Young Love Was Such Dumb Love

Matt Burton woke up in the morning to see the girl he loved still fast asleep in his arms. He carefully slipped his arm out from under her and tried to be a quiet as possible as he made his way into the kitchen, he stomach rumbling for something to eat. He felt a slight shock when he saw Mr. Fallon sitting at the table with a cup of coffee and the morning newspaper. "Good morning, sir," Matt said nervously.

"We have rules in this house, Mr. Burton, and one of them is no one sleeps with my daughter until she has a ring on her finger," Mr. Fallon said condescendingly as he peered over the newspaper with a raised eyebrow. He took a cool sip of coffee and Matt tried to clear his throat, feeling like he had just gotten caught trying to eat a cookie before dinner again.

"Uh, I'm really sorry sir. She just had a really rough night last night and didn't want to be alone. I promise you nothing happened at all," Matt said ruffling his hair trying to find something to do. He was literally paralyzed in fear, her father was a little intimidating, after all he looked like he could kill Matt with his bare hands. He just hoped that he would believe the truth in fact Benny and him haven't slept with him at all. When she slept over at his place actually sleeping was involved.

"Don't worry about it, son, I trust nothing happened. You seem like a nice fella and I like to joke around, you stick around long enough you'll see," Mr. Fallon chuckled finally putting down his newspaper. "So, I assume you knew this was coming, but what are you intentions with my daughter?" Mr. Fallon's smile dropped as he nodded towards the free chair across from him.

"Well, sir, I'll be honest with you. Even though we haven't been together that long, I love her and if it's alright with you, I have every intention to marry her, if she'll have me," Matt tried to sound as professional as possible, when really he was still freaking out. He looked up at the elderly brunette who seemed to be taken back by Matt's words.

"Good lord, why does everyone want to marry my little girl?" Mr Fallon chucked, wondering what his daughter was doing to the male population, his mind flashed back to the day she was born and the doctor made the joke she would be a heart breaker, if only he knew. "Well, at least you asked for my blessing first," Mr. Fallon laughed, remembering a terrified eighteen-year-old who had given Benny a small diamond ring.

Meanwhile, Matt was utterly confused. He didn't even know what he was talking about, how many guys were there? It's not like Benny had ever mentioned it to him. "I'm sorry, uh, what do you mean, sir?" Matt asked, wondering about the fact that she had neglected to mention anyone who had wanted to marry her.

"Oh, well, I don't know if you know the tall, lanky boy next door, John? He and my Benny used to be a couple and out of the blue she's wearing an engagement ring. Then just as fast, she's moving to New York and he's over here moping around about them not being on speaking terms, but I'm sure she's told you all about that," Mr. Fallon swatted the air as if the story was lingering around him like an unpleasant smell. The casualness in Mr. Fallon's voice shocked him, how could he be so passe about his daughter getting engaged, after all she still so young.

"Oh, yeah that," Matt tried to laugh off as Mr. Fallon told him they would love to have him be a part of the family eventually. Matt smiled and excused himself before dropping his smile realizing the girl he loved he knew absolutely nothing about, he looked into the guest bedroom and saw she was gone, so he walked around the front porch trying to make some sense of anything.

Benny came down stairs wearing a pair of skinny jeans and an three quarter length sleeve blouse. She slid on some flats and piled her long brown hair into a messy bun and felt herself trying to play with a necklace that wasn't there anymore. She noticed Matt pacing back and forth on the front patio and raised an eyebrow what he would be doing out there, "Babe, are you alright?" Benny asked once she closed the door behind her.

Matt stopped in the middle of his tracks and stared at his feet, his mind racing. She never talked to him, she never said she loved him, so no he wasn't feeling alright because he had given her his heart on a silver platter. He stayed quiet trying to find the right words to say and then he looked up making eye contact they stayed silent for a while. "Do you love me?" He asked slightly scared to find out the answer.

"What?" Benny asked taken back, wondering where this had come from. She knew this was going to happen eventually, but she didn't think it would happen this soon.

