Ignite ─ Ben Hardy

CHAPTER TWELVE ━ MOVING ON

Yes, yes, she was.

But, Shanessa just couldn't help but think whether he would react the same way if she was the Bumblebee. Would he be this happy? Would his lips get tired for he couldn't resist the ticklish sensation of a euphoric smile wishing to show off?

He doesn't like me that way, so why does he have to?

Her eyes wavered at the thoughts, a crushed heart was heard between void cavities inside, her grip on the spoon slivered she swore it could be bent if she let her thoughts contaminate her common sense any further. It was torturous, but that was the reality — one that she couldn't change, one that brought impeccable agony, one that she despised the most.

Because Shanessa knew she couldn't force her way out for this matter easily.

"Geez, Woody, it's still morning," An eruption of soft chuckles thundered throughout the dining room as her head turned toward Ben's direction almost immediately, her grip weakened the moment he touched it, firing off electricity which inflated her heart to rattle erratically. "Damaging things is not a good way to start your day, loosen up yourself a little."

"Sorry," A fast, squeaked response exploded out of Shanessa's lips, her hair fell over her cheeks which were slightly reddened from the physical contact. "I — uh — what time will you meet Bethany?"

"Tryna to get rid of me already?" Ben's amusement tone graced his voice vividly as he swiftly plucked a piece of bread on her breakfast. Shanessa glared daggers at him, which he stuck out his tongue mockingly in response. "I'm offended, you know."

Shanessa was all set to bark saying that if he had no plans today, she would probably let him linger around her for a bit longer, but she bit the intention away since one it was still morning, two she wanted to hoard her energy for the hectic schedule biding for her in the next few hours, three she highly hung in the balance she would be pleased to hear Bethany's twaddle the following day.

If being selfish could win his heart, she would certainly undoubtedly do that. The obstacle was how ghastly rejection haunted her soul even before she said her feelings out loud and hearkened to his answer. Shanessa was trapped in the friend zone, she wanted him to stay and forget his plans with Bethany, but again, the girl was just a friend.

Nothing more, nothing less.

It seemed that filling her brain with such thoughts caused an unnecessary mist that shrouded her horse sense to subside, forged with a feeble pull on the tip of Shanessa's lips. "She doesn't like men who aren't on time."

"Well, she must understand if I'm running late."

"Why?" Shanessa raised an eyebrow quizzically at him, who instead was stunned at the sight of her food. The girl pushed aside her plate in alert to prevent him from nibbling at it again, which Ben replied with a disapproving yet adorable pout. A smirk coated her lips, a hand naturally finding its way to pinch his cheek with the aftermath he needed to grasp her wrist to cease the gesture of obsolescence. "It's not like Joe is blocking your bed."

"Do not remind me of him," Ben whined, recalling that he had seen Joe more in the past few months than his parents were due to the work that surely involved Bohemian Rhapsody. He wasn't complaining, but he was just exhausted with a slight of intrusive feelings to see the same faces over and over again, and it drove him to wish to drain time with other people. "See, every morning I have to make sure my best friend is not scorching the entire building and she doesn't starve herself in the midst of her schedule later in the day. So, let's just say you are blocking my way."

And deep down, to be completely honest, Ben did not mind about it at all. The thoughts of seeing Shanessa actually refreshed his lack of enthusiasm lately, which was why he was troubling himself in the morning and doing some errands for her, not caring if she had done it the previous day. Because for some reason, the tiniest simper on Shanessa's lips each time she saw him standing at the front door made every ounce of vitality return to his flesh and bones.