Ben & Matilda- Infinite Promise

by Tania De Melo

  Chapter Thirteen

  -Matilda-

  As soon as cell service is back up, Ben calls for an ambulance, and I have Liam on video chat.

  “Please tell me my wife is with you.” By the concern in his voice and lack of greeting, you can tell he’s been worrying this whole time.

  I give him a smile. “She is, and she’s been dying to talk to you. But before I hand you over, I think you should take a seat.”

  “Why do I need to sit down? Ati, let me talk to Gwen; you’re freaking me out.”

  “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t advise differently.” I give him one last smile and flip the screen to Gwen and the new baby laying on her chest. “Liam, meet your new son.”

  “Are you kidding me…she had the baby? Gem, you had the baby? Are you okay? Is the baby okay? Where are you?”

  I turn the screen back so that Liam is now looking at me. “Gwen is doing good; she kicked ass. The baby has ten fingers, ten toes, and is already attached to Gwen’s boob so, that Adair appetite, is nicely in check.”

  Liam shoots me a beaming smile. “That’s my boy. Where are you?”

  “We’re still at the apartment, Ben just called for an ambulance; so, meet us at Gary Hospital.”

  “Hospital? Is she okay?”

  “Yes, she’s fine. It’s just precautionary; I want them to get checked out. They will most likely not even admit Gwen or the baby. Just run some tests then send them on their way.”

  Liam lets out a breath. “Okay, I’ll meet you at the hospital.”

  “See you there. Oh, and Liam, don’t forget the car seat, and the bag Gwen has packed in the nursery.”

  “Right...I’m on it.”

  I end the call with Liam and turn my attention back to Gwen and the baby. “I think he’s ready to jump out of his skin with excitement.”

  “He was like that with all of them. Guaranteed he’s upset he wasn’t there for this one,” Gwen expresses, looking down to the little boy laying soundly on her chest.

  “It will, but he’ll get over it once he takes his first real look at his new baby boy.” We both look up to Ben as he enters the room.

  “Is the Ambulance on the way?” I ask.

  “Yeah. But with the storm still going strong, they're backed up, but assured me one is on the way. Question...why don’t we just take her?”

  I shake my head. “We have no way to secure the baby safely, and with the road conditions, I don’t want to risk it. ”

  Ben nods in understanding. Not even seconds later, we hear someone calling my name from the front door of the condo.

  Quinn.

  “We’re back here,” I call out.

  Quinn rounds the corner into my room. “We’re?” He pauses a moment at the door taking in the scene before him; Gwen wrapped in an over-sized towel from when we pulled her from the tub, the baby on her chest, Ben standing off to the side, and me, sitting there with a big bright smile. “Oh, well, I see you’ve been busy.”

  I nod. “You can say that.”

  Quinn moves into the room, taking a position beside me and looking to Gwen. “Congratulations, Mama. How did it go?”

  “She’s a natural,” she replies, and we all let out a laugh.

  “Did you call for an ambulance?” Quinn asks.

  I signal to the other side of me. “Ben just got off the phone with them.”

  “It may take some time; it’s a disaster out there,” Quinn comments.

  I look to him with concern. “They’re probably over-run at the hospital.”

  Quinn nods. “Yeah, I called earlier. Genevieve said that last shift was there, and not to chance coming in.”

  “She told me the same thing, but I can only imagine...they probably could have used the extra hands,” I reply.

  Quinn moves close to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “You had your hands full here. Talk about blowing me away...I would’ve loved to have been here to help you.”

  “She was awesome. It would have been nice to be a little more in the moment with her, but I was a little busy on the other end pushing out a baby,” Gwen says.

  I let out a laugh. “Oh, you were in the moment; at one time, I’m pretty sure you threatened my life if I didn’t get it out.”

  Gwen tilts her chin up, offering a raised brow. “I’ll admit, not one of my finest moments, but in my defense, you refused me any kind of drugs. Really, with a bag that large and hideous looking, you could at least compensate with stocking it up.”

