Chapter 28
CHAPTER 28
Pilar
More than anything, I wished Kayla would stop talking to the press. It seemed she’d tapered off after she made her initial announcements, but nope. That was wishful thinking. Now every single tabloid had her face on the cover. What was worse, it was her face and Ben’s. Some of the photos she’d sold were of the two of them kissing and holding hands. Even though he looked very young in them, which helped to prove that he wasn’t lying about them not being together, it didn’t make it any less hurtful to see him with another woman. Kissing her. Holding hands with her. I reminded myself about the child and sighed heavily.
“You need to stop looking at these.” Joss shook her head as she walked over to my bed and began collecting the tabloids. “Who brings you this crap anyway?”
“Amir.” I shut my eyes and fell onto my pillow.
“Why would he?—?”
“Because I told him he had to.” I sat up quickly. “I want to know what people are saying about all of this. There are photos of me with Ben, and then Ben with Kayla and I just…” I sighed again. “I don’t know what to think anymore.”
“You know what’s odd?” Joss sat down on the edge of my bed. “There are no photos of his ex or the boy. Anywhere. Not even Kayla has mentioned them.”
“I know. I found it odd as well.”
“It’s weird.”
“I agree. I just wish he’d trusted me with the news. I wouldn’t have gone to the tabloids with it.” My voice weakened. “I can’t believe he didn’t tell me.”
“Have you given him a chance to explain himself?”
“No.” I shook my head slowly. “I don’t think I can hear his voice or see him without crying.”
“Okay, let’s talk about this.” She stood and walked over to me, sitting down beside me. “What exactly bothers you? Is it the fact that he didn’t tell you, or that he has a child with someone else?”
“Both.” My voice broke. “Both. It’s so dumb. The boy is like five, and it’s not like I ever thought I’d get together with Ben. I dreamed of it, yes, but I didn’t think it would happen, and now I find out he has this experience with another woman. This life-bonding thing. She’ll always be in his life.”
“As she should be, P.” Joss set her hand on mine. “That’s a good thing. It means he’s a good, decent human being.”
I wiped my face. “I hadn’t thought of it like that.”
“Well, you should. He’s a good man, that one. And he really likes you, P. The man of your dreams. Heck, of all of our dreams. And he likes you.” She emphasized that last part. I grabbed a pillow and threw it at her.
“He better not be in your dreams any longer.”
“Only sometimes.” She put her hands up. I threw another pillow at her. She laughed. “I’m just joking.” She stood up.
“Joking about what?” Aramis asked, walking into my bedroom. He had a black walking cast on now that he flaunted as if it were the Pope’s bloody shoe.
“Does no one knock?” I rolled my eyes, exhaling.
“What are we joking about? I’m up for jokes today.” He walked over to my bed and sat down on the edge.
“Joss was saying that she still dreams about Ben,” I said.
“Still dreams about Ben?” Aramis’s eyebrow rose. “You dreamed about him in the past?”
“All the time,” Joss said, winking at me so I knew she was joking. She walked toward the door.
“And what happened in these dreams?” Aramis asked.
“Dirty things,” she said.
His expression darkened. “Really?”
“You asked.” She shrugged a shoulder and walked out.
“It’s true,” I said. “You asked.”
He shrugged both shoulders and stared off into the distance, the way he did when he was sulking. Something he was always doing when Joslyn was involved, whether he knew it or not.
“What are you doing here anyway?” I cleared my throat.
“I was in the area, so I figured I’d check on you.”
“Shouldn’t I be the one checking on you?”
“I just left my physical therapist.” He smiled. “I’m fine.”
“How are your burns?”
“There.” His lips flattened. “I don’t think they’re something I’ll ever get used to, but who knows. Maybe it’ll be like tattoos. People get used to those.”
I didn’t bother mentioning that he’d never wanted tattoos because he was always particular about marking his perfect skin. His words. I scooted over and gently put my arms around him.
“I love you, Aramis.”
“I love you, sis.” He laid his head on my arm. “Have you spoken to Ben yet?”
“No.” I pulled away and looked at him. “I know it’s dumb, but I can’t get over it.”
“You’re going to see him soon.”
“I know.”
“I don’t even know what to say about this, to be honest. I never saw you together. What I do know is that he’s a great friend, and he’s been asking non-stop about you.” He shot me a look. “The man doesn’t ask about anyone, Pilar.”
“Like you said, he’s a great friend of yours. Of course, he’s going to ask you about me.”
“He may be a great friend, P, but Ben’s a free spirit when it comes to women. He’s a take-’em-or-leave-’em kind of guy. He doesn’t sit around sulking, and he’s definitely sulking now, whether he knows it or not.”
“Sounds familiar.” I raised an eyebrow.
“What is that supposed to mean?” He frowned.
“You sit around sulking every time Joss even mentions a new guy.”
“That is…” He started shaking his head and rolling his eyes before finishing his sentence. “That’s stupid. I don’t sulk. I just enjoy bothering Joslyn. She’s an easy target.”
“Yeah, okay.” I shrugged, then sighed. “Look, I get it. You don’t want to see your friend hurt.”
“No, I don’t want to see my sister hurt. I also don’t want my sister to walk away from a good man just because she has reservations. I just think you should hear him out. Talk to him.”
“We’ll see.” I bit my lip. “Like you said, I have to see him tomorrow anyway.”