Rey wiped the sweat off her brow and licked her dry lips as she moved the joysticks to operate the heavy duty crane she was in. It had been days since she left Coruscant, and already she was missing the cooler climate there. More than that, she missed Hannah and Ben, even though they still had their nightly talks over the computer. The days without them were mundane and repetitive, and it made her look forward to their visit over the weekend even more.
She moved the controls about and watched the world around her slowly move, the crane's claw already full of the scraps she was ordered to move by the yard supervisor. Normally, she wouldn't be operating heavy equipment but Plutt had recently fired another operator (again) and so she had to be the one to take up the task, being one of the few in the junkyard who knew how. Not that she minded. She liked being inside the crane; liked the solitude in it and the inexplicable sense of power it gave her. It was probably one of the few moments in her life wherein she felt like she had some semblance of control.
Her walkie talkie cackled over the din of the machine, and the voice of her supervisor rang inside the crane's cabin.
"Kenobi, Plutt wants you in his office. Over."
Rey knitted her brows and grabbed the walkie talkie to talk into it. "Did he say why? Over."
"Negative. But you better head to his office pronto. Over."
"Roger." Rey clipped the walkie talkie to her belt again and stopped the equipment before climbing down from the cabin. She jogged across the junkyard, boots kicking up dirt as she made her way past other junkyard workers, most of whom were unfamiliar faces. Plutt had such a high employee turnover rate that she hadn't bothered to get to know her fellow co-workers, knowing she probably wouldn't see them past the year, sometimes past the month. She was one of the few who had stayed, though in her case, it was because she had no choice.
She walked up the long metal stairs and stopped in front of Plutt's office, taking off her hard hat and brushing away the strands of her hair that had been pasted to her cheeks from sweat. She wasn't sure why Plutt would call her to his office when she had already given him his morning coffee a few hours ago-one of the few tasks which was not in her job description, but something she had been doing for him ever since she started this job nine years ago.
She straightened her jumpsuit and knocked. Maybe Plutt wanted to talk about the raise he had promised her, she thought. Maybe he was even going to give her a promotion along with the raise. After all, she had been working for him for almost a decade; then again, it was probably foolish to hope. Plutt had such an archaic, if not misogynistic way of thinking, and she knew giving a woman any sort of power would never be something he would do.
"Come in," came the voice Rey knew to be that of Erin, Plutt's secretary. With a deep breath, she let herself in, the cool air of the AC a much welcome reprieve after being in the sweltering heat for so long.
Her eyes instantly zeroed in on her boss, whose bulbous form was hunched over a laptop, his desk covered in stacks of paper, haphazardly piled folders, manuals and books. It was a stark contrast to his otherwise organized office, which was no doubt Erin's doing.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" Rey asked.
Plutt stopped what he was doing, his grim face evolving into a smile that sent unpleasant shivers down her spine. "Rey, my dear girl. Please, have a seat."
She had to hide a shudder from the pet name, and she silently crossed the small office to sit on the seat in front of Plutt's desk.
Plutt swiveled his chair to turn to the other desk in the room, where his secretary busily typed away on an old computer. "Erin, could you excuse me and Rey for a minute? I need to speak with her in private."
Plutt had spoken in a chipper voice, but it sent alarm bells ringing inside Rey's head, and she turned to Erin, who seemed to be looking at her with concern on her pale, wrinkled face. She was much older than any of Plutt's employees. Certainly older than any of the secretaries Plutt had in the past, but she was efficient, and so Plutt kept her, though Rey had a nagging suspicion it was also because Erin wasn't someone he was interested in. All the other secretaries before her had left after swirling rumours of sexual harassment.
Erin stood up from her desk and quietly exited the office, the clicking of the door's latch seeming like a gunshot to Rey. Almost shaking, she turned back to her boss, hands tightening on the hard hat she had placed over her lap when she saw he was still smiling at her. She swallowed. She had never been alone with him in his office before.
Plutt pushed his laptop to the side and clasped his hands over the desk. "So, Rey...where were you last weekend? I went to your house, but you weren't there."
