Chapter Seven

Andie

Emily wanted to be alone tonight so I’m sitting here on my couch watching the late news. I didn’t see Benson tonight and I’m okay with that after what went down with Emily today.

As I sat here sipping my wine, a piece came on the news that is very intriguing.

“Tonight’s murder was caught on camera by a local restaurant and we are asking the community for tips.” I sat there watching the video, confused. This looks so much like Benson. Benson has such a generic-hot-guy look though so, is it? It could be any hot dark haired man. There’s no defining feature of this man that one hundred percent leads me to think that it’s for sure Benson.

I got a text from Benson as the news went off the air. “How are you doing my lady? Want to come over?”

Do I? Should I? “Come here instead?” I replied.

“I’ll be there in a few.” Benson replied.

“That was amazing!” Benson said as we laid breathless in bed. “You’re amazing!” Benson leaned up and looked down into my eyes. “This might sound crazy but, marry me!”

What? “What?” I was so confused as to what just came out of this man’s mouth.

“Marry me. I have never been more sure about something in my life, Andie. I want you to be mine,” Benson said to me with some sort of ownership already over me.

I laid there in silence, what do I say? I literally just met this man and he wants to marry me? Why so soon? I’m so confused at the moment after seeing the news. Should I express my concern to him as to why the man looks so much like him? Benson wouldn’t do anything like that!

I lay there speechless as I take this all in. Thoughts running through my head. I want so much to say something to him about the news but I don’t want to sound accusing.

“Benson, I have a question.” I lay there nervously as he looked down into my eyes.

“Sure. What is it?” He replied.

“So we only just met a few days ago and you’re already asking me this. I don’t really know anything about you. What do you do for a living? I mean you know what I do, I don’t know much about you.” I asked him nervously but I wanted to know. Will he lie to me?

Benson glances across the room. “I’m a freelancer.” He replied to me. I looked confused into his eyes.

“A freelancer? Like what exactly is that?” I started to feel uneasy and wanted to leave.

“I do very well for myself doing what I do and it’s a great gig I have. I have a very large nest egg and would take extremely great care of you Andie.” He tried so hard to be convincing.

“So you don’t want to tell me what you do as a freelancer? That seems interesting to me, honestly. Maybe not interesting in a good way though.” I replied to him.

Benson sits up at the edge of the bed. He pulls his pants on and throws his shirt on. “Andie, I actually have to get to work now. I have a gig I have to complete and it has to be done tonight. I’ll text you in a little while.” He begins to walk out of the bedroom and soon I hear the door to the apartment close.

What just happened? No kiss goodbye even. I don’t think this is the type of man I want to be with to be honest. Is he attractive? Yes, very much so, definitely my type. Everything about his looks definitely checks all the boxes. There’s so much more I want though.

As I lay here, some time has passed, I get up, place my robe around my naked body and head over to the window. I see someone who looks to be Benson coming from our apartment building, crossing the street carrying a long bag over his shoulder. A gym bag? It’s too long and narrow. My suspicion starts to become reality. I feel like the news has exposed this man and I don’t know what to do.

I stood there at the window for some time, taking notice that the same man that emerged from our building was returning, crossing the street. I try my hardest to notice any features of this man that locks me into Benson. Nothing, until he glances up the building. I see his face, his black hood covering his head, briefly I see his face as he looks up. Did he see me?

I back away from the window and head to my door. I want to make sure my door is shut, I am not even dealing with this man trying to come back into my apartment tonight. What should I do?

I head back to my bedroom and climb back into bed. Maybe if I fall asleep I will forget everything that just happened. I lay there staring up at the ceiling. I turn and stare out the window. I turn again and stare at the wall. I cannot do this.

My phone starts to vibrate on my nightstand. Benson is calling. I roll my eyes and shut them to try to go to sleep. My phone dings. I open my eyes to see a text on my screen. “I’m home Andie, I’ll be back down shortly.” Nope, no you will not sir.

