Page 58 of Just Enough

Two words from him, and I was already thinking of all the things I said I shouldn’t.

Chapter 18

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Emily

“With your giantmovie collection, our living room looks less bare at least.”

I sat on the floor with my legs crossed as I handed him a few movies at a time while he sat them neatly in place on the shelf he brought.

We spent the first night putting up his bed,correction, he put up the bed while I got in the way more than once.

Whattt?I had wanted to sit and talk to him while he worked.

“We can go buy some more things for the apartment if you want,” he suggested.

I shook my head. “No, we can just get a little at a time. You’re already feeding us and going to help me with the rent.”

He smirked. “I don’t mind taking care of it all, if you’d let me. You let Roger when you were together, didn’t you?”

I frowned. “No, I helped out.”

Now his smile was gone. “Why?”

“Because, when you don’t have much, you don’t want people thinking that’s all you want from them, and you especially don’t want them thinking they have the right to boss you around since they pay something for you.” When his eyes darkened, I sighed. “I don’t know why this comes as a surprise to you, you should know after the guys I dated… I don’t ever want to giveanyonethe opportunity to hold something over my head.”

“You think I’d be that kind of person?”

He looked upset. I shook my head quickly. “No, it’s not like that with you.” I gave him a smile. “Truthfully, you’re the only person I let myself count on. Didn’t I keep you busy in high school because of that?” That made him loosen up and smile. “I just don’t want to take advantage of you or our friendship. I care about you too much to do that.”

“We grew up together, Emily. I know who you are. I take care of you. I always have, and I always will.”

“Your future wife is probably crying in her sleep right now for some reason she has yet to know.”

“None of your boyfriends liked me either,” he stated with a grin.

“True, but Roger put up with it because he loved me. Despite what you want to believe, he wasn’t a bad guy.”

His gaze probed me. “Then why did you break up with him?”

“Because I didn’t love him. I didn’t feel anything, and that was sad. I was settling because he was the first decent guy I dated. Maybe I do believe in romance and passion because I suddenly have a thirst for it again.” I laughed quickly, suddenly hot in the cheeks. “Guess the crappy experiences I’ve had are fading with time because I’m a dreamer again,” I added awkwardly.

When I looked up at Benjamin, he was standing still and watching me with probing eyes. I got up quickly and stood because I could no longer hold his gaze. “I better get ready for work, you’ll have to finish this up yourself.”

______

A few days later I was making tacos for us when Benjamin glanced up from his phone and said, “Looks like Mom gave Kelly my number.”

I stiffened, spatula in hand.

“Oh,” I mumbled. “Did you text her back?”

“Yeah, no point in ignoring her. I’ll have to hear about it from Mom if I do.”

That tightness in my chest? Well, it was making it hard to ignore the truth of what was becoming of me.

I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and shrugged casually like I wasn’t suddenly in a rotten mood. “She’s the one that broke up with you. Why is she trying to get in touch now?”

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