Chapter Fifteen
Ben
I sat beside my dad’s bed in the hospital, watching him sleep. I was feeling exhausted because getting him to sleep hadn't exactly been easy.
Dad was the same as always, if a little more unhinged than before we lost Mom. Being in the hospital was making him even worse, and if he wasn’t trying to escape, he was complaining about everything and bothering the other patients. Most of the nurses were sick of him already, and it was only the second day since Scarlett and I managed to get him admitted.
“Is he finally out?” came a whisper from behind me.
I turned to find Scarlett peeking her head into the room.
“He’s out,” I confirmed.
She let out a sigh and walked inside, and I gave her the stink eye.
“You could have come in here and help, you know,” I grumbled. “You’re still Daddy’s little girl, after all. He’d be more inclined to listen to you than me.”
“But I thought the two of you needed some downtime,” she scoffed. “You have been gone for four years, after all. How much did he eat?”
I gestured to the tray of food left in a small desk drawer on the other side of the bed, and we both sighed.
“It’s less than yesterday,” Scarlett whispered. “He left so much…”
She’d moved, so she was standing beside me, and I reached out to take her hand for both our sakes, giving a gentle squeeze.
“I know, but we just have to be strong and hope he’ll make it through this.”
Scarlett didn’t reply, and I guessed she just didn’t have anything to say.
While I didn’t quite understand what had my dad down, I’d caught from the doctor that it was because he was growing old. He got tired easily, and he did plenty to tire himself out already. His heart wasn’t as strong as it used to be, either. Dad wasn’t in a good way at all, and besides being there for him, neither Scarlett nor I knew what we could do for him when he was so insistent on pushing us both away.
“Do you think he's going to be okay?” Scarlett asked, her voice quiet.
It made me think back to the time after Mom was gone and we could both see Dad about to blow before it even happened.
“Sure,” I blustered. “We made through some tough shit before, why can't we do it again?”
I didn’t believe that, but for my sister’s sake, I would have to force myself to.
“We should go for the day,” she sighed. “Visiting hours are almost up, anyway. And you’ll want to call home before it gets too late.”
I perked up a little at the thought of talking to Ginger and Fern. I’d called them every day since I left, as I would do for the whole week. No matter what happened at the end of the week, even for only a little bit, I wanted to head back to see them and make sure they were okay. Ginger had told me she trusted me, but I knew that didn’t necessarily mean that she wasn’t worried. The phone calls were part for my sake as they were for her.
“You need to talk to Dan, too, you know,” I told her as we left Dad’s shared hospital room. “I’m sure the guy’s pretty worried about you. You were gone for a week, only to come back and disappear again not long after. Did you even see him before you came for me at the hotel?”
“Of course,” she scoffed. “I do love you, bro, but I have a kid to look after now, you know? And, of course, I wanted to look in on Dan, too.”
“Do you guys have a date set for the wedding?”
She shook her head. “Nope. We’ve kinda been putting it off for a while, but I guess it’ll have to happen at some point.”
We made it out of the hospital, and to my car. I drove us to the hotel we were staying at, a single suite with two bedrooms. As Scarlett ordered food for us, I picked up my phone and dialed Ginger’s number. She answered the call on the third ring, and I grinned when I heard her voice.
“Hey, Ben,” she chirped, seeming just as happy to be talking to me as I was to her. “I almost thought I’d missed you for today.”
“Never,” I declared. “You know I’d just keep badgering you with calls until you took it, right?”
“Well, that’s good. Also, you’re just in time to talk to Fern before she goes to bed.”
“Is she nearby? You can put her on.”
“Give me a minute,” she said.
There was a moment where I didn’t hear anything, and I waited anxiously to hear my daughter’s voice. Scarlett came into view, and when I looked at her, she waved her phone at me to show me she was making her call, then walked into the bedroom that was hers. I was distracted when Fern finally came on the phone.
“Hey, there, mister!”
I chuckled at her voice, sounding just as bright as her mom. “I told you already you don’t have to call me mister, right?”
“I can't just call you by your name, though!” she gasped. “That would be rude.”
I sighed, wishing I could just tell her to call me Dad, but I knew it would bring a lot of questions, and I’d already agreed to let Ginger deal with it.
“So, what did you do today, Fern?”
