CHAPTER 8

The weather was beautiful on this Saturday afternoon.

Poe, Rose, Kaydel, Paige, and Rey had arrived at the stud farm in the late morning and Maz, as usual, had prepared a delicious meal for them which had everybody raving. Rey was now busy in the kitchen making coffee when her phone signaled that she had just received a text message. She opened the messaging app and a picture of a beautiful green plant appeared on the screen. The caption underneath said:

"She's in great shape. I don't think she really missed me after all. But I miss you already, so much. Ben."

The young woman's face lit up. She hadn't expected Ben to contact her again so soon. She'd even feared that he wouldn't do so at all. So these few tender words written in black and white boosted her confidence.

"What's his name?"

Rey jumped. Maz had just entered the kitchen. Without looking at her granddaughter, but with a small, knowing smile on her face, she began to arrange the cups that were waiting on the central island in a bamboo tray.

"Oh, uh... it's Ben, a patient," Rey replied. "He left the clinic yesterday and he sent me a message to tell me that he got home and everything is fine."

She had adopted a perfectly neutral tone, which she hoped would discourage Maz from questioning her further.

"So it's not because of this Ben that your phone has been grafted to your hand since this morning, and that you've been smiling blissfully and staring off into space as soon as we all have our backs turned?"

Maz continued to casually fill the tray with the teaspoons, sugar, and shortbread she had prepared for everyone. Rey decided that she didn't want to hide anything from anyone anymore.

"In fact, it is," she replied. "Before he left yesterday, Ben and I, we…"

Rose then burst into the room.

"I heard Ben's name mentioned. What has Solo done now?"

Her annoyed look immediately turned into a contented smile when she caught sight of Maz's cookies. She swiped one from the tray before turning her attention to Rey.

"He did nothing wrong," sighed the young therapist as she turned on the coffee maker. "We just kissed yesterday."

Rose, who had just bitten into her shortbread, froze on the spot. Maz, ready to take the tray out under the veranda, stopped her movement.

It was at this precise moment that Poe also entered the kitchen.

"Who kissed who? Did I miss an interesting scoop?" he called out, amused.

Neither Rose nor Maz, still in the throes of surprise, were able to answer him.

And finally Kaydel, preceded by her enormous round belly, joined the small group, exclaiming with enthusiasm:

"Hey, guess what? Paige and John snuck out to visit the stables. I can't believe it ! We've been here for, like, three hours, and those two have already fallen for each other!"

"Rey and Ben Solo too, obviously," stammered Rose.

"That's not true!"

"Ben Solo, the actor?" Poe and Kaydel exclaimed simultaneously.

Rey couldn't back down now. Four pairs of eyes were now on her, and everyone was waiting for an explanation.

She talked about how she and Ben had become closer over the past few weeks, about their long conversations during sessions at the clinic, about their mutual attraction and the fact that she had discovered someone totally different than what she'd expected. She told them about the walk on the beach and the kiss they'd almost exchanged then, and about the kiss they'd actually exchanged the day before, in the parking lot, just before he left Whitegrove.

"I have no idea what's going to happen next, how things are going to turn out. But he just texted me and I'm acting like a hormonal teenager," she confessed, blushing.

Maz's face lit up with a grin that stretched from ear to ear. Poe suddenly became euphoric, and Kaydel elbowed him in the stomach when he asked Rey if Ben - since the two of them were now on such intimate terms - could arrange a meeting with Tallie Lintra.

"I just want to get her signature on my Funko Pop!" Poe said in justification, massaging his ribs.

Only Rose remained silent with an annoyed look on her face. Rey would've liked to know why, but the interrogation that followed, led by Maz and the Damerons, lasted a good half an hour.

It was 3 p.m now and everybody had finally left her alone. Poe and Kaydel were taking a little nap together, Maz was busy on the phone with the caterer for her party, and Paige still hadn't returned from her walk with John. So Rey went upstairs and found Rose in the room she was sharing with her sister.

The brunette was putting the few clothes she had brought for the weekend into the dresser.

Rey knocked on the door frame, but Rose didn't turn her head.

"Are you angry?" she asked.

