Out the Door
"Tell me it isn't true…"
Turning, Mal looked at Ben who just came into the living room. Tears were in her eyes. The news was just on TV, and she just got off the phone with Evie.
"Ben, I'm so sorry…" she felt herself whisper.
Ben walked up to her. "Are you just using me for my company, all for a big fat cheque?"
She was a thief, along with Jay and Carlos. Ben was the heir and soon to be CEO of Auradon, a multinational electronics cooperation owned by his father. They all thought the best way for them to get a load of money was to rip Ben off by Mal pretending to be in a relationship with him. After she had the goods, she'd break up with him.
But what was unexpected of Mal was that she was actually starting to fall in love with Ben.
Ben's family's bank account was robbed, and the plans for the new cellphone was leaked out to the public. Mal wanted to carry out her plan, but her budding feelings for Ben just about made her want to stop the plan all together. Jay and Carlos must have taken it further and got the new cellphone plans, too.
"I… I did from the start, but I never actually thought I started to have feelings for you." She tried to control the tears in her eyes.
This was actually happening.
Ben turned, then looked at her again. "You know, when I first met you, you told me all about your life. How you moved from foster home to foster home, not knowing who your true friends were. Was that a lie, too?"
She shook her head. When she first met Ben, she thought he'd be like all the other snobby, stuck up high society brats. But he wasn't. He saw the good in others, even when it wasn't there at all. He saw the good in her. Ben had it all. Money, power… but he showed her love was greater than any sum in a bank.
And she blew it.
"You have no idea what it means to actually love another person, because when you do, you would rather die than hurt them."
Tears were beginning to form in his eyes as well.
"You're so worried about others destroying you, Mal… It's you who destroys people."
Her insides rippled and more tears came out. He began to walk to the door.
"No, Ben, please…"
"We're done."
"No, Ben, please… Don't make me be alone again…"
Ben showed her what love was. He was the first guy who actually cared about her. There were a lot of guys that walked out the door… but this was the first time she wanted to hold on and never let go.
The door slammed closed.
She screamed.
"No…!"
She collapsed to the floor, no strength in her heart.
"Why…"
Inspired by Avery and Juliette's relationship in ABC's show 'Nashville'.