Rey felt the breath sucked out of her, and she stilled. "Why were you at my house?"
"I just wanted to check up on you, that's all." Plutt stood from his chair, grunting as he did so, the buttons on his shirt nearly popping from his girth. The AC still spewed cool air in the office, but she felt sweat bead on her forehead again when he stood behind her chair. She could almost feel the heat emanating from his large body, and when she felt his hands on her shoulders, she froze, just as she had when he first touched her in the parking lot last week. "I was worried about you, Rey. I got even more worried when I saw you weren't home."
Rey swallowed again and started to speak, only to choke on her words when she felt him begin to gently knead her shoulders. Then, she sensed him lean down to the side of her head, big nostrils inhaling, lips close to her ear as he asked, "So, where did you go last weekend, sweetheart?"
Her eyes widened at the endearment. That was what Ben called Hannah, and Plutt made it sound so lewd, she wanted to puke.
Quickly shrugging off his hands from her shoulders, she turned in her seat to glare at him. "With all due respect sir, I don't think where I go on weekends is any of your business."
Plutt drew back to his full height, his expression darkening. "Since when did you learn to talk back to your superiors? Need I remind you that I'm the one who pays you, who puts food on your table, who gives you a roof over your head?"
Rey squared her shoulders, and with teeth bared, said, "Except for the fact that you pay me, everything else you said is a lie. I earn my keep. My food is my own and so is the house."
"So's the house, huh?" Plutt mimicked, narrowed eyes locked with hers as he walked behind his desk, opened the drawer and took out a small key, dangling it in front of Rey. "Do you know what this is?"
Rey's throat seemed to have closed up, and she found it difficult to breathe. She knew what that key was for, and the courage she had mustered earlier morphed into dread.
"It's the key to your grandpa's safety deposit box," Plutt reminded when Rey didn't speak. "It's where Ben Kenobi kept the deed to your house and your land. He put this up as collateral for me to agree to be your loan guarantor. And until you pay back your loan, you're essentially living on my property. I could cash in right now."
Rey held her head high and managed to speak in a steady voice, even as she felt herself waver inside. "You and I both know you can't do that unless I default on my monthly bank payments. And I've never faltered. Not even once. I even give extra so I can pay it back faster."
"True, you haven't defaulted. But I can make it harder for you to pay." Plutt shrugged and put the key back in his drawer. "I take back my offer to give you a raise. Erin hasn't processed the paperwork for it anyway. And Rey, you're demoted and your pay and hours will be decreased."
Rey felt the blood drain away from her face. "Demoted? For what?"
"Insubordination. It's in the employee handbook. Read it."
"Plutt, this is harassment and you know it," she managed in an even tone. "I can file a complaint against you."
Plutt cocked a bushy eyebrow. "Really? Do you even have money for a lawyer? Or are you going to run off to your rich boyfriend and mooch off him?"
Rey felt her temper spike again. He was hitting a raw nerve. "I've never mooched off anyone. I'm not like that."
"I know you're not," Plutt said, his tone switching from mocking to gentle. "You're a good girl that way, Rey. You can stand on your own feet. You don't need a man to save you."
Rey felt her head spin. One minute he was harassing her, the next minute he was acting all fatherly.
She wasn't even able to recover from the whiplash when he said, "Nonetheless, you are still demoted. You're back to sorting scraps and scrubbing car parts. Now, put a smile on that pretty face and get back to work." He dragged his laptop back in front of him and began typing. A clear dismissal.
Without another word, Rey got up from her seat and marched out of the office, slamming the door on her way out. A sob escaped from her throat, and she could feel the pinpricks of tears at the corners of her eyes. She was never getting out of here, she thought bitterly. She was only deluding herself if she thought she had control over her life, when in reality, she was basically an indentured slave Plutt could just toss around on a whim. All this because her grandfather was trusting and desperate enough to turn to this particular acquaintance for help.
