A woman's dilemma - Episode 55

 

Claudia:

 My eyes are still open when the first rays of sunshine comes into the car. I let my eyes take in as much of Daniel that it can before I remove myself from his grip.
"Don't...." He mutters. I freeze up, thinking he's awake and my escape will be much harder but when he doesn't rouse, I loosen up and free myself from his arms. I feel the loss instantly . I shouldn't. I'm not a weak woman but I feel like crying at this very instant. I brush my face of dry tears and quietly pass through the front door of the car since the back doors are banged shut.
  As soon as I'm out of the car, I don't look back. I raise the collar of my dress to help against the mild cold as I make my way down the hill. The road is still void of cars but I continue on. I can't be there when Daniel wakes up. He has a way of piercing through my walls and getting to me. I can't let him do that. Benjamin is the safer option. He was there for me when I needed someone to lean on. I can't just leave him like that. He doesn't deserve that. No one does.
 The headlights of a car alerts me to the coming down of a car and I lock my thoughts away to wave down the car. I'm reminded of various horror stories that started with the lost girl entering a stranger's car but I wave the car none the less.
"What are you doing up here so early?! A early hiker?" Oh thank God it's a woman

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/a-woman-s-dilemma

. She has a friendly face at least.
"I was stuck up here last night. Couldn't find a ride back to my hotel." I tell her. Her face falls but she smiles right after.
"Come in, it must have been cold out her last night due to the ocean breeze. She pulls the door open for me. I hesitate but the warm air blasting me from the car makes the decision for me. I can easily overpower this smallish woman if I'm being honest.
"You work around here?" I ask as I enter the passenger's seat. I notice the hat on the console with the Hill's name pasted on it.
"Yeah. Security on this mountain. I saw a car far back though." She looks at me questioningly.
"Can you please send a towtruck out there? My friend is stuck back there." I request.
"I checked but there was no one in it. But I'll call the towtruck." She pulls a walkie-talkie out and instructs whoever is on the other end to get a towtruck out there.
 It takes a few hours but I get to the hotel in one piece. I thank the woman profusely but she just waves me off before driving on. As soon as she's out of view, I rush into the hotel. I stop at the reception hall first to ask for a change of room. Thankfully, there's another suite two floor up that we can be transferred to. I thank the enthusiastic receptionist before arranging another tow truck for Daniel just to be certain someone gets to him.
 After getting that out of the way, I make my way up to my suite. I'm not surprised that Amy is nowhere in sight but I send her a text to her to tell her our new suite number. I assure her that I'm fine and tell her to have fun before plugging my phone to get charged.

****

Amy:

