Living with the Millers

Chapter 20 - Fire

"We make a good team," he chuckled, holding out a clinched fist. Rolling my eyes, I fist bumped him. It was just making a fire, not rocket science, but his effort at being nice was appreciated. Our eyes locked and I felt myself getting dragged in. When I looked at him, I just got lost. I could stare at those gorgeous eyes forever and never get bored. Our fists were still touching, and slowly Ben opened his fingers and laced his through mine. Without me even realizing what I was doing I gripped onto his hand, holding tight.

"We should sit," I muttered, embarrassed when my voice caught in my throat.  He nodded, leading me to sit down on one of the logs.  He didn't release my hand, though.  Instead he stroked my knuckles with his thumb absently, as if he didn't realize he was doing it. "How long do you think the others will be?"

"With the way Jeremy drives, not long," Ben snorted, shaking his head. "Unless he gets pulled over again, then who knows." I giggled, leaning mg head to rest on Ben's shoulder.  He leaned his head to rest on mine, letting out a sigh.  For a moment we sat in silence, the only noise was mine uneven breathing and the sound of the crackling fire.  In the silence, Rosie's words echoed through my brain, reminding me there was still so much I didn't know about Benjamin Miller. "So what are your plans after you graduate?" It was a lame attempt to get him comfortable enough to open up, but I didn't know how else to start a conversation.  He sat up and looked at me, surprised, but I didn't make a move to look at him.

"I'll go to Vanderbilt here in Tennessee," he finally sighed, releasing my hand to stand up.  He paced around the fire, clearly anxious. "My Dad went there, so I got in easily.  He has connections.  Then I'll be a lawyer just like him."  His voice was monotone.  It did not sound like someone who was about to graduate high school, their whole future ahead of them.

"Are you not excited about it?" I was almost too afraid to ask.  I had learned from experience that there was only so far you could push Ben.  He didn't get mad, though.  He just stared into the fire absently, hands clasped behind his back.  I stood and moved to his side, placing a hand on his arm. "Ben?" Slowly, he turned to look at me.  A ghost of a smile played at his lips, the fire casting a shadow over his face.  He reached out and brushed my hair out of my face, leaving a hand on my cheek.  My breath caught in my throat.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, stroking my cheek with his thumb.  My heart beat so fast it threatened to jump out of my chest.  Reflexively, without even thinking about it, I snaked my arms up around his neck, bringing us closer.  When he leaned in, I didn't pull away.  My eyes fluttered closed as I braced myself for the touch of his soft lips.

Just as I thought he was going to kiss me, the roar of engines filled the air. We jumped apart, afraid of being seen. My cheeks flared crimson as I ducked my head, rubbing my arms awkwardly. Two more four wheelers pulled up to the campsite, stopping next to where we had parked. Jeremy, Rylin and Marks all hopped off their vehicle and took their seats around the fire. Ry sat next to me, bumping my shoulder as she sat down. "Girl," she gasped, keeping her voice low. I rose an eyebrow at her, shooting a weary look at the boys. They weren't paying attention. "Marks is pissed."

"Why?" I asked, confused. He looked perfectly fine to me. As usual, he was standing slightly separate from the rest of the boys, head down, not paying attention. Before she could answer, Jeremy's head snapped to us, a huge smile spreading across his face.

"Are ya'll ready?" His voice was low, almost devilish. I knew that look, and I knew he was about to do something I wouldn't really approve of. In a flash he dropped his backpack and opened it to reveal a box of Bud Lite. "And there's more where that came from!" He said wiggling his eyebrows.

"I'm good," I said, quickly holding my hands in the air. We couldn't just have a normal night? Geez.

"Suit yourself," Jere shrugged, cracking one open. They each passed the beer around until everyone except for me was sipping one. I hated beer, and I didn't like the feeling of being drunk. Even if it meant I was the buzzkill and had no fun, I refused. Sighing, I leaned back and settled in, preparing for a long night of babysitting.

***

It was getting late. The later it got, the colder it got. The only light around us was coming from the fire. I was starting to shiver and regret wearing a tank top. Ben seemed to sense this, because he jogged over to the cooler set away from us and pulled out a big fleece blanket. "Here, share with me," he said, sitting down behind me. He grabbed my waist and pulled me backwards so that I was between his legs, making me squeak. Then he threw the blanket over us and I pulled it up to my chin, forcing me to lean into his chest. His warmth radiated to me, helping me to relax. But what was he doing?! Rylin was staring at me wiggling her eyebrows, but I tried my best to ignore her.

"So," I said, voice high and squeaking. I coughed to try to clear my throat, but it didn't work. "Um..." I completely lost my train of thought. Ben had one hand wrapped around my stomach, squeezing me tight, and his other hand was drawing patterns on my right thigh. The only thing I could get my mind to think about was how close we were and the way he was holding me. It was making my senses go crazy.

"Are you okay?" he asked me, making me lean to my left and look up at him. Our faces were only inches apart, making me suck in a breath. Our eyes locked together; it felt like he was looking into my soul and could read my thoughts. Every part of my body all the way down to my toes was telling me to kiss him. Be the brave one for once, Shi, I told myself. Before I could stop myself I put one hand on his cheek and closed the distance between us, softly pressing my lips against his.

It was like time stopped. Half of me expected him to pull away, but he didn't. The hand that was drawing patterns on my thigh gripped my skin. My eyes fluttered closed as his lips moved against mine, hypnotizing me. Vaguely, I was aware of Rylin screaming and some sort of other commotion from my friends, but I couldn't make myself care about what else was happening. I didn't want this moment to end.

Softly, he nibbled at my bottom lip, making me breathe in. I wasn't very experienced, and I knew Ben was very experienced, so in the back of my mind there was a voice telling me he hated this. Maybe he would make fun of me, maybe he would tell everyone I was a horrible kisser. But in that moment I didn't care.

When we finally did break away it took me a second to catch my breath. I opened my eyes to find Ben staring at me with bright eyes twinkling. "Finally, Shi," he chuckled, shaking his head. I blushed, looking down so that he couldn't see my face. He chuckled again and kissed my head, making my heart clench.

What was he doing to me?

That's when the spell was broken. I could hear Ry screaming like a maniac, the leaves crunching beneath her feet as she jumped around. "I knew it, I was right! Jere you owe me twenty dollars."

"You were betting?!" I exclaimed, shooting her a glare. I opened my mouth to yell at her but an engine revved, cutting through the air. Our eyes snapped to the four wheelers where Marks was speeding away, not looking back. In a second he was out of sight, and I had a feeling he wouldn't be back. I didn't know why, but I felt slightly guilty. I told myself I didn't owe Marks anything, but it still felt like a betrayal.  I had noticed the way he looked at me, I wasn't stupid.

"Ya'll just had to do this, didn't you?" Jeremy groaned, placing twenty dollars in Ry's waiting hand. Ben entangled his hand in mine, but I barely paid enough attention to grab it back. My eyes were glued to where Marks had sped off, the engine getting quieter and quieter by the second. What the hell was I supposed to do?

"Jere, hand me a beer," I exclaimed, holding my hand out. They all looked at me in surprise, but Jeremy didn't hesitate to slap one in my hand. "I'm getting drunk tonight."

A/N: sorry for another long wait and a shorter chapter. I made it as long as I could but I was just stuck...I can't promise for a quick update, but I do have some free time since I'm home with the flu so I'll see what I can do.