Chapter 31

                                    

                                          
Lacey.
                          
Ben took a sip of his drink, casually.
                          
I eyed him, annoyed with his lack of reaction. "Ben," I hissed out in a low whisper and then I repeated it in case he didn't hear me the first time, "She gave you her number!
                          
He took another sip, amusement on his face this time. "Yes well, I'm sure the trash can will love it when I'm finished with my drink."
                          
It took a moment for me to understand what he was really saying and when I did, my mouth dropped a little bit. "Are you serious? You can't just throw that out!"
                          
I didn't know much about Meredith, hardly anything at all, but we were out of Melkin and she was interested in Ben and that seemed as good of a reason as any for him to call her. Or if he didn't want to bother with the hassle of calling, he could just waltz right up to the counter.
                          
"I definitely can throw it out," he stated. 
                          
Half of me had hoped I had misunderstood and he wasn't implying originally he'd throw it out but nope. He was just going to toss it away.
                          
"You can't."
                          
Ben chuckled and grabbed a napkin out of the silver box on the end of our table. He put it on the table and placed his cup down right on top of the napkin. "You are the last one who should be telling someone what they can and cannot do."
                          
I pulled back slightly because he had a point. It was a really good, really frustrating point. Because when someone told me what to do or what I couldn't do moreso, it infuriated me. I lived most of my life now not listening to people who thought they could restrict me. It was the entire issue with my dad and then with Dylan. 
                          
"Well played, Benjamin," I admitted in a grumble.
                          
He smirked. 
                          
I leaned back in my seat, a little bit deflated. "Well, you can't let her see you toss it, that's a slap in the face and she seems so nice."
                          
"I'm not heartless," he said, placing his hands down on the table around the base of his drink.
                          
Speaking of Ben's heart, I asked, "What did you mean earlier when you mentioned Travis?"
                          
"I have him," he said as if it was as simple as that. 
                          
But it wasn't simple, at least not to me because I felt like we were talking about two different things.
                          
"Yeah but...that can't replace everything," I said, trying to relate that a best friend wasn't the same as having a significant other. 
                          
The door chimed open again and I glanced behind me to see Hannah entering with a large smile on her face, not at all deterred by the wind chimes or curious eyes. 
                          
She waved at us on her own way up to the counter. After placing her order, she began chatting Meredith's ear off. 
                          
"There's the three of us," she turned slightly to point between herself and Ben and I. "Then Travis, Lacey's boyfriend. You'll recognize him when you see him because he looks pissed off all the time. Then my fiance, Cam," Hannah said excitedly. "Who, and I'm going to be honest with you here, has the same expression on his face as Travis but is a little taller. Then there's Finn and Annabeth and they're the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life."
                          
I turned back to Ben but Hannah was close enough that her words still drifted over. "Finn is always smiling. I think he steals all of Travis and Cam's smiles."
                          
Meredith started making Hannah's drink and the whirl of the blender drowned out whatever she said but I could tell the two of them were still talking. Meredith had a smile on her face the entire time, not seeming even a little out off by Hannah's boldness.