She shook her head and wiped the tears from her eyes. No. She wasn't going to blame Grandpa Ben for this. He would never have chosen this for her had he known. And she had been the one to jump at Plutt's job offer all those years ago; not him. This was all on her.
Taking in a deep, shaky breath, she put on her hard hat and made her way down the stairs, already thinking of other ways to earn money to keep herself afloat. And she will find a way. If there was one thing she and Plutt agreed on, it was that she could stand on her own feet. She didn't need a man to save her. It may take her a while longer, but one day, she would pay off her grandfather's loans and take back the deed to their house and land. One day, she would be free from Plutt's clutches. And while she worked and waited for that day to come, she would focus on the things that kept her going-like Hannah and Ben, and their upcoming visit to Jakku over the weekend. It was this thought that comforted her throughout the day, and it would be what would sustain her in the difficult days to come.
Rey checked the house one more time, making sure everything was ready for Ben and Hannah's arrival that Friday afternoon. If there was one good thing that came out of her demotion and lessened hours, it was that she could dedicate more time to her personal life. She had even been able to call Hannah when she got home from school at four, with Rose babysitting her until Ben came home at around six. Today though, Ben took half the day off of work so they could arrive early and spend more time with her. She really appreciated that, especially now when she could use the distraction.
After making sure her grandfather's old room was ready for her guests, she walked out to the porch and waited, eyes trained towards the distance. There wasn't a road to speak of; just dirt paths that meandered through far between houses of neighbors she rarely got to see. Cacti and brushes of russian thistle peppered the tan landscape, and the dry breeze carried with it the occasional tumbleweed.
Her text message notification dinged, and she checked to read Hannah's message.
"Daddy says we're really close. He's driving so he can't text. Can't wait to see you!"
Rey smiled and started to text her reply, when she spotted a car in the distance. She walked away from the house, squinting until she could make out the familiar Mustang heading towards her.
She waved excitedly, stopping only to direct Ben to park next to her Chevy pickup truck. Once parked, Hannah was quick to disembark and jump into Rey's arms. Ben emerged not long after, smiling as he slung a large travel bag over his shoulder and walked towards her. Still carrying her daughter, Rey moved her head so she and Ben could kiss each other's cheeks, making Hannah giggle. It felt natural now to do that, and whatever awkwardness she had felt last weekend from what transpired or did not transpire between them was gone, replaced by the excitement of just being together again.
Rey eyed him up and down. "Wow, Ben, you look great! I don't think I've ever seen you in a t-shirt before."
"Well, gotta dress for the weather." Ben adjusted his glasses and looked her up and down as well. "You don't look so bad yourself."
Rey ducked her head shyly. She was only in an old shirt and a pair of shorts but she would take the compliment. "Did you bring a tent like I told you to?"
"Yup. It's in the trunk along with my other camping gear and supplies. I would've bought sandboards for our dune sledding tomorrow, but they don't sell them in Coruscant."
"No worries. We can buy some in the center of town tomorrow before we go out in the desert." Rey balanced Hannah on her hip. The girl was not light at all, but she seemed to enjoy being carried, and Rey would take every chance she got to do so. After all, it may not be long before her daughter wouldn't want to be carried around anymore.
The afternoon quickly made way to evening. Despite not being in Coruscant, everything still fell into place, with Hannah and Ben helping her cook in her small kitchen, saying grace before they ate, and with them washing dishes together. Conversation flowed just as freely, and even though they didn't have a lot of the modern conveniences of the Solo household, Rey was glad that Hannah and Ben seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves around her.
The rest of the evening was spent with Rey telling Hannah more stories about Ben Kenobi. Hannah had wanted to know more about her great-grandfather, and Rey told her as much as she could, how he was a beloved faculty member in the state university, his kindness and courage in the face of illness, all while sparing the girl from darker details, like how her parents had driven the family into poverty. But the more Rey talked about her grandfather, the more she recalled the hold Plutt had on her, and she had to struggle to bring herself back to the present.
