8

Thailah's mother's sickness brought the two lovers together. They were nearly inseparable. Benjamin would bring gifts to their small house and go on walks with Thailah. He'd asked her mother not to reveal his identify to her since he wanted it to be a surprise for her. All this time, he'd been spending time with her for no apparent purpose. What he didn't realize was how drawn he had gotten to her. Thailah, on the other hand, was gradually growing on him. It had only been 10 days, but it seemed like an eternity.

Today was the last day before the all-white day, and Benjamin had been anticipating it since they met. He knew she'd be surprised to learn he was Benjamin Caliwell, but now that it was almost here, he wanted it to just go away. He used to be quite proud of his name, but right now he actually wanted to spend time with this lady, and he felt compelled to give up his entire ego for her.

They were both in Benjamin's car, on their way to Malcon Hill, where Benjamin had promised to take her that day. A part of him thought that was the last day they'd be truly happy with, so he took her to the area of town where his peace rebounded.

"Do you have a problem?" " Thailah inquired, her gaze fixed on him.

He had been sad since the minute he stopped at the front door till now. She sensed something was wrong, but she also knew he wouldn't tell her. They had only met a few days before, and he already knew practically everything about her, but it was the reverse for him. She'd never gone to his house before, and she didn't want to put too much pressure on him. They were merely acquaintances, and she was probably naive to believe he'd fall in love with her.

"Nothing," Benjamin said, plastering a broad grin on his face.

Of course, everything was wrong.He felt like he had discovered tranquility for the first time in roughly two years, and it was about to slip through his fingers.

When he saw she was still staring at him, he grabbed her small hand in his and murmured,

"You don't need to be concerned about me; I'm OK."

The warmth of his hands caused her chest to tighten. She had become fond of him, but a part of her worried that she would be harmed again. It seemed like everything she touched perished. Happiness, she reasoned, was just not in her birth plan.

A tear fell from her eyes as she turned away from Benjamin, and she swiftly brushed it away with the back of her right palm. Then she took a big breath and pretended to be OK.

They soon arrived to Malcon's. Benjamin got out of his car at the park's entrance and moved across to the opposite side to open the door for Thailah. He shut the door once she got out of the vehicle.

Thailah walked a few steps towards the park's entrance, leaving Benjamin behind. The park was peaceful and lovely, and she wondered why she hadn't discovered it sooner.

She was still savouring the tranquility of the park when Benjamin swept her off her feet with a single swoosh from behind. Her stomach felt fluttery and flowery again. She then slung her arms around his neck and gazed into his deep brown eyes. Benjamin grinned at her before carrying her small light weight body up the hill's round route.

There were chairs, trees, and well manicured flowers lining the park's grassy walk. Thailah adored them all and thanked Benjamin quietly for bringing her there. The finest part was still to come, but she had no idea.

They were at the crest of the hill in no time, and Benjamin let her down.

Then he took her right hand in his and led her to a vantage point from which she could see the entire city. The sun was setting, and the view was even more stunning than it had been in the morning. Thailah could see the sunset above their small town from there.

"It's lovely, isn't it?"

Benjamin leaned in close and whispered in her ear.

Thailah was overcome with emotion as a result of his thick voice ringing in her ears and the fact that they were only a few inches apart in a secluded quiet spot. She wished Benjamin would hold her and tell her that her fears were justified, but that he would still be there for her.

She wanted him to reassure her that he would never abandon her or cause her pain, but who was she kidding? She had always been a hopeless romantic, and she was certain she sailed this boat alone.

"It's beautiful," she said, tilting her head to see Benjamin's face.

Benjamin craved her touch after looking into her glittery eyes. He felt brighter and refreshed for the past ten days because she made his pains go away, although not completely. His heart began to race as he gazed into her eyes. She had completely enchanted him because all he could think about was how it would feel to kiss her.

He knew that things would never be the same again after the kiss, and a part of him was terrified of what the universe had in store for him. He had kissed Lilith four years ago on this hill, and now all he had were memories of her.