Rose continued to walk back and forth for a few moments between her bag on the bed and the dresser.

"Not angry, no. Just disappointed. I thought the agreement between us was to tell each other everything."

Rose was a wonderful girl, sparkling, with a strong character, who loved to laugh but also liked to grumble a lot. And here, Rey could tell that Rose just wanted to sulk and make her pay a bit for her secrecy.

"The whole thing caught me by surprise, Rose. At first I thought it was completely insane, that my breakup with Finn was too recent. That I'd just come back to the clinic and that there was absolutely no way I was going to fall for one of my patients, especially one who's a movie star! I swear I fought it, but it happened anyway. And I think Ben is sincere too, when he says he wants to see me again. So I have to tell you that I'm panicking right now, and I could really use some sage advice from my best friend... Especially since my other best friend is only thinking about using me to feed his collection of autographed 'Galactic Wars' items."

Rey concluded her speech with a nervous laugh. She was totally freaking out, and she hoped her friend would eventually realize it.

Rose paused and then pushed her bag aside to sit on the bed. She then motioned to Rey to come and sit down next to her. The two young women stayed there for a while, looking at their shoes, before Rose finally broke the silence:

"Is he a good kisser?" she asked with a smile.

"Insanely good," Rey replied, biting her lip.

Rose took her friend's hand in hers.

"Are you aware that you're going to have to deal with his celebrity? Not just because he's a Hollywood star, but also because of his mother who's a senator. All of his actions are exposed to the world, and so yours will be too. Not to mention his job: he might spend a lot of time away from New York, on film shoots or doing promo all over the world... Have you thought about that?"

Yes, Rey had thought about it, but not in a very concrete way. She tightened her fingers around Rose's.

"You really care about him, don't you?" Rose asked, and Rey sighed.

"I can't help smiling every time I think of him. I have butterflies in my stomach. When I'm with him, I feel like some kind of force is pushing us together. I don't even know how to explain it to myself. I'm just happy. I want to smile like an idiot."

"Oh, I can explain it very well… You're falling in love, girl… You are so done for."

Rey started sniffling.

"I'm terrified, Rose. After Finn, I…"

"Forget Finn. And forget what I just told you. You have to take full advantage of this. After all, even though he's been a jerk at times, I'm not going to deny the fact that Solo is absolutely hot and has an amazing ass."

Rey couldn't but giggle, resting her temple affectionately against her friend's shoulder. Rose laid her cheek on top of Rey's head and added:

"I hope it works out between you, I really do. And he'd better watch that amazing ass of his if he tries to hurt you. Because If he screws up, Kylo Ren will get to know Rose Tico's ruthless Dark Side."

OoooooO

From the balcony of his apartment, Ben had a breathtaking view of the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan island, and the skyscrapers of the business district. It was three o'clock on this Saturday afternoon, the sun was shining, and the waterfront walkways and parks all along the river were filled with pedestrians. The gray waters of the Hudson River seemed to be adorned with sparkling silver, and a light breeze was drying the sweat that had soaked his T-shirt and covered his skin.

Rey had advised him to continue his rehabilitation for a week or two, so he took advantage of the good weather and a quiet moment to do the series of exercises he used to do with her outside, every day at Whitegrove.

The day before, as soon as he arrived home, the phone had begun ringing non-stop. First a call from his mother, who was delighted to see him out of the clinic and asked when she could come and visit. Then a call from his lawyer, informing him that the contractor involved in his accident had agreed to the proposed deal. His insurance company was thrilled, and Hawkins wanted to know if Ben still wanted the damages to be paid to the various charities he supported. The actor confirmed this and Hawkins promised to take care of it.

Ben had then called Josh Lewis, his faithful assistant. Lewis, who had been working for him for several years, told him that representatives of Creative Artist and United Talent Agency had left several messages on his answering machine, as well as Monica Mothma, a friend of Luke's and a renowned New York talent agent. They all were proposing to take Ben's career in hand, since Allan Snoke and the First Order had been "crazy enough to turn their backs on an artist of his caliber." Hearing this, Ben couldn't help but smile. He wasn't really susceptible to flattery, but finding out that Snoke was wrong and that there were still people out there who believed in him was exhilarating.