The question, as it always did, sparked a lot of chatter from the little girl, who was suddenly so excited to tell me every little thing that happened to her today. I’d gotten the same thing the past couple days when I called, and I couldn’t help grinning at how my daughter was. I’d never given much thought to being a dad, even when Ginger told me she was pregnant, but Fern was just amazing.
After she’d tired herself out, I had a quick talk with Ginger before she hung up so she could put Fern to bed. When I looked up, Scarlett was coming back into the room.
“Did you talk to Dan?” I asked, but seeing her lighter expression, I could guess she had.
“I did,” she said readily. “I’ve been keeping it under wraps, but I finally told him about Dad, and why my mood’s been so terrible, why I’m suddenly too busy to be home.”
“What did he say?”
“He offered to come here and stay with us so he could support me.”
“Did you tell him to come?”
I knew having Dan around would be good for Scarlett. I knew my sister, though, and she would never have allowed it when she was already letting him look after their son.
“I told him not to,” she said, just as I’d expected. “Because I have my brother here, so everything is fine, right?”
I just shook my head as she answered the knock that came to the door right then. It was our meal coming in. We sat side by side, enjoying a quiet family meal, even if it was just the two of us. I was hoping that, pretty soon, the size of our family would grow and we would have more moments just like this.
When Scarlett ended up with her head on my shoulder as we sipped some juice afterward, I just wrapped an arm around her and rested my head against hers, willing my dream to become a reality.
Chapter Sixteen
Ben
Later that night, while I was laying down on my bed, all I could think of was Ginger and how much I missed her. It had been way too long already since the last time we slept together, and I missed it. There was no way I could just sleep over at her place again. Not unless she moved out of her mom’s place, and I couldn’t just drag her to my place, either, because it would mean spending time away from Fern and explanations to her mom that I wasn’t ready for just yet.
I rolled over onto my back, folding an arm under my head, the other going across my stomach as I stared up at the ceiling, trying to convince myself just to fall asleep already. It was starting to become annoying, since it seemed like my old insomnia was coming back to haunt me, and I hadn't carried any of my meds with me. I tried closing my eyes and emptying my mind.
After a long moment and still no sleep in sight, I sighed and opened my eyes, sitting up. Maybe a quick, warm shower would be enough to leave me feeling a little drowsy. Before I could got out of bed, though, there was a noise from my phone. I picked it up to see the text I’d just received, lighting up when I saw it was from Ginger.
Video call. 5 minutes.
I pursed my lips at the small size of my phone’s screen. If I’d had a laptop nearby, I would have just used that, but I didn’t own one because I didn’t have much use for computers anyway.
Still, I was excited at the thought of seeing Ginger, even if it was only through a video call.
I sat up in bed, leaning my back against the headboard, rearranging the pillows behind me to find a comfortable position. When the ring on my phone came, my heart gave one hard thump, and I answered the call. It took a second, but then there she was.
Ginger.
“Hey, Ben,” she said, waving her hand at me.
I could see more of her on my tiny little screen than she could probably see of me.
“Hey,” I murmured. “Are you using a laptop?”
She grinned and nodded. “I am. I had a surprise for you, and I couldn’t wait for you to see it.”
The screen blurred for a moment as she shifted, and when I could see properly again, I felt my jaw drop.
“Shit!”
Ginger was seated back on her bed, against the headboard like I was. She must have set the laptop down in front of her and angled for the perfect view because I could see all of her now. She was dressed in a skimpy pair of lingerie, with panties that barely covered her crotch and a bra that I was pretty sure would have been see-through if I was there with her. Hell, I would have been fine with a bigger screen. She had a black silk robe on, but it was parted, so she wasn’t hiding anything.
She giggled, probably at my gobsmacked expression.
“I was hoping you’d react like that,” she said. “And I’m hoping this means you’d like to see it when you come back?”
“Definitely,” I growled.
“Are you hard?” she asked a smirk on her lips, an eyebrow arched.
“Ginger!” I gasped, scandalized, but in the next moment had to hold back laughter. I ran a hand down my chest, over my abdomen, to my crotch, where my erection was trying to poke out of my boxers. I pressed my hand down on it and moaned a little. “But, to answer your question, of course, I’m hard. How could I not when you show me something so sexy?”
“Good,” she chirped.
“Are you trying to torture me?”
