Page 51 of Counter Bet

His woman.

What am I thinking? I’m not his. We’re not an item.

With that thought in mind, I sit back up and readjust my clothing.

I’m about to ask him to take me back when he opens the door. He steps outside and ducks his head back in. “Come on. Let’s go for a walk.”

* * *

Ben walks with determined steps. I can tell he knows the area well. We step off the path and walk through thick foliage, dodging and stepping over fallen branches. I do my best to keep up, grateful to be wearing my sneakers and not heels for once.

We reach a clearing, and a gasp slips past my lips as I come to a stop. We’re standing at the edge of a cliff. Stretching out below is a carpet of fir trees. The sun sits low in the sky, not a cloud in sight.

“It’s beautiful!” I whisper in awe.

Ben lowers his body down, dangling his feet off the edge. I join him, and we sit in comfortable silence.

It’s quiet up here except for the breeze blowing through the trees and the occasional bird call.

“Dallas got attacked by one of her uncle’s friends. He beat her up real bad. She’s staying with me.”

I glance over at him in surprise, unsure what to reply. He’s trusting me, so I don’t want to say or do the wrong thing in case I break this bubble we’re in.

“I’m not letting her go back there,” he growls, his jaw tense.

“We’ve been texting,” I admit quietly.

“I know.”

So they talk about me? I’m even more curious now.

“Do you miss him?” he asks after a beat of silence.

I furrow my brow. “Rick?”

He nods, searching my eyes.

I clear my throat. “We’ve known each other our whole lives. Our families are close. I have photographs of us when we were three years old in the paddling pool.” I smile and pick up a small stick, throwing it over the cliff edge. “We used to live next door to each other, but Rick moved when his parents bought a bigger house.”

I sigh, meeting his brown eyes. “It was easy with Rick. Comfortable. The answer to your question is yes. I miss our close friendship, but we were never in love. Not really. For the longest time, I was okay with that. Rick was too. But things have been different lately.”

I shrug, scanning the horizon, watching an eagle swoop down. “I want more! I don’t want comfortable. I want passion. Pain even, if it means I feel alive.” I glance at Ben.

“You’re different than I first thought.”

I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the intensity in his dark eyes. When he looks at you, it’s as if he sees all of you. Even the parts you try to hide from the world.

“How?” I ask quietly. It’s strange to feel seen.

He looks sheepish as he scratches his chin.

“Oh no,” I laugh. “I know the look in your eyes.”

He chuckles. “Sorry.”

“I can’t believe that you, of all people, buy into clichés,” I scoff. But in truth, I’m amused and can’t stop smiling.

“Hey,” he says, raising both hands placatingly, a wide smile spreading across his lips. “We’re both cliches. You’re the head cheerleader with the quarterback boyfriend.” He points to himself. “Me? I’m the poor and angry emo kid with attitude issues.”

We laugh together, then settle into a comfortable silence once more. I enjoy Ben’s company, and I think he likes spending time with me too. At least, I hope he does. I feel more like myself sitting here on this cliff with him than I’ve ever done. For the first time, I like who I am.

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