It was late by the time they decided to sleep. Rey helped Hannah prepare, making sure the girl brushed her teeth properly and changed into her jammies before ushering her to bed. Just like their first sleepover all those months ago, Hannah decided to sleep in Rey's bed, and fell asleep almost immediately after she crawled under the covers. Poor thing must've been tired from the journey, Rey thought.
Kissing her daughter's forehead, Rey changed into a tank top and a pair of pajama pants before heading off to say good night to Ben. The door to her grandfather's old room where he would be sleeping was ajar, and she found it empty except for a still unopened travel bag atop the bed.
Brows furrowing, she did a quick sweep of the house, and after not finding him anywhere, decided to go outside.
She found him standing on the dimly lit porch, staring up at the night sky. He still hadn't changed his clothes, and she walked up to him to stand by his side and look up at the stars twinkling above them.
"The stars look really beautiful out here," Ben commented without looking at her. "Brighter than I've ever seen them in all my life."
"That's because unlike in large cities, there isn't much light pollution here," Rey explained.
"Yeah, I can see that. Beautiful." Ben paused for a moment before turning to her and adding softly, "But not as beautiful as you."
Rey almost choked. "W-What?"
To her surprise and chagrin, Ben laughed. "Ha! Got you flustered. I win again!"
"Win? What are you talking about?"
"Our complimenting game. You gotta be on your toes if you want to win, Rey."
Rey felt her cheeks heat up, and she threw a not-so-gentle punch on Ben's shoulder. "I didn't even know we were playing, you jerk!"
"That's not a compliment. I win again!"
She had to roll her eyes. "Honestly. You act like such a kid sometimes."
Ben tapped a finger to his chin, as though he were thinking. "You know, that can be taken as both a compliment and an insult, but I'll take it as a compliment so you don't have to suffer through a losing streak."
Rey let out a puff of breath but didn't say anything more, the corners of her lips dipping down into a frown. Ben chuckled and gently nudged her shoulder. " Come on, Rey. I'm just teasing. I was trying to get you to smile. You've been off ever since you started talking about your grandfather."
Rey blinked and stared back at him. "But I've been smiling all night."
"Yeah, but the smile doesn't reach your eyes," he pointed out, this time facing her fully, hands on his hips as he put his weight on one foot. "You may have fooled Hannah, but you can't fool me. So...do you want to talk about what's troubling you?"
Rey trembled as memories of Plutt's touches and harassment assailed her. She started to speak, to tell Ben about what her boss did to her, but she shook her head. She couldn't rope him into this. This was her burden to carry and hers alone.
She decided to go with a half-truth. "I guess I'm just missing my grandfather. That's all."
"I see." Ben lowered his gaze. "If it's any consolation, Hannah and I will be with you all weekend. You won't be alone."
"Thank you, Ben." Rey smiled at him before turning to the stars once more. She and her grandfather used to stargaze on clear nights like this too. "After Grandpa died, this house just didn't feel the same, you know? It felt empty. But having you and Hannah here...it feels like home again."
"I'm...I'm glad." Ben's voice had a hint of shyness to it, but Rey couldn't quite make out his expression with his face turned away and under the shadows. "You make my house feel like a home too when you're around."
"Your house is a home Ben. With or without me," Rey said. "You have Hannah. You have family with you."
"Yes, but...it's been so much better ever since you came into our lives." He looked at her then, and even with the poor light, she could tell his eyes were intense. "When I first came here to fetch Hannah after she had run away to you, I could never have imagined how much you would mean to her. How much you would mean to me."
Rey felt her heart pounding in much the same way it had last week, when she thought he was about to kiss her. Something inside her told her there were some unspoken words there, but she brushed it off. She really shouldn't put meaning into the things he said. He was just being a good friend.
"You guys have come to mean a lot to me too." She flashed him a smile before she gazed up to the sky again. "So really, Ben. I can't thank you enough for letting me into your lives. It would never have happened if you hadn't allowed it."
"Well...I guess we have to thank Hannah too. If she hadn't run away to you, we would never have met." He paused. "Then, there's my mother to thank. She was the one who got your info from the egg donor clinic and passed it on to Hannah."
