Chapter 4

Chapter 4

                                                          The Present 

It's a day later and AJ is about to get slapped. I'm joking but not really. She's really driving me insane.

"For the hundredth time, AJ," I repeat, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration as I wait on her, "the dress doesn't make you look too skinny."

If anything, the dress looks perfect on her. She could wear a paper bag and she'd still look gorgeous.

"I feel like you're lying to me, Ben," she says, twirling around for the seventh time just because she finds it fun. "You know how I feel about liars."

I frown and take a second to think about it. "Not really," I reply, "seeing as I don't know you," I remind her, "like at all."

How did I manage to get myself in this position? I remember asking myself the very same question three years ago when Aqueela forced me into helping her kidnap her best friend after only a day of knowing me. That's just the way she is.

Jay, my boy, I get you now. I understand your suffering now. Respect.

"Alrighty!" AJ claps her hands in enthusiasm. "Let's go before you change your mind!"

I've been contemplating changing my mind so much that I'm not sure I have one left anymore. 

"Yeah," I admit, showing her the tiny space between my thumb and index finger, "I'm this close."

I have no idea why I haven't yet.

She ignores me and takes me by the hand, pulling me after her. "Okay, so...am I driving your car or are you driving my car?"

"Oh," I chortle in dismay, "my parents are just gonna love you."

*~*~**~*~*

"Stop glowering, Benjy," my mother snaps quietly at me at seeing me glare at my younger sisters.

I ignore her and continue to glower at each of them in the hopes of shutting them all up.

"Ben!" my mom whisper-shouts at me and nudges me in the side with her freakishly sharp elbows, failing to be discreet. "Don't embarrass me in front of your girlfriend!"

"It's their fault!" I whisper-shout back, pointing to my three younger sisters who are busy insulting me and interrogating AJ at the same time. "This isn't an appropriate conversation for the table," I say before I fold my arms across my chest and sulk.

My sisters somehow always bring out the immature and childish side of me. However, right now, they're making me cringe. In actual fact, so is AJ. The entire discussion is bothering me.

"Now, that's how babies are made, any more questions?" AJ asks, glancing around at them with expectation, holding her own well. She's prepared to tackle anything that may come her way.

My pesky sisters don't hesitate to fire more shots at her:

"How long have you known Benley?"

"What do you see in him?"

"Are you going to get married?"

I shake my head in irritation. I wish we had a muzzle for each of them when guests come over. None of them have a filter.

"Dad," I turn to face him, seeking his help, "this is not on. You said you'd tell them to behave this time."

The number of girls they've chased away...

"Here's a question for you, Son," he starts, making it clear that he's not going to help me, "why do you care so much? Why do you care about her first impression on us anyway? I know she's your girlfriend and all but you never once cared what Bex thought about us."

I fall silent under his unwavering stare, simply because I don't actually have a valid answer for this one.

"It feels like I've known him all my life. I see everything in him. Yes, we probably are going to get married," I hear AJ answer all three questions in one breath, certain and confident of herself.

I end up choking on my food at hearing the last one.

This woman is absolutely out of her mind.

"When are you going to pop the question already, Benjy?" my mother asks loudly, capturing the attention of everyone at the table before whispering softly to me, "I like her."

If she only knew that I just met her...

"Excuse me!" I stand up from the table abruptly and motion for AJ to follow. "I just need to speak to my girl for a sec'," I say, practically dragging AJ off of the chair after me while my sisters continue to gossip about me like I'm not in earshot.

"Oooh, does that mean you're popping the question now?!" Sash calls after us, not lifting her eyes from my phone as she continues to scroll through all of my personal messages.

"Probably!" AJ answers her all too happily. Clearly, she lives in her own world.

My sisters squeal in delight, in turn, taking her words seriously.

AJ's really raising the bar here. I have always kept it low so that I don't have to meet the expectations of my family, especially my parents. She's ruining everything.

"Stop it, AJ!" I raise my voice, yanking her around the corner so that we can speak in private. "What are you doing? Since when are we getting married? I barely know you. I don't know you!"

"Jeez, relax," she soothes, undoing my loose grip on her, "I didn't say that our inevitable marriage will be anytime soon."

She sounds so adamant that it's kind of terrifying.

