A few week passed, weeks where life ticked over, Ben went to work, picked up the kids when she asked him to, cooked them all delicious meals and asked her questions. So many questions, about herself, about their children, about their life together. The last one she tried to avoid as much as possible, but she told him so many things about herself and the children. Secrets about herself, she has never told anyone before came tumbling over late night glasses of wine. Maybe it was easier to talk to Ben because she knew it was all temporary and Ben would eventually leave, or maybe that was just something she told herself late at night as she watched him sleep.

They slept in the same bed together every night now, often cuddled against each other, but Ben never made a move on her and she never made a move on him, though some nights it was almost unbearable not to.

She found that she enjoyed spending time with Ben, but also that she hated lying to him. She hated herself for it. This wasn't the person she wanted to be. She had enough money to replace her tools now, it really was time to let him go.

One difficult day, the guilt of all she had forced upon Ben became too much, and she decided it was time to tell him the truth.

You can't keep him. You can't keep him. You can't keep him.

She reminded herself over and over as she arrived home, making sure she didn't chicken out.

Tonight is the night you tell him the truth.

She reprimanded herself as she walked into the house they shared.

'Hey baby, how was your day?' Ben said wiping sweat from his brow with one large forearm as he removed what smelt like an amazing homemade lasagne from the oven.

Ben has started to refer to her using pet names recently, and she hated to admit to herself how much she loved to hear him say them. The sense of belonging the terms of endearment conjured up in her heart was intoxicating.

At the sight of him standing there a slight sheen of sweat glistening on his skin, his hair slightly curled from the heat of the oven, her knees almost buckled and her mind changed tact.

On second thoughts, no way. No way are we ever giving him up!

Stupid traitorous brain…..or was that voice coming from her heart instead?

Rey pushed the thought away and swallowed hard.

'There's something I need to tell you…' she began.

'Sounds serious' Ben replied with an amused tone and a quirk of his eyebrow, 'Can it wait until after dinner?'

'No. It can't.' Rey said steadying her resolve.

'Okay….' Ben turned around and pulled a large bowl of chocolate mousse from the fridge.

'Well at-least have a little taste of this first. I made it from scratch.'

Ben put his finger into the bowl and scooped some of the desert onto it. He held it out towards Rey. Rey looks into Ben's eyes then looked at his outstretched finger. She reached forward slightly and wrapped her lips around his fingertip tasting the delicious treat he was offering her. She pulled away slowly, sucking him gently as she swirled her tongue around in her mouth, watching with delight as Ben's adam's apple bobbed violently in response. Rey realised as her body flooded with heated desire, that she wanted so much more than a taste of Ben. She wanted all of him. She couldn't let him go. Not yet.

Coward. She scolded herself.

'So what is it that you wanted to confess?' Ben asked in a low voice as he rubbed the finger she had just attended to.

'I forgot our anniversary.' Rey replied. 'It's today. Erh, Happy Anniversary!'

Ben looked surprised, then smiled, 'Then we have to go out and celebrate!'

After securing Finn and Rose to babysit, Rey and Ben headed out to a local bar.

Rey tried to remember a time she had laughed so hard, as Ben spun her around again and again on the little dance floor as a local band played country music hits to entertain the crowd.

All the regulars watched them in amusement commenting to each other how in love they seemed.

Glowing inside and out, Rey let Ben lead her to a small table near the dance floor.

'You're a good dancer.' Ben shouted over the music as he sat down.

'So are you!' Rey shouted back although he had stepped on her feet a few times.

blind to his flaws huh? Yet another sign you are falling in…

'Shall we get some drinks?' Rey asked, trying to catch the waitresses eye and cut off her inner monologue.

'Let's get a bottle of champagne and some glasses and take it outside,' Ben said pointing to the door leading out to a patio overlooking the sea.

Once they had acquired the necessary items, Rey and Ben ventured out into the cool night air. With Bens arm draped across her shoulders and a breath-taking view of the full moon floating above a calm, tranquil sea, Rey felt bitter sweet contentment. The days spent with Ben had been some of the happiest of her life, but it was wrong to keep pretending. She had to let him go. Soon. But after everything she had gone through, she decided she deserved to have one perfect night and the more champagne she drank, the more her resolve strengthened.

Ben looked out over the sea, sipping his drink. In the soft moonlight, his face looked relaxed and calm. Has Ben been calm in his old life? She remembered his cold icy glare. It had been many days since that look had re-emerged.

You're reaching for excuses Rey… looking for a reason to keep him with you when you know this is wrong. Even if he seems happy with you, you can't build a life on a fictional foundation...

'Do you know the story of Revan and Bastila?' Rey asked, distracting her mind.

Ben gave her a condescending look and Rey laughed.

'Okay, Point taken! Bastila was a queen and Revan was a slave. The legend goes, that Revan worked for Bastila in her palace but they both hated each other deeply. One day, Revan stole a loaf of bread from Bastila's table, but he was caught and Bastila sentenced him to death for the crime, but before his sentence could be carried out, the queen was overthrown by an invading army, and in the chaos of the battle that ensued, it was Revan who rescued Bastila and got her out of the palace to safety.

There are a few different versions of what happened next but the version I like best goes like this. They stayed together for protection at first, but after getting to know each other, and gaining a better understanding of each other's differences, they fell in love.'

'That's beautiful,' Ben said.

'I always thought so...but I'm afraid the ending is quite tragic. During a sea voyage, Bastila fell overboard and Revan heroically dived in after her. Neither one was seen even again and it's said from that day forward, whenever you see the waves crashing against the shore, it's Bastila and Revan...coming together once more.'

Rey blushed as she tried to gloss over the fact that it was widely thought the crashing waves in the story's conclusion represented Bastila and Revan making love.

Rey looked up at Ben in the moonlight. If there was ever going to be a time that she was going to make a move, this was it. The perfect romantic setting for a first kiss. Only Ben didn't know it was a first kiss did he? Ben thought this was the thousandth kiss. Why did all this have to be so complicated?

'Ben?'

'Yes?'

'Can we pretend for just one night, that we aren't married? That we're just...strangers, meeting for the first time, who don't know anything about each other and just let...just let...instinct guide us?'

'You want me to let instinct guide me?' Ben asked.

'Yes.' Rey replied.

Then Ben kissed her, and Rey almost forgot her own name.