“Why is it torture, though?”
Her expression was nonchalant as we spoke, but her hands were moving all over her body, and I couldn’t reply as I watched them. She ran her hands over her waist and stomach, down to her hips. Before she could touch the panties, though, she ran her hands back up, and I practically held my breath as those hands raised slowly up to cup her breasts.
“Seriously, Ginger, what are you trying to do?”
I could guess without her saying anything, but we’d never done anything like this. Still, I couldn’t deny it was turning me on, and I pressed down on my erection again, rubbing just a little as I focused my eyes on the way she was massaging her breasts. I wanted to be there so that I could push her down and play with her body, but I still had several more days to go back.
“I wanted you to miss me,” she admitted with a careless shrug, her hands still working her breasts. “And this is me giving you more incentive to come back.”
“Oh, I’m coming back,” I said, voice husky. “You’re just making it a little harder for me to stay here.”
“Good,” she repeated.
“You’re doing this to torture me, aren’t you,” I muttered.
I didn’t exactly mind, though. I snuck my hand into my boxers, shoving them down to my thighs, then wrapped my fingers around my cock, stroking slowly as I imagined all the ways I could have Ginger writhing underneath me in bed.
“Are you ready to see more?” she murmured.
Before I could give a reply, she’d hooked a finger into the top of her bra and tugged down, so her breasts were pushed up and out. She pinched both nipples between thumb and pointer finger, and I let out a low groan.
“More,” I growled out.
Grinning at me, she widened her legs; feet pressed flat on the bed with her knees raised. I licked my lips, waiting for her to pull her panties off. Instead, she just tugged them to the side, exposing her sex.
“I always wanted to do this,” she admitted.
I arched an eyebrow. “Explain to me what you mean by ‘this.’”
She pouted. “Well, I technically mean having you fuck me in lingerie, but this is good enough for me, for now. I have a few more sets, too, so there’ll still be a surprise.”
“Where did this side of you come from,” I groaned, the hand on my cock tightening just a little and stroking faster.
“You’re jacking off, aren’t you,” she guessed. I let out a grunt that was as much confirmation as I was going to give her. “Don’t come before I do, okay?”
I watched, transfixed, as she ran her fingers all over her sex, rubbing her clit, playing with her entrance, all the things I wanted to do. Then she was using both hands, easing two fingers inside of her, as she rubbed her clit with her other hand.
“Fuck, Ginger,” I growled.
“I want to see you, too,” she gasped, her hand working furiously.
I could feel my face heat up, even as my cock grew a little harder in my hand, and a drop of precum appeared at the tip. But I didn’t want to refuse her. I wanted her to see what she did to me. Feeling awkward about it, but determined to do it, I held the phone out and tried to find an angle that let her see everything she needed to see. Next time we spent time apart, I’d need a laptop in case she had this idea again.
“I see you,” she breathed out. “You’re so hard, Ben. When you come home, and we get some time alone, I’m going to ride you.”
I let out a groan as I fastened the strokes on my cock. I watched as Ginger added a third finger, thrusting them in and out of her body as her other fingers circled furiously around her clit.
It didn’t take long for either of us, Ginger crying out as she climaxed first. Seeing her head thrown back, mouth slack as her whole body shuddered, I let go. I let out a grunt as thick ropes of cum hit my chest and abdomen, my hips jerking up into my hand.
I lay back with my hand on my stomach, catching my breath. In a minute, I’d have to cut off the video call with Ginger and go to the bathroom to clean myself up. But right then, all I had was eyes for her as she calmed down as well.
“We are doing this again,” I muttered.
Ginger heard me, but all she did was give a tired laugh that I took as approval.
Chapter Seventeen
Ginger
I was locking up the salon one evening. It had been two weeks since Ben left, and I missed him terribly. At first, when he told me he was going to stay over longer because his dad’s health had taken a turn for the worse, I had been a little worried.
But, I really trusted him. So I didn’t think too much, even though it wasn’t the one week he’d initially promised me. I was okay with it, because he was still calling me and Fern every day.
There had been no more sexy video calls after that first one, partly because I was embarrassed I’d actually gone through with it, but also because I didn’t want to risk it. I usually left my room unlocked for my daughter’s sake, for when she had nightmares and didn’t want to sleep by herself. She almost caught me that night after I’d already cut off the call with Ben. I’d still had my lingerie on when she walked in, but I managed to hide behind the sheet until she’d fallen asleep on my bed, then gone to get changed before lying down beside her.