  “Once again, it’s a medical bag, not an accessory. But, I’ll be sure to make a note for the next time I could potentially get stranded in a storm with a woman that has gone into labor.” Gwen shrugs, and as I move my line of sight from her to Ben, that’s when I notice he’s gone. “Where’s Ben...he was just here.”

  “I didn’t even see him leave,” Quinn replies.

  “I’ll be right back.” I move passed Quinn and head out toward the living room. When I round the corner, I see Ben resting up against the couch. “Hey, what are you doing out here?”

  Ben looks up from his phone and offers a slight smile. “It was a little crowded in there, so I thought I would come and wait for the ambulance.”

  “Okay,” I say the word, but I know it’s not. There’s something bothering him. I move in closer, standing right in front of him, only inches away. With the heat of his breath felt on my skin, I say, “Now, try that again. Can you tell me what’s really playing on your mind?”

  He looks up to me, his eyes scanning my face. “There’s nothing playing on my mind, Ati.”

  “Well, I guess we’re right back to where we were, telling each other halve truths.”

  Ben lets out a deep breath, but his eyes stay locked with mine. “Fine, you want the truth—I couldn’t stand being in the same room as him. There you have it...all my teenage jealousy laid out for you.”

  I move in closer to him, bringing my hand to his face and rubbing his cheek with my thumb. “You’re jealous?”

  Ben offers me a skeptical look. “Ati, admitting it once was tough enough. My fragile male ego can only take so much.”

  “Fair enough, but answer me this—why?”

  Ben pinches his brow. “Why? Really? Ati, you have to be one of the smartest people I know, but if you don’t know why I would be jealous, then there are some things you still need an education on.”

  “Then, educate me.”

  He looks deep into my eyes, then lets out a laugh. “You really don’t know.”

  “Ben, no, I really don’t know, so, please can you explain it to me. Why would you be jealous?”

  “Because, when Quinn walked in, your eyes lit up, and you relaxed for the first time in hours. It’s like him walking into the room, lifted all the weight of the world off your shoulders. That, and knowing that he’s with you, and you live here with him...I don’t know, it all just made things real.”

  My brows arch in mild humor. “Wow, okay. I didn’t think someone could read so much into a sigh of relief.” I pause for a moment to gather my thoughts, then continue. “Ben, first thing. It did feel like someone had lifted the weight of the world from my shoulders. I know I graduated from Medical school; however, I have only joined in on two deliveries, both of which I just really assisted on. So, I apologize, but having the life of my sister and our nephew in my hands was a little overwhelming. I don’t have a God complex, I’m human, and I know that. Many things could have gone wrong, so when Quinn walked in, it’s like I had another professional there assessing the situation and assuring me that everything was okay. And second, I’m kind of pissy that you think I would have kissed you, or allowed you to kiss me if I was in a relationship with someone else...I don’t do that.”

  “But you brought him to brunch...you moved in with him.”

  I take a step back, propping my hands on my hips. “Who’s the one that needs the education now? Ben, men and women can be just friends.”

  “Pfft, yeah, but I doubt that is what he is wanting.”
>
  Even more pissy than before, I am about to lay into him, but Quinn walks in, stepping up behind me. He wraps his arms around my waist, leans his chin on my shoulder and looks to Ben, talking into my ear loud enough for Ben to hear. “It’s true, At, you are that exceptional that you could turn a gay man straight.”

  I can’t help but let a chuckle escape my lips when the look of realization hits Ben’s face. “Oh.”

  Quinn moves beside me, crossing his arms over his chest. “Yeah...oh.”

  “Listen—,” Ben is about to speak, but I cut him off.

  “No, you listen. I know it’s been many years that we haven’t been together. We’ve grown up, and things that we thought and believed in the past have changed, but for me, that is one thing that will never change. I will never be disloyal or disrespectful to anyone I am with. To be honest, it kind of ticks me off that you could even think I would be.”

  “Ati, I’m sorry,” Ben says.