"Do you love me? Because you never say it, and I thought maybe you weren't ready to say it. Maybe you were shy about saying it because maybe you had never said it before, but you have haven't you? Now, I have to know because you never talk to me! You never tell me anything, and I'm nothing but open with you! I had to find out you were engaged to that guy you were talking to last night from your dad? Were you ever gonna tell me?" Matt unloaded his feelings, letting out everything that had been bothering him, after all he was open with her.

"I was, I-I just, Matt," She stuttered, but this was the worst timing.

"When? When it was convenient for you? When it felt right for you? Because that's not fair to me! I don't want to wait around for you forever, when I'm waking up everyday fighting for us and you're fighting me! It's like you don't want to even be together! So just tell me, please!" Matt said, he stared at her to show the desperation in his eyes. To show her what she was doing to him.

"Matt, why are you so upset? It was forever ago, and I know I may not be exactly open. I just have my reasons," Benny sighed not wanting to fight with Matt after last night. She jumped a little as he flailed his arm trying and to vent and sharply exhaled, she had never seen Matt like this, normally he was the guy who laughed everything off.

"What reasons? I don't even know because you never talk to me! You're like an abused puppy from the pound that flinches away every time, like I'm gonna hurt you! I wouldn't even think about it, so I have to know do you love me or am I wasting my time loving you?" Matt spoke harshly and Benny felt her heartstrings pull. She wondered how long he had felt this way, and she raised her eyebrows at his simile.

"Matt, I-I just," Bennett tried to speak, but she didn't want to lie to him. The truth was she didn't love him and she wasn't exactly sure. She knew what he wanted to hear, but she didn't feel like giving it to him.

"I get it, I'm going for a walk," Matt said raising his hands up before turning and walking down the street and Benny felt tears starting to prick at her eyes watching Matt walk away. She loved him in some weird sort of way, but she didn't feel the way she did with John and maybe that was her problem. John just wouldn't leave her mind. Right then she saw both John and Max standing in his driveway after watching the whole thing go down.

"Of fucking course," She muttered under her breath, before seeing the smirk on John's lips. He seemed too happy about the fact she was miserable. She was too upset to even start with John, "FUCK!" Benny called out before storming back into the house. Benny crashed onto her bed and cradled her head in her hands until she heard a knock at the door and Max opened it not waiting to hear from her she groaned after seeing her brother. "What the fuck do you want Max? Do you wanna take your shots too? Everyone is yelling at me so go ahead," Benny said completely mentally exhausted.

"Benny, I wanted to apologize. John told me what happened between y'all, and I'm sorry- I had no idea," Max began before closing the door behind him and wrapping an arm around his younger sister. "And I thought you'd like to know I beat his ass," Max laughed softly and Benny let a chuckle too before his eyes grew serious, "why didn't you tell me?"

Bennett remembered what she had told John about Max hating her and she smiled. He did it for her, and she felt a small smile creep on her lips. "John's your best friend and he's always been there for you, I guess I didn't want to ruin y'all's relationship with ours. Besides remember when I was five and you told me you were gonna return me to the baby store so John could be your brother?" Benny remembered in nostalgia, at the time she had never been so hurt or scared, but now the whole thing was so ludicrous.

"Yeah, but come on I'm your brother. You're my baby sister," Max laughed tightening his embrace around her. Max looked up remembering their youth, "God, I've been a huge asshole to you, haven't I? Like pretty consistently."

"Eh yeah, but I got used to it," Bennett shrugged off, but deep down she really was grateful for the apology. This was just a sign they had grown up, and now she could see that Max being so terrible to her just made her stronger. Plus, it was fun to always have someone to fight with. "Thanks for understanding Max, you seem to be the only one. I miss it here so badly," Benny said and a weight was lifted off her shoulders.

"Well, listen, you're my sister and I love you, but you and John were a million times more in love than you and the douche bag who called out an abused puppy. I can see you're not happy, compared to when you were with John. He made one mistake Ben," Max spoke with a genuine care in his eyes and she bit her lip. She had never looked at his infidelity as a mistake to her it was personal.

"Max, he broke my heart and hurt me so much, I didn't even know I could hurt. I know we were perfect, but we'll never be able to be what we were, I just don't think I could ever trust him again," Benny confided in him. The real reason she had been so torn up again, no matter how much she wanted to them to be together again. It wouldn't be the same, nothing would ever be the same again.