An; the last chapter!

Jumanji- A new beginning part 5

The next morning, after hardly any sleep, I made myself a cup of coffee. As I drunk it I stood over the sink looking into the back garden. I noticed dads car no longer in the driveway, and since it was Sunday he might be out visiting a friend.

While standing there looking out at nothing interesting, a thought suddenly popped into my head. Yesterday I had put the word love in the text message I sent to Bethany.

It was no lie, but it was wrong of me and I hope she would not realize what I wrote when she finally woke up and read the message.

A few hours and three coffee cups later, I heard gentle footsteps walking down the stairs. From my place on the couch I just turned my head away from the tv and in the direction of the new sound. Dressed in one of my big band t-shirts and little else Bethany entered the living room. It was obvious she had tried to remove parts of her smug eye makeup from the night before with moderate success. Nonetheless seeing her like that was enough for my imagination to run wild.

After gaping at her for a while she shyly asked me if she could get a cup of coffee as well. Without saying anything I stood up and made her a cup before handing it over to her as she waited on the couch. Not knowing how to handle the situation I quietly sat down on the other half of the couch.

Finally finding my voice I asked her if she needed to contact her parents since she did not go home yesterday. She held both of her hand on the cup and would not look at me as she informed me they did not expect her to come home. They thought she was spending the night at her girlfriends house.

Hearing she had planned yesterday to stay out all night made something click inside. In rage I stood up, and let one of my hands drag through my hair. No longer containing my frustration and worry from what had happened last night, I began yelling at her. All the things wrong with what had happened yesterday. Why she had gone to that party in the first place, why she had drunk so much, why she had texted me, and why the hell did she let that boy touch her.

When I was done with my lecture she calmly put her almost empty coffee cup on the table in front of her and said "Why should you care? It is normal for a young person, such as myself, to drink and to party. It is normal for girls my age to appreciate attention from the opposite sex. It it also, unfortunate, normal to drunk text the guys they think about." With her last words she looked me straight in the eyes, arguing me to question her logic.

Her words left me speechless.

I knew I had no hold on the young woman sitting on my couch, but in my heart there would be no one else but her. It hurt me that she let herself go like she had last night.

With a low sadness to my voice I could not hold back one last question "Does it not feel wrong for you?" Was I the only one would would forever live without the touch of the opposite sex.

More angry than I have ever seen her she pushed herself up from the couch. "Of course it is bloody uncomfortable. You are the only one I want, but you do not want to have anything to do with me. You text Spencer as if he is your best friend. Even Martha and Fridge gets weekly tekst from you. By me? Me you ignore! It you ever reply to one of my teksts it takes hours, it not days before I get something small in return. You reject me at every possible opportunity I try to connect with you. So I drink a little to forget, and try to have a good time. But because of a connection to you, every touch from another man is uncomfortable. It is frustrating. I thought maybe if I drink enough maybe I might enjoy being touched. Guess what, it didn't work!"

By the end of her speech she was crying. Tears was running down her cheeks and I thought I have never seen anything so beautiful.

Before I had realized what I had done my hands was around her petite waist. I was crying into her hair, begging her for forgiveness. After what might have been hours my hands loosen up and let her go as I took a step backwards.

Gathering my courage I told her with a shaking voice that "I didn't mean to make you feel that way. It is just that I have had twenty years with this connection. It is already a part of me and it has become natural for me not to touch other women since I came back from jumanji."

Her eyes widen with realization. She might have felt rejected and alone for a few months, but I had waited for her a lot longer. "But. But, why do you not want me?" she asked with an uncertain sound to her voice.

A little frustrated I dragged my hands through my hair a few times before I looked at her small figure again. "It is not that I do not want you. I really do. I yearn for you in a way I did not think was human possible. But you are just a child, I am twenty years your senior. It is just not right."

Stubbornly Bethany argued that she was no longer a child. She was even over the age of consent. Telling me that twenty years age difference was nothing. The connection between the two of us made it impossible for her to enjoy the touch of others anyway so I needed to get of my high horse and start touching her.

Weakly I gave in and reduces the distance between us and grabbed her face with both my hands and let my lips crush against hers. I kissed her like I have never kissed anyone before. Letting the scent and taste of her indulge me as I kissed her as if I would die without her lips.

She quickly reacted and returned the kiss with the same intensity.

I felt her hands grabbing hold of my shirt and for a moment it felt like I had died and entered a heaven I normally did not believe in.

In the end the kiss slowed down when the need for air was to much. Despite the fact we were both breathing hard we did not let each other go. No longer managing to told it back any longer I gently whispered against her lips that I loved her. She let her hands fall from my chest and instead circled them around my waist. Hugging me closer. Her response "I love you too" almost made my heart burst in happiness.

Selfishly I held on to her for as long as I could before my mind began to think realistically again.

With one last inhale of her scent I let her go and took a step back.

