I'm sorry for the horribly short chapter :(
It's all I got for now.
Could you fall in love with me?
Oh, oh
Love is such a mind blowing mystery
I know you're very busy
And the terming's not quite right
But I would take a bus on a late Sunday night
To see you, too see you
Over anticipate by Emily Kinney.
Rey tries very hard to not get her hopes up.
She lies in bed and tries to think about anything besides the phone next to her and Ben Solo.
It's pathetic really.
But she can't help it.
It's her birthday tomorrow.
She's finally turning 13. An official teenager. Closer to Ben in a way that made her feel less idiotic and hopeless. 13 was better than 12. It meant she was older, she was more mature. Even though she didn't feel any different.
Tomorrow was going to be a good day.
A truly happy birthday.
Rey never had that before. No one ever celebrated her birthday. No one cared. No one bothered to care for her before Luke.
Now here she was thinking about her first birthday where people would actually be happy to see her.
Luke had sat her down the day before and forced her to plan whatever she wanted for her birthday. Rey was ready to treat it like any other day and just be happy that Luke acknowledged it, but Luke refused.
Rey was hesitant at first, but eventually she became excited.
They decided on starting with a huge, fatty, delicious breakfast. No healthy crap, like Rey liked to call it. Then she was off to school where she knew her friends would be waiting for her with hugs and presents. Afterwards they were spending all day at the mall, arcade, and then ending it with beautiful cake and pizza all curtesy of Luke.
Rey only wished for one more thing.
But she couldn't get that.
Ben couldn't just skip school and visit her for her birthday. No matter how much Rey wished he could be here. She would give up all the pizzas in the world to just spend her birthday with him. But some things just aren't meant to be and Rey just had to accept that.
However, Rey couldn't help but hope for at least a call from Ben. A small happy birthday after midnight like she had done for him. Rey wanted him to call. Rey needed him to call. It was silly but hearing him wish her happy birthday before anyone else was a tradition that Rey wanted to start and keep for the rest of her life.
Rey knew her feelings for him were growing uncontrollably.
Rey accepted it.
She should also accept that he would never feel the same.
But 13's too young to be so cynical in Rey's humble opinion.
So instead she closed her eyes and fantasized about a future where she was old enough, and they weren't legally related, and Ben was in love with her too. And then her phone rudely interrupted her thoughts.
"Hello," Rey answered immediately breathless and a blush already rising.
Looking at her alarm clock next to her bed she saw that it was 12:01AM.
"Hope I didn't wake up the birthday girl during her beauty sleep," Ben soft voice answered teasingly.
Rey rolled her eyes and willed her heart to chill out.
"The birthday girl is officially not a child and does not have a bedtime," Rey reminded him haughtily.
Ben chuckled.
"No, but seriously, Happy Birthday, I hope you have the best day. I'm sure my Uncle will treat you like a Princess all day and be at your beck and call. And you deserve it. You deserve to get everything you want and more. I wish…I wish I could be there too," Ben admitted quietly.
Rey liked to think that she was the only person in the world that was allowed to listen to Ben without all his walls and pretenses.
Just Ben.
Honest and warm and real.
"Thank you," Rey said after a comfortable moment.
"Now I should probably let you sleep. I'm sure you and your friends have a long day ahead,"
Rey didn't want to hang up yet.
"Wait… its my birthday which means you have to do whatever I say… Can you read to me until I fall asleep?" Rey asked unsurely and embarrassed, but she wanted this. If she couldn't have him physically next to her than she wanted to hear his voice at least for a little bit longer.
"Wow, I see someone's getting bossier with age," he teased without malice, "Any special requests for the birthday girl?"
"You pick. I'll listen."
And she did.
She drifted off to Ben's voice and she imagined a future where she could get everything she wanted, including Ben.
And I'm telling myself to be patient
And I'm telling myself to wait
'Cause when it comes to your love
I over anticipate
