Nova (43 page)

“
Hm
, maybe next time you’ll think twice.”

“Probably not. It’s too fun to get a reaction out of you.”

I punched him again, just to be ornery.

“Ow! Keep your hands to yourself!”

“No,” I retorted, getting into a boxing stance.

He shook his head at me with warning. “Oh, I don’t think you wanna start that…”

I jabbed at him lightly but he easily blocked it. “See it a
ll starts with easy girly stuff,
” I said, lightly sparring with him again. “And then—”
I went for it and slugged him right in the shoulder.

“Ow!”

“That seems to be the only word you know right now,” I
kidded
.

He shook his head at me again. “You’d better watch it, little girl.”

“Or what?” I taunted, back to barely sparring.

“Or you’re gonna be crying for my mom in a second.”

I laughed at that, since I occasionally did tease Clara when she acted like my “mom.”

“Oh, come on, Ben
ny
. You afraid to fight a girl?”

“Yeah, pretty much. Especially you since you’re a devil child.”

I laughed again but just went with it. “That’s right. Cheap shots,
titty
twisters, and bitch slaps…that’s what I’m good at.”

It was his turn to laugh, and when he did, I softly swatted his face.

“Hey, now,” he growled, and when I continued to box at him, he made a move to grab my wrists.

“Ahh! Hey,” I grumbled, trying to keep him from getting the advantage. He got behind me anyway and held his arms around mine so I couldn’t do anything with them.

“You think you’re so tough,” he chuckled.

I squirmed to get free but wasn’t successful. “Mo-
om
!” I
play
hollered.

That made him laugh. “No one’s gonna help you now.”

I struggled some more, even trying to use my legs as leverage to free myself, but he was just too strong. “Okay, farm boy. You win.”

“Farm boy?”

“Yes, Clark Kent. You can let go of me now.”

“Oh, so you can come back at me again?”

“I won’t, I promise.” I couldn’t say it without laughing
, and Ben laughed too.

“Right.”

“I have to pee really bad. I’m gonna pee my pants.”

“That’s your problem.”

“You’re a jerk.”

“You started this. What, can’t you finish it?”

I was calm for a few seconds, trying to figure out my next move. I let my body completely relax and Ben chuckled again.

“That’s not going to work, either.”

“What’s not going to work?”

“The surprise assault that’s supposed to happen next.”

I had to laugh again and tried to think of a new tactic. “Okay, I honestly give up. Truly.”

“Right.”

“I do
. Because I really have to go to the bathroom.”

He was quiet for a few seconds and I was sure he was considering it. But instead of releasing me he only changed his hold so he was holding me with one arm. “You have to go to the bathroom, huh?” he asked, poking me in the ribs.

“Oh! Don’t you dare tickle me, Ben!
”

“Why not?” he chuckled. “Huh?” He dug a few more fingers into my side and it made me scream. “You’re not ticklish, are you?”

“Stop it!” I half laughed, half pleaded. “I will…smother you in your sleep!” I threatened.

That made him laugh
even more. “You promise?”

“Let go! I’m seriously gonna—”

The front door opened and Clara was standing there with confusion as she watched us struggle
on the lawn
.

“Mom! Help!” I pleaded.

“No, she’s being really naughty!
”
Ben said. “Don’t listen to her!
”

“He’s bigger than me! Look at him! What could I possibly do to him?”

Clara had a big smile on her face, thoroughly amused, and then Heath joined her in the doorway.

“Dad, help!” I cried. “Get the belt! Beat this kid!”

“She’s full of lies; she’ll punch me the second I let go.”

“Nova, what’d we tell you about punching people?” Heath asked gruffly.

“Oh? Oh, really? You
wanna
know what your son said to me? You wanna know what started this whole—”

Ben covered my mouth with his hand so I couldn’t say anymore, but I moved my head around so he couldn’t cover it for long.

“He asked me if I—”

“Fine,” Ben grumbled, letting me go with a playful shove.

“He asked you if what?” Clara asked, glaring at him.

I smiled victoriously at Ben and he rolled his eyes.

“Fine, you win,” he told me, shaking his head at my facetiousness. “You happy?”

“Yes, very.”

“
Do you know what time it is
?” Clara
asked us
.

Neither of us said anything as we entered the dark house
, but after a few seconds, Ben whispered, “Uh, time for the old folks to get back to bed?”

I punched him again and said, “That was rude.”

“
Ow
,” he growled quietly. “You really want to start this again? You see that?” he asked his parents.

“See what?” Heath replied, shutting the door.

“Jeez, my family hates me,” Ben complained, heading up the stairs. “You all gang up on me…”

I was quietly laughing, and when I heard his bedroom door shut I said, “I’m really sorry about all the noise.”

“Oh, it’s fine,”
Clara
replied, and she softly laughed. “We were still awake anyways.”

“You were? After midnight?”

“Well our children weren’t in yet,” she replied. “I can’t sleep unless I know everyone’s home safely. Goodnight, sweetie.”

She patted my arm on her way by, and Heath also said goodnight.

I smiled, and as I made my way upstairs, I felt really thankful for such a great night.

