I Choose You

First Fight

Cassie was practically skipping home because she just came out of her job interview and they hired her on the spot! She couldn't wait to tell Ben how excited she is to start. He applied for a job at a perfume store a couple days ago, but hasn't heard back from them yet.

As soon as she got home, she started getting ready to go out to dinner with Ben. It was Friday and he told her he wanted to take her out somewhere nice, so he made reservations for a fancy Italian restaurant. This day really couldn't get any better.

She got ready in a nice white blouse and a pair of skinny jeans. It was still too cold to wear a skirt or dress, so she opted out of those two. She did put on nice boots to compliment her outfit and make it look not too fancy, but not too casual.

Once she heard the knock on her door, she grabbed her things, then opened the door to Ben standing handsomely outside. "Hey, handsome," she greeted with a wide smile. He didn't smile back, though. He looked in a daze as he blankly replied, "Hey, gorgeous."

He didn't even bother to look at her outfit, but just started impatiently tapping his foot and fiddling his fingers. "Ready?" He quickly asked. Cassie looked at him oddly, but nodded and said, "Yeah, let's go." She went to reach for his hand, but he used that one to run his fingers nervously through his hair.

This was certainly odd. When they got to the car, he didn't even open the door for her like he always does. Without trying to think about it too much, she got in the car and side-eyed Ben as he drove with an intent look on his face, his fingers fiddling on the steering wheel and where one was resting on the gear.

She rested her hand on top of his, causing him to jump a bit. She took his hand and squeezed it. "What's wrong?" She softly asked. He sighed and shook his head. "Nothing," he told her. He didn't take away his hand, but didn't return the loving and assuring squeezes she was giving him.

When they got to the restaurant, he seemed even more impatient than before when he saw the long line of people to get in. "Did you make reservations?" Cassie innocently asked. Ben rolled his eyes and said, "Of course I made reservations! I'm not an idiot."

"I never said you were," she said with an edge to her voice. "I was just making sure." Ben took his hand out of hers and crossed his arms. She could not believe this. What was his deal?

After waiting for almost ten minutes, they made it to the hostess and to their reserved table. Despite Ben's mood, Cassie was all smiles when she sat down at the table. She took the menu from the very cute waiter and just ordered herself a water.

"Of course, miss," he smoothly said. "And for you, sir?" Ben ordered a gin and tonic. A few moments after the waiter left, Ben mumbled, "He obviously likes you." Cassie looked over at him buried in his menu. He didn't look amused, but jealous.

"If you keep acting this way, I might like him, too," she retorted. Ben glared at her for a few minutes, but she ignored him. When the cute waiter came back, he took their food orders. Ben and Cassie hardly said a word to each other as they waited for their meals, but that was because Ben was in his own world.

Cassie huffed and sighed as she looked around at all the loving couples sitting around them. Some of them were holding hands, kissing, staring at each other lovingly. And then there's her and her boyfriend.

She looked over at him and said, "I got that movie theater job." Ben didn't say anything. He was too much in his own head to hear her. "Will you tell me what's going on?" Again, he didn't answer. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. So much for a better day than she was having.

Their food came and they ate in silence, not saying a single word to each other. When the check came, Ben couldn't pay it fast enough. The moment it was dropped, he put in his credit card and handed it to the waiter as he was about to walk away.

When it came back, he signed it, slapped down the tip and started to get up without asking Cassie if she was ready. She got up and followed him to the car. He sped off back to the school and got there in record time.

When he parked, they both got out. Cassie couldn't stand this anymore. They were out for almost two hours with maybe ten words exchanged between them. This was supposed to be a great day and he was ruining it!

"Benedict, stop!" She shouted. He stopped his quick walk and turned to her. She was still standing by the car. "Come on, Cassie, I need to get back to the house," he said urgently. "I have to go over my lines!"

Oh, hell no, she angrily thought. "So that's why you haven't talked to me? That's why you were so anxious to get there and get back? Seriously?" Ben grunted and rolled his eyes. "I will not explain myself to you," he said, "you don't understand!"

Cassie scoffed and crossed her arms. "Ben, I understand how much this means to you, but you're taking it way too seriously! This isn't an actual gig that people from around the world would see, it's for the damn school! And the fact that you're so anxious to get rid of me because of it is hurtful!"

Ben walked quickly up to her and put his face level with hers. "You. Don't. Under. Stand," he growled. "You don't understand what theater is, what it means! You don't understand how this play, the most popular play for any college in the world to play, can either make or break my career!"

Cassie harshly pushed him away from her. "Don't talk to me like that!" She shouted. He moved back to where he was in front of her and said, "Oh, because you have every right to talk to me like that!" She couldn't believe this. She shook her head and felt tears fall down her cheeks.

"You know what, Benedict? Why don't you go back to your precious lines and your precious theater and you can talk to me after the fucking play is finally over!" She started to walk away as he called, "Oh, yeah, just walk away! You know what? You're just a stupid American who won't ever know what this opportunity mean to someone like me!"

Cassie was officially sobbing now. She continued to quickly walk to her room as she heard Ben shouting swears, then speed off in his car. Once she got to her room, she locked the door, got on her bed, and sobbed her broken heart out.