Chapter 9

“Are you avoiding me?” he looked... hurt?

“You don’t like me do you? You just said that to make me feel better and...” I bent down and did the only thing I could think of.

I kissed him. More like a peck on the lips. He wasn’t responding to my kiss at first so I moved to pull away from him, but he pulled me back to him, and gave me a full on kiss.

I was startled, I had never had to kiss anyone before, so I really didn’t know what to do.

“don’t kiss me like that again” he said as he pulled away from me. “I am a very traditional man, and I would like to take things slow between us, or you might get scared away.” He snickered.

I was too flushed to say anything, so I just let it slide.

“Let’s go eat” he said pulling me to sit on his lap as he wheeled us to the living room.

“I don’t think i should be sitting on your lap” I said kind of nervous. It felt wrong. What if I damaged his nerves further? I wasn’t exactly on the slim side. My mum made it clear that I knew exactly how my weight was disgusting and I was to try my best to keep it hidden.

“Why not? You know, one thing I know I can constantly give you is free wheel rides earn you don’t feel like walking.” I laughed at that as I got to the dinner chair.

“did you really cook this?” I looked at him warily, the last food he made sticking to the back of my mind, warning me to not even get a taste out of what he made.

“no” he chuckled “I ordered some Chinese.”

“smart choice”

It got a little quiet as we ate our food.

“Ally?”

“yeah?” I answered, with my head buried deep into the food to properly answer him.

“about the other day, I just want you to know that it’s not what you thought. It was my sisters child, and I am responsible for the child.”

“it’s cool Ben, you don’t need to explain yourself to me.”

“but I do because..” he didn’t say any other thing. Causing me to look up from my food. He looked tensed. Like he was ready to bolt ant moment from now.

“Would you ... would you ...be my girlfriend?” the food entered the wrong making me go into a coughing feat instantly.

“here” he offered me his water. I gulped like my life depended on it.

“I’m sorry, I was just not expecting the question, it took me off guard”

“no, I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to bring it up or why I brought it up, I just... please don’t mind me I just”

He was nervous, I could tell. He rambled on and on

“Ben?” I called cutting him off softly. “yes, yes I would love to be your girlfriend, only of you would be my boyfriend” he smiled, looking at me with disbelief.

We spent the remainder of the night talking about pointless things at the dinner table. “you know, I didn’t think I would have seen this side you with the stuck up attitude you put on our first meet” he laughed nervously “you still remember those days?”

“yup, and I would only forgive you if you come here and kiss me.” I had been trying to get the feeling of his lips out of my mind since we kissed earlier but it was not working out. Might as well get another taste

He threw his head back and laughed.

“I’ll give you that kiss only if you are early to work tomorrow”

“what??? I am always early”

“Keep thinking that love” the endearing word he called me at the end of the sentence made my heart flutter.

Finally, I felt at peace. I was sitting at a dinner table, with love being directed at me. There was no one shouting at me, calling me disgusting. I was here, with someone who had seen my scars and didn’t look at me with disgust on his face.

“Thank you” I said out of the blue.

“what for?” he looked at me confused.

“For this” I gestured between the two of us “for choosing to be by my side”

“I should be thanking you. I know I am not the easiest person to deal with most times, but thank you, for choosing me”

**

I woke up the next morning, early as I could and found out that he had already gone.

I dressed and made my way to work.

“Sorry I’m late” I said to Stella as I saw her smile at me.

“don’t worry about it.” She smiled like she knew something was up.

I went into the dressing room to put on my apron when Stella walked in.

“Ben told me of you accepting to be his girlfriend. Thank you for loving him”

Thank you for loving him.... that was the first time it was said out loud. It felt so surreal making it as real as it could get.

“I do love him” I said trying to hide a blush.

She hugged me.

“he looked like a child on Christmas when he entered. He couldn’t shut up about you telling him yes.”

I blushed harder.

Stella acted more like his big sister than his worker most times and it was funny to me since she looked barely older than he was. Maybe 27 at most while he was 25.

“call me anytime he fucks up and I would kick his ass” she whispered making me laugh.

“You’ll just get fired”

“I’ll love to see him try “

I got dressed in my apron and walked out to take over my shift.

I walked out and got busy immediately as the customers did not seem to be reducing

At some point, even Ben had to come help out.

I couldn’t keep the kiss out of my mind and ended up ruining a person’s order.

“Sorry, did you put sugar in this?” the customer said looking at me with horror.

“Yes, you said two cubes of sugar and one cupcake” I looked at her confirming what she thought she had said.

“I said no sugar! Are you stupid?” the customer yelled.

“I’m sorry, I’ll give you another, free on the house and an extra day if you decide to come back another time” I said trying to compensate.

“forget it, you are so stupid you might get it wrong again” she said sizing me up and down.

“You know, you got that part wrong” someone said from behind me, it was Grace.

“How do you get that wrong even? Stupid” she mocked joining the other girls to laugh at me.

“Grace, that’s enough!” Ben said from beside me.

“It was a mistake, and she tried to apologise. If you avenging to take her offer then leave and don’t make a fuss about it.” He said to the customer.

“You don’t talk to a fellow employee like that, especially not....” he took in a deep breath.

“Especially not in front of the customers” I could have sworn he wanted to say something else.

“Ally? Are you okay?” I felt odd. Everyone was looking at us, and he didn’t mind. He touched my hands to get my attention

“don’t tell me it’s what I think it is” Grace said with so much spite in her voice. She had never been one to take it if anyone favoured me over her.

“Ally?” he said again, trying to talk to me.

I didn’t like how everyone stood looking at the scene in front of us in surprise or shock.

“ You like her? Do you know how disgusting she is?” the words I thought had I had left behind at that house lashed at me with the same amount of hate, if not more.

I couldn’t move. It seemed like i was back at the house, where if I tried to block out any beating or try to get away from any insult, I would get double of what ever was coming.

I was trained to stand take what ever was thrown my way.

Ben was saying something but i could not make the words out.

Whatever he said must have triggered Grace because she walked over to me, pulling the jacket I was wearing.

“No!” I yelled. I couldn’t let them see the scars they were disgusting. She knew. She was there each and every time mum described how disgusting they were.

I held on to the clothes for my dear life but she found a way and ripped it off.

“you see those scars? Why would you let her here? Those repulsive things on her body should be a sign to not come near her.

Sure, Ben had seen a bit of the scars, but never the deep ones since I always made sure to cover up completely.

“Grace!” Ben snapped.

“Do you even know how repulsive she is? Her dad raped my mum, that’s the only reason she is here!! Or else, she shouldn’t walk amongst us. Such an abomination” she spat.