"You don't actually believe that, do you?" I question, now unsure. She's literally crazy.

"Well," she drawls out slowly, "we'll see."

"I'm going to be single for the rest of my life, AJ. I've accepted it. I'm swearing off all relationships. My last one didn't go down well. We parted on very bad terms," I explain, hoping to knock some sense into her.

"I knew you had 'a past' the minute I saw you," she says, her blue eyes brightening in acknowledgment. "I was going to walk past you, you know, but at the last second, I decided to stop. I call it fate."

I call it stupidity. I could have been a serial killer for all she knew.

"Why?" I ask hesitantly, uncertain as to whether I actually want to hear the answer or not. "Why stop?" I repeat when she doesn't answer.

"I felt drawn to you," she confesses, breaking eye contact as if shy all of a sudden -- it's definitely not a side to her that I thought exists. "Admit it, Benjy, we have a connection."

"Whatever this is," I gesture between us, in denial, "I'm pretty sure it's completely one-sided."

I've never experienced so many random occurrences in my entire life. Okay, that might be a lie considering the life I tend to lead.

"Fine," she accepts my opinion on the matter without protest. "After this dinner, we can go our separate ways. I have to go back to New York in any case."

"New York?" I find myself asking on impulse.

"I live there," she clarifies. "I'm only in Minnesota for the next few days. My work requires a lot of travel."

I process her words, my mood deflating instantaneously.

"I just wanted to stay around long enough to see your apparent 'better days'," she smiles up at me in warmth. "I guess those 'better days' don't exist after all."

I don't say anything.

Women are so intuitive, except my mother, because AJ senses that something is wrong and her expression drops. "Why are you looking at me like that? Why the frown in place? Shouldn't you be happy that I'm leaving your life?"

"I don't know," I tell her, finally being honest with myself. Truth be told, I didn't even know that I was frowning.

"Face it, Benley," she laughs in good nature, my pulse racing at the riveting sound, "you sorta like me, don't ya?"

I narrow my eyes at her in warning. I don't want to be put through this again. I really don't.

"You're just in denial," she grins knowingly, wagging her eyebrows at me teasingly.

She has no shame.

I lick my lips and shrug. "You're right. I haven't seen my 'better days' for a while now but having met you, just yesterday, I'm starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel."

I don't know...maybe her craziness is rubbing off on me...

"Is this part where you tell me that I am your better days?" she asks, biting her bottom lip before sending me a flirtatious wink, merely messing with me.

A smile tugs at my lips as I take a step forward and wrap an arm around her waist, taking my chances in tugging her toward me.

"How about you let me take you out on a real date, AJ?" I demand softly not exactly sure of what I'm doing. It just feels right.

Before she can answer, I hear Lea shout out to me from the living room, not allowing me a moment's peace:

"Ben, in this 2013 picture you're still so thin. It's unbelievable! You were so shredded! Now, you're so fat! What happened?"

"The iceberg happened and the Titanic sank in junk food," Laura mocks. "Our bro needs to hit the gym again or he's gonna end up having a beer belly like last year."

"Don't get me started on the 2014 pics," Sash adds, making my humiliation a billion times worse.

I feel the heat rise to my cheeks as I duck my head from AJ, embarrassed.

Family relations are the relationships that really suck.

I feel her soft hands on my face before I feel her lips on mine for a brief second. She pulls away with a happy-go-lucky smile as if she didn't just do that.

I stare down at her in confusion, puzzled. All I know is that I want more of that.

"You lose that extra weight and we can talk more about that date," she jokes, patting me on the stomach before reaching up to peck my cheek.

There's no saving face now. I might as well go with it.

"Don't get influenced by them," I advise, looking back in the direction of where my family is sitting.

"Too late," she taunts, "I already love all of them."

I chuckle in realization. "You'll fit in nicely with my friends."

She's only met Max and Bell. If she's taking me on, then she has no idea what is all installed for her.

"You have friends?" she teases, playful and upbeat as she approaches me daringly for a second time.

I whistle and shake my head. "Don't even get me started."

"That bad?" she asks, now hesitant.

If you think your friends are insane, I guarantee mine are a thousand times worse.

"Woman, you have not the faintest clue."