As it turned out, leaving Ben Solo in the past was not as easy for Rey as she imagined it would be. There were roadblocks in the way of her just running off, away from him and forgetting the ache in her heart. Forgetting the embarrassment of building up the confidence to tell him that she love him only for him to tell her that he was marrying someone else.

She hadn't been thinking clearly as she ran out into darkness of the pitch black night sky. She hadn't been able to process any other thoughts other than pain and desperate loneliness.

The fact that she lived in the same household as his family was her first barrier to overcome.

The Solo household was her home. He couldn't afford to live on her own and even if she could, there would be no extra money for essentials that she needed to survive such as groceries or college tuition. She would be forced to quit school and take on more hours at the bar.

The owner of the bar where Rey worked, Maz Kanata was a kind woman who seemed to go out of her way to make sure that Rey was taken care of, that she was eating right and exercising. She would ask her about how her classes were going and if she was dating anyone. In the year that she had known her, Maz had become like a second mother to her. Maz had seen Ben and Rey interact at the bar, had seen Ben come to pick her up after her shifts or come late at night and just sit down and talk with her. If she had picked up on Rey's crush on Ben, she had never let on that she knew.

She didn't have anyone else to confide in within the Solo household. She didn't want to say anything to Kaydel and she didn't think that her other friends from school wouldn't understand. She had never even mentioned having any feelings for Ben platonic or romantic to Kaydel. Even thought they were cousins, they had been raised in the same household and their relationship seemed to Rey to be similar to a sibling bond. She had always been afraid that Kaydel would reduce her feelings for Ben as a school girl crush or an inevitable product of spending so much time with him.

"All of my female friends have had a crush on Ben at one time or another. He's like kryptonite to girls. Irresistible but cause them to be weak and helpless around him", Kaydel had told her one day their junior year of high school. "I know that he wouldn't actually date any of them because his tastes in woman seem to be independent, mature and well educated. None of my friends fit all of those criteria. I am so glad you never had any interest in Ben, Rey. I don't know what I'd do if my best friend declared that she was in love with my cousin. That would be so gross".

Rey had just giggled, trying her best to choke down the need to spill the beans about how she felt about Ben. She stopped herself that time though and every time afterwards. It was her secret and until she knew how Ben felt about her, she had felt that it was safer just not to mention anything to Kaydel. So, she kept her feelings to herself bubbling inside her, threating to boil over at any moment.

Neither Leia Organa Solo Hans Solo, Ben's parents seemed approachable about what happened between her and Ben. They were always kind to Rey and never asked her for money in exchange for housing Rey. They seemed grateful for any housework Rey did. Plus Rey had learned a lot about car mechanics and tinkered with their cars, helping with preventative measures so the cars were kept in tip top shape.

When she ran into the home after running away after her conversation from Ben, neither of them was home. Kaydel wasn't home either. Rey figured that she must be on a date with her new boyfriend, Hux. She had been spending a lot of time with him since meeting him in college where he was a teacher's assistant in one of her classes.

She knew that she couldn't stay there for the night as she couldn't risk the possibility of Ben looking for her there. She didn't want to speak to him, didn't want to see him. She didn't want him to see how effected she was by his words, with tears streaming down her face even an hour after their conversation. Her face red, her eyes puffy, her hair looking disheveled after she pushed her fingers through it in frustration.

She shoved clothing into a duffle bag, along with toiletries, cosmetics and her childhood comfort toy, a small brown stuffed bunny. That bunny was the only thing she still had from her childhood before her parents abandoned her.

She then called Maz and asked her if she could stay the night in the apartment above the bar. Maz had the small one bedroom apartment set up for nights when she had to stay late at the bar and was too tired to drive home. She knew Maz hadn't used the apartment in month and it stayed empty. It had heat, electricity, a twin bed with sheets and a stacked kitchen. It would provide temporary comfort to Rey.

At first Maz kept asking Rey what was wrong, why she was asking to stay in the apartment when she hadn't asked her to stay there before. Rey knew that even with her best efforts of choking back her tears and keeping her breath steady that Maz knew that Rey was upset.

