbed himself. Cameron doesn’t need those details.
“No. You’re the golden child. They aren’t disowning you over hanging out with Ben.”
“Yeah, pretty sure they are. If they didn’t over Ben, then they will when they see the tattoo.”
“You got a tattoo?” His jaw drops. “Holy shit. What happened while I was gone? Did hell freeze over or something?”
“Something like that.” I shrug.
“I want to see it.”
“It’s small and on my ankle,” I counter as Ben’s phone buzzes in my pocket. I answer it without looking, figuring it’s probably Wes. “Hello?”
“How sweet of you to answer my phone for me, baby.” Ben’s voice instantly makes my chest tighten.
“Ben?”
“Yeah. I didn’t remember your number, so I thought I’d try mine and at least leave you a message. Lucky for me you have no problem invading my privacy.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t think. I thought maybe it was Wes.”
“Relax, Prue. I’m just playing around. Where are you?”
“Cameron’s.”
“Is he there with you?”
“Yes. I slept in your bed last night, like I promised.”
“I’m sad I couldn’t be there for that,” he says softly. “I would’ve rather fucked you before letting you sleep, but as it would seem I’m in major fucking shit right now.”
“Ben. I’m so sorry.”
“For?”
“This is all my…”
“Shh, baby. Now is not the time for that. I’m just calling to let you know I have court tomorrow. Wes’s lawyer says they will probably offer me bail if I surrender my passport. I’m having Wes bring it down tomorrow so I can get that squared away quickly. If all goes well, I’ll be out before noon.”
“On bail.”
“Yeah,” he says. “Listen, I need you not to show up tomorrow, okay? I’m pretty sure we can guess who is to blame for all this.
If not one, then the both of them are teaming up.
I have an odd feeling one or both will show up tomorrow and I can’t risk something happening to you when I’m unable to do anything about it. ”
“Ben, this is all…”
“Shh, baby. I’m trying very hard to behave right now, can you please help me out? I will make it up to you, however you see fit, but just don’t come down here tomorrow, okay? Can you do that for me?”
“Okay.”
“I have to go, Prue, but I’ll see you real soon.” The line goes dead before I have a chance to say goodbye.
I stand there, blinking back tears as Cameron stares at me.
“Prue, what the fuck is going on?” he asks.
I sigh, sinking into the spot beside him on the couch.
I don’t know where to start. Cameron is normally the one who comes to me with a wild story, but lately it’s been me relying on him.
It feels strange, but when he stares at me with those same blue eyes as mine, I remember how close we were as kids. And how much I know I can trust him.
“It’s a long story,” I start. “You know I met Ben at that party Monday.”
“Yes, but I didn’t know you guys got close.”
“We didn’t then. He ran into me at the coffee place by school. His mom taught one of my classes last year, he was meeting her or whatever.” I shrug. “He saw Charles talking to me and how upset it made me, so he followed me, and from there it’s just been him annoying me and defending me.”
“Charles talked to you? Why didn’t you tell me he was bothering you?”
“I didn’t want you to get involved.”
“Prue. You are my sister. The only reason I didn’t kick his ass because you told me not to, but I want that man dead more than you know.”
“He wanted me to go to an event with him Friday, but I couldn’t. Ben gave me his number, so I called him up since you were gone.”
“I would’ve come back if you asked me.”
“I know, but I never want to put your dream in danger.”
“Prue. You are more important to me than my dying dream. I can miss a show if you need me to.”
“It doesn’t matter now. Ben showed up after Charles and got him to leave.”
“Charles came here?”
“Twice. And Ben, well… he did some damage.”
“Kicked his ass?”
“And got his ass kicked.”
“Fuck. I owe that guy. How can I help?”
“You can’t. I think Dad and Charles are working together on this. We don’t stand a chance.” I shrug, fighting back tears. “He got into it with Dad too. Dad is set on me marrying Charles, even after everything.”
“I know,” Cameron says. “They’ve been trying to pressure me into sending you back there, but I told them to fuck off.”
“Oh. You did that for me?” It’s hard to picture Cameron standing up to my parents on my behalf.
“I’d do it for free, but gladly do it for you.” He shrugs. “You aren’t going back there, Prue. I won’t let you, and apparently neither will Ben.”
“What if I don’t have a choice?”
“You will always have a choice as long as you have me. And you have me until the end.”
“Yeah.” I nod.
