Page 34 of Benson
Benson glanced at him, then back at the road. “Next we keep moving. No more skating rinks. No more beer breaks. A few quick deliveries before our next stop in Barstow, and then our final stop is the beach cities.”
Kyle raised an eyebrow. “You say that like it’s gonna be easy.”
Benson smirked. “I say that like I want it to be.”
But deep down, he knew better. Quiet never stayed quiet for long.
Chapter Seventeen
Kyle
Arizona
Two more hours had gone by in the van after their short exchange about the future stops to California. Kyle felt the distance grow, an unspoken tension hanging in the air when Daddy Benson had returned to the roller rink. It wasn’t just the physical space between them—it was the silence. The kindthat pressed in from all sides, making the air feel heavier than it should. Daddy Benson hadn’t touched him once since they left the rink. No hand on his thigh, no brush of fingers against his wrist, not even a glance that lingered long enough to mean something. And that absence? It gnawed at Kyle.
What scared him more was the way Daddy Benson had completely dodged the Andy thing. No comment about the beer, no teasing about Kyle’s awkward apology, no mention of the guy at all. It was like the whole incident had been erased. And that terrified Kyle. Because it wasn’t just about Andy—it was their first real fight. And Daddy Benson wasn’t talking about it.
Kyle kept replaying it in his head. The moment Daddy Benson saw him sitting with Andy— the way Daddy Benson’s eyes had narrowed when he came back was pure disapproval of the incident. He hadn’t meant to disobey. He just felt bad. Andy looked embarrassed, and Kyle had wanted to make it right. A beer felt harmless. But now, sitting in the van with Daddy Benson gripping the wheel like it was the only thing keeping him from unraveling, Kyle realized he had done something wrong to lose favor with Daddy Benson.
“Are you pissed about me buying Andy a beer?” Kyle squeaked.
Daddy Benson pulled the van over with a sharp jerk, the tires crunching against gravel. He didn’t say anything at first—just turned off the engine and stared out the windshield like he was trying to calm something down inside himself. Kyle sat stiff in the passenger seat, heart thudding, already regretting asking if Daddy Benson was mad.
Then Daddy Benson turned to him, jaw tight. “You disobeyed me,” he said, voice low but sharp. “I told you to stay on the rink while I was outside. You didn’t.”
Kyle swallowed hard. “I didn’t think it was a big deal. I felt bad for knocking the guy down. I just bought him a beer.”
“You didn’t think,” Daddy Benson snapped. “That’s the problem.”
Kyle’s chest tightened. He wanted to reach out, to touch Daddy Benson’s arm, but something held him back. Maybe fear. Maybe guilt. “I should’ve let you sit when you came back,” he said quietly. “I didn’t mean to make you feel…pushed aside, but aren’t you overreacting?”
Daddy Benson’s eyes flashed. “It’s not about the damn seat, Kyle. It’s about you not taking your safety seriously. And you sit there and think I’m overreacting?”
“I never thought about that, not once.” Kyle knew Daddy Benson was right because he had seen a car following them but was too afraid to mention it. He knew Daddy Benson had switched vehicles, hoping the new one would help them escape the danger.
“The real problem is that you didn’t listen to me. You think this is all about just skating, flirting, and drinking beers with a stranger? I’m not upset with all of that, but I’m upset you hampered me in keeping you safe. You have to listen to me. If you don’t, I can’t protect you. When you don’t listen you’ll get a punishment, which you will get when I calm down.”
Kyle’s stomach twisted. He hadn’t meant to make Daddy Benson upset over leaving the rink and drinking a beer with the guy he had knocked down. But he had forgotten Daddy Benson told him to stay skating while he stepped outside.
“That guy could’ve been a setup,” Daddy Benson continued, eyes flashing. “He could’ve dragged you out of that rink, thrown you in a van, and I wouldn’t have known until it was too late. You think I’m being dramatic? I’ve seen it happen. You’re not just some guy to me, Kyle. You’re mine to protect.”
Kyle felt the words hit like punches. Not because they were cruel, but because they were true. He hadn’t thought about any of that. For the first time, Kyle realized how much Daddy Bensoncared just to keep him safe. Kyle never had anyone who cared deeply for him, like the warmth he felt from Daddy Benson. And now he’d hurt him. Hurt the man who’d stood by him, helped him, loved him.
His tears sprinkled down his cheeks. He turned his face toward the window, trying to hide it, but his body betrayed him—shoulders shaking, breath hitching. He felt stupid. Exposed. But more than anything, he felt devastated. Because Daddy Benson hadn’t kissed him. Hadn’t touched him. Hadn’t talked about Andy. And now he was yelling—not because he was angry, but because Kyle had made him feel helpless.
Kyle wiped his face with the sleeve of his hoodie, voice barely a whisper. “I didn’t mean to ignore you. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Daddy Benson didn’t say anything right away. But the silence this time felt different. Not cold—just heavy with everything they hadn’t said yet. Daddy Benson just sat there, breathing hard, hands gripping the steering wheel like he needed it to stay grounded. Kyle wiped his face again, but the tears kept coming, slow and quiet. He hated crying in front of people—especially Daddy Benson. But this wasn’t about pride anymore. It was about how deeply he’d messed up.
Finally, Daddy Benson turned toward him, voice softer now. “I’m not angry because you bought the guy a beer, Kyle. I’m angry because you didn’t think about what could’ve happened.”
Kyle nodded, eyes still wet. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like I don’t trust you. I do. More than anyone.”
Daddy Benson sighed and reached over, resting a hand on Kyle’s knee. “I know you didn’t mean it. But I need you to understand—when I say something, it’s not about control. It’s about keeping you safe. I’ve seen what happens when people get careless. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you.”
That broke something in Kyle. He let out a shaky breath, voice cracking. “I didn’t know I mattered that much to you.”
Daddy Benson looked at him like he couldn’t believe Kyle didn’t already know. “You’re not just some guy to me,” Daddy Benson said, voice cracking. “You’re mine to protect.”
