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  “You just what? Thought it would be a funny joke?” I threw my arms up. “Well, ha-ha, not funny,” I turned to walk away.

  “Ethan and I used to give you such a hard time when we were younger,” he says sincerely.

  I kept walking out the front door and to my car. “You are not riding with me, Ben,” My headlights blink as I push the unlock button on the keypad.

  “That's fine, would you just let me finish, please?” he pleaded behind me.

  “I'll see you at my parents house,” I got into my car and before I could shut the door, “Oh, and don't forget the cupcakes,” I reminded him, then shut my door and started the car.

  As I backed out of my driveway I watched Ben's frame just standing there as he stared at me with a smug look upon his face. He looked like a little lost puppy dog. It kind of broke my heart to see his facial expression that way. Right now I am seeing an entirely different side of Ben apart from his cocky, player attitude.

  I stopped at the end of my driveway and sat there staring at him for a moment. I sighed putting the car back into first gear. I let it slowly inch it's way back up my drive. Why is he doing this to me? Why am I being so nice to this extremely sexy jerk?

  When I reached him, I rolled my window down. His face was expressionless. “You have two seconds, Ben,”

  A smile spread across his face. “I knew you would come back,”

  On second thought. “Okay, that's it,” I put the car in reverse.

  “Wait, wait... I'm sorry,” he said quickly.

  I put the car back into park and looked at him warningly. “One, two-”

  “Alright just stop counting,” he tried not to laugh. “I honestly should have told you about my being your brothers friend, it was seriously wrong not to,”

  “It was,” I stared out the front window of my car at his white BMW in front of me.

  “I know it was,” he knelt down to my window. “No more keeping things from you,”

  “Seriously, that was rude,” I stated as I stared at him.

  “I know... never again,” his voice was soft and low. I looked back towards his car. “Vanessa, I am so sorry,”

  “Don't forget the cupcakes,” I remind him again. “I forgive you,” I say in monotone.

  “Thank you,” he said sincerely. “I won't,”

  I smiled and started slowly rolling down the driveway again. Ben started towards the house to grab the cupcakes when he quickly turned around.

  “Hey, Vanessa!” he yelled halfway up the walkway.

  I pushed the brake and rolled my window halfway down. “Yeah!”

  “It's too bad you aren't feeling well enough to go to dinner with Jordan... no worries though, he understood!” Ben smiled widely before turning to walk into the house.

  I am sure my face was priceless as I sat there staring at him with my mouth open.

  “What the hell?!” I said aloud grabbing my cell phone then took a look at my messages. Ben had text him from my phone acting as if it were me telling him I needed to cancel due to my waking up sick.

  “I forgive you too, princess!” he hollered from his car with the cupcake boxes in his arms. “No more secrets!” he put the cupcakes in his back seat and hopped in his car.

  Damn him in all of his sexiness! I let out a scream of frustration. “I hate him!” I growled as I angrily sped out of my driveway not paying any kind of attention to what I was doing and wouldn't you know it- an oncoming car honked frantically as it rammed right into the back side panel of my car on the passenger side.

  I angrily took my seat belt off and stepped out of my car. A short, older man possibly in his late fifties with balding gray hair and tan skin is going off in some foreign language I couldn't understand as he pointed to my driveway then the damage to his Cadillac.

  “Sir, please calm down. My insurance will cover the damages,” I tried to say but the old man kept talking and talking and talking.

  “Sir, please,” I pleaded as all I want to do is rip my hair out.

  “Vanessa,”

  I turned around to see that Ben had backed his white BMW out of my driveway and was stopped next to the wreckage.

  “What, Ben?!” I yelled at him.

  “It looks like you are riding with me, Princess.” he winked.

  Chapter Two: Peek-a-Boo, I See You

  Thirty minutes later after Ben had taken charge of my little 'incident', swapping insurance information and pulling my car back into the driveway, we are on our way to my mom and dads house.

  “Are you okay?” Ben glanced at me from the drivers side. “That wreck looked pretty nasty,”

  “Yes, I am fine,” I stared out the window at the gas station halfway to my moms house that Ben was pulling into.

  “Do you want anything?” he asked as he took his seat belt off. “I mean, I feel partially responsible for your little fender-bender,”

  “You know what? Yes, the biggest pack of cigarettes and bottle of wine they have stocked in their store,” I clenched my teeth.

  He laughed. “You got it,”

  I watched him as he walked into the store and I slightly smiled. Yes, he makes me want to rip my hair out. Yes, I hate him. Yes, I want to kill the sultry bastard... But, yes, I also have a soft spot for the asshole. Ben is sending me through a whirlwind of emotions that I can't understand. One minute I want to scream, and the next I want to-

  Buzz...buzz. I looked down at the middle console and see Ben's phone sitting in the drink holder lit up. I picked it up to find a text from that red headed girl from Estrada's- Karen. I smirked taking a sneaky peek at the door to the gas station, he is still inside. I opened the message screen;

  It's too bad you had to cancel our dinner plans.

