Chapter 13

There was a knock on my door. "Me-Me, Benny is here." Kellie said softly.

Shit! Already?

After leaving the hospital yesterday Kellie and I had insisted on just going back to the hotel alone, but I had talked to both Benny and Jackson, separately of course, and asked them to stop by today, one in the morning and the other after he got off work. I didn't sleep very well last night because I was up dreading today and trying to figure out what I was going to say to each of them. I still had no clue.

I opened the door and stepped out slowly. "Hi."

"You asked me to stop by?" Benny responded.

"Yea, why don't we sit on the couch?"

"Sure," he nodded.

"Me-Me, do you want me to stay or…?" Kellie asked.

I shook my head. "No Kells, I think I should do this alone."

"Ok, well in that case I'll be down at the pool. If you need me, call."

"Thanks Kells. Would you like anything to drink?" I asked Benny once Kellie had left.

"It's a little early for a drink isn't it? It's not even noon yet."

"They do make things like sodas and tea and water. Not every 'drink' is alcoholic."

Benny smiled; good. "A Coke please."

"Coke is only good with rum and we don't have any of that, so how's a Pepsi?"

"That's fine Aims. They're all the same to me."

"Yea I know, but Pepsi was on sale at the mart." I sat down on the couch next to Benny and handed him his Pepsi. He popped the can and took a sip.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk about?" he asked.

"And so we get to this moment already; you never were one for small talk and stalling."

"Amy?"

I sighed. "When we got back last night Kellie told me everything that had happened."

"I see. I wish you would have told me Amy; it sucked finding out like that, and if I had known I never would have pushed you to get on that elevator."

"Benny, yesterday's mishaps were all my doing. I chose to get on the elevator and I chose not to tell you that I was claustrophobic."

"Thank god Kellie was there and knew what the hell was going on and how to handle it. I'd hate to think of what could have happened otherwise."

"I'm sorry. I should have told you, but you know how I am about talking about my past. I abhor it."

"Does what happened yesterday have anything to do with Frankie?"

"It has everything to do with Frankie." Benny nodded in understanding; he knew what my brother used to do to me. "But, I didn't ask you to come here to talk about my past. I actually wanted to talk about something else."

Oh boy, we were here now and I still didn't know how to tell him. Do I come right out and say it? "I'm sleeping with your best friend Jackson!" No, definitely not, too blunt.

Should I go about it more subtly? "So remember yesterday and how I freaked out on the elevator and Kellie told me to go to the meadow and then Jackson came over and started talking to me and I asked him to come to the meadow with me? Well he did and he's the one that really saved me because, well we've been dating and I think I love him." No, that wouldn't work either; it was too long winded.

Or should I just be more direct and say, "Benny, I'm dating Jackson."

Well that was simple enough, and it sounded easy enough, but was I really ready for this? I mean admitting to your family that you're having a relationship with someone is big. And having sex with a few guys is one thing, but being in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship is quite another. Was I really ready to tell my cousin, no my brother that I was in a committed relationship with one of his trusted friends?

BPOV

When Amy asked me to come by the hotel suite today, I had a suspicion of what it was about. But when she started off talking about what happened on the elevator yesterday and about that bastard Frankie, I thought "Well, maybe I'm wrong." It wouldn't have been the first time.

Then she told me that she didn't want to talk about that, but something else. Finally. She went quiet and started chewing on her lip. I knew her well enough to know that she was probably arguing with herself, probably trying to find the best way to tell me. I thought about keeping quiet, I was good at that, and waiting to see how long it would take her to tell me, but I'd figured she'd already suffered enough.

"Amy," I said softly. She looked up at me with wide, worried eyes, and for a moment I was reminded of that frightened eight year old I gave up my bed to twelve years ago.

"If it's about you and Jackson, I already know." I finished.

Her mouth popped open and she blinked several times. "What?" She sounded shocked.

Shit! Was I wrong about her and Jay? Could I be wrong about their relationship? No, not about this. They were too obvious.

"How… how do you know about Jackson and me?" She asked.

"Really Aims?" Did she really think that she had fooled me? " 'Isn't that weird? We were just talking about him and up he pops.' Did you really expect me to believe that Jackson just happened to show up at your doorstep after I'd just finished asking about him? And I watched you, you never went in to clean up your bathroom and it was perfectly fine when I went in there later that day."