I silenced my phone and rolled away from it. I don’t need the distraction of Benson blowing my phone up. As I lay here for the next twenty minutes or so, still fighting my tired eyes, I hear the door handle giggling. I don’t feel as frightened as normal if something like that would happen. Benson starts to knock as he cannot open the door. Yes, he did leave it unlocked when he left earlier. Much to his surprise, it’s now locked.

I shut my eyes, cover my head with my pillow and drown out everything going on right now.

As I woke up to my alarm in the morning, I felt refreshed, awake, I must have actually gotten a little sleep last night. I go jump in the shower before I even check my phone to see what is awaiting me.

I’m truly unsure what I want to do. What happens if this guy takes me out of this world because I don’t want to be with a man like that anymore? Anymore? I mean Andie, that makes you sound like you were aware of what he was doing. I personally don’t think I could be with a man that does that for a living. What makes it even worse is that I know who killed Emily’s brother. Do I tell her? That would risk Benson going to jail, but isn’t that for the best?

I head back into the bedroom to get dressed when I hear a slight bang coming from the living room area. I tried to shrug it off like it was coming from the hall or the apartment above me and finished getting dressed. I heard a little more noise and what sounded like water running. What exactly is going on here? I get into my closet and pull out my pistol. Yes, little old me has a pistol. It doesn’t come out much, but living in New York City, yes I have protection.

I start to head out into the living space and see a shadow moving. Do I hope that this is Benson or do I pray it’s someone else? I come to the end of the hallway and take a deep breath. I turn and face the kitchen where I saw the shadow, a man is standing at the stove with his back turned toward me. It looks like Benson, possibly. I cock my pistol and the man turns around. Sure enough to no surprise it was Benson.

“Whoa, um, I was just making you breakfast. I can stop if it means not getting shot.” Benson said to me with his hands raised.

I walk towards him without lowering my gun, “what are you doing here?”

He glances down at the stove and back at me, “like I said I was making your breakfast but I mean I don’t have to.”

I glance around the apartment and back at him, “that is really nice of you, I appreciate it. But how are you here?”

“Put the gun down, Andie. I’ll explain.” Benson starts to lower his hands and he sees me lowering my gun. “It’s one of my skills and tools I have for my job. Being able to unlock doors and locks.”

“So you broke in? You, the man who asked me just last night to marry you, broke into my apartment, my safe space? Do you not realize how that makes me feel right now?” I look at him confused.

Benson looked down and back at me, “I’m sorry, Andie. I guess I didn’t realize that this wasn’t a job that I shouldn’t be using my skills and tools to just enter wherever.”

“Benson, I’m really not sure I want to continue whatever this is with you. I’m so sorry.” I did actually feel a little sadness, this man was amazing up until yesterday.

Benson started to walk towards me. I felt uneasy and felt like I needed to get my gun ready, but I left it at my side. “Andie, I know you want me to be completely honest with you but I don’t think I really can do that right now. I need you to understand that. I love you so much Andie.” He continues towards me, the gun shaking in my hand, feeling as though I might have to use it.

I look up at him as he’s right up against me, I feel his muscles against my body. I begin to melt, I want to give into this man and just forget everything. He reaches down and starts to kiss my face, my lips. He removes his lips from mine, “Andie, I’m sorry. I might have crossed the line tonight but you didn’t answer my calls or texts and I just needed to see you.”

I glance down, “I really have to get to work Benson. I’m sorry. Maybe we can continue this later.”

I head out of the apartment, not even worrying about Benson being in there. My gun, placed on the counter, I just couldn’t take it anymore right now. I had to get to work.

Benson

I stand in Andie’s apartment unsure of what is going to happen next. Why is she acting so weird? I grab my phone out of my back pocket and see a text, “I need a job done.”

What is more important to me? Keeping Andie and keeping her safe or continuing to unalive people? Apparently the two worlds cannot mix. I don’t even want to know what this job is or who it is because what happens if it’s someone else who is close to either of us in any way. Haven’t I done enough to her best friend?