"Did someone hurt you? Are you safe?", Maz inquired, her voice was tinged with sympathy.

"I am ok Maz, I just made a fool out of myself is all. I need to make a fresh start away from the man that I embarrassed myself in front of so I would really appreciate if I could stay at the apartment on top of the Cantina tonight.

There was a pause over the line. "Rey honey, I didn't want to interfere before but I have to say if that Man is stupid enough to reject a beautiful, smart, talented woman like you, you don't need him in your life. I honestly thought that he did reciprocate your feelings, the way he looked at you with those puppy dog eyes and the way he hung all over you. He treated you like you were the only woman in the bar eery time he was in there. He chased away all of the other men away from you that expressed an iota of interest. Believe me there were many men who asked me about 'the beautiful bartender with the hazel eyes'. Ben would sometimes overhear them and tell them in not so many words, to hit the road.

Rey took a shaky breath in, "Well he may be protective of me but he obviously only sees me like he sees Kaydel, as an annoying young girl who idolizes him and needs protection".

"Rey, we both know that's not true at all. The way he looked at you was not one of annoyance, it was of admiration and respect. I recognized the way he would stare at you. He looked at you how my late husband looked at me when we first started dating. As I said though, he is an idiot for rejecting you and making you feel miserable. I want you to come to the Cantina tonight, take a warm shower, wash your blues away and get some sleep.", Maz said reassuringly.

Rey took a deep breath, trying to steady her breathing. She wanted to get her humiliation that she felt off of her chest and tell someone and she trusted Maz.

"Thank you Maz, I really appreciate your help. I was the idiot in the situation. I was ready to lay my feelings on the line and tell him that I was in love with him and he cuts me off and hits me with the fact that he's been dating someone for over a year and just asked her to marry him. A woman of high class, that is associated with his Mother's political circle. I'm just a no one from nowhere. I was a fool to think that he wanted to be with me", she said, the sobs building up in her chest and escaping as she uttered the last sentence.

"No Rey, he is the fool, not you. You are still young honey. You are so beautiful, talented and smart. If he's unable to see that, then he definitely doesn't deserve you. I know that you will be someone and you'll forget all about Ben Solo", Maz concluded.

Rey drove up to the Cantina and did exactly as Maz suggested. She relished her time in the warm water of the shower, using the lavender scented shampoo and strawberry and honey scented body wash that Maz kept at the apartment. As she stepped out of the shower and into the steam filled bathroom and wrapped herself in a fluffy pink bath towel, she stared at her reflection and realized that the shower had made her feel a little better. It didn't make her forget what had happened, but she felt more relaxed and ready to move on.

She changed into a white tank top and grey cotton sleep bottoms and got into bed. She curled up under the warm quilt on the bed. She had turned off her phone after she left the Solos house. She plugged it in without turning it back on.

When she woke up the next morning, she turned back on her phone. She had numerous texts and messages. Three from Kaydel and 11 missed calls from Ben. He had left two messages.

The first one was pleading for her to come back and talk. 'Please Rey, please come back. I need you to listen to what I have to tell you. It's important'. His voice was steady and first but seemed to break into desperation at the end.

The second message was more firm then pleading, 'If you aren't going to respond, I'm coming to find you', he stated.

Rey thought about the best way to take Maz's advice and forget about Ben Solo.

Without another moment of hesitation, Rey blocked his number.

The second obstacle proved to be the easiest hurdle to go over; Rey wanted to keep Kaydel as her friend but explain why she can't live with her anymore. Maz offered to let Rey stay in the apartment as long as she needed to until she saved enough money to move out on her own. Rey took on a second job teaching art classes to children at the community college. She could teach right after or before her classes and then worked at the Cantina at night.

She explained to Kaydel that with her second job, she needed to stay closer to the college and to the Cantina. Kaydel didn't question her.

The last obstacle to overcome proved to be the most difficult. Avoid seeing Ben at all costs.