Love

Chapter 83:

We finally pull up in front of a big block of nice looking apartments.
"Wow. These look quite nice." I say.
"Yeah, they were probably half built when you left for Canada." Ben says with a nod.
"I think so. It's a shame though. There's gonna be tons of high rise soon." Ben just shrugs, pays the taxi driver and we get out. I get my bag and follow Ben inside. We have to climb up about 7 flights of stairs before we reach his floor.
"I'm pretty lucky to have this apartment, I was going for the penthouse, but it wasn't up for auction. So this is the floor below the penthouse." He explains. I nod as he turns the key in the door and we walk in. It's huge. The first thing I see is a neat living room then a bit further in a dining table, then the kitchen is off to the side. There's a little sun room. Down a small hallway is a door at the end that is a guest bedroom, and the door to the right is the master bedroom, complete with an en-suite. Then the door to the left is a bigger bathroom. I walk through all of the rooms, except the master bedroom because it had a DO NOT ENTER sign on the door, wide eyed. This was amazing. And he said it was relatively big. This was huge.
"You can put your bag in your room of you'd like?" He calls.
"Cool, thanks." I reply. I lay my bag on the floor of the room and flop onto the bed. I close my eyes and relax. All of a sudden someone grabs my waist and pulls me up against their body. I squeal and fight them. I hear Ben laugh.
"C'mon, let's get closer." He pulls me onto the bed and looks at me expectantly. "Well come on! What's there that I need to know about you?" I stare at him. His hand is still at my waist, while his other is propped up on his elbow, supporting his head. His thumb is tracing small circles on my waist. I swallow and take a deep breath. What would Xander think about this if I... did anything with Ben?
"Well, I live in Vancouver, I go to school there, I was almost raped by a guy, from that school, who I thought had actually changed from a player to a lover because of me and I fucking fell for him and he tricked me." It all came out in one long sentence though. Tears brimmed my eyes. "And then two days later my friend decided it was a good idea to fucking kill himself!" Tears actually start trailing down my cheeks and onto the pillow. Ben is staring at me with a frown. He pulls me towards him and engulfs me in a hug.
"It's okay, that guy is probably locked up and you're with me and I won't let anyone harm you." He says softly. "When's the funeral?"
"Thursday." I say, sniffling. I wipe my eyes and sit up. "God. I'm such a mess." I laugh. He laughs as well and gets up.
"I'll drive you to the funeral, but right now, we're going to my Aunty's farm." He smiles. I raise an eyebrow and nod.
"Sounds like fun? Just one question... Does she have horses?"
"She sure does, and they're rideable."
"Yay!" I squeal and put my runners. Then I follow Ben back downstairs to his car where we drive off. While we're driving we start giving each other riddles.
"Okay, I've got one." Ben says.
"Go!" I say.
"So, almost everyone needs it, gives it, asks for it, but almost nobody takes it. What is it?" He explains. I ponder this for a moment.
"Money?"
"Nope. Guess again."
"I honestly have no idea."
"Advice!"
"Oh my god! That's so good. Alright, I've got one."
""Hit me." He replies.
"Okay, so there's this guy, right?"
"If you say so."
"And he and his dad are driving through the countryside one day. They're going fishing or something. And they take a bend in the road too fast and slam into a tree."
Ben winces. "That's no good."
"The father is killed instantly. A passing car sees the accident and calls an ambulance. The son is seriously injured and is rushed to the hospital. When he gets there, he's immediately wheeled into surgery. The doctor takes one look at him and says, "Oh my God, it's my son!". How is this possible?"
"Um. Is the guy adopted? Or is his dad gay?"
I shame my head. "The doctor is his mother."
Ben looks a bit ashamed. "Oops," he says. I laugh and we keep driving. I fall asleep halfway through the drive and am woken up two hours later by Ben.
"I stopped for a bit so I could rest as well on the way, but now we're here." He says, opening his door and getting out. I open my door. I look around. It's a huge farm. A brown and white border collie bounds up to Ben, jumps up on him, barking and wagging it's tail happily.
"Jessie down!" He laughs. "Millie, meet Jessie. She loves cuddles and chasing birds." Jessie runs over to me and puts her front paws up on my stomach. I scratch behind her ears and under her chin.
"Hello Jessie," I coo. "You're gorgeous." I pat her head and run after Ben who's walking to a small cottage. Jessie chases after me. I tell her to sit by the door and she does as she is told. I walk into the house and hear voices coming from a warm kitchen. I walk into the kitchen and stand awkwardly beside Ben. His hand snakes around my waist and he pulls me tightly to his side.
"Everyone, this is Millie, she is originally from here, but moved to Canada, she is here because of... family things." Ben looks at me at the last two words and smiles. I smile back up at him and then look around the room at all the pairs of eyes on me. I clear my throat and smile.
"Hi everyone." I say.
"Hello dear." I'm guessing Ben's Aunty says, coming over to me and giving me a big hug. My eyes widen in surprise and I hug her back. I get a big smile and wave from I'm guessing Ben's uncle. Then I get a nod and smile from another man who seems to be Ben's uncle's friend. Ben's arm circles around my waist again and I am yet again pulled to his side.
