Touch Me (You & Me 2)

“On the go? You move around the city a lot or what?” Ben asked, a bit confused by Katherine’s last statement.

“Not exactly. Tim sends people out looking for me, so I move to a city for a while, then leave once they find me. Typically, it’s taken a couple months, and then I move on. I’ve been to over a dozen cities in the past two years, maybe more. But San Francisco is the first place that has felt like home since I left LA. It’s the first time I’ve gotten my own place and really built a life,” Katherine said, barely getting the last word out before yawning loudly.

Ben had completely forgotten how tired she must have been. She had shared enough for now and he didn’t want to keep her up any longer. Without warning, he lifted Katherine into his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around her small body. Though dressed in his clothes, she smelled like fresh lavender from the bath oils, even sweeter than normal.

“You must be exhausted. Why don’t you try to get some rest,” he suggested.

Initially, Katherine started to protest, but soon her head was resting against his chest, and Ben was grateful. Listening to her breathing, he mirrored her rhythm with his own until their chests rose and fell in unison. As his own eyelids grew heavier, Ben thought about how good it felt to finally have Katherine back where she belonged, safely in his arms.

Chapter Nine

Katherine

IT WAS DARK AND COLD in the home that resembled a castle. Hiding in a back room they rarely used for anything other than guests, Katherine could hear Tim marching through the house as he searched for her. His steps were heavy and from the slurring of his words, she knew he had been drinking.

It seemed that more and more frequently he was coming home from his Hollywood parties with an axe to grind. Katherine had barely recovered from his last late night of closed fists and hurtful insults. She didn’t want to be his punching bag tonight, so she hid in silence, listening closely for his every move.

“Where the fuck are you, you stupid bitch?!” Tim yelled so loudly Katherine thought the walls shook. She gasped from the shock of his tone, and instantly regretted it.

“Oh, I hear you now.” His voice grew closer with every word until the bedroom door swung open.

With reddened eyes and a tired look on his face, Tim walked into the room. Katherine knew him well enough to know he was looking for a fight, but she wanted no part of him, so she tried to calmly walk past him on her way out.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” He sneered and Katherine could feel his fingertips scratching along the surface of her scalp before he pulled a handful of her blonde hair out, sending her body flailing until she hit the wall so hard the plaster cracked.

Awakened with a jolt, Katherine was panting as she glanced around in need of familiarity. When she realized where she was, and could see that Ben was sleeping peacefully, her breathing slowed. Ben didn’t wake up, but he wrapped his arm around her as if he could sense her shifting energy.

Katherine placed a gentle kiss on his forehead as she carefully climbed from his lap, impressed when she completed the act without waking him. It was time for her to return to her apartment, and she didn’t want to keep putting it off as she normally would.

Tim could be anywhere, and that was enough to scare Katherine from doing anything. But she had to get on with her life and find a new place to live. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t told Tim her address, he had ways of finding out and she knew it wouldn't be long before he wiped out her apartment, leaving her with nothing all over again.

“Are you okay?” Ben asked groggily as he rubbed his eyes. He was watching Katherine with curiosity as she folded the gown she had retrieved from his bathroom.

“I have to get back to my place. Go back to sleep,” Katherine explained, hoping not to impede on Ben’s day any further.

She felt awful that things had gone so badly at the charity event, but then to pop up in the middle of the night on top of it was too much. Katherine wanted to give him some space. It wasn’t clear what was going to happen between them, but she didn’t want to push him away, not when he was the only place she felt safe.

“Sweetheart,” Ben began, his fatigue setting in as a yawn overtook him. With his arms outstretched, he continued, “I’ll take you home.”

“Ben, you’ve done enough,” Katherine insisted. She was still feeling a little uncomfortable about the way she had bombarded him and wanted to be fair.

He wasn’t accepting her argument, however, and got to his feet without debating her further. Katherine watched him stretch his arms and yawn once more before he came to kiss her forehead and wrapped his arms around her, smothering her with affection.

“Let me just grab my wallet, I?

?ll be right back,” Ben said, before walking off.

Watching him walk away, Katherine allowed herself to daydream a different scenario for her life in the few seconds it took him to make it to his bedroom. If she had found Ben before her husband, maybe she would have had everything she’d thought she signed up for.

Ben was the caring and protective man she had always wanted, and after sharing her darkest secret with him, she felt even closer than before. If only she had the power to write her own life, Katherine was certain she would remove Tim from her memory, spending her life with Ben, instead.

But she wasn’t in charge, and she had made the decision to tie herself to Tim Marshall, still bearing the name of the man who had caused her the most pain. Her head dropped a tad, thinking about how her life had been derailed when she chose to date him.

On cue, Ben reappeared, looking more refreshed. His hair was smoothed down, and with his beard already growing back a bit after his fresh shave for the gala, he looked good. His gray eyes zeroed in on Katherine as he approached her, tilting her head up with his index finger on her chin as he searched her face.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked, with concern clouding his face.

“I have to go back,” Katherine explained.