She flushed a little and glared at him. "I don't know, Ben. I.. I don't know. I think maybe I should go talk to him. Try to clear things up."
He dropped his hand, but something changed in his face and he gave her a small nod. "Okay," he replied, his voice low. "I'll talk to you later."
She paused, watching him for a moment before reaching forward and hugging him, burying her face in his neck. "I'm not picking him, Ben.. I'm not."
There was a silence that followed and she would feel him go still, as if all the blood in his body had stopped. Against his chest, though, she could feel his heart beating, a signal of life. There was a silence before he finally took a breath, his left arm wrapping around her waist and the other reaching up, his hand cupping the back of her head as he pulled her closer to him. "You're not?" he asked fervently, his voice husky and low, as if he could barely push the words out.
"No," she said quietly. He would be able to feel her speak, her breath warm on his neck. "I like you, Ben."
There was another silence, and when he finally spoke again, that edge had returned to his voice. "Are you sure?" he asked. "You don't need to. I can handle it." Despite his words, she would able to feel his hand trembling as he brushed through her hair. "I know he's... I know he's your best friend... I wouldn't blame you."
He watched her, tucking her hair back behind her ear, his hands gentle despite the shaking. He rested his forehead against hers and he couldn't seem to take his eyes off her. “I can't believe it," he murmured. "I can't believe you."
“I like you too,” he replied gently, his voice softer than she would have ever heard it. "I'm sorry I've made it so confusing."
She looked a little surprised. It was a normal thing, and she didn't usually think much about it. "About what?"
He nodded, looking down at her thoughtfully as he straightened up. "Yeah. I was trying to figure it out a little bit ago," he said, taking her hand. "And you told me about the ribbons..."
She squeezed his hand, slowly relaxing as he was talking. "You're really sweet, Ben. Did the queen give you a room to stay in?"