"Hey, Aunty Debbie? Millie, here, loves horses and so I was wonder could we have a ride?" Ben asks. Aunty Debbie grins and nods.
"Of course! You know where the tack is, don't you Ben?" Aunty Debbie smiles.
"Yep, thanks Aunty Debbie." Ben replies.
"Yes, thank you Debbie." I say.
"Oh, no problem dear, and call me Aunty Debbie." I smile and nod. Ben pushes me out of the house, then takes my hand and starts running with me towards a barn. We get inside and I gasp. There are six stables with a horse in each.
"Oh... my... god." I say quietly, walking towards the stables. The first stable has a gorgeous Dapple Grey stallion in it, apparently called Titan. I stroke Titan's forehead as he greets by poking his head out of the stable and sniffing me. I pat his soft velvety noes and then walk along to the next stable. In this one, there is a huge jet black stallion, called Midnight. He stands proud and allows me to stroke his neck. I walk to the next stable. In it is a beautiful white Arabian called Cody. I fall in love immediately and look around for Ben. He's no where to be seen. I shrug and walk across the hall to the other side, to the next stable. In this one is a chestnut mare, called Shelly. I smile as she whinnies at me and nuzzles into my hand as I go to stroke her noes. In the next stable is another mare, but this one is a tanned Lusitano with black mane and tail. Her name is Avery. She is a bit timid so I don't try to pat her. I move to the next stable and in this one is a stunning thoroughbred mare. She stands even more proud than Midnight does and snorts at me when appear at the stable door. Her name is Aurora. I laugh as she turns her arse towards me. Ben appears in front of me with two bridles, two saddles, two blankets and two helmets.
"So which horse do you want to ride today?" He asks with a smile.
"Cody." I answer immediately. He laughs and nods.
"Do you know how to tack up?" I nod. He hands me a saddle, a bridle and a helmet. "Then here you go. When you're finished give me a shout and I'll come check that it's all good. Oh and remember, before you go into the stable, put your helmet on. And once you're in the stable, shut the door, because when they see an escape route, they will take it." I laugh.
"Has it happened before?" I ask, clipping my helmet on and hanging the tack over the gate.
"Plenty of times." He laughs. I unlock the gate and walk into the stable, shutting the gate behind me.
"Hey, boy." I say softly. Cody looks at me and snorts. I smile and hold out my hand. Cody sniffs it and then nuzzles in to it. I let out a relieved sigh and grab the blanket. I place it over his back, then grab the saddle and place it on top. I do up the girth and make sure it's tight. Next, I grab the bridle and put the bit in Cody's, then pull the rest of the bridle over his head. I do it up just right and then step back and admire my handiwork.
"Ben! I'm done." I call.
"Cool! Bring him out of the stable and just wait in the hall." He replies. I grab hold of the reins and unlock the gate, pushing it open wide. I lead Cody out into the hall and close the stable gate behind him. I listen to the clop of Cody's hooves against the concrete. I hear the clop of hooves behind me and turn around to see Ben leading Midnight out of his stable.
"You know Cody is the second biggest horse we have? After Titan." Ben says.
"How big is Cody and how big is Titan?" I ask.
"Tighten is stands about. 17 hands," Ben's says. My eyes widen. "And Cody stands 15.2 hands."
"Whoa." I state. I turn to Cody. "You're a big boy, aren't you?" Cody neighs in response and me and Ben laugh.
"Alright, we'll lead them outside, then we can mount them and I'll check that you've done everything right." I nod and walk out of the barn, leading Cody. When we're out, I come to a halt and throw the reins over Cody's head. Then I walk to his left side and stick my foot in the stirrup. I grab a chuck of his mane and pull myself up, throwing my leg over the saddle and placing it in the right stirrup. I had mounted Cody successfully. Ben comes over and checks that I've done everything correctly and gives me a thumbs up.
"You're ready to go! Leg me just get on Midnight and then we can ride." He says. He gets on Midnight in a blink and then starts galloping off straight away.
"Hey!" I yell. I give Cody a kick and he starts trotting. I kick him harder and he gallops after Ben and Midnight. I laugh as we slow to a stop on a big hill. I look over the rolling hills and down at the valley where a small creek flows through. An idea strikes me.
"Race you down the hill!" I call, kicking Cody and breaking into a gallop down the hill. I hear Ben laugh and then Midnights hooves approaching us. I lean forward, holding Cody's mane, to keep me steady. As we get closer to the bottom, I notice there's a fence. My eyes widen and I turn to see Ben going full throttle towards it.
"Can Cody jump?" I yell.
"He loves jumping!" Ben replies. I nod firmly and wait till we reach the right point where I then stand in the jumping position and brace myself as Cody flies over the fence. I slow Cody to a trot me let out a nervous laugh. I run a shaky hand through my hair and pull on the reins, signalling for Cody to stop. Ben trots up to me and gives me a high five.
"That. Was. Awesome!" He yells.