I simply replied, “I’m unavailable for the foreseeable future, I’m sorry.” I blocked the number. I feel like I might need to pick the better of the two choices. I want to be able to make Andie feel safe and take care of her.

I cleaned up the kitchen from making breakfast that ended up burning and headed out of the apartment. I am going to change this. I need to make changes and I need to now.

As I head out of the phone store, I text Andie from my new number. I texted my mom and a couple friends that I figured I should update my number. I walked along the river with my old phone card in my hand. As I stood looking into the river and the Manhattan skyline, I looked down at the phone card in the palm of my hand.

“Goodbye old life.” I pitched the card into the water.

I need to waste some time until Andie is home, so I begin to walk the three miles to her work. I glance down at my phone in hopes that she would reply to my text, nothing. My mom replied though.

I call my mom while I’m walking, “Hi mom. I know, I’m sorry I had to change my number.”

“Oh Benny, why? Did you get yourself messed up with those drugs up there?” My mom is quite the comedian.

“No mom, still no drugs.” I replied.

“That girl you met ended up being a crazy one?”

“Mom, no. It has nothing to do with that. That girl I met isn’t crazy.” I replied to my mom.

“Oh Benny, I’m not going to see you on the news am I? You got yourself messed up in a gang?” My mom continued asking question after question like she was going to find out why I got a new phone.

“Mom, stop. Everything is fine. I just needed a change. Some people had my old number that I didn’t want in my life anymore and I just had to do what was best. Especially since I want to marry Andie and make her safe.” I continued to reassure my mom that everything was okay.

I continued to walk down the street in Brooklyn Heights, coming across a store that I might need something from. I walked in and looked around at everything sparkling. I need to make a big statement, I need Andie to know what exactly she means to me. I know we haven’t known each other for long but, people have gotten married in less time. She’s going to be my wife - and she knows it.

I glance around the cases with these beautiful rings. I pick one out that I know she will absolutely love. A three carat center stone with two, one carat, side stones. Yes, this is quite the extravagant ring. Andie is going to be treated like the princess that she is.

I head back to my apartment, clean up a little, get myself dressed up. Tonight is going to be amazing. Yes, I already technically proposed to her, but this is going to be real.

I placed an order for some Italian food to be delivered later tonight. I place a bottle of wine in the fridge to chill. I finally got a text from Andie. “Benson, The only way things will progress with us is if you are completely honest with me. Starting tonight.”

I replied briefly, “Tonight I will be one hundred with you. I have a surprise for you.”

Andie finally knocks on the door and much to my surprise she isn’t in her work clothes. I stand there amazed by how amazing she looks. “How are you my sweet lady?” I looked her up and down, “wow!”

Andie blushed and replied back to me, “I’m okay. I hope you don’t mind that I changed before I came down.”

I could feel my eyes getting bigger, “well, by how amazing you look right now, I’m absolutely okay with that!”

She looks around the apartment and noticed the candlelit dinner, glasses of wine, something felt extra special tonight. “Benson… what is all this for?”

As I stood behind her, I knelt down on one knee. She turned to look at me, amazed by the special dinner I had planned for her. Noticing I am not standing, she looks down and begins to cry in shock, happiness, confusion. “Benson!”

I reach my hand up with my ring box in my hand, “Andie, we both know that I’m horrible when it comes to love and women but meeting you was the best thing to happen to me. I absolutely need you in my life. You complete me. You are the girl of my mother’s dreams and definitely of mine. Will you complete my life and be my wife?” I opened the ring box and Andie’s eyes lit up, sparkling from the reflection of the ring.

She smiles at me, feeling completed. “Yes, Benson. I will be your wife.”

I got up from my knees and placed the ring on her finger, lifted her up into my arms, her legs wrapped around me and locked onto my lips better than ever.

I let go of her lips and gently asked her, “do you love it?”

Andie raises her hand up behind me, “Oh yes, Benson, yes I absolutely love it! I love you!”