The Take Over, The Break's Over
Only Because . . .
Abi and Erilen smiled widely. “That’s really sweet.” Erlien said leaning over to give Anna a congratulatory and a thank you hug.
“Yeah,” Abi whispered, hugging Anna. “Thanks a lot sweetie.”
“I should be thanking you, not vice versa!” Anna laughed. “If it wasn’t for you guys, I really don’t know where I’d be right now.” Erilen and Abi smiled back at her.
“She’ll be one spoiled rotten little girl” giggled Erilen.
“Oh, I know!” Anna laughed. “With myself and Ben spoiling her, you two being the greatest aunts she could ask for, and having the greatest grandparents too, she’ll be smothered with love.”
“And presents!” Abi interjected. Everyone laughed.
An hour raced by, then two, and all that were left was Ben and Anna. Ben sat at the bedside stroking Eli’s little bits of soft, blonde hair. He was absolutely amazed by how beautiful such a little girl could be, and that he helped to create this new little human, a little person who could one day change the world. His eyes shifted to Anna who was looking down at Eli. “Of course she’s so beautiful,” he thought “look at her mommy.” “I love you.” He whispered to Anna. Anna smiled.
“I love you too.”
“She didn’t at one point …” Pete’s voice stabbed through the feeling of the room, like a knife through a heart. Anna’s heart dropped, tears filled her eyes.
“What are you doing here Peter?” Anna’s voice shook. Benjamin looked at Anna then to Pete then back to Pete.
“What do you mean ‘she didn’t at one point’?” Ben stuttered.
“I mean exactly what I said; there was a point at which she didn’t love you.” Pete said mischievously.
“That’s bull Wentz.” Ben shot back.
“Think what you must.”
“That’s not true right Anna.” Anna stays silent. “Anna? It’s not, right?” Anna nods her head. “I told you Pete, it’s not true.”
“She nodded her head to tell you that it was, Ben. It’s true. It was going to stay that way until you managed to knock her up.” Pete said, driving Anna’s heart to the floor. The tears spilled over the rims of her eyes, and trickled down her pasty white cheeks, onto her pillow. “That’s right Anna, admit it. You didn’t love him; you wanted to make him feel horrible after the years of torture he put your friends through. You planned on leaving him at the alter, until we concocted a new plan, the ultimate hurt, to not only him, his friends too, his death.” Anna sobbed loudly, guilt washed over her. Her stomach churned, he heart pounded in her throat, and her breathing quickened, she was gasping for air. Ben sat in utter shock, not believing what he was hearing.
“Get out of here Pete, get the fuck out of here, or you don’t know what’s coming for you.” Ben said furiously. Anna shot him a pleading look not to leave. She was afraid of Ben now. Now that he know what would he say to her? What would he do to her?
“You lay a hand on her, and you’ll know it Benjamin. You’ll regret it, for the rest of your very short life.” Pete said walking out the door.
“I guess this is it then, you’ll be in with the divorce papers tomorrow, and we’ll discuss child custody matters then.” Anna said drowning in her tears.
“I need to sleep on it Anna, I have to process it all, think it through, and we need to talk about it.” Ben said, being surprisingly calm. Anna nodded. Ben gets up from his chair and kisses Eli on the top of the head.
“I really do love you, you know.” Anna said sniffling.
“Then why would you want to hurt me?”
“Because Pete controlled my every move, my every breath, my every thought, almost like he was living two lives, one of which was through me. That life all of a sudden was given away to avenge the other when you fell in love with me. He put thoughts in my head and words in my mouth. I did everything I could to please him, to make him happy, because I felt like that’s why I was put here, to be there for Pete, to be his best friend and everything else he could possibly need, whether it was a shoulder to cry on, someone to sleep with, or someone to do his bidding. It was going to be me. I loved him, and if he didn’t love me too, what was left for me? Who else would ever love me? Who else could ever know me like he did? Who else knew I existed?”
Ben was crying now. He shook his head. “Do you really only love me because of her?” He asked sorrowfully.
“No Ben, of course not! I love you because you’re such an incredible person. You’re always there for me, you don’t care how I was in high school, you don’t care about my flaws, you’re sweet, thoughtful, and love me with everything your heart has and I know that. I’m in love with you Benjamin Jack David, because you amaze me. You’re gorgeous, you’re lovable, you give the best hugs a girl has ever gotten, and you’d do anything for me. How could I not love you? Peter doesn’t even begin to compare to you. He’s mean, malicious, rude, jaded, and self – centered. I love you Ben and there’s nothing you or I can do that will ever change that. Elise just makes me love you ten times as much, something I never thought was possible.” Ben smiles a small smile and nods.
