This has got to be the single dumbest thing I've ever done, Rey groaned inwardly, one hand bunched in the fabric of her dress and one hand poised over the doorknob.

She heard the clicks of other doors in the hallway opening and closing. When Rey glanced up, she saw that she was alone. Ironic, considering it was that state which had propelled her into signing up for the experiment in the first place.

The experiment was designed by the world-renowned neuroscientist, Leia Organa and her twin brother, a biochemist named Luke Skywalker. They were testing a theory on multiple levels. They believed that true love couldn't be forged through online connections where the emotional element was second to the physical one.

Their goal was to prove that love was blind by spending six weeks observing people falling in love and making the decision to get married. It was an aggressive timeline, like pushing fast-forward on life, but the more Rey read up on their work, the more intrigued she became.

The experiment was broken out into phases, starting with a week in the pods. The pods were essentially small, rooms that were linked to a sister pod on the opposite side of a thin screen. Each room was soundproofed with the exception of that thin screen to allow the two people separated by it to communicate. While they were in the first phase, participants didn't have access to the outside world— no social media, no cellphones, no distractions. Their sole purpose was to see if they bonded with anyone and, if so, determine if that bond was a love connection.

The other phases were outlined to a similar degree, taking those who became couples through the process of re-entering their lives and testing their bond. If they made it to the end of the six-week experiment, they were given a choice: get married or say goodbye forever. It was daunting.

Licking her lips, Rey tried to visualize leaving Takodana with a fiancée— walking out hand in hand, smiling goofily like in the brochure, and preparing to get married.

If only it were that easy.

Life wasn't scripted like a fairytale. She'd faced reality at milestones throughout her entire life. The first and most memorable, being the day her parents left her on a playground in Phoenix, Arizona. She'd waited there over a day, hiding out in the tunnel and slide until a social worker showed up.

Abandonment was the root cause of Rey's inability to open up. She had gone through life with walls up, barricading her heart so she could never be hurt again. The only problem with blocking everyone out was that it stopped her from finding happiness.

Her friends, Finn and Poe, hadn't understood why she wanted to do this. They were the only two people she had let into her life since her parents. Rey loved them and she knew they loved her, but it wasn't enough. She felt incomplete. Every day the void grew deeper. When she heard about the experiment, Rey saw it as a sign and applied immediately.

Poe hadn't been pleased but it was nothing compared to his boyfriend's reaction. Finn had been livid. He demanded that she withdraw her name. Rey didn't. She knew he was worried but this was her life, her choice. Finn would come around eventually. He wanted her to have what she wanted out of life, even if he didn't understand what that was.

For years, she had rejected his offers to set her up on a blind date with one of his coworkers. She also vehemently opposed creating an online dating profile. Why would she trust someone who agreed to date her based on looks alone?

The reason the experiment had appealed to her was that it took away all pretense, removed all distractions, and allowed the participants to focus on what mattered: the person inside. Rey wanted to fall in love and be loved in return. She wanted a real connection that could withstand any challenges life threw their way, one built on mutual trust and respect. A love like that couldn't be found online. If Rey wanted someone genuine, she had to start with a solid foundation.

It was a long-shot. She was taking a huge risk by quitting her job to be here. The practical-side of her was screaming while the emotional-side was full of hope. Rey was teetering between calling the whole thing off and jumping in headfirst.

I've already come this far, she reminded herself.

Sighing, she pushed her skepticism aside and walked into the pod.

The room was small, about the size of her loft apartment, with a couch in the center and end tables against each wall. One held an assortment of candies and snacks. Another had a jar of pens and a notebook. The third was actually a mini-fridge ticked with wine, liquor, and beer. The final one looked like a miniature vanity with a great oval mirror hung above it and dim lights on.

Directly in front of the couch was a blue and purple LED screen that reminded her a bit of a waterfall. Rey glanced around, searching for speakers or any other devices she could use to communicate to the opposite position, where her first date was sitting. She didn't see a single one.

Confused, she walked over to the LED screen wondering if the colors would change if she pressed her hand to it.

"Hello?" a deep voice called from the other side.

