Just Me (You & Me 1)

“Yes,” she answered without thinking.

It was an unwritten rule to never tell anyone where she lived, and it had been one of the few safety boundaries she kept in place, regardless of the relationships she developed. But Katherine had been breaking every rule as of lately, from inviting Talia over to sharing her entire past with her. And that had led to nothing but good outcomes, so she thought it was time she let down the guards of her defense system a little and just enjoy life.

She had been living in a fish bowl for so long, it was her time to be free. A life on the run lived in secret was no life at all as far as she was concerned. Sure, she needed to time to come around to Ben, but that in no way meant that she didn’t see a future with him.

She wanted that, but life for Katherine often felt like it didn’t matter what she wanted. She was a prisoner to her circumstances most of the time, and there wasn’t much she could do about it. This was one thing she had control over, so she hung close to the privacy like her life depended on it.

“I used to live down here,” Ben noted, as they turned a corner.

“Where do you live now?” she asked.

“Closer to downtown,” was all he said, turning up towards the bakery.

“Oh, I live down the hill,” Katherine tried to correct him.

“I parked at the bakery. I’ll drive you down,” Ben explained, wrapping his arm over her shoulder as he pulled her into his side.

It was strange how much she enjoyed him taking control. It had been so long since she could relax and not have to figure everything out for herself. She liked taking a backseat, and believed deep in her heart that she was safe with Ben.

“This is your car?” A shocked Katherine asked Ben when they arrived at the red Audi R8.

“Sounds like you don’t like it,” Ben joked.

“It just looks like a race car. I didn’t take you for a red convertible type of guy,” she admitted, shrugging her shoulders as she climbed into the car. The seats were so low, she could hardly maneuver without awkwardly ducking. Once she made it onto the seat, the leather padding softly greeted her just as Ben climbed in with the ease of a professional.

“What kind of car did you think I’d drive?” He picked up their conversation just where Katherine left it.

“Uh, ya know, maybe a silver sedan,” Katherine shrugged, and Ben’s eyebrows raced to his forehead in shock. The two laughed loudly as he pulled out of his tight parking space, zipping to the stop sign at the end of the block.

“You’re not going to speed in this thing are you?” Katherine asked.

“The sound makes you think we’re going a lot faster than we are. I always drive below the speed limit. Trust me,” he assured her.

A smile spread across Katherine’s face as she realized she really did trust Ben. Relaxing, she allowed her head to fall against the leather rest, glancing over to Ben. He was like a child with a toy, switching the gears quickly as he looked from one mirror to the next.

“Make a right here,” Katherine nodded toward her street.

Without hesitation, Ben switched lanes, turning his blinker before perfectly executing the turn.

“Right here,” Katherine pointed to her building, still in shock that she had shared her home address.

In the back of her mind, she thought he wouldn’t know which apartment was hers, and that brought her a little peace of mind as well.

“This is you?” He craned his neck to check out the building.

“Thanks for the night out.” Katherine began, but Ben hopped from his seat, racing around to open the door for her.

“You don’t have to go up with me,” she explained, panic beginning to set in.

“I wouldn’t. Slow, remember? But I want to make sure you get inside,” he explained, a toothy grin helping her relax.

“Right,” Katherine nodded, following Ben to the door. She had just gotten inside the door when she turned to him. He was still watching her closely, when she turned around. “I’m really glad you sent those flowers. Otherwise, I don’t think we’d be here now.”

It was the truth, something she had thought of many times. He had to keep pursuing her, or things between them would have never been a possibility. And it would have made so much sense for him to back down, but he didn’t. That perseverance was what had gotten them to their second date.

“Best fifty dollars I’ve ever spent,” Ben said, while raising his eyebrows. Together, they laughed before sending Katherine on her way.

She walked to her apartment with a smile, thinking of how much fun she had with Ben and already wondering when she would see him next.