  “You should be,” Quinn throws out.

  I shoot Quinn a glare. “You’re not helping.”

  “Sorry, I’ll just go check on Gwen,” he replies.

  “Thank you.” Quinn leaves, and I turn back to Ben, letting out a breath. “Look, I know things are different from when we were together before—we’re different. But, if you are as serious as I am about making this work, then you have to learn to trust me and not give me a reason not to trust you.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Ben, you know as well as I do, that there were a lot of things that came between us before. But, the one thing that ruined us was you not opening up to me.”

  He stands from where he’s leaning on the couch and moves to the other side of the room, hands running through his hair and labored breaths escape his lips. I can tell he is thinking things through the same way he always used to. He turns to me moments later. “I want this...you and me. You’re right; we need to be open and honest.”

  I walk toward him and slowly slide my arms around his neck as he takes me in his embrace. The closeness feels natural...like we’re meant to spend the rest of our days just like this. “Then, Mr. Adair...I’m all in.”

  ***

  By the time the ambulance arrived, we had managed to get Gwen, and the baby cleaned up and bundled away, and the apartment back to normal. No longer did there exist any sign of the chaos from before. Genevieve had called and put out an ‘all hands-on deck required,’ so Quinn had left to the hospital ahead of us. After sending Gwen and the baby off in the ambulance, Ben and I followed behind.

  “Bet you never expected the day to turn out like this when you woke up this morning?” I say.

  Ben, who is navigating his way carefully through the debris on the road, turns to me momentarily with a smile. “Not even remotely. But honestly, that shit was crazy—I loved it. I mean, to be there with you and Gwen while my nephew was being born…it’s indescribable. And then watching you do your thing, it was just…wow! You’re amazing, you know that, right?”

  I let out a chuckle waving him off flippantly as though it was nothing, but deep down, his words of praise satisfy my need for his approval. Not that I need him to acknowledge my accomplishments...but it’s always nice to hear. “Thank you. I’m just happy that it went smoothly and that both Gwen and the baby are okay. Actually, I can’t wait to get to the hospital to check in on them, with everything that happened, I never got a chance to just take him in. I was more concerned with checking to see that he had all his digits and was breathing.”

  Ben lets out a laugh. “I know what you mean; the whole time you were checking him over, I was holding my breath waiting for the thumbs up.” He reaches over, taking my hand in his, lacing our fingers. “I forgot how much I like this.”

  “Holding my hand?” I question.

  “Well, yes, but not only that. I also forgot how much I missed just having a light conversation about what’s going on in our lives and sharing in each other's excitement.” Ben pauses a moment and looks to me. “Is that weird?”

  I offer him a smile and shake my head. “Not at all. I know exactly what you mean. The conversation always seemed to flow so easily for us.”

  Ben's thumb slowly circles the back of my hand as he takes another quick glance in my direction. “Exactly. Everything for us always seemed to fall into place.”

  A snicker falls from my lips. “Well, everything except for my sister putting the kibosh on us being together.”

  Ben shrugs and replies, “True, but now that I look back at it, and don’t ever tell Gwen I said this, I think her sticking to her guns and making us wait to move ahead was probably the best for us. I mean, did it suck? Absolutely. But I think it gave us both the time we needed to grow up and come back together when our lives were more in sync.”

  “What if it was different? What if when I came back from California, you were in a committed relationship, and betrothed to another?” I ask.

  He lets out a chuckle. “Betrothed?”

  “You know what I’m getting at, Ben.”

  “I do.” He lets out a breath and takes a moment before responding. “Ati, do you remember what I said to you at that time...what I promised?”

  I nod. “That you would love me forever?”

  “Yes, and I meant it. I don’t think there would ever have been a risk of you coming back into my life where my heart would belong to someone else. It’s always in one way or another, belonged to you.”

  My heartbeat quickens, and the heat of want rises through my body. “I really wish you weren’t behind the wheel right now, because all I want to do is jump your bones.”