Rey froze. The man's timbre was deep and confident except for the slight waver. She wondered if he was as nervous as she was.

"Hi," she offered awkwardly.

She couldn't see the owner of the voice but immediately she began to imagine a face. He sounded strong. The depth made her envision someone tall, an important trait considering she was 5'7".

"Um, I'm Ben, by the way," the voice introduced himself.

"Rey," she offered, tucking her legs under her and settling into the couch.

"Rey?" he drawled expectantly.

"Just Rey."

"Okay, just Rey," he said with a chuckle. "So, uh, I guess we talk about ourselves?"

She smiled. In an odd way, it made her feel better to know he was nervous too. "Should we start with our careers?" Rey suggested.

"Lawyer," he replied.

"Oh, don't tell too many girls here that. They'll propose based on your salary alone," she warned, teasingly.

"Noted."

"I'm a mechanic," Rey told him. "Cars mostly, but I'm pretty good with motorcycles and I've done some work on a couple of small planes before."

Ben snorted. "My dad would propose to you based on that fact alone."

"Really? Is he here too?" There was no response. After a minute, Rey added, "That was a joke, Ben."

"Right, right," he responded, sounding somewhat diminished.

"Do you like what you do?" Rey asked.

There was a sigh. "I'm good at it."

"That's not what I asked."

"It's...not what I expected," he admitted. "My boss is a difficult man to please and my coworkers are morons. I don't know how they passed the bar."

"Why don't you quit?" she suggested.

"I can't do that," Ben told her. "I've worked too hard to get where I am. I don't want to throw all of that away."

Rey nodded. She understood. That was how she'd felt about quitting Plutt's. Her job hadn't been great but it was steady work that ensured she could pay her bills. After this, Rey wasn't sure what she'd do.

"Change is hard."

"I've been there for seven years. It's gotten to the point where I don't even have to think about it. I just do and...," he trailed off. "Sorry. You probably don't care about this."

"No, tell me. Whatever you're willing to share, I want to hear it," Rey assured him, scooting off of the couch to sit on the floor. She wanted to be closer to him, even if he couldn't see his face.

"This is ridiculous," he muttered with a groan. "I don't normally talk this much."

"To women?" Rey guessed.

"To anyone."

"Is it more comfortable this way? With the wall?" she asked.

"Yeah," Ben confessed. "I didn't expect to feel so..."

"Safe?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah," Rey agreed softly. "Me either."

There was a pause in the conversation. Rey wasn't bothered by the silence. It allowed her to feel the shift in the atmosphere. There was an energy between them.

It was Ben who broke the silence. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. "You're easy to talk to."

"You too," Rey returned.

He chuckled again. She liked how his laugh sounded full and deep. Rey envisioned a wide smile accompanying it.

"Is the accent real?" he inquired.

"Yours or mine?" Rey answered his question with a question.

"I don't have an accent."

"You do to me," she insisted with a laugh. "And, yes, it's real."

"I like it," Ben told her.

Rey beamed at the multicolored screen. She didn't know this man, had been speaking to him for less than five minutes, but somehow she knew he meant it. His compliment was genuine.

"Are you there?"

"I'm here," Rey confirmed, still smiling.

"Good." Ben let out a long breath. "Good," he repeated.

"Did you think I left?"

"I figured I scared you," he said sheepishly. "I tend to do that a lot."

"Why? Are you a scary person?" Rey asked.

"I've been told that, yes," he admitted.

"By who?"

"My friends, my coworkers...even my family on occasion."

Rey's smile fell away. His raw honesty was something she hadn't expected. It felt too similar to the pain she still had in her heart, a scar that hadn't fully healed. "Really? Your family? That's..."

"Concerning?" he assumed.

"Sad," Rey corrected. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to go through that, Ben."

She heard him take in a shuddering breath. He mumbled something inaudible. Rey licked her lips, feeling her throat tighten. She plucked at the fibers of the carpet, trying to distract herself from her emotions.

"Um, Rey." Ben cleared his throat. "Can I...I mean, would you want to do this again?"

"Tomorrow?" she asked, hoping her voice didn't crack.

"Until tomorrow then."

"Bye, Ben."