"Where's my phone?!" I call out from the living room as I rummage through my bag. I'm all ready to go back to the hotel and I wonder what's keeping Benedict. I crane my head back to look into his bedroom just as he comes out looking blindingly gorgeous. He's wearing a pair of jeans and a body hugging t-shirt with an unbuttoned flannel shirt over it. He looks lick worthy.
"Earth to Amy." I stick my tongue at him but blush none the less. He grins crookedly as he makes his way to me. My ovaries catch up on fire.
"Your phone should be plugged in to the socket. I bought a charger for you last night when you were out of it. Saw it by the dress shop where I got that summer dress." He goes to the wall and unplugs my phone for me while I pat the beautiful dress he got me self consciously. He got my size right which is more suprising than the fact that he bought me a dress.
"Here." He hands it to me and I quickly turn it on. Claudia must be worried sick because she couldn't reach me last night. Is she okay on her own?
 I see a text from her telling me she's changed our room to two floors above the former one because it has a better view.
"So what are we doing today?" Benedict pushes his face over my phone and I snap my head up to avoid our nose from touching. When did this broody man turn Into this jovial person. I can't complain but I'm curious.
"I have to go back to the hotel." I bite down on my lips when he frowns. He takes my phone from me before I can stop him.
"Your friend wants you to have fun." He points out.
"I shouldn't leave her by her self. This is supposed to be a lady's vacation. Our time together." I argue.
"I'm sure you still have some days more for that. Keep me company just for today. I'll have you at your hotel room before six." He says. My eyes move up to the wall clock.
"It's just a few minutes past one o'clock." I point out.
"So?" His brows raise in such an adorable way. I giggle at what such a manly man will think of my calling him adorable.
"What's got you giggling now?" Benedict asks.
"I just thought of how adorable you look with your brows raised." I snicker. I expect him to frown but he grins again.
"Damn right! I'm adorable! You like me adorable right?" He comes up in my personal space again and winks this time. My giggling turns into a coughing fit and he starts to pat my back immediately.
"You are still so clumsy." He muses and I see a glimpse of the grouch who I crushed on for too long even after he left the country. I create some distance between us and stand.
"What do we do with the next five hours?" I ask.
"I happen to have a tickets to the bookstore/library at the end of the beach." He says and waves a card at me.
"I'm on holiday!" I frown and he has the guts to laugh at me.
"We're going to a library anyways." I try to run but his long legs has him in front of me before I go far. He takes my hand and pulls me out the door. His hand doesn't leave me even as he closes the door securely.
"Ok let's make a deal. I'll get you an ice cream bowl after our visit to the library. I just have to get a book and I promise we'll be out of there." He says when I continue to struggle. I eye him and he gives me an innocent look I'm not buying.
"Scout honors." He puts the wrong fingers up and I shake my head at him.i can't help but laugh though.
"Come on." His hand rests on the base of my spine, shutting me completely and I'm sure it's a tactic to get me to shut up. The man knows he's affecting me.
"Benedict! Heard you were in town." A young looking girl with pigtails to match comes from the librarian desk to greet us even before we enter fully. Scratch that, she came to greet Benedict. I stand awkwardly while the girl fawn over him. I clear my throat noisily to get their attention.
"Amy, meet my friend Paige. Her father was my coach before he had an accident. Her mom owns this library but she's been a little sick for a week now. Paige is covering for her." The young girl stretches her hand at me and smiles sheepishly.
"I'm sorry I didn't even welcome you. Benedict said he'll be bringing someone with him." Her eyes stray from me to the door when the bells on the door jingle from it getting open.
"I'll just check who's out front. You two have fun." She throws to us as she hurries off. Benedict takes my hand and lead me to the back of the library.
"Come. That book should be somewhere around.... Got it!" He pulls out a bulky book off the top shelf and I shake my head at the glee on his face.
"I love old books." He grins at me.
"A bookish basketball star. That's a new one." I smile.
"I'm not bookish. I'm a genius." He taps his temple twice and grins.
"Whatever. Can we leave now? I want that ice cream. It's getting hot." I whine like a teenage girl. Am I trying to act like Paige? I groan at myself.
"We can't leave yet." He starts searching for something on the next shelf.
"Hey! You said you'll just pick up one book!"
"There it is! And this one. And this. Yeah this should do." He piles about three huge books in his arms before turning back to stretch them towards me. Why is he giving me.
"If you read each of them seven hours a day you should be able to finish them before the end of your vacation. I'll help you return them." He's saying.
"No no no." I chuckle and step back away from him.
"Amy..." He stalks towards me and I move back some more.
"I'm not reading any of that! I'm on vacation!" I snap as I turn to run. I hear him chuckle lightly just before I hear his footfalls. He's coming after me. Damn his long legs, he's getting closer.
"You're not my lecturer anymore!" I shout back at him just before he grabs my hand.
"Hey! Let me..." He pulls me to face him and I notice a group of giddy girls watching us. They're pointing at him as they start to walk towards us.
"Run." Benedict says as he starts running for the door. I notice he's trying to keep up with my pace even though I know he can run so much faster. I really need to exercise more. I'm a slow poke! I huff and puff as I push myself. We are out of the library and the Beach's sand slows us down some more. I can't anymore. I stop and plant my hands on my knees, sucking in air greedily.
"Breathe baby, I think we lost them." Oh gosh! How does he expect me to breathe when he goes and calls me baby. I feel more out of breath as he pats my back soothingly.
"Okay.

Read " To Live For Once (Set Me Free II) " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. I'm okay." I finally get my breathing in order and lift my eyes to find Benedict grinning at me. He pushes the books into my arms before I register his movement. Arggh! He brought the cursed books with us!
 I want to argue but then I notice a woman clad in too tight a dress on the beach start to look our way. As soon as the woman points her finger at us, I freeze. Benedict notices my frozen state and he looks back to the couple. She's coming this way. His head snaps back to me. He takes my hands and pulls my body flush against his. There's no space between our bodies and I just about combust within.
"Do not move." He grinds out just before his lips press into mine. Oh how can I move now? My senses are molested and shot with his soft lips on mine and my legs give way under me. His hands are the only thing holding me up right now.