  I hope you feel better soon, sexy...

  xoxo Karen

  I scrolled up and had seen that he had sent the message to her explaining the same thing he said to Jordan for me- that he had awoken sick. His message was sent earlier this morning before he sent anything to Jordan, before he even knew I had text him. I furrowed my brows as I stared at the text.

  He canceled on Karen? For what? Why?

  I looked up and Ben is walking toward the car. I fumbled his phone, more like dropped it back into the drink holder. “Shit,” I whispered. He opened the car door and tossed a pack of cigarettes into my lap.

  “You seriously bought me cigarettes?” I laughed, still trying to hide my jumpiness. “I don't smoke! It was a joke, Ben,”

  “You better start at almost ten-bucks a pack,” he sits in his seat and closes the door, then places a heavy brown bag on my lap. I looked inside of it and reached in pulling out a huge bottle of... Arbor Mist?

  “What is Arbor Mist?” I asked staring at the bottle then at Ben curiously.

  “It was the biggest bottle of alcohol they had in there,” he shrugged.

  “No Pinot, or Sauvignon?” I frowned.

  “Hey, you didn't say the biggest bottle of a certain kind,” he pulled out onto the road again. “You just said the biggest bottle of wine... well, actually it's the biggest bottle closest to wine,” he laughed.

  I truly didn't think that he was going to take me seriously when it came to the bottle and cigarettes. I'm totally not going to smoke the cigarettes, however, I cracked open the bottle of the Arbor stuff. I might as well after the afternoon I have had. I looked at the label again- Peach? Not bad. I smiled. Much better.

  “You know I could go to jail for that being open in my car,” he looked over at me with the most unconcerned facial expression. He could care less.

  “Eh,” I shrugged and took another drink. “It would be the perfect evening to such a shitty afternoon, don't you think?” I smirked.

  “Hey, tonight will be great, right?” he nudged my arm with his elbow.

  “Just fabulous,” I said sarcastically with the bottle against my lips. I have a feeling this will be a night I will never forget.

  Down the road from my parents house; forty-two minutes later to be exact, my
phone rings interrupting my Arbor Mist induced singing, I answered it.

  “Hello?”

  “Honey, hi!” my mom chirps.

  “Hello, mother...” I sighed. “we're here,” Ben turned onto the driveway.

  “They're here!” she squealed. “Wait, you brought someone?”

  “Mom, it's Ethan's friend, we are pulling up into the drive way, bye,” I hung up.

  He pulled up to the round about and parked in front of the doors. I got out of the car, then opened the back door grabbing the cupcake boxes only to be greeted by my mom and dad.

  “Hey kiddo!” My father smiles under his brown and gray mustache. He took the boxes from my hands as he eyed Ben. Trust me father, you have nothing to worry about. No need for the 'you hurt my daughter, I hurt you' glare.

  I smiled taking in the scene of my parents. My slightly overweight father in his jeans and 'World's Greatest Father' T-shirt I bought him for Christmas many years ago-the words are slightly faded. I know he wore it today because I was coming. My tiny, petite mother... she has fashion sense like I do. She looked astonishing in her gray dress that showed her still amazing figure. Her blonde hair was in curls. With them standing so close together you would never know that they were married as they look like polar opposites, but that is what makes their marriage so amazing. I have never seen two people love each other as much as they do.

  “Hello, father,” I placed my hand on his back as I followed him to the door.

  “Did you buy the whole bakery?” he stared at the boxes.

  “Something like that,” Ben laughed.

  “Vanessa,” my mom wrapped her fragile arms around me.

  “Hi, mother,” I hugged her back inhaling the memorable scent of her perfume. It is Channel No.5-she has worn the same perfume for as long as I can remember. When I go to the mall after not seeing my family for a few months, the perfume counter always has her smell lingering, my heart aches every time.

  “You two rode together,” she waggled her brows at me as Ben walked in past us.

  “Mom, he had to give me a ride, my car got hit,” I sighed.

  “You were in an accident?” She was starting to get upset. Please, mom, don't get me started.

  “Mom, I am fine, no worries,” I reassured her.

  As we enter the house, I could hear laughter bouncing off the walls from the dining room already. My brother Ethan and Ben are already talking about a memory of when they stuck whip cream on my palm and tickled my nose when I was asleep. I stood there for a second trying to remember. I do, it just seems hazy. All I can remember is Ben being so incredibly mean to me all the time. It doesn't seem to amaze me why he was so hesitant on telling me who he was.

  “Why don't you go and join them in the dining room for cocktails, sweetheart.” my mom insisted as she kissed me on the cheek. “Your father and I will go and put these in the kitchen,” I heard her heels retreating out of the entry way.

  I stood in front of the stairs taking a moment as I am alone and close my eyes, inhaling deeply. I have missed this house, and my family so much. I can remember Ethan and I chasing one another up and down those stairs on multiple occasions. For instance Christmas, Ethan would push me out of the way to get to the tree first, or when the doorbell rang; half the time it would be for me which I would just kick him in the shin and stick my tongue out at him. Or, when he would have sleep overs and they would get bored then chase me through the house with his stupid-hairy pet tarantula that he just had to have because it was so cool. I shuttered.