Slowly, Rey rose from the floor and went to the door. Even though she knew he wasn't visible, Rey paused at the door, glancing over her shoulder.

The LED screen remained unchanged, still varying between shades of blue and purple. There was no outline or silhouette for her to gauge his size or stature. She knew nothing about what he looked like, but appearances had never mattered to Rey. Ben was a delicate soul, one that she wanted to know more about.

She hadn't anticipated feeling an instant bond to a stranger, let alone one she met through the experiment. It was what she'd wanted, of course, but now that it was happening, Rey couldn't believe how overwhelmed she was. It felt the way she imagined standing at the edge of a cliff would feel.

Only time would tell if she was diving into the worst decision of her life or the best.

The sun was setting on Takodana. Ben watched as the sky changed from light blue to brilliant hues of pink, orange, and blue. He was leaning on the deck railing, arms folded on the banister. It was quiet outside, unlike the noisy chatter in the kitchen.

The others were busy comparing notes on the girls they'd dated throughout the day. Ben didn't care to join in. His day hadn't gone nearly as well as theirs had. At this rate, Ben would be lucky if even one of them requested him for a follow-up date.

I'm sorry you had to go through that, Ben.

He stiffened. The British girl, Just Rey, said she'd see him tomorrow. Ben wouldn't hold his breath. Just because he'd felt something brewing between them didn't mean she did.

Rey sounded young. Youth brought a certain level of naïveté, something he'd long outgrown. She might see him once more but Ben doubted she'd continue to see him, especially when she spoke to the other women in her house. He hadn't left any of the others with an appealing impression.

"So, man, how was it?"

Ben was startled out of his reverie by a hand clapping him on the back. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Cassian, one of his housemates, was holding up a shot of tequila for him to take. Ben declined.

"I'm not the best with people," Ben told him.

"You don't say," Cassian replied sarcastically. He threw back the shot.

Ben knew he was referring to their first night in the house. Of the fifteen men in the experiment, Ben was the most intimidating. It wasn't entirely due to his height. The scowl permanently etched on his face was a clear warning sign to anyone in his vicinity. One member of the house hadn't seen the red flag.

Snap Wexley was overly confident and obnoxious. He'd boasted about how he would garner a proposal from every girl in the group, telling his roommates that he'd never disappointed a woman before. Ben has snorted. Considering Snap's personality (and the fact he'd agreed to participate in the experiment), he disagreed.

The other man hadn't taken kindly to Ben's response. He'd turned the focus of the conversation to Ben's love life. When it came out that Ben was a thirty-year-old virgin, there had been howls of laughter, followed by unsolicited advice. Ben could have handled their antics. It wasn't anything he hadn't heard before.

Then Snap touched on a sensitive subject.

"It's probably because of your ears. You could do a great Dumbo impression for kid's parties."

Cassian and another guy named Bodhi had to hold Ben back. He'd lunged across the table to tackle Snap.

"He deserved it," Ben remarked to Cassian.

"Yeah, but you don't want to get thrown out before you meet your soulmate, so you?" Cassian pointed out.

At this, Ben did roll his eyes. "You don't honestly believe this is going to end in each of us finding the love of our lives and living happily ever after, do you?"

"Por supuesto que si," Cassian replied. "If I didn't, I wouldn't be here."

Ben didn't have a response to the other man. Cassian was blessed with naturally good looks, a sultry voice, and an easy-going personality. If anyone here found a match, Cassian would.

"And you?"

"What about me?" Ben asked.

"Why are you here if you don't believe in the experiment?"

"Obligation," Ben confessed. Cassian arched an eyebrow. "My last name is Solo."

"As in...?"

"Yep," Ben confirmed.

"Oh Dios mio," Cassian gasped. "Wait, shouldn't you believe in this then? I mean, your own mother—."

Ben cut him off. "Can we not talk about my family?"

"Will you tell her?" Cassian asked.

"Tell who?"

"Your girl, when you meet her, will you tell her who you are?" Cassian clarified.

Ben snorted. "Don't worry. After today, no girl is going to want to date me again."

But even as he said it, Ben Solo found himself thinking of the girl with the British lit.