Her questioning eyes searched mine for a reason as to why broke our hug.

A little scared I did not dare to look in her eyes as I yet again proclaimed that a relationship between the two of us was impossible. Our age difference was to big for society to accept us.

The silence in the room was depressing. Only broken by our loud breathing.
My mind was transfixed on the kiss which had just taken place, but some part of my brain knew I had done the right thing when I ended the connection. Since it was probably the only real kiss I would ever share with the girl next to me I wanted to savor the feeling for as long as I could.

In the end Bethany's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Do you know the age difference between my parents are twenty three years? Even more important, dad used to be moms high school teacher? They are still happily married and have been for over twenty five years, and they do not share the connection I made when I gave you one of my lives."

Her questions and statement surprised me. I had no idea.

The last of my resistance broke and I could not do anything except to take her in my arms again.

After a while we sat down together on the couch. Bethany was leaning against my chest and my hand over her shoulder, holding her close. It felt like I was dreaming. As we sat there we tried to discuss our future realistically. Despite the fact no one of us really felt like it, the both of us knew we should probably try to keep everything a secret until she had graduated in a few months. For now we should try to stick to texting instead of real meetings in order to hinder temptations.

When we finally managed to let each other go I had managed to find some of my mother's former clothes for Bethany to wear. I loved my father too much to give him a heart attack.

Not long after my dad returned home. Like I had in the past I told him everything, without too much details of course. This time with Bethany by my side.

oOoOo

Months flew by even slower that they did when I had been inside jumanji alone.

After just a few days I had to order Bethany to stop sending pictures. It was not good for my heart. Her reply "I like it when you are strict to me" did not help at all.
In the end I learned that the best for the both of us was for me to ignore those texts.

Finally the day for her graduation came and as she accepted her diploma I clapped loudly with a proud smile. When she walked down from the stage she did not go to her parents like I thought she would. Instead she came right at me, grabbing a hold behind my head and dragged me down to an amazing kiss. At first I tried to protest, but then I thought what the heck, and dragged her even closer. Kissed her back with everything I had.

When we stopped I heard a familiar voice loudly proclaiming "I knew it, Spencer you owe me 50 bucks!" As I turned in the direction if the voices a "Aw man, could you not wait until after the ceremony Bethany?" came from Spencer.

Spencer, with his hand around Martha's waist and Fridge was all standing close to us. Everyone of them with bright smiles on their faces.

Next to the group was the two persons I had been dreading for a while. Bethany's parents.

Which had just seen their young daughter make out with an old man. Kill me now.

Bethany, beautiful but ignorant Bethany, did not notice my tension and dragged me toward her parents. Eager to introduce us.

Despite the fact that I wanted to run away I knew I had to man up and face the couple. I gave them a small smile when she introduced us, and shook their hands.

"So you are the man that changed my daughter" Her mother asked me. To be completely honest I had no idea what she meant. Her mother noticed my confusion and said "She stopped partying, and has these last few months become more grateful. To be perfectly honest, we know our daughter is spoiled, but lately she has grown mentally more than a few milestones. Her hand is no longer stuck to her phone and we can even have conversations with her face to face again." As her mom kept on talking Bethany began blushing. She was so cute!

Not knowing exactly how to respond I carefully said that I could not take the credit for Bethany's change. She had made the shift herself personally after all, with some help from jumanji. But of course I could not tell them the last part.

As I was talking to Bethany's mother her father had stood on the sideline with a slightly judgmental look. In the end I made myself focus on him as he opened his mouth. Then came a question I dreaded "How old are you exactly?"

Not missing a beat I quickly replied with a "Younger then you were when you started dating your wife". For a moment I thought it might have been the wrong thing to say, but after a short pause he began laughing. With a sly smile on his face he tried to put on a strict demeanor and asked another dreadful question "And what is your plan for the future with my daughter?" Yet again I told him the truth "Considering today is our first official day dating I was thinking marriage in around a years time."

As both her parents laughed I felt Bethany's questioning eyes from my side. I gave her a bright smile and a nod. What I was given in return was a smile brighter than the sun. Since we were standing right in front of her parents I managed to hold back from kissing her. Instead I gave her hand a small squeeze.

This might have been the first time I have ever mention the word marriage in front of Bethany, but I knew from the first real kiss that I wanted to marry her. Heck the next day I began searching for a unique ring. A week later I found the perfect ring, and since it had been lying in my nightstand drawer. Just hope she likes my idea with the emerald.

After the ceremony was completed I accepted a dinner invitation from Bethany's parents. Everything went surprisingly well considering our age difference, and the conversations had a nice flow to it.

oOoOo

Two year to the day after Bethany had returned from jumanji we were married.

oOoOo

the end.

an: I hope you have liked this story, and maybe it makes you finger itch to write stories yourself. Give me something to read. please. I need more ff to read. There is way to few ff related to this couple, and they deserve so much more.