"You know, I'm still a bit upset about that," Rey said with a wry smile. "That was an invasion of my privacy."
Ben must have not sensed the humor in her tone, because he instantly grew defensive. "Yes, but Mother only did it to make Hannah happy. She desperately wanted to meet you and-"
"Ben, I'm kidding." She giggled and gave him a light punch on the shoulder. "You have no idea how thankful I am that your mother did what she did. If you think about it, she's the real reason why we all met."
"Yeah, I guess so."
They lapsed into silence once more, eyes trained on the twinkling skies. This was nice, she thought, just sharing a quiet moment with someone, especially one who was as dear to her as Ben. She felt at ease. At peace for once, and she felt as though nothing could ever hurt her.
After a time, Ben said, "My neck is starting to hurt."
"That's because standing up isn't ideal for stargazing," Rey said with a giggle. "It's best when you lay down on a blanket."
"Right." He lowered his head and rubbed the back of his neck before turning to her again. "Would you like to?"
"You mean like, lay on a blanket? Right now?"
"Yeah. Why not?"
Rey wasn't so sure about the invitation. Laying down on a blanket with Ben to watch the stars...it felt too romantic, too intimate for friends. If she were to be honest with herself however, she wasn't entirely averse to the idea...which was why she couldn't agree to it. That way could only lead to further complications in their relationship.
"I don't know, Ben. I was hoping to do it when we go camping tomorrow night," she excused. "The Milky Way is actually more visible in the desert and I know Hannah wouldn't want to miss that."
"Okay." Ben nodded. Rey thought she could hear disappointment in his voice, but he was smiling when he looked at her. "It's getting late anyway. We should probably turn in for the night."
The desert climate was starting to cool by the time they drove in Rey's truck to the dunes that Saturday afternoon. Ben's Mustang wasn't exactly built for the desert, so they had to leave it behind and put all their camping and sledding gear in the back of the truck. Hannah was especially excited to go dune sledding, citing how she went snow sledding every winter in a ski resort at Hoth City.
"I've never gone snow sledding, but I imagine the mechanics are the same," Rey said, driving the truck through the dirt path which led to the campsite she and her grandfather had used countless times. Ben was in the passenger's seat while Hannah sat between them. "Of course, the type of sleds used are different, so there may be a bit of a learning curve. Shouldn't be too hard though."
"You think the sand will still be scorching hot at this time?" Ben asked.
"Not as hot as noon time, that's for sure." Rey answered. "But it will still be hot, which is why I told you guys to cover up." She eyed her companions, who, like her, were wearing long sleeved shirts, long pants as well as socks in their hiking boots. "I know all these layers are not ideal, but it's better than getting hot sand in places you wouldn't want it to be. Besides, it's going to be cold come nightfall."
One turn, and Rey parked at a small clearing near a moderately high sand dune. This was her and her grandfather's favorite spot: not too far from a dune that wasn't too steep for beginners, and not too far from a flowing creek in case they needed to wash up.
Ben got out and helped Hannah off of the truck. Rey hopped off as well, and proceeded to get their gear from the back, with Ben hurrying to help her. Soon, they had their camping gear laid out on the ground, but they wouldn't be pitching the tents until later. For now, they needed to make use of the time they had left before sundown to go dune sledding.
Taking the sandboards with them, Rey had Ben and Hannah practice a few feet from the flat ground, teaching them how to sit and balance themselves on the sled and making sure they knew how to properly hold the side grips. With every slide down the dune, they would climb up higher, though when they were high enough, Ben insisted on having Hannah ride with him for safety.
It took three passes before Ben was confident enough to let Hannah go on her own. The girl was a natural at this, Rey thought, and pretty soon, she went from just standing on the sidelines and teaching them, to joining in on the fun. They even tried going down on one sled together, with Hannah in front and Ben at the back.