“I love you too, Annie.” “But Pete is a goner.” He adds in his head.
“Yeah,” Abi whispered, hugging Anna. “Thanks a lot sweetie.”
“I should be thanking you, not vice versa!” Anna laughed. “If it wasn’t for you guys, I really don’t know where I’d be right now.” Erilen and Abi smiled back at her.
“She’ll be one spoiled rotten little girl” giggled Erilen.
“Oh, I know!” Anna laughed. “With myself and Ben spoiling her, you two being the greatest aunts she could ask for, and having the greatest grandparents too, she’ll be smothered with love.”
“And presents!” Abi interjected. Everyone laughed.
An hour raced by, then two, and all that were left was Ben and Anna. Ben sat at the bedside stroking Eli’s little bits of soft, blonde hair. He was absolutely amazed by how beautiful such a little girl could be, and that he helped to create this new little human, a little person who could one day change the world. His eyes shifted to Anna who was looking down at Eli. “Of course she’s so beautiful,” he thought “look at her mommy.” “I love you.” He whispered to Anna. Anna smiled.
“I love you too.”
“She didn’t at one point …” Pete’s voice stabbed through the feeling of the room, like a knife through a heart. Anna’s heart dropped, tears filled her eyes.
“What are you doing here Peter?” Anna’s voice shook. Benjamin looked at Anna then to Pete then back to Pete.
“What do you mean ‘she didn’t at one point’?” Ben stuttered.
“I mean exactly what I said; there was a point at which she didn’t love you.” Pete said mischievously.
“That’s bull Wentz.” Ben shot back.
“Think what you must.”
“That’s not true right Anna.” Anna stays silent. “Anna? It’s not, right?” Anna nods her head. “I told you Pete, it’s not true.”
“She nodded her head to tell you that it was, Ben. It’s true. It was going to stay that way until you managed to knock her up.” Pete said, driving Anna’s heart to the floor. The tears spilled over the rims of her eyes, and trickled down her pasty white cheeks, onto her pillow. “That’s right Anna, admit it. You didn’t love him; you wanted to make him feel horrible after the years of torture he put your friends through. You planned on leaving him at the alter, until we concocted a new plan, the ultimate hurt, to not only him, his friends too, his death.” Anna sobbed loudly, guilt washed over her. Her stomach churned, he heart pounded in her throat, and her breathing quickened, she was gasping for air. Ben sat in utter shock, not believing what he was hearing.
“Get out of here Pete, get the fuck out of here, or you don’t know what’s coming for you.” Ben said furiously. Anna shot him a pleading look not to leave. She was afraid of Ben now. Now that he know what would he say to her? What would he do to her?
“You lay a hand on her, and you’ll know it Benjamin. You’ll regret it, for the rest of your very short life.” Pete said walking out the door.
“I guess this is it then, you’ll be in with the divorce papers tomorrow, and we’ll discuss child custody matters then.” Anna said drowning in her tears.
“I need to sleep on it Anna, I have to process it all, think it through, and we need to talk about it.” Ben said, being surprisingly calm. Anna nodded. Ben gets up from his chair and kisses Eli on the top of the head.
“I really do love you, you know.” Anna said sniffling.
“Then why would you want to hurt me?”
“Because Pete controlled my every move, my every breath, my every thought, almost like he was living two lives, one of which was through me. That life all of a sudden was given away to avenge the other when you fell in love with me. He put thoughts in my head and words in my mouth. I did everything I could to please him, to make him happy, because I felt like that’s why I was put here, to be there for Pete, to be his best friend and everything else he could possibly need, whether it was a shoulder to cry on, someone to sleep with, or someone to do his bidding. It was going to be me. I loved him, and if he didn’t love me too, what was left for me? Who else would ever love me? Who else could ever know me like he did? Who else knew I existed?”
Ben was crying now. He shook his head. “Do you really only love me because of her?” He asked sorrowfully.
“No Ben, of course not! I love you because you’re such an incredible person. You’re always there for me, you don’t care how I was in high school, you don’t care about my flaws, you’re sweet, thoughtful, and love me with everything your heart has and I know that. I’m in love with you Benjamin Jack David, because you amaze me. You’re gorgeous, you’re lovable, you give the best hugs a girl has ever gotten, and you’d do anything for me. How could I not love you? Peter doesn’t even begin to compare to you. He’s mean, malicious, rude, jaded, and self – centered. I love you Ben and there’s nothing you or I can do that will ever change that. Elise just makes me love you ten times as much, something I never thought was possible.” Ben smiles a small smile and nods.
“I love you too, Annie.” “But Pete is a goner.” He adds in his head.