Page 140 of Collision
Chapter thirty-four
One Year Later
Ben
“We’re going to be late, Mik.” I shout over my shoulder as the sound of the hairdryer turning on tells me I was right to say we need to be there half an hour before we really do. “You know they said we can’t be late.”
I fasten my tie, a soft baby blue that I know is her favorite, as I roll my eyes and focus on getting our stuff together.
Mikaela’s bag is on the couch, her scarf and jacket thrown over the arm, and her phone on the coffee table. I gather it all up, laughing as I hear her swear in the bedroom.
In the four months since she moved in she hasn’t made it a single week without walking into the corner of the bed. Today breaks her longest streak yet.
“You okay in there?”
“Just peachy,” she grumbles as she stomps down the hallway, one hand behind her back and reaching for her zipper while the other tugs at the hem of her dress. “Can you?”
I know I should move to her aid quickly, especially as I am the one bugging her to get out of the damn door on time, but looking at her - all grumpy and pouty as she leavesourbedroom - I just need to breathe her in before we face tonight.
“What?” The quirk of her lips as she tries not to smile is really adorable.
“Nothing.” I shrug as I take a step towards her and place my hands on her hips. “Just thinking that I might be the luckiest man in the world.”
“Oh yeah?” She rolls her eyes and I grin. “Well if you don’t zip me up the luckiest man in the world won’t be getting lucky for a week.”
My chuckle is low as I twist her around to gain access to this tricky zipper she’s complaining about before I groan loudly. I pinch the bridge of my nose as I look to the ceiling and grunt.
“Mikaela fucking Wilcox, we are going to be late for your fucking dinner and you are wearingthatunder your dress? Is this a ploy? You can do this dress up yourself, can’t you? You just want sex.”
My eyes trail over the red lace that peeks out from beneath the matching crimson dress that is currently being held up only by her hands. Fuck what she wants. I want sex now. Little tease.
A sweet little laugh slips from her pouty lips and I push her hair aside before kissing her shoulder. “You drive me absolutely crazy, you know that?”
“Yep.” She takes a deep breath and leans back into my touch. “But you love me.”
“I do.” I wrap around her and close my eyes, revelling in the moment before it passes.
Mikaela
I clear my throat as I stand up and raise my glass. Everyone falls silent and turns to face me, and suddenly I feel a little nauseous. This is why I didn’t want to do this tonight. Ben insisted we had reason to celebrate.“You’ve done two incredible things,”he had enthused,“you need to take a minute to breathe it in, Mik.”But right now, I just want to be at home on the couch with my boyfriend, with one of our Friday Night cooking shows on… Even if Jamie has pulled this whole thing together for me - well, Jamie and Emma.
The latter, who very quickly fell into the role of doting sister with ease and love a little after Ben got out of the hospital, rests her head on my brother’s shoulder as he pulls her close to him. Her hand rests over the tiny bump she’s carrying around these days - my perfect little niece all tucked up safe and cozy in there - and she smiles encouragingly at me. Slowly, she lifts her shoulders for three beats and then releases; a reminder to breathe.
Ben’s hand slips over the back of my thigh, a gentle reminder that he’s right beside me, and I square my shoulders before taking a deep breath.
“I just want to thank all of you for coming tonight.” My eyes drift over the friends and family who came to celebrate with us - Max, Alex, Sephy, Xavier and Asher, Julia, Norman, even a couple of the other assistants from Wilcox Writings. Even Dr. Walsh came, her dark hair loose around her shoulders and her smile no longer that detached, polite smile from our sessions. Now she is positively beaming with pride. Beside her, Harry, my agent, sits in the corner, a conspiratorial smile on her lips as she glances up from her phone and nods at me. My stomach flips. “If you’d have told me a year ago that I would be sitting here with you all, having finally finished college, I think I would have laughed and told you all to fuck off.”
Ben groans and Jamie cackles, earning him a swift smack from Emma.
“Sorry.” I grin. “I’d have told you all to politely leave.”
Ben rolls his eyes and squeezes my thigh gently. My heart stumbles as I glance at him. He has done so much for me - so, so much - and my heart aches with how full it is. He’d done this. He’d found Dr Walsh. He’d attended every hour of therapy with me until I didn’t need him there anymore. Then he came up with this idea. He did the math. He realised I just needed thirty credits to graduate. He completed the applications to every Creative Writing course in the State of New York for me. He organised my schedule. He stayed up late for months, reading my assignments and building stories with me. He helped me to find myself again and because of him I am here. I have my degree. I have my future.
“I am so eternally grateful for each and every one of you here tonight.” My voice wavers and I clear my throat. “You have all been so supportive of me, from reading my earliest drafts of every assignment, to listening to countless breakdowns where I really thought I couldn’t do it. But it’s more than that, because today something major happened.”
Harry leans forwards in her seat and Ben grins from ear to ear as everyone else stares in confusion.
“Today, a publishing house - one that isn’t owned by my brother - made me an offer, and Harry just accepted it for me. Thanks to each of you, I’m finally doing what I set out to do. Thanks to each of you, I get the chance to do this. You all got me through a really dark time when I had to face my demons and I wouldn’t be here without each of you. Especially my Ben.” I turn to face him where he’s sitting, his eyes glued to me and a sad smile on his lips, and my heart squeezes tight in my chest. “A little over a year ago I faced the scariest day of my life. In the space of a few hours I walked away from the most incredible man, realised I was hopelessly in love with him, and then thought I’d lost him. Falling in love with you was a collision, Ben. It was sudden and unexpected and, at times, absolutely terrifying, but I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you. I definitely wouldn’t be standing here having finally done something I stopped believing I could do. I love you so much and I am so grateful for every day I get to keep you in my life.” I brush my fingers through his hair before cupping his cheek and winking at him. “You are my constant inspiration.”