Rey laughed with every slide down the dune, remembering all the times she had slid down these very slopes while her grandfather looked on. Grandpa Ben had been just as protective of her as Ben was with Hannah the first few times, until he had eventually allowed her to slide down on higher and higher dunes on her own. Trekking up was her least favorite part, but the journey downwards always made it worth it.
They stopped sledding by sundown, and Ben set up the tents with Hannah while Rey made a campfire. She would be sleeping in her old, smaller tent while Ben and Hannah would be inside their larger tent.
The sky's orange hues soon disappeared into the blue-black of night, and they all gathered in folding chairs around the fire to have their packed dinners, all the while talking about how much fun they had earlier. Later, they would cook smores over the fire-something Hannah was particularly excited about especially when Rey put the browned marshmallow between Graham crackers and squeezing chocolate syrup in the middle.
The stars burned bright in the night sky. There was no moon, so they could see the cluster of stars-the Milky Way-in all its splendor. Ben suggested they all lay down before their necks stiffened from constantly looking up, and he and Rey got the large blanket they had prepared just for the occasion, spreading it on one side of camp before all three of them lay down, Hannah in between them.
Ben started telling Hannah about the constellations, and Rey felt a twinge in her heart as she remembered her grandfather doing the same when she was a little girl. She shared her own knowledge of constellations with their daughter, though Hannah preferred finding other shapes that could be formed by the stars, as though she were cloud-watching instead of stargazing.
"My teacher said the sun is the closest star to our planet," Hannah said.
"That's right." Rey nodded.
"So those stars might have planets of their own," Hannah continued.
"Some of them might, yes." Rey turned to her daughter, who still had her gaze trained on the skies, the stars sparkling in her hazel eyes.
"You think there are people on those planets?" the girl asked.
This time, it was Ben who answered. "Maybe. The universe is so big and vast, it would be a waste of space if it's just us."
That made Rey turn towards him. "Huh. I never thought of it that way."
Ben simply shrugged in response, and they all fell quiet as they continued to gaze up to the sparkling heavens.
"I'm glad we all live on the same planet," Hannah said after a time. "Even though we live in different cities, at least we won't have to travel in a spaceship to see each other."
Ben chuckled. "Who knows, maybe one day, we won't need to travel at all."
Rey looked at Ben again, and found him staring back at her. She wasn't sure, but it sounded like he wanted them to live together or something. Or maybe she was just overthinking again.
"We already don't. That's what the internet is for," she reminded, and the smile on Ben's face wilted a little before he turned to the skies again.
Not long after, she heard little snores from beside her, and found Hannah had fallen asleep. Ben saw too, and sat up so he could gather their daughter in his arms.
"I'll get her to her sleeping bag," he said before leaving for their tent. Rey remained on the blanket, still staring up until Ben returned. She expected him to tell her they should call it a night, but he surprised her when he lay down beside her, a little closer this time now that Hannah was gone, his hands behind his head.
"You know…" he began, "Uncle Chewie's still badgering me about getting you to work for him."
Ah, Rey thought. So Ben did have it in his mind for them to at least be in the same city together. "I wish I could, but I can't."
"Why not?"
She didn't answer.
From her peripheral vision, she saw Ben shift so he was lying sideways to look at her. "Rey, did something happen?"
She chewed on her bottom lip, still not saying a word. Whenever she was with Hannah and Ben, she felt like she was in a safe bubble. But bubbles burst easily, and now, she was back to thinking about Plutt, of his stubby hands rubbing her shoulders, his breath against her ear, and she shuddered.
Ben sighed. "Rey, I know that I have no business meddling in your personal affairs, but I really hate seeing you so sad. So if there's anything at all that I can do, please tell me. But if you're not ready to talk about it, I understand. I can wait if you need me to."
She looked away. Yes, Ben was patient. And he was a good listener. A good friend. She wanted to spare him the burden she was carrying, but at the same time, her heart was growing too heavy for it. She needed to talk to someone, she realized that, and right now, there was no one she trusted to listen and understand except Ben.
She let out a trapped breath. She was going to tell him. She would have to omit certain details, but she needed to at least tell him what happened with her job. "I...tried to resign from work last week. Plutt refused."