"Benjamin," Thailah called out, then he snapped back to reality.

He quickly backed away from her, and she turned away, taking deep breaths. For her, the entire situation was intense and strange. She didn't know what Benjamin was up to, but she was willing to find out.

"Come with me," Benjamin said, taking her hands in his.

He then took her to the Malcon River.This was another place he adored, but he had never visited with Lilith because she had aquaphobia and would never go near a lake, river, or swimming pool. He wanted to know what his heart felt for Thailah, if it was just a mental game because he visited the places he had been with Lilith with her, and all he kept seeing each time were Lilith's shadows in her.

"Are you afraid of water?" H e inquired, dragging her along the boardwalk to the riverbank.

"No, why do you ask? " She inquired, trudging behind and attempting to catch her breath.

He was moving faster than she expected, and she had been on his arm the entire way up the hill, so she didn't know what it was like to walk with her feet through it.

They arrived at the end of the boardwalk and saw the river in front of them. Thailah, who was enthralled by the river, quickly removed her shoes and sat on the boardwalk's edge. She then put her foot in the water to check the temperature. Because it was normal, she decided to enter.

"What are you up to?" Benjamin inquired as he noticed her gently lowering herself into the water.

"This," she said as she jumped into the water.

Benjamin, who had never considered entering the river, moved back. He came there solely for the view.

"Do you have a fear of water?" Thailah inquired, wiping away the water from her face.

"NO," Benjamin said, sitting on the boardwalk's edge.

"Liar," she sprayed him with water.

Then he put his hands across his face in defense, and she chuckled. "You are afraid of water,"

"I'm not," he said once more.

"Then prove it," she said, giving him a daring look.

Benjamin was terrified of getting into this particular body of water.He often wondered what kind of creatures were in it and he also didn't want to get his clothes wet, but he wanted to be with Thailah.

He unbuttoned his t-shirt after much deliberation, leaving him only in his white singlet. Then he rolled up his pants sleeves, Thailah watching the whole thing. All she could think about while he was doing all of this was his physique. His abs were visible through the skin of his singlet, and she wondered what it would be like to touch them.

"All right, I'm coming in," Benjamin said as he approached the boardwalk's edge.

"I told you I wasn't afraid," Benjamin said as he jumped into the water.

The splash he made in the river jolted her out of her daze, and she watched him approach her. Her heart beat faster because she'd never seen him without a shirt before, and he was closing in on her. She put her hand across her nose and went underwater to distract herself from him.

"Oh, please!" Benjamin yelled.

He admired Thailah's youth and energy, but he couldn't do it because he was asthmatic and a crisis in the middle of nowhere with an inexperienced young adult could lead to his death.

"That's one thing I can do that you can't," Thailah said as she returned to the surface, laughing and splashing him with more water.

Benjamin tried splashing her with water, but she quickly submerged. "Catch me if you can," she said as she poked her head out.

She kept doing this until Benjamin came close enough. When she pushed herself again, Benjamin caught her by the chest.

"Gotcha!" He said, clutching her tightly, her back against his chest, and they both laughed heartily.

They remained in that position for some time, until the laughter faded and their emotions took over.

To reveal her nape, Benjamin parted her hair to the right. Then he leaned in closer to kiss it. She inhaled sharply as she felt his breath on her neck. She quickly turned to face him.

He looked her in the eyes for a moment, then leaned in to kiss her again, while Thailah closed her eyes until their lips met. The comforting warmth of her lips was stronger than ever, and Benjamin didn't want to stop. Thailah didn't reciprocate at first because it felt strange to her, but she couldn't contain her emotions any longer. She relaxed and placed her hands on the back of his soft curly hair. She leaned in closer to get more of the kiss, while running her hands through them.

Benjamin finally pulled out, and for a brief moment, he gazed into her dreamy eyes. He had found the answers he was looking for, knowing exactly what his heart desired; he finally said the words he had been longing to say.

"I love you,"