Author's Note : OK...so here's ch.7..I don't wanna so too much and give anything
away, just hopefully it'll shock you!
Big thanks to:
Marci~thanks as always, and I'll work on the puppy, lol!
Sur Jo, Ash, Teal, and Becca for reviewing...I heart you all!!
Benji stood outside the door to Rylann's hospital room for several minutes. He listened closely as he heard Joel and Rylann speaking. He couldn't get past his anger at Joel. Maybe he did have good intentions, but that didn't matter. If he hadn't put those ridiculous thoughts into Benji's head to begin with, none of this would be happening. Benji slowly raised his hand to the door's handle, pushing it open slightly. He open the door fully and stood in the frame, not speaking, just observing. Rylann looked over to the door and froze.
"Ry…I need to talk to you." Benji said, barely above a whisper. She noted his soaking wet clothes, and the water that still dripped from his hair. She nodded and motioned for him to come in.
"I'll come back in a little bit…" Joel said as he walked toward his brother. Benji looked hard at his twin. Joel went to give him a slight pat on the shoulder, but Benji moved away from it. He continued out the door, worried about his brother.
"Benji, I…" Rylann began.
"No, Ry…let me talk." He said rather sternly as he moved closer to her bed. "Look…I, I don't even know where to begin. What happened tonight? Everything was so perfect…then everyone started getting involved…You have to know, I would never do anything to you out of spite, I would never `get back at you' for anything. The note, I guess I should explain…"Benji sighed as Rylann interrupted.
"No Benj…you don't have to, Joel already told me about the note. Just, what I don't understand, is why you would give up everything, our friendship, and just walk away?"
"I was scared Ry…I didn't know what you would think, I thought you would be pissed because you already said no…and after talking to Joel, ugh, I just thought it would make things easier."
"Benj…the thing is, whether you were afraid or not, you are supposed to be my best friend…it hurt me so much more to think, that you didn't have enough faith in our friendship to face me. I was scared too Benj, but when I found that note, I was so angry at you, for just taking the easy way out, and leaving…"
"Ry, you'll never know how hard it was for me to leave you there…not telling you to your face. Why did you do this though, I have to know. You said I took the easy way out by walking away, but you…you were taking the easy way out, the selfish way, by trying to kill yourself…why would you do that to me?"
"To you? Benj…god…I was depressed, I was dying inside…do you know how afraid I was, to once again realize, I was alone…that I had no one? I had those from before…I had problems Benj, a lot of problems… but then for a while, I didn't need them, because I wasn't alone, no matter how far away you were on the road, I still had you. When you left me there tonight…I was the most afraid I have ever been before, even more so then when Jace left me. I may have been selfish, but I needed a way to eliminate the pain." Neither looked the other in the eye, both ashamed of their actions from that night.
"God, what happened to us? 22 hours ago we were laughing and playing in the park, now we can hardly look at each other. Look Ry, I can't play this game anymore of `he said, she said'…I need to hear it from you. I am ready to talk to you…I am not running anywhere. I am here, facing this, with whatever reaction you may have. Rylann, for the past four months, you have been my best friend. I never thought that I could meet someone like you, who makes every minute we're together like heaven. My world is so much brighter when you're in it. I feel like I have known you my whole life. As much as I hate the way tonight worked out, it made me face this head on. Joel was right when he told me how much it killed me to leave you every time. I knew it inside, but I needed to hear someone else say it. I was so afraid to loose you, that instead of having you reject me, I ran away. It's what I have been taught to do, it's what my father did to me." Benji paused to meet Rylann's gaze. "I don't know how you feel when we are together or when we're apart, but I know I can't stand the feeling I get when I am away from you. I know I either need to be with you completely, or not be with you at all. Tonight, when you nearly died in my arms, I knew it was now or never. You say you are afraid when you are alone, and if you are willing, I promise you, you will never be alone again. I love you so much more than I ever thought possible.Rylann, I want you to be my wife…I want to spend the rest of my life making you as happy as you have made me in the short time I have known you. So…" Benji slid off the chair and rested on his knee, a tear slipping from his eye. He pulled a small silver band from his pocket. "Rylann Chloe Wilson, will you marry me?" He held the ring to end of her finger.
"Benji…oh my god…I, I just…" she sighed deeply "Yes, Benji…I will marry you."
Benji slid the ring onto her finger and took her in his arms tighter than he ever had before. It was then, after becoming engaged, they shared their first kiss. Rylann laughed a little, as Benji wiped the tears from her cheeks.
"Do you realize we just had out first kiss, never even dated, and we're getting married?!" she smiled widely…Benji laughed at the thought.
"Yea, I guess we did that a bit out of order, huh…" They laughed together as Benji leaned in and kissed her again, with more passion this time.
"Mmmm…I guess we'll just have to make up for lost time…"she grinned. They held each other for several minutes before Benji finally spoke.
"I guess we should tell the others…they've been waiting to hear what's going on…"
"Yea, I guess we should…how do you want to tell them?"
"God, I have no idea. It'll defiantly be a shock to them…"
"Hell, it was a shock to me…" she laughed.
"Not just you, I stopped at a pawn shop on my way back to the hospital and traded my gold cross for that ring…"
"Aww..Benj…we could have gotten a ring later…"
"No, it was only right…of course, we'll have to upgrade your ring later on…"he smiled, as he kissed her hand.
"Well…I guess I will go get them, and tell them we need to talk to them…"Benji said as he started to stand.
"Ok…" He kissed her once more before he walked out of the room and towards the waiting group. They all looked up, waiting for some sort of news.
"Guys, we need to talk…"