"What?" Ben sat up and looked down at her. "Rey, he can't legally refuse a resignation."
"I know that. But...years ago, I signed an agreement that I can't leave Jakku until all of Grandpa's medical loans are paid for," she explained. "It was part of the compromise to him agreeing to be our loan guarantor aside from my grandfather giving him the deed to our house and land as collateral."
"Wait, so you legally cannot leave Jakku?"
"No. I mean, I can go visit, but not move to other towns and cities."
"And Plutt has the deed to your house and land?"
"Yes. Grandpa stored it in a safety deposit box in the bank and handed the key over to Plutt. So technically, Plutt owns the house I live in until I pay the loan in full." Rey looked at Ben from the corner of her eye, and saw that his face had turned grim.
After a while, he asked, "When do you think you can pay off the loan?"
She shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe ten years, seven if I'm lucky."
He sputtered. "That long?"
Rey nodded. "I did tell Plutt that I could pay the loan faster at Chewie's, but he refused and offered me a raise."
"Did you accept it?"
"Yes. I didn't have much of a choice. And then, he just...demoted me and decreased my pay and hours after I talked back to him."
"Why did you talk back?"
Rey started to answer but stopped herself before she could. No, she couldn't tell Ben about Plutt touching her. He was going to fly into a fit of rage for sure, and she was too ashamed to admit she had put herself in a vulnerable position with someone she knew couldn't be trusted around women. "He was...he was being an ass. And now, I'm going to have to either look for another job, which is unlikely given what little good paying jobs there are for me in Jakku, or I take part time work on the side. Maybe waitressing. I don't know."
"There's still another option, Rey," Ben said. "Uncle Chewie's offer still stands. I don't think Plutt can legally bind you to Jakku, even with a signed agreement."
Rey waved a hand. "It doesn't matter. And even if I was able to leave Jakku, I wouldn't."
Ben grew quiet and lowered his gaze. "It's more than just that agreement with Plutt and the collateral, isn't it?"
Rey clasped her hands over her stomach, tightening her fingers together as she said, "Jakku's my home. I have wonderful memories of my grandpa here."
"And when you pay off your loans and get the deed to your house back?" Ben pursued. "Will you still stay?"
She nodded, and he let out an exasperated sigh.
"Rey, your grandfather's gone. He wouldn't want you to stay in this town forever."
Something seemed to snap in Rey, and she quickly sat up, glaring at Ben. "Who are you to say what my grandpa would or wouldn't want? And yes, he's gone but the memories of him aren't."
"You're staying here for a ghost," Ben shot back. "That's not a way to live."
Rey felt her hackles rise. His sharp tone was grating on her nerves. "Why are you so adamant that I leave Jakku, anyway? Why would it matter to you?"
"Because I want you near me!" he snapped. Rey fell silent, and she watched emotions flicker across his face-annoyance, anger, horror and finally, calm as he said, "Near Hannah. I want you near Hannah so we don't have to travel hours just to visit you."
Rey let out a sharp breath. She could still feel the tension in the air, and it was bleeding into her words and tone of voice. "If it's so inconvenient for you to visit, then don't. I'll be the one to visit you guys at Coruscant from now on. There. Is that better?"
"No. It's just not the same as you and I actually living in the same city." Ben shook his head. He was calm now, but for some reason, it irritated her even more. "Rey, you could get a job which pays better. You'll be able to pay off your loans in less time. I could help you get on your feet while you adjust. Help you move and all that."
He was offering to help her. To save her from the predicament she was in, and she was suddenly reminded of Plutt's words:
"You're a good girl that way, Rey. You can stand on your own feet. You don't need a man to save you."
Indignant, she said, "Do you think I'm some sort of charity case, Ben?"
His eyes widened, obviously horrified at the suggestion. "No, no, I just want to help."
"I don't need help." She turned away from him and crossed her arms. "I've been fine on my own for the last nine years and I'll continue to do fine."