  Ben's head turns quickly in my direction, his eyes wide. “For the love of God, Ati, are you trying to make me cause an accident. You can’t say those kinds of things to a man when he’s driving a vehicle in subpar road conditions; a man that has been dreaming of getting you in his bed for years may I add.”

  “Well then, maybe you should pull over...you know, so I can help you regain your composure.”

  Ben’s eyes widen once again as he swallows hard. “Ati, I mean it. You can’t joke with me like that.”

  I look to him with a broad smile, eyes burning hot with desire. “I’m not.”

  ***

  When we enter the hospital, I head to the reception. Not wanting to bother the already overwhelmed nursing staff, I pop behind the desk and check to see if Gwen has been taken in, and where they have her.

  “If you’re looking for your sister, she’s in bay six and expecting you.”

  I look up and see Genevieve standing there. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes. I looked her over myself and snuggled her away with the baby. The doctor should be in to check on her shortly. You did a good job, Dr. Batin.”

  I let out a breath. “I was so nervous, but I think the adrenalin pumping through my veins kept me focused.”

  Genevieve offers me a smile. “Yeah, it’ll be like that the first few times you are on your own, then after it’ll be like second nature.”

  Ben steps in behind me. “I don’t know how that could ever become second nature to anyone. I’m pretty sure if it wasn’t me wanting to emasculate myself in front of Ati, I would have passed out.”

  “From that flushed look on your face, you would never tell.” Genevieve gives Ben a wink, then turns, walking off without another word.

  I look up to Ben, and he looks like a child that just got caught stealing from the cookie jar. Letting out a laugh, I grab his hand. “Come on, let’s go find my sister.” I lead us toward the ER bays, and at the very end is bay six. Rounding the corner, I see Gwen laying there with the baby curled on her chest while Abe Jefferies is writing something on her chart.

  “Hey.”

  Abe looks up at my greeting, offering a smile, and when Gwen’s eyes hit mine, she raises a brow. “Well, at least you two waited until I was safely in a hospital before jumping in each other's pants.”

  My face now red with embarrassment, I portray a feigned inno
cence and look between Gwen and Abe, forcing a smile. “What are you talking about?”

  Gwen knowing me all too well, shakes her head while still holding her gaze. “Oh please, don’t you think with having six kids there was a lot of practice beforehand—Ati, I know what sex hair looks like. Hell, I’ve mastered the art of the quick touch up—remind me to give you some tips.”

  The heat rises up past my neck to my face, and I’m positive I’ve turned the prettiest shade of pink. Embarrassed at my sister's lack of a filter, no doubt something she has picked up from being around her bestie Kai all these years, I let out a nervous laugh. But then a warm arm wraps around my waist. I look up and turn my head slightly to see Ben looking down at me, and that’s when I know that even with Gwen embarrassing me. Even with all the obstacles of the past, this here...Ben—it all feels right.

  Chapter Fourteen

  -Ben-

  It’s been two weeks since Gwen had the baby, and since Ati and I decided to give us a chance. Two weeks where I couldn’t imagine being any happier. Why didn’t I realize this before? How did I forget how happy she made me? We’ve been spending as much time as we can together, working around both of our schedules. Most of the time we’ve been staying at her place she shares with Quinn, her roommate that I can honestly say, now that I know he has no interest in Ati, he’s actually a decent guy, and funny as all hell; I can see why Ati likes him so much.

  Things are good with the two of us, and getting better with the more we are together.

  A soft moan escapes Ati’s lips, bringing me out of my thoughts. “I love it when you kiss me there.”

  My lips travel down further. “What about here?”

  Just as Ati lets out a slight giggle from me hitting her ticklish spot, the door to my bedroom flies open and in walks my mother. “Ben, sweetie—,” her words are cut off at the shriek of Ati’s voice.

  “Mom, for real? You can’t just walk in here,” I let out as Ati tries to unsuccessfully hide while she is still under me.

  “Oh dear, I didn’t realize you had company. Gwen said you would love a morning wake-up call.”