Chapter Twenty-Two

I stormed down the hall and pounded on Ben’s door. I didn’t even give him a chance to
respond when I flung it
open and he stood there stunned
, probably on his way to open it. Thank goodness he at least had on a pair of boxers.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, truly concerned. He had no idea I was just about to rip him a new one.

“You knew he would get pissed, didn’t you? You knew he would eventually find out and that he would be furious!”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Austin? You know, my boyfriend that hates you and apparently your other little friends
,
as well?”

His face seemed to darken, but he didn’t reply right away. He grabbed a pair of pants from a chair and put them on. “That’s his problem,” he said. “You still let him run your life from how many miles away?”

“That is not what we’re talking about here! You knew that Austin would flip out if I mentioned Charlie’s name, didn’t you?”

He took a moment as he put on a t-shirt. “So wh
at if I did? He doesn’t like me
but he left you here to live in the same house as me? Come on, Nova. Get a clue.”

I stared at him with disbelief. “Really? Now
I’m clueless
?”

“Why can’t you see beyond your own little dream world? Are all the rainbows and butterflies getting in the way? You can’t see past the unicorns? What Austin wants, Austin gets, right? Don’t you think you’re missing the point? If he wanted you in his life, he would have found a way to make it happen.
I know the truth hurts, so I’m sorry about that, but
I did you a favor.”

He walked past me for the bathroom, and after standing there in a stupor for a few seconds I followed him there. He splashed water on his face and I just remained in the doorway until I could figure out what to say.

“You did me a favor, huh?” I finally said, trying to stay calm. “He’s now mad at me, he’s mad at you—”

“Why’s he mad at
you
? And really, he finally had a phone conversation with you? How long did that take? A week?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Well you’ve just made it my business, being that he’s mad at me via said phone conversation. So tell me why he’s mad at
you
.”

I took a deep breath, knowing that I’d totally set myself up for humiliation.
This is why I chose
to keep my emotions to myself—b
ecause I always
ended up regretting
it.

“Nova? Tell me why he’s mad at you. I was the one that put you around Charlie. He should be mad at
me
.”

I groaned and just left for my room. I didn’t know why I got myself into these situations.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Ben said, getting to my door the same time I did. He squeezed through the doorway before I could shut it on him. “You’re the one that blew up at me, so you’d better explain yourself.”

“I don’t have to explain anything.”

“Fine, then maybe I should just call him myself. I have no problem discussing all things Nova since I obviously spend way more time with you than he does.”

“Don’t be a jerk.”

“How am I being a jerk? Stating the obvious?”

“Rubbing it in! Taking the knife and twisting it a few times, just to make sure I feel it
more
!”

I could tell he didn’t know what to say. And hopefully he felt bad because I wished I could say something really mean to him at the moment, but I couldn’t think of anything good.

“I’m sorry,” he finally said. “I guess getting you to see my point of view is just as ineffective as you making Austin see
your
point of view
.
”

I wasn’t sure how to take that. He seemed to say it apologetically, but at the same time he wanted to get his two cents in.

I made my way to the bed and sat down, completely frustrated. I was basically still fighting with A
ustin and he wasn’t even there.
“I thought if I mentioned our time at the concert… I was hoping it would make him jealous,” I
admitted with a sigh
. “I casually brought it up, like it wasn’t a big deal, but I knew that he’d have a problem with me hanging out with you.”

I barely glanced at Ben because I was embarrassed, but he didn’t say anything and just sat on the bed next to me.

“I guess I was just desperate,” I continued. “I just…wanted to feel like there was something that could light a spark in him or something. Maybe I hoped he’d be bothered enough to come see me. But then I mentioned Charlie and he almost had a cow.
” I turned to him and narrowed my eyes.
“
I had no idea he held a knife to Sami’s throat
, Ben
.
”

“That’s when I made him go to re
hab,” he said quietly.
“It was the last straw. I stayed until he was clean, and then I left town. I even made Charlie come with me because I didn’t want anything to happen to him—I didn’t want him to be around any old acquaintances.”

I thought about that for a moment, torn between the
idea
that Ben
truly
did look after people and the fact that he really ticked me off sometimes.

“And I’m glad that you used me to make Austin jealous because that was the point.”

I eyed him carefully and asked, “What was the point?”

“You hanging out with me. I knew once he finally got wind of it, he’d be pretty peeved. He needs that, Nova. It serves him right.”

“I don’t feel like punishing him, Ben.”

“I know, and you prove that by giving him chance after chance after chance. But it’s not about punishing him. It’s about giving him a broader picture. I think he needs that.”

“I don’t think he needs to be stressing out about things when he has a career to focus on.”

“I think you’re wrong. I think he needs to realize how important you are to him.”

I scoffed, mainly because it seemed like such a dumb thing to make someone “realize.” Why didn’t Austin already feel that I was important to him? No, instead he moves to North Carolina and dumps me rather than tak
e me with him. Yes, I said it. H
e dumped me.

“I think that you’re giving him the wrong idea,” I said. “What if he thinks I don’t care about him anymore? What if he decides that I’m having fun over here, so I obviously don’t love him anymore? And then he decides to find himself someone new…” I groaned to myself and dropped my head into my hands.