"So you'd rather stay here, and be alone for the rest of your life," Ben said evenly. "Is that what you're saying?"
"I'm not alone," Rey refuted, still not looking at him. "I have friends."
Ben almost laughed. "What friends? From what you've told me, your friends are in D'Qar City. And even if they lived closeby, they're not your family."
Rey grinded her teeth behind closed lips. She knew they were now both getting on each other's nerves. This was going to barrel into an even bigger argument-something she never thought she would ever have with Ben.
"I know you want a family, Rey," Ben said when she didn't speak.
She responded to his soft tone with a hard one. "And how would you know?"
"Because that's what you said the first time we met when Hannah asked you all those questions," he said, his fingers bunching up on the blanket. "I've listened to you talk about your grandfather. Listened to you talk about Hannah. Seen how happy you are to have her in your life. You need her as much as she needs you. Hannah needs a mother. And I…"
"And you what?" she challenged.
"I need...Fuck! Why is this so hard?" he half-yelled, before he shot up to his feet and began pacing, rubbing his jaw with his hand before standing in front of her, obscuring the view of the campfire and hiding his face in the harsh shadows. "Rey...you and I...we're great co-parents to Hannah. We make it work despite the distance. Can you imagine what we could achieve together? Like, in one place, together? We could be a family. The three of us."
Rey's brows knitted together. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that you and I...we could live together. With Hannah. You, me and Hannah."
Rey squared her shoulders, taken aback by the suggestion. "Me? Live with you two?"
He nodded. "Yes."
Rey's mouth hung slightly open, her words failing her. She didn't expect this at all, and even though she didn't want to, she mulled over it. Actually thought about it for a while, but she managed to reason with herself. "Ben...you know I can't do that."
"Why not?" He put his hands on his hips, and she could sense his frustration growing again. "It's a perfectly sound arrangement. Hannah gets the mother she's always wanted. You get to be with Hannah. You get a place to stay as well as a good paying job."
"And what about you?"
"What about me?"
"What do you get out of it?"
He paused for a bit. "I get...Hannah's happiness. And yours. I know being with Hannah makes you happy."
Rey didn't know why, but she suddenly felt sad. "Is that all?"
"Yes. That's all."
She fell quiet again, and she pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. "Ben...even if I agree, you know that kind of arrangement won't last."
"We can make it last," he insisted.
Rey held up a hand. "No, we can't. Because one day, you're going to find someone and you're going to get married. Your wife will become Hannah's mother. And where does that leave me?"
Ben took a step back, hands now limp on his sides. "Rey...that's...that's not going to happen."
"It is going to happen, and it should," Rey said, and she felt her heart grow so heavy, it was a struggle to continue speaking. No. She wasn't affected by the thought of Ben getting married one day. She wasn't. "It's inevitable that you're going to find someone just as I'm going to find someone."
Ben was quiet. She couldn't make out his expression from the harsh shadows on his face, nor did she want to as she turned away to pick at the lint on her socks.
After a time, she said, "Ben, we can't possibly live out the rest of our lives alone. You need and deserve someone to...to love you and take care of you. And I deserve the same. We both want the same things in life and-"
"We do," Ben agreed, his voice bordering on desperate, though Rey couldn't be sure. "We do want the same things."
She pointed at him, taking on a lighthearted approach as she said, "See? Now we're finally agreeing on something."
Ben was quick to react. "You...you're really, really fucking stubborn!"
Rey's temper flared, and she swiftly stood up. "Why are you shouting?! And yes, I am stubborn! You already knew that."
"Yes, but I didn't realize you were this fucking dense!" he snapped.
"Oh, so now you're calling me stupid just because I won't live with you and Hannah?" Rey fired back.
"I never called you stupid!" Ben denied.
"You just did!" Rey said hotly. "You called me dense!"
"Oh my God, you're completely twisting what I said!" Ben pointed a finger at her, and Rey wanted nothing more than to swat it away from her face. "You're fucking dense because you just don't get it!"
"Don't get what?!"
"That I love you, goddammit!"
