Ben waited outside of the store for Rey. He shouldn't have done that. It looked bad. But he clearly wasn't the only one confused about their feelings. Whatever it was he was feeling, Rey felt it too.

Rey emerged from the shop and looked at him timidly.

'I'm sorry,' she said.

'I shouldn't have pushed you in there, you were just being nice and I shouldn't have forced you to compliment me. I guess it's just the insecure little girl in me.'

'Rey, you're beautiful. Everyone can see it. But I shouldn't be the one to tell you that.'

Rey nodded.

'I'm sorry.'

'Don't be.'

'But I am.'

They walked along the pavement in silence.

Ben changed the subject.

'Why don't you tell me about the proposals?'

'Oh, okay. Well Matt was only 17 when he proposed. So it was something along the lines of "hey, so how about me and you, huh?" Very romantic.'

Ben laughed and Rey felt joyous as having been the one to elicit the sound from him.

'What about the ring?'

'Very small diamond on a silver band.'

Ben snorted.

'Hey! It was all he could afford!' Rey defended.

'And Kylo?' Ben enquired.

'Kylo proposed to me on Stage during one of his concerts,' Rey winced.

Ben shook his head and sighed.

'At the time, I thought it was amazing,' Rey said then she frowned.

'Apart from when he cut open his hand and wanted me to do the same so we could "bind ourselves" together forever. We had to spend the rest of the night in A&E and he needed ten stitches.'

Ben laughed so hard tears formed in his eyes.

'Stop it!' Rey reprimanded him lightly hitting him on the arm.

Ben ignored her.

'Dear God, thank goodness you didn't go through with the wedding he might have sacrificed a lamb in your honour!'

'You joke, but I was honestly worried that blood would feature prominently in his vows.'

'So what was the ring like?'

'What you would expect.'

'Large, red and black affair, garish as fuck?'

'Got it in one.'

'Okay, now tell me about Randy.'

Rey let out a shaky breath.

'Randy proposed during one of the school's football matches against a rival team. He had the kids hold up a banner saying "Rey will you marry me?" It was so sweet.'

'Somewhat manipulative though don't you think, using cute children to sway the jury in his favour?'

Rey rolled her eyes.

'You're just too cynical,' she shot at him.

'And maybe you're not cynical enough,' he shot back.

He stopped in his tracks and held out his hand towards her.

Rey panicked.

'What are you doing?' she asked in a trembling voice.

Ben laughed out loud.

'Calm down! I'm not fucking proposing to you. I just want to see the ring.'

'Oh,' Rey blushed and felt foolish. She held out her hand and Ben took it. She felt the rush of electricity again as he gently caressed her fingers. Her heart hammered in her chest and her mouth went dry.

'Just as I suspected,' Ben murmured.

'What?' Rey said the words barely a whisper on her lips.

Ben let go of her hand.

'It's a fucking monstrosity. Where do you even find a fucking football shaped ring?'

Rey sighed as Ben poured cold water all over the moment between them.

'He had it specially made,' Rey said holding out her hand and admiring the ring. Sure, it wasn't really to her taste but it was the thought that counts, wasn't it?

They started to walk again. Ben shook his head.

'None of these 'boys' know how to propose like a man,' he said.

Rey stopped walking and put her hands on her hips.

'Oh yeah? Well how would you do it Mr I'm amazing at everything?'

Ben stepped towards her and she had to tilt her chin up high to keep her eyes on him. He put a hand on her cheek and her heart stopped.

'Rey, you're the most amazing woman I've ever met and I know we'll have to take the good times with the bad and I know that at some point one of us or both of us will want to get out of this thing but I also know, with my whole heart, that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.'

Ben pulled away and looked at her smugly.

'How was that?' he asked.

Rey swallowed hard.

'It ain't Shakespeare but I liked it,' she said.

They looked at each other. Rey was ashamed to admit that she would have given anything for him to grab her and kiss her senseless right there in the street. Instead, he put his hands firmly into his pockets and they kept walking.

'So is that how you proposed to your wife?' Rey asked gently.

Ben looked at her in surprise.

'Don't look so shocked, you have divorce written all over you.'

Ben shrugged.

'It was probably a proposal along the lines of Matt's,' he said with a snort.

Rey laughed.

'What went wrong between you?' she asked with genuine curiosity.

Ben looked thoughtful.

'You know, I honestly don't know. I don't think we've ever talked about it. It didn't help that she casually married my best friend about a year back.'

'Wow, that's gotta hurt.'

'Actually it didn't, they are good together and to tell the truth they're both my best friends.'

Rey looked at him with admiration.

'I'm very happy to hear that, I was worried you didn't have anyone.'

'You were worried about me?' Ben asked.

Rey blushed.

'Maybe just a little.'

'Are we becoming friends now?'

'Maybe just a little,' she said with a small smile.

Ben smiled back.

'So what's next on the list?' Ben asked.

Rey's eyes widened with realisation.

'Crap! We should have been at the church twenty minutes ago!'

'We better get a move on,' Ben said.

Ben led Rey to his car and they got in.

'So will Randy wear the beanie during the ceremony and will he flip it up in the air the moment the Reverend announces you bride and groom?' Ben asked as he started up the engine.

Rey rolled her eyes at him but looked worried as she gazed out of the window.

She made a mental note to make sure Randy knew the beanie was banned from the wedding.