Hello there. I am back, sorry for the delay, but you know how school gets. And it must come first. Please read, review, and enjoy. I own nothing.
Chapter 4
Mal's POV…
What Evie said that night was something I never forgot, not for a long time. She always knew how to sooth my thoughts and they were indeed soothed. For now I was secure in the thought that if something did happen to me, they would never stop looking for me, she would never stop looking for me, and neither would Ben. Because of what she said, I didn't fear the outside forces wanting to keep Ben and me apart. I knew they were there, but I wouldn't fear them. Instead I would fight them when the time came.
"I'm happy, truly happy," I remember thinking that so many times in the days that passed and I was not the only one. For once we were all happy. Darkness no longer lingered in my mind, my worries were forgotten, and all that mattered was the deep happiness I felt because of the people I loved. My days, but also my life was suddenly complete.
I spent them with Ben and my friends. Ben and I would walk hand in hand, my head would rest on his shoulder; we were the picture of love. And when I was with my friends, Evie, Carlos, and Jay life was never boring. No matter where we went, or what we did the day was filled with laughter. We would cause our own modified form of chaos, but nothing to hurt anybody just bring a smile to their face with a single trick. And in the middle of the night when I was with them only then were we truly peaceful. It was a peace we had never known on the isle. Lying in the soft silk green grass, we would gaze above us at the beams of light known as the stars, we would imagine our lives on the isle, and none of us had to say it. We knew it; we knew we were lucky to have ever escaped it.
"We're never going back, right?" Carlos would always whisper looking at me for the affirmation he needed.
"No, we're here to stay," I would answer giving him a smile. And we were. We were free, finally.
I remember that particular day so vividly, that day, and many times like it. One day in particular I don't think I'll ever forget. Ben and I were walking together in the dead of night. His arm was around me making me feel so safe in that moment, it was meant to be our last walk for a while I thought. The summer was coming and we would be apart until the new school year began. I was not looking forward to being separated from him. I hated that he would be going home while I would stay at school with my friends. I never ever wanted to be parted from him and had told him as much leading him to find a solution. He was always able to fix any problem and this time was no different.
"Hay Mal," breathed Ben his lips against my ear making me shiver in a not so unpleasant way. I loved when he would talk to me in the tone he did, the way he would kiss my ear after he spoke as he was now just drove me wild, and looking at him I couldn't deny that he made me feel things I'd never felt before. I just loved him so much.
"Yeah," I sighed the thought of being apart from him suddenly dominating my heart.
"I wanted to ask you something," continued Ben stopping us. I peered up into his beastly brown eyes and he made my heart pound with the look he was giving me. It was filled with so much love and passion. And it was all for me. He felt all of that for me. I knew that for sure when he pulled me into the strength of his arms our foreheads touching as he looked into my eyes. Our lips were inches apart then and all I wanted to do was kiss him. But I waited; I waited to hear what he had to say first.
"What is it, Ben?" I breathed breathing the same air as him in that moment. But he hesitated seeming to get lost in the burning green of my eyes. It was him then that closed the distance kissing me sweetly yet intensely before looking at me with so much affection it was nearly smothering. But I liked the feel of being smothered by him.
"Well, you know how I don't want us separated over the summer, so…I was hoping you would accept the offer of staying with me," exclaimed Ben his words coming out in a jumble. His words surprised me greatly. I hadn't expected them, but I had an answer almost immediately.
"Yes…but," I began holding him off when he moved to kiss me.
"Why is there a but?" said Ben almost immediately his face falling into a mask of sadness.
"There's a but because I can't just leave my friends to rot here over the summer while I go off with you. We're a family, Ben, I can't just leave them. If I go, they have to go too," I exclaimed my tone clipped more than I wanted it to be. He was silent a moment, it was a moment too long for me because I hoped beyond hope that he would understand, but it wasn't appearing that he did. Just as I was going to leave him there and walk away though he gave me an answer. Ben suddenly kissed me with a fierce tenderness that made magic flicker in my veins. He held me in his arms like a king would his queen and when he finally pulled back the look in his eyes was nearly animalistic. And when he nodded his yes, I couldn't hold back either; I grabbed his collar pulling him back into another kiss.