Monica Mothma was excellent in her field and he was definitely considering accepting her offer to work with her. So Josh had set up an early morning meeting, and Ben had had breakfast with her this morning in the coffee shop just around the corner. To his great satisfaction, their meeting had finally concluded in a brand new collaboration.

Ben had spent the rest of this morning answering emails and messages from friends who were checking in on him, and ordering enough food online to fill his fridge properly. He'd also taken the time to inspect each of his green plants to make sure that his building manager, Mr. Artoo, had taken care of them while he was away.

He was really happy to fall back into the rhythm of his home, his neighborhood, and his regular habits. Now the normal course of his life could resume.

Well, almost - because Rey Kanata had not left his mind for a single second since his departure from Greenwich.

He had told himself that he was going to let the weekend pass before calling her but he had been unable to do so.

He'd texted her two hours earlier, and now he was thinking about how he was going to ask her out. He knew that she needed to find a place to stay in the city while she worked at the clinic, and he was seriously considering offering to let her stay here.

He was crazy. Crazy about her.

So he wiped his face with a towel and walked through his living room to the bathroom. He really needed a shower. As he walked past the large mirror on the hallway wall, he realized he was smiling. Snoke was out of his life, his relationship with his mother was back on track and his desire to go back to work had never been greater.

The hot water running down his body did him good. He was almost pain-free and hadn't taken any painkillers for the past two weeks. Another good thing.

As he washed himself, he remembered the last few months at the clinic: the softness of Rey's hands, the melodious sound of her voice, her dazzling smile. An entire reel dedicated to the young woman began to play out behind his closed eyelids: her hazelnut eyes starred with green, the bow of her mouth, the curve of her legs, the delicacy of her neck ... and a gentle warmth awakened in his lower abdomen. Ben's hand swept down his stomach to find that he was already half hard. White steam had filled the shower stall and his body was boiling from the inside. This girl had bewitched him body and soul, and he couldn't get her out of his thoughts.

He grabbed the base of his cock and his fist began to move slowly up and down, his other hand pressed against the wall. He thought back to the incredible connection they had shared on the beach, to Rey's lips tasting his in the parking lot, to her body pressed against him, to her adorable little breasts that he wanted to devour, and he felt himself grow as hard as steel against his palm. His hand picked up its pace; the excitement was building, and so was the pleasure. All of a sudden it was no longer his hand but Rey's that held and caressed him. He started moaning and accelerated the movement of his fist even more. The fire in his belly grew as he imagined Rey taking him into her mouth. His panting became louder as he neared his crest, heart almost pounding out of his chest. Suddenly his cock throbbed in his palm. Ben let out an almost animal moan as he ejaculated against the shower tile. With his brain flooded with endorphins and his body still electrified, he leaned his forehead against the ceramic tile and tried to calm his breathing.

Thank God his spinal injuries had no impact on his sexual function. He had already seen this when he was still at Whitegrove, when Rey Kanata had haunted his dreams for the first time.

The feeling of completion was delicious. His muscles relaxed under the water raining down from the ceiling, and the last traces of his pleasure slid down the wall and disappeared into the drain at his feet.

He had to see Rey again, as soon as possible. To talk to her, kiss her, touch her.

Ben got out of the shower, dried himself off, and put on a T-shirt and loose sports pants. His phone began to vibrate from where he'd placed it on his dresser, signalling an incoming text message. His heart lurched when he saw Rey's name on the screen:

"I miss you too."

She had signed off with a heart, and he smiled again, sighing with delight..

An hour later, Ben was sitting comfortably on his couch with his laptop resting on his lap. He had just found the clinic's hours of operation on the Brookdale Hospital website when someone rang the doorbell.

Since he knew Mr. Artoo was screening visitors on the bottom floor of the building, Ben guessed it must be Leia, who had promised to stop by just before her Senate meeting.

Ben got up to open the door and was surprised to discover that it wasn't his mother standing there.

"Luke?" he blurted out.

"Hello Ben," his uncle answered.

