Be the Hero (Book I)

Chapter XVIII | She Knows

The Loft

Emma and Regina entered the loft where Henry was eating lunch. Then Regina noticed Ben sitting next to him. Her stomach dropped with guilt she held as her eyes widened. The boys turned on their bar tools. "Hey moms!"

"Emma. Regina," Ben acknowledged quickly returning to his sandwich.

The blonde looked over to her friend who was clearly uncomfortable. "You need to do something about this or it'll never get fixed," she whispered. "Or is my lie detectors not working and you just don't like him that way?"

Regina just looked at her with a blank expression. She didn't speak, but she just kissed the side of Henry's head. Ben avoided eye contract with her. He knew he took his feelings a step too far and everything crashed. "Hey kid...you know...um Regina's helping me with magic," Emma said.

"You have magic?! Oh--of course you do you're the product of true love," Henry explained to himself.

"Mom? The Regina one...what's wrong?"

"Hm? Nothing Henry. Just a little tired," she lied and he could start to see through it.

"But you look like you've been crying? Why?"

"Uh..." Regina blanked.

"It's a lady thing," Emma filled in for her.

Henry's face contorted as Ben chuckled a little. "Oh eww then."

Little did the boy know that Regina had teared up about Ben. Her feelings for her friend from another land were strong. Regina could barely handle being in the same room as Ben. She felt so bad, but she didn't want him getting hurt in the end. It always happened and why would it stop now? She falls for a man and he falls for her and he dies. That's how her life is; her love life.

She knew that if she admitted her feelings that eventually he would die because he tried to save her. That's his destiny that he chose. He chose to protect her and care for her. His job would never be done though. At least once he dies he would still guard her heart. Look what happened with Daniel. Regina loved him and he loved her. What did that love result in? Death of course.

Regina loved Benjamin and he loved her. What would that love result in? Death most likely. Just like Bruno Mars he'd jump in front of a train, take a bullet straight through his brain, and catch a grenade for her. Again and again he would die for her. Guardian of the Evil Queen, perhaps that's his occupation. He had stolen her heart to protect it.

She loves a man and he loves her. Death for him is always the outcome.

...

A Few Days Later: The Diner

Benjamin entered the diner with a cracked smile. He had nothing smile about anyhow. The town was always threatened, he was friend zoned, an array of different things to frown about. He saw Jefferson sitting at a table alone. He needed to get the news off of his chest before he exploded. So he sat down across his "friend". "Afternoon Jefferson," Ben said with a slight nod.

"Yes good afternoon Ben," Jefferson said and then studied Ben's face. "Something's wrong isn't it?"

"Yes. Some-something happened between Regina and I," he murmured.