I never wanted that kiss to end. It was incredible as all our kisses were and when his hands moved over my body in a completely new way I shivered wanting something though I didn't know what. But all too soon it was over and we were peering into each other's eyes. There was something new in his eyes and I had no idea what it meant, but I wanted to find out. Looking at him, I never wanted our lives together to end; I loved him, with all my heart. I love him and he loved me, with all his heart.
"Do you mean it, they can come too?" I exclaimed slightly out of breath after that kiss. Our lips were still meters apart and I couldn't restrain myself I leaned in pecking him on the lips.
"Yes, like you said they are your family, so they are mine too," smiled Ben attacking my lips almost instantly. I wrapped my arms around his neck and as we fell into the bark of a tree I felt so happy. I never thought I could love him more, but he had proved right then that I could love him more than I already did. I loved him so much sometimes I thought my heart would burst with the strength of my love. Deepening the kiss, I let my tongue clash with his as my fingers mussed his hair, and the feeling of his body over mine did things I didn't understand. I felt tingles between my legs, I felt shivers all over my body; I felt something carnal building inside me. I didn't understand it, but I wanted to in that moment. Because I had never felt anything like it before, but then again until I met Ben I had felt nothing at all. I felt his beastly nature as he gripped me in all the right places. I felt fire running over my skin as he growled loudly into the kiss we shared. I felt amazing things, such amazing things. But most of all I felt the erratic beat of our hearts as we kissed with love in each movement. No one had ever made me feel the way Ben did and I knew no one ever would again.
"What about your mom and dad? Will they be okay with this?" I gasped as our lips finally separated both our breathing labored. Ben actually laughed at me then his gaze as heavy lidded as my own as he cupping my face in his hands. Holding me like I was made of glass, that smile on his lips made me giddy as it always did.
"Of course, it was partly their idea in the first place. That and they love you, all of you, and when I tell them what you said they will agree immediately. What's most important is we won't be apart. We will be together. If I have my way we'll be together forever, Mal," exclaimed Ben giving me one last kiss. I slumped into his arms then as we walked once more his arm around me, protecting me. He always knew how to protect me, how to make me feel safe; it was one of the many things I loved about him.
I knew that he was right. In the beginning the relationship between his parents and I was strained especially after Ben's coronation. But as time passed that changed. Belle was the closest thing to a true mother I had ever had and Adam while not a father figure was what I considered a very good friend. We would play chess, talk, or once he even let me advise him on the way of life on the isle. As I walked with Ben that night I realized that they were my family now too. I really liked that in fact I didn't just like it, I loved it. That night ended on a peaceful note that was still something I was getting used to. On the isle nothing was ever peaceful, but here there always seemed to be moments of peace every day. It was wonderful and once I grew used to it I didn't think I'd ever be able to live without it. We walked together for what must have been hours, but seemed like seconds. But all too soon it was time for us to part. As Ben walked me back to the dorm I shared with Evie that night we still walked extra slow though I must admit part of me was excited to tell the gang about our change in summer plans.
"I'll see you tomorrow, "whispered Ben as I leaned against the door to my room. Our eyes were locked together and when he kissed me I accepted it. I doubted there would ever be a kiss from him I wouldn't accept. His kisses were worth their weight in gold.
"Goodnight," I smiled as our kiss ended stroking his cheek gently. We parted ways then neither of us aware that dark eyes were on us. If only I had known. But I didn't, so I just entered my room without a second glance. Evie was there as I expected she would be and she noticed the smile on my face immediately.
"Guess what?" I exclaimed rushing to her smiling intensely as I jumped onto her bed so I was at her side. I couldn't wait to tell her all that had happened. Maybe she would have an answer for the feelings Ben brought over me.