She looked astounded. "You've known since graduation?"

I nodded. "You're a terrible liar Aims, always have been."

She went quiet for a bit before asking, "And you're not mad?"

"Oh I was pissed, at Jackson. The thought of him or any guy for that matter, putting his hands all over you makes my blood boil. But I didn't say anything because I didn't want to screw us up again. If I could have everything my way I wouldn't have you be with any guy, but I realize that's a little unfair and so, if you must be with someone, I would prefer it be with someone I trust and I would trust Jackson with my life. And plus, it's apparent from yesterday that he really cares about you, probably more than he's ever cared about a girl before."

Her eyes looked misty.

"Other than his own sisters of course." I added quickly; I didn't want to scare her away.

"Of course." She said softly as she blinked back her tears. God, had I hurt her?

"I really care about him too." She said finally. "I don't know what it is, but I…I felt calmer when I was in his arms yesterday. I mean the whole experience is still just a rush of blurred emotions, mostly panic, but there's a distinct moment when things just felt calmer."

Could my baby cousin be in love? "Well, maybe that wasn't Jackson, maybe that was just the drugs they gave you." I teased.

"Always the romanticist aren't you?"

"Eh, romance is for pansies."

She huffed and shoved my arm playfully. "Would you like another Pepsi?"

"Nah, I'm fine, but I do have to piss. Where's the bathroom in this suite?"

"There are two actually, but you can use mine. It's just through there and to the right." She pointed to the door she had come out of earlier.

"Thanks." I said. I stood up and quickly went to where she had pointed.

APOV

Benny stayed at the hotel all day, which was great. Kellie came back to the room about an hour after she left; she said she got worried when she didn't hear from me. Apparently I was supposed to text her when it was safe. The three of us just sat around and played card games while watching television. It was really a very enjoyable day and time seemed to slip away from us. Before I knew it, it was early evening and there was a knock on the door. Kellie answered it since she was already in the kitchen.

"Jackson!" I jumped up from my spot on the floor, ran to him, and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Hey," he said cautiously as he hugged me back.

"Jackson," Benny greeted as he approached us.

"Ben," Jackson nodded and unfolded himself from me keeping one arm around my waist. He looked down at me and I smiled. "Does this mean you've told him?"

"Told me what? Amy is there something I should know?" Benny joked.

"Benny," I rolled my eyes at him. "Yes Jackson, I've told him about us. Well actually I didn't really have to tell him because he already knew."

"Ah, thought so." Jackson said. "That explains the sudden standoffishness."

"Yea well, you know how it is with little sisters." Benny shrugged.

"Yea I hear ya." Jackson looked back at me, still wrapped in his arm. "So if he knows, then that means…"

The flash in his eye was the only warning I had as his hands cupped my face and brought my lips to his in a searing kiss. His tongue licked my bottom lip seductively and I opened up to him. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck bringing us closer. I moaned into his mouth as his tongue danced over mine. I could feel how much he wanted me and I knew that he'd been holding that kiss in for a long time. After all, we hadn't really kissed since before our little fight yesterday.

"Eh-hem." Benny cleared his throat. "I'm still in the room."

"As am I." Kellie said.

Jackson pulled back reluctantly; I knew, that like me, he too had forgotten about them. I nibbled on my lower lip.

"Wow," I breathed; Jackson chuckled.

"I'll let this thing you guys have go on, just because I think I'll lose a lot more if I try to stop it." Benny said. "But know this Jackson," Jackson and I both looked at Benny then, and Benny suddenly looked more fierce than I had ever seen him look before. "If you hurt her, I will kill you. Or at least seriously beat the shit out of you and make it so that pretty little face of yours will never sell another magazine again. You hear me?"

"Loud and clear." Jackson replied.

"Right, good, then I'll see you back at the house tonight, right?"

"Only if I let him leave." I responded and Jackson tried to hold back a grin. I think he liked the thought of me holding him hostage.

"Right, well goodbye."

"Bye Benny." I hugged him once more before he left.

I looked back at Jackson and locked eyes with him. We stood there for a moment, just gazing into each other's eyes.

"Right… I'll just be in my room then." Kellie said as she left, giving us this moment together.