Chapter 10
Ben and Rey immediately pulled away. "I'm.. so...sorry" he breathed out, turning his face away from hers.
"Don't be sorry," she replied, reaching her hand out to his face, so she could turn it back. As soon as her hand made contact with his skin, he recoiled again. "Oh," she said quietly to herself.
"No," he replied. "That's not what I meant," he said loudly at her back as she walked away from him. "Rey!" he yelled.
She didn't want him to see her cry. She walked out quickly and went out front to get an Uber back to the hotel. She couldn't believe he kissed her and then was disgusted by her touch. She kept playing the scene back in her head. Where did she go wrong? She thought he wanted it too. She heard the door behind her open and knew it had to be Ben. She averted her eyes.
"Rey," he said, very gently. "I'm sorry, please at least let me drive you back," he said. He held his hand out to her, "Please," he said again, quietly.
She didn't take his hand and her Uber pulled up. She got in the Uber without looking back at Ben. Her ride back to the hotel was weepier than she wished it to be. When she got back she stormed through the lobby and went right to the elevator. She walked directly to her room and slammed the door shut. About 5 minutes later she heard the door next to her slam shut as well. She knew Ben was back. She thought about going over there to apologize for being so mean and talk to him about what happened. The more she thought about it, the more she felt like she should. She didn't want their to be any awkwardness between them tomorrow.
She pulled herself together, grabbed her key, and knocked on his door. He opened the door quickly, shirtless again, "WHAT" he said loudly. "Oh, Rey," he said.
"Hi," she said, not knowing quite what to say, "Can we talk for a minute?" she asked him.
"Please, come in" he said, stepping back to open the door to her.
"Ok, I want to apologize," she started, "for being so mean to you back there, I shouldn't have ignored you like that, I just didn't want you to see me crying, " she admitted to him, finally looking up at him. His eyes were red and swollen.
"Rey, please I am the one who should be apologizing," he told her, he took her hand and walked her to his bed so she could sit. "I was so stupid," he told her, sitting next to her.
"I guess it was stupid to kiss me," she said, looking down sharply.
"NO!" he almost yelled. "That's not what was stupid," he got off the bed and kneeled down in front of her, "I was stupid when I broke it off and when I recoiled at your touch," he looked up at her, his eyes big.
"Why do you keep recoling at my touch," she asked him.
"It's not you!" he retorted. "It's my own personal issues. I've never felt anything like your touch before. It took me by surprise. That's all," he admitted to her. She could tell it was hard for him to say.
"Well I came to apologize and I did, so… have a good night," she managed to sputter out and stood up off the bed.
"No! Don't go, please don't go," he said to her. "I don't know what it is about you, I can't stop thinking about you, your touch and your body, it's all I have been able to think about for 2 days, Rey, " he pleaded with her. "I know, I know, I'm an old man and I'm really reaching here, but Rey, please don't go," he begged of her, those big eyes staring at her again.
"Age has nothing to do with it, I'm an adult and I can make my own decisions," she said standing up, realizing that having to state she was an adult made her sound childish and what point was she proving. He was all she could think about, too.
"You're right, I don't know what I was thinking," he quietly said, embarrassed that he had been so vulnerable. He got up to escort her to the door. When he stood up he was face to face with her again. This time it was Rey that reached out and grabbed him. She took him by the waist, pulled him close to her and kissed him hard.