The two men stood face to face for a long moment, staring at each other in silence. It had been six years since they'd broken off all contact.

Luke had not changed. He still had that sharp, intense gaze that immediately commanded respect, the same as Leia's. His hair was just a bit longer, his face more tanned, and he now sported a magnificent salt and pepper beard. He was dressed simply, with a light linen shirt, canvas pants, well-worn boots and was wearing a bunch of multicolored pearl and seed bracelets on his wrist, certainly brought back from his stay in India. He was holding a folder filled with papers in his hand.

"Your doorman let me come up, but perhaps it's a bad time."

Still in a state of shock, Ben hesitated for a few seconds before opening the door wider.

"No, I was just surfing the net a bit. You're welcome to come in."

He accompanied his invitation with a wave of his hand, and Luke entered the apartment. Ben pointed toward the living room and offered him coffee.

"Sure, I'd love some," Luke replied, taking a seat on the sofa.

Ben returned from the kitchen with two steaming mugs, handing one to his uncle.

"Thank you," Luke said, nodding his head. "To be honest, I wasn't sure whether you'd open the door for me or not."

"I didn't even look through the peephole. I thought it was Leia," Ben retorted, sitting back in one of the chairs.

Six years earlier, he and Luke had parted ways in shouting and resentment. His uncle had moved to the West Coast, dividing his time between writing screenplays and traveling the world. Seeing him here in New York was very unexpected.

"I'm glad to see that things are going much better with your mother," Luke ventured.

"It's very recent," Ben replied.

"Your relationship with your parents has always been complicated. Being Leia and Han's son hasn't been easy, I'll give you that."

"What relationship? They were never around."

"Ben…"

"You know it's true," the actor snapped as Luke lowered his head to examine the pattern on the carpet.

"They tried to combine their careers with family life. With varying degrees of success."

"They always wanted to decide for me what my life should be, and I told them a hundred times that I was not Anakin."

Luke pursed his lips. He didn't quite seem to agree.

"You're demanding. You have a rare sensitivity that you try to hide under a gruff facade. You're anxious, intelligent, and passionate. You are more like your grandfather than you think. And above all, you have an exceptional talent for acting, just like him. That's why, when your mother tried everything she could to dissuade you from following in his footsteps, I already knew it was a lost cause. I knew it as soon as I saw you play Oliver Twist in that play in elementary school. You were destined to be a great actor, Ben. And we were afraid."

"Afraid? But of what?"

Luke continued in a deep, calm voice.

"Leia and I were just kids when your grandfather was spotted by the big boss of the prestigious Empire Artists Management agency, Sheev Palpatine. He was performing in a small play written by one of his friends, and Palpatine entrusted him to the care of his right-hand man at the time, Snoke. Allan landed him his first major role, and his success was immediate. Dazzling even. Prestigious shoots followed one after the other, and the evenings were all filled with drunken partying. Your grandfather lost his way. After alcohol, he moved on to cocaine, and we watched helplessly as he spiraled downward."

"But why would they think the same thing would happen to me?" Ben protested. It was completely absurd.

Luke raised his head and stared at him with his piercing blue eyes.

"You were young and ambitious. Impulsive and rebellious. Full of anger."

Ben let out a wry chuckle.

"I know, I know..." Luke sighed. "You had reason to be. But now you know the movie world as well as I do. It's a jungle sometimes. And it only takes one or two bad encounters for everything to go wrong. Leia and I adored our father and she never really got over his death. There was no way she was going to let the same thing happen to you. So yes, our fear was irrational, but very real."

Ben had already heard these words from his parents when he told them that he was going to replace Luke with Snoke.

"So Leia asked me to become your agent, to 'look after' you. Luckily, you accepted. I was glad that you didn't want to use the Skywalker name to make a place for yourself in the world. I watched you struggle a little bit with the casting process and I thought maybe you would get bored, and that you'd realize that being a lawyer would give you more stability. But it was a waste of time. You wanted it all and you wanted it now. You're an exceptional actor, Ben. And everyone soon realized that. So I did something absolutely stupid: I tried to take control of your career. Snoke had just set up his own talent agency, and I could see him already sniffing around you. I kept directing you towards secondary roles because I wanted you to gradually discover the profession, and I deliberately kept certain scripts from you because I knew they'd make your career take off for good. I wanted to impose my choices on you and restrain you. And the irony is that you turned to Allan, and I lost my only nephew all these years."