“I’m going to be a better big brother going forward. I know I kind of abandoned you, but I thought it was what you wanted. Maybe I knew it wasn’t deep down and I’m just a coward, but either way, I’m sorry. I promise, from now, you have me however you need me.”
“You’re only five minutes older,” I tease.
“Doesn’t matter. I’m still your brother. It’s my job to protect you and I failed. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you, Cam.”
“Always, Prue.”
I’m curled up in bed watching a sad chick flick and trying not to cry. It’s hard not to think about how Ben is spending another night in jail while I’m in a comfy bed. It makes me feel extremely guilty.
I have been nothing but mean to him and he has done nothing but take care of me. I owe him so much after all this. I fear his kindness may end at getting arrested, but something tells me that’s not who Ben is. If he has gone this far, there is little doubt he will go even further if he has to.
No one has cared for me like this. Not even Cameron, who may be the only person up until now who cared about me at all. Even if he was doing his own thing, I knew deep down that Cameron cared for me, but I never relied on it. Still don’t feel like I can, but with Ben… he doesn’t give me a choice.
I mean he gives me tons of control but steps up to defend and protect me without question, without me needing to ask, even when I don’t want it. Like it’s just instinct for him. Just something he has to do.
And he said he thinks he loves me. We haven’t gotten a chance to talk about that. I don’t even know what to say to that. Ben Parker loving me is insane. I don’t see a world where we end up together, definitely not before this past week.
Even now it seems unlikely, but just knowing he feels so strongly about me makes me all warm inside. It shouldn’t. We are obviously bad for each other. He is reckless and willing to almost kill for me, and I am cruel to him for some reason. But both things feel really good.
It feels amazing to be with him.
And the sex. The sex is beyond words. I don’t know if I’ll ever find someone as good at making me cum as him.
At some point my phone buzzes. When I glance down and see Charles’ name, my heart stops. I know I can’t answer it. Ben wouldn’t want me too. Cameron would tell me not to, as well. Answering it brings nothing but trouble.
But when it rings again and again and again, I know I don’t have a choice.
Ben and I never end up together. That’s a given. He is a famous rock star, and I’m a girl who grew up among the rich. We would never be able to make it work. I have my responsibilities and he has his.
I knew that from the start, didn’t I? That I have no choice but to go back to the life I had before. Sure, Cameron has promised to protect me, and Ben has proven he would too, but ultimately they can’t.
But I can protect them.
I close my eyes, trying to push all the good feelings Ben has shown me from my mind. I don’t need to be reminded of what I’m about to give up.
“Hello,” I say softly into the phone. Ben would be livid with me right now, but I have to try to fix my own mess, to save him.
“You finally answered,” Charles says.
“What do you want?”
“I have an offering.”
“What kind of offering?” I counter.
“A diamond ring, a family merger and dropped attempted murder charges, all for the price of your pussy belonging to me for the rest of your life. Of course, there will be mild punishment to make up for the hell you put me through, but I think we can work out a way to keep the pain minimum and non-scarring.”
“If I agree, you’ll drop the charges against Ben?”
“Yes.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“I really don’t have time for a lawsuit, Prue. Plus, Ben has proven to be a loose cannon. I don’t have a clue what kind of shit he would pull in court.”
“You mean you don’t want to risk him telling everyone how you beat and raped me?”
“Prue, you shouldn’t say those things about your future husband, not unless you want to see Ben rot in a prison for a few years.”
“Fine,” I grumble. “I will marry you, be your good little housewife, take your beatings and lousy fucking, so long as you drop the charges against Ben.”
“Good. Now get your stuff together and I’ll drop you back off at your parents. Your father would like a few words with you, and I would like you to stay there until I’m ready to have you back at my place.”
“I’m not going anywhere until tomorrow when the charges are dropped,” I say firmly. “I’ll be submissive and sweet, better that I was before, never say a word while you fuck other women, but not until Ben is free.”
“Fine,” Charles says. “We can meet at the courthouse then. I’d just love to watch his face when he realizes you came back to me after all.”
“We can meet at my parents’ house.”
“Courthouse or nothing, sweetie.”
“Fine. I’ll see you at the courthouse tomorrow.”
Ben asked me not to go. I said I wouldn’t, but I already broke my promise to him in worse ways. He knew they would set a trap for me, but the thing is the trap was set the minute he got arrested. Now this is the only way out for us.