"I've only ever done that twice before! But the adrenalin fish was unreal!!" I exclaim. Ben nods.
"Well, you were really good at it. You're a natural!" He smiles.
"Thanks." I look up at the sky and notice grey clouds collecting over the sun. "Do you reckon it'll rain?"
"Yep. But the horses love the rain, so don't worry."
"I love riding in the rain." I squeeze Cody with my knees and he starts walking. Ben does the same to Midnight and walks beside me. I glance at Ben. He's studying my face.
"So, uh, what's your story?" I ask. He chuckles.
"Well, I know random facts about animals and their mating courtships. My dad liked that sort of stuff. When I was 10, my parents died in a car accident. I was lucky to escape with this. He pulls up his shirt and shows me his back which has a huge ugly scar across it.
"Ooh. Ouch."
"Meh, then my Aunty and uncle took me in and looked after me and my younger brother."
"You have a younger brother?"
"Yeah, but he's just an imitation of the real thing." He chuckles. I laugh as well and feel a drop of cool water on my hand. I look up and see dark clouds above, heavy with rain. Another drop falls on my cheeks and I wipe it away.
"I hope you're ready for the rain." I sing.
"What?" He replies, but before I can answer, I hear the pitter pattering of heavy rain behind us. I glance behind and see a wall of rain creeping towards us.
"Ride!" I yell. Ben kicks Midnight and gallops in front of me. I kick Cody and follow Ben quickly. We wind through the valley, along the creek, the rain chasing us. Finally the rain catches us and we are drenched in a matter of seconds. We gallop to a willow tree, thick with branches. We dismount and lead the horses under the big willow tree with us, laughing. It was amazing under here. The willow tree was quite tall so the horses had enough room to stand at their full height. There were only small drops of rain coming through the thick overlap of branches. I drop Cody's reins, and let him graze happily. Ben does the same.
"This is am amazing experience." I say. Ben smiles.
"I'm glad you like it."
"Cody is great and behaves really well, gallops when I want him to, turns where I want him to, and stops when I pull back on the reins."
"Yeah, did you see Aurora?"
"Yes! She was gorgeous, but quite arrogant."
"Hahaha, that's what everyone says when they first meet her, but she's really quite a nice horse, she just tends to ignore you a lot." I laugh and sit down.
"So anything else I don't know about you?" Ben asks.
"Um... I love horses, I have a stepbrother who I only knew I had until I went to Canada, I like to surf, and I have-" but I'm cut off by Ben placing his lips on mine,kissing me. I don't know what the hell is going through my mind, but I kiss him back. His teeth graze my bottom lip and I tremble inside. He pulls away and smiles sweetly at me.
"a boyfriend." I finish. He still smiles.
"He doesn't have to know about us kissing, does he?" Ben smirks.
"I-I..." I don't answer. I stay silent until he finally speaks again.
"I bet you have tons of guys after you in Canada." He smiles.
"I don't actually. There was Chris, the rapist, and then Xander, my boyfriend." I say.
"Well, you have me after you." I smile and forget about Xander completely. I press my lips to his and kiss him. He kisses me back, turning his head and deepening the kiss. Ben was right, Xander didn't have to find out about this. Ben pulls me onto his lap, his hand at the small of my back, pressing me against him, his other resting on my thigh. My hands lace through his hair. I pull away, my breath ragged. The rain had stopped. I clear my throat and stand up.
"Let's head back, shall we?" I say, helping Ben up. Ben smiles and nods.
"Sure, when can ride bare back if you like?" He tells me.
"Seriously?"
"Yep, let's go quickly." He says, leading midnight out of the willow. He mounts Midnight and waits for me. I come out of the willow and mount Cody. Then we ride to the fence where we jump over it again and start galloping up the hill. Finally we reach the top of the hill. We ride into the barn, dismount, take off all the tack, and get Titan out. We walk into the field and Ben explains and demonstrates how to mount Titan. I nod and then try, succeeding. I gallop around for a bit then stop in front if Ben. He smiles up at me and then jumps on behind me.
"Is Titan string enough to hold us both?" I ask, worried. Ben laughs.
"He is definitely strong enough." I smile. His arms slide around my waist and his chest presses against my back. His lips lightly brush my neck. I lean my head back onto his shoulder so he can kiss my cheek and jaw.
"Random fact," he says, his voice low, "the only other species that kiss is the white-fronted parrot. They lock their beaks before mating and gently flick their tongues together. Of course the next step in their courtship is that the male then regurgitates all over the female, so we don't have to follow their methods to the bone. Bit the first but sounds like it could be fun..."
Little shivers of lightning run up and down my spine. I twist around to face him so we can start kissing properly. His teeth graze my bottom lip again and I shiver. Then it starts raining again. I pull away and laugh, holding out my hand to catch the drops of rain. Ben dismounts. I follow him and allow him to help me down. Then I grab Titan's lead and run towards the barn. Titan canters beside me and Ben runs on the other side of me. We get to the barn and put Titan back in his stable. Then we get back in Ben's car and drive back home.