Submerged

Chapter 11: Mornings

"Cole," Ben whispers to the girl in the blue pajamas.

Cole wore a blue tank top and matching pajama pants, while Ben had a white t-shirt and green cameo pants. Their evening clothes and their belongings crumpled on the floor.

The duo felt too tired to get them and put their clothes away.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

Cole shakes her head.

"I am not scared anymore," she said. "I'm just angry."

Ben nods as he scoots over to Cole's side.

"I've been there, trust me." he chuckled.

The girl stares at the blue ceiling and sighs for a moment.

"I couldn't believe it, Ben." she says.

"We're solving a huge case, and yet we still don't know who killed Mr. Randall."

Ben stares at her for a moment before clearing his throat.

"Did you talk to Colonel Jones?"  he asked.

"Yeah," Cole answered simply.

"He tells me he was with his friends in a Hoots restaurant. And the criminal who was talking to Jones, he served his time in prison and offers an upgrade to the president's home."

Ben sighed and glanced at the ceiling.

"That takes Jones out of the list," he said. "What  do we do now?"

"Go to sleep," Cole instructs. "We'll pick up where we left off in the morning."

The boy nods then gives Cole a peck on the cheek. For a moment, she wanted to apologize for slapping him at the mansion, but she couldn't get her lips to move.

Quickly, Cole gently kissed him back on the mouth.

Surprised, Ben sweeps the brown strands away from Cole's eyes and embraced her with caution.

The duo had been separated for three years, making it seem like a decade to Cole. She misses Ben terribly: he is almost like a sibling to her.

She could never forget the moments they shared, whether or not they were dating.

Ben and Cole embraced each other again and again until the next thing Cole knew, they are already getting back together. Ben kept kissing her cheek until he whispers something in Cole's ear.

"It's about time," he said.

Cole touches his bruised cheek and murmurs, I love you to Ben.

"I love you too," Ben responded back.

Leaning over, he pressed his lips against Cole's and places his hands on her back. The reunited couple kissed five more times, until they grew tired and went to sleep.

The next morning, Cole clutches to her light blue blanket while staring at the blue ceiling.

Her face continues to blush as she reminisces  the night the duo shared a passionate kiss. However, their clothes were both covered in sweat, but Cole and Ben didn't remove them.

They promised each other that they wouldn't have sex until they're married.

On cue, Ben touches her bare shoulder and kisses her hand Good Morning.

"Good morning," Cole replied, kissing his cheek.

"Last night was amazing," Ben admitted.

Cole nods as she rested her head on his chest.

"Your kissing skills have been improving since the Treasured case," Cole giggled.

"Ha ha," Ben groaned.

Nicole touches his left cheek and stares at Ben for a while.

"Is your cheek okay?" Cole said.

Ben nods carefully and kisses her forehead.

"I'm fine," he insisted.

All of a sudden, Cole asks him a random question.

"Have you talked to Flint?"

He gives her a long look and rubs his hand on Cole's shoulder.

Flint was the Hamilton brothers' abusive foster father. On his fourteenth birthday, Ben willingly pushes Flint down the stairs to save Seth from strangulation.

However, when Ben calls the police, he was thrown in juvie for abusing Flint along with many other accusations.

Seth only trembled in his seat as he watches the policemen shoving Ben inside a police car.

Cole notices the blush on Ben's cheeks and bites her lips.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't-" she stuttered.

"I did visit him a few days ago." he interrupted. "Seth told me that Flint adopted a sixteen year old girl a week after he recovered from the hospital."

"They moved to San Francisco to start their lives there, but when I stalked them through the window, I saw Flint ripping her clothes and thrashing her."

Ben let out a sigh and strokes Cole's brown hair.

"A day afterward, the sixteen year old died. The police thought that she committed suicide and moved on."

Oh my gosh, Cole thought.

"That night, Seth disabled home security while I snuck inside and went up to his room." Ben looks at Cole to see how would she react to his words.

She only stared at him and allowed the boy to continue.

"Flint was surprised by my appearance that he tries to phone the police, but the battery was dead."

"What happened?" Cole ask. "What did you do?"

"I only told him what I had seen before her suicide." Ben shrugged.

Soon after the threat, Flint shuddered under his dirty covers and tries to convince Ben not to go to the police.

Feeling bad for the man, Ben decides to make a deal: keep his dirty hands away from children and tell everyone what he did.

"I told him the next time he didn't obey me, he is going to wish he stayed in the hospital."  Ben replied.

"So, Flint clamped his mouth shut and turned himself in."

Cole's eyes widened in amazement and fear for her boyfriend.

"You could have told the police," she reminded.

Ben laughed as if she told him a joke.

"Who would they believe?" he asked. "An escaped convict or a rapist?"

Cole watches as he picks up his disheveled suit  and shoes.

"You're always welcome here." Cole insists. "You know that, right?"

Ben smiles as he folds his clothes and lifts her bedroom window.

"I'll come over after breakfast," Ben promised.

He walks over to her bed and kisses Cole on the lips.

"See you, Irene." Ben said.

"Same," Cole replied.

As soon as they shared another short kiss, Ben left her bedroom. Grinning to herself, Cole leaps out of bed and begins to start her day.