Ben's throat tightened and Luke resumed.

"You have the right to blame your parents. But I'm also responsible. I shouldn't have let myself be influenced by Leia. And that's why I'm here today, to apologize. I didn't support you as I should have. You were right, and I'm sorry, Ben."

At those words, Ben raised an eyebrow. He really wasn't expecting this and was a bit at a loss for words. The sincerity he felt in his uncle's words was touching and healing. After all this time spent resenting the whole world, especially after what had happened with Snoke, the resentment and anger were gone. For good.

"Why did you wait to tell me all this?" he wondered aloud.

This time Luke held his gaze.

"Because I wasn't proud of myself. Or maybe I was too proud."

"I wish you and Mom had trusted me."

"We should have."

Ben's eyes teared up a little and he suddenly had the strange feeling of finally being rid of an invisible weight that had been pressing down on his chest for too long.

"Allan's an asshole," he declared. "You were right about that."

Luke refrained from answering. He simply gave his nephew a sad smile and Ben was grateful. Han's death and his own accident had changed many things in his life. He had matured. He now understood that his parents, for all their faults, were not the worst parents in the world, just as his uncle had not deliberately made himself Ben's enemy. They all cared about him, and the time had come to heal this breach.

"Anyway, I'm glad you're better," Luke said.

"You know Amilyn. She made sure that I've been pampered like a prince."

"I'm not surprised about that. Amilyn is a sweetheart."

"She's missed you very much," Ben added with a touch of mischief.

"I've missed her, too," Luke replied.

The two men took a sip of coffee together while exchanging a knowing glance, something they hadn't done in ages. The atmosphere finally relaxed for good and Ben asked Luke about his time in India. Then he finally pointed to the folder on his uncle's lap.

"What's that?"

"Oh, this…"

Luke put the documents on the coffee table.

"Believe it or not, I'm going into production. My friend Mace Windu is directing Milford Tilson's play 'Don't Show That.'"

A gleam suddenly flickered in Ben's eyes. It was one of his favorite plays and his uncle knew it. In fact, a small smirk graced Luke's face as he slid the folder towards his nephew with his fingertips.

"I'd like to know if you would be interested in the role of Bale," he announced.

Ben's mouth opened and closed several times without a single word coming out for a few moments.

"So not only do you show up at my house after six years to do your mea culpa, but you also offer me a job?" he finally managed to articulate.

"That's it," Luke replied simply before taking another swig of his coffee.

Ben couldn't believe his ears. He was both intrigued and excited.

A play.

Why not, after all?

Especially this one.

Getting back in the saddle with this project wasn't necessarily a bad idea.

"Have you noticed that I have a big scar on my face right now?"

"It gives you a little bit of a fierce and wild look. It's perfect for the role."

Ben continued to stare at his uncle, who was calmly finishing up his coffee.

"Who'll play the part of Lana?" asked the actor.

"Zorii Bliss."

"Zorii's already signed on?"

"Yep."

"When is the premiere?"

"We're on a tight schedule. First performance at the Hudson Theater in two months."

Ben ran a hand through his hair, his brain spinning at full speed. When his little jaw tic made its appearance and his thumb started tapping against his mug, Luke knew he had won.

"Mace wants you bad. And I couldn't agree with him more. You'll be a fantastic 'Bale,'" he said.

"I need to discuss this with Monica Mothma, my new agent."

"She's already received our proposal," Luke replied.

"But how? I just signed with her this morning!"

"I may have been on a spiritual retreat in Rajasthan for six months, but I still have connections in the business. So? What do you say?"

Ben hadn't felt this excited in a very long time and he couldn't hide his satisfaction anymore. So he sat up in his seat and extended his hand to his uncle.

"I'm in."

Luke leaned towards him in turn and returned his handshake firmly with a huge smile on his face.