  “You guys were so mean! Oh my gosh!” I heard a girls voice and laughter snapping me out of it. Jackie, Ethan's girlfriend of five years; I love her, she is a good friend of mine.

  “Nessy!” I heard Ethan from the dining room. Nessy... I could kill him every time he calls me that. It has been my nickname since I was two. My father started it without thinking about the 'Lockness Monster' and what kind of torment would come from it as I got older. Leave it to Ethan.

  “Nessy! Come here!” Ethan yelled.

  I rolled my eyes and confidently made my way to the right, towards the dining room.

  “She hates it when we call her 'Nessy',” Ben whispered making Ethan laugh.

  I took a few steps closer and reached the dining room. I stopped dead in my tracks when I see a shit eating grin on none other than Ben's perfect face.

  “Oh my God, must you two be so annoying?” I ask them disregarding the warmth in my belly Ben's smile spread through me.

  “Don't be so uptight, sis...” Ethan stood up from his chair, wrapping his muscular arms around my shoulders, then squeezed me tightly.

  “Too tight,” I mumbled against his chest.

  Ethan sniffed the air. “Has Nessy been drinking already?”

  “Shut up,” I pushed him away from me playfully.

  “Getting the party started early! Nice, sis.” Ethan winked at me.

  “She said grab her the biggest bottle, so I did,” Ben shrugged as he mixed himself a whiskey and coke. “But I didn't think she would drink half of the bottle either,” he laughed.

  “You bought it for her?” Ethan looked at Ben skeptically.

  “Yeah, we rode together,” Ben looked up from his glass and winked at me.

  “Ethan, only because my car is wrecked, that's all,” I pour myself a glass of Pinot. With the rate this day was going, I needed a little more liquid courage.

  “How exactly do the two of you know one another after you disappeared all these years, Ben?” Ethan pointed between the both of us. I looked over at a silent Jackie who is trying so hard not to laugh at the seriousness behind Ethan's every word.

  “And you drove my sister here,” Ethan sat back down next to Jackie.

  “He did,” I smirked. “Go ahead, Benny, tell em'!” I winked, taking a sip of my wine watching Ben squirm under my brothers warning tone, and glare. Ethan has always been protective of me.

  Ben's expression instantly relaxed. “We work together,” That's it? No stuttering? No 'it's not what you think' extremely nervous explanations? Just a shrug? Lame...

  “Wait, I'm confused...my sister is the crazy chic you are working with that hasn't had a date in over a year? How sad!” Ethan laughed aloud.

  “Vanessa,” Jackie says sweetly, smiling at me sullenly. “I'm sorry,” she then mouthed. I mirrored her smile. How embarrassing is this?

  “How awesome is that!” Ethan said excitedly. “It's okay, Nessy... if you're still single by the time you're thirty-five, you can go in-vitro. Start a family of your own,” he joked. I was raging inside.

  I stared at Ben with wide eyes as he laughed, I will kill him. I am going to kill Ben McGurthy!

  “Real nice, Ben,” I said as I turn around feeling my eyes start to prickle with tears. I swallowed the lump in my throat and took a deep breath.

  “Where are you going?” Jackie asks sadly.

  “Just this day has been a freaking nightmare, I need some air,” I walked toward the front door. I grabbed the door handle and I could hear my mother asking everyone what all of the commotion was and where I went. When they told her I was going outside, she got worried and told Ethan to come after me. Ben insisted that he should be the one to come after me, and Ethan had let him. I shut the door behind me and quickly skidaddled outside.

  “Vanessa,” I heard Ben before I could even take a full ten steps.

  I sighed, stopped with my back turned towards him. The anger that is boiling inside of me is waiting to erupt like Mt. Saint Helen's. If it wasn't for my job being on the line, I would call a cab and go the hell home. I would never look back.

  “I'm sorry I told your brother,” he was right behind me now. I swallowed hard and closed my eyes as I could smell him.

  I quickly turned around, my hands were shaking. With complete loss of control of my hands, I slapped him across the face as hard as I could. I immediately gasped as I am not a violent person but he has gotten on my last nerve; I had lost all control. He stood there just staring at m
e for a moment then he slowly brought his hand to his face and rubbed the red hand print. As I angrily stared into his eyes, I could see that he truly was sorry.

  “I deserved that after the day I have caused for you, I did,” he said lowly, his voice was deep and husky.

  “Sorry,” I said in disbelief, then shook my stinging hand as I had no idea I had such strength. “Just, don't say things like that about me. God, Ben,” I furrowed my brows. “Have some respect,”

  “I know, I have been handling this entirely wrong. I shouldn't have said anything,” he ran his hands through his messy-blonde hair. I noticed when he gets upset he does that. I studied his facial expression closely, he looked like a child being scolded, like the lost puppy dog I had seen on my driveway-so vulnerable. “Especially to your brother, it was rude of me,”