Ben had hinted at wanting one, though, and it was enough to make me giddy.
With the door to the salon locked, I looked through my purse to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything, then dropped the key inside and started to walk away, headed for home. Mom had left earlier with Fern, and I’d stayed to clean up. We hadn't come in with both cars, though, and because I’d declined when Mom said she could wait for me, or come back for me, I was going to walk.
“Ginger!”
I was preoccupied, but when I heard my name called, I automatically looked over my shoulder to see who it was.
“Hunter?”
I was confused to see him for a moment. It had been a while since Hunter had come by. He’d attempted to call me a few times, but every time I was busy with something, or waiting for Ben to call me, so they were usually cut short. I’d all but forgotten about him, not that he had been that significant in my life to begin with. Both times I’d gone out with him, I went at his insistence, not because I thought we were out on a date.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise at his vehemence.
“I’m going home,” I said slowly, holding my purse close to my body in case I needed to make a quick run for it.
“That’s not what I mean and you know it,” he retorted. “I’m talking about Ben. After everything he’s done to you, leaving you for four fucking years, how can you take him back so easily?”
I hadn't known what he was talking about, but the moment he mentioned Ben, I was annoyed. Ben getting jealous was one thing. I was actually in love with him, and he didn’t deserve to get mad after what he’d put me through. Hunter, though, I’d dealt with it enough from him already, and I was sick of it.
“Look, Hunter. I’m tired and I want to head home to my daughter, so if you could please leave me alone.”
Without waiting for a reply, I turned back around to continue on my way.
“I’m not going to let this go, Ginger.”
Those words had me stopping again, and I turned to Hunter, incredulous.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me! You can't just go out with me, then toss me aside because Ben came back!”
I laughed. “Hunter, the only reason we went out for coffee, was because you insisted on it, after you nearly hit me with your car. Again, with the dinner, you insisted, because it was your birthday and you told me you had no one to spend it with. I was being nice to you when I agreed to it both times. I never once said I felt any interest in you.”
“Well, fuck that,” he spit out. “I’m not someone for you to fucking pity, Ginger. You better break up with Ben, or else.”
I felt like I wanted to laugh again, but he was completely serious.
“Are you threatening me? Because I’m not into you? Hunter, are you nuts?”
“You’re the one who’s nuts,” he countered. “I mean really, Ginger. Ben of all people? I noticed he hasn’t been around by the way. He abandoned you once and now, what, he ran from you again? And you think that kind of guy is reliable? Are you just going to keep being that bastard’s whore?”
“He didn’t run,” I snapped, starting to grow angry. “He’s dealing with shit right now, but it’s not like we don’t talk. And what does any of it matter to you, anyway? He fathered my child, so it’s not like everybody didn’t know we must have been fucking before that. Back the fuck off, Hunter, I’m going home.”
I was turning away to walk, when once again, he stopped me with his words.
“I saw you.”
“I’ve seen you around, too,” I called carelessly over my shoulder.
“In the salon,” he continued. “That day, when Ben came? I had a really nice view of you fucking Ben in your salon that night. You’ve gotten bold with age, haven’t you?”
That had me feeling a little cold, and I couldn’t help turning around, even though I wanted to get away as fast as possible.
“What did you just say?”
“You give into him so easily, but when it’s me, you can't even give me five minutes for a phone call.”
All I could do was watch as he advanced on me. I was frozen, because he said he’d seen. Ben had closed the blinds and turned off all the lights, leaving only one lamp on. The blinds in the salon barely had slits between them, so for him to have seen, he would have had to be pressed up against the glass.
How much did he see? How long did he just stand there and watch us, and we had no idea?
A cold shiver washed over my body. My stomach was churning uncomfortably. By the time I clued in that he was a little too close, and I wanted to turn and run, I didn’t get the chance to. He caught me by the tops of my arms, and shook me, even as I tried to back away from him.
“Why, Ginger! I came here for an explanation, so why the fuck aren’t you saying anything!”
Because you’re not giving me the chance to say anything!
But the words couldn’t make it out of my mouth. He shook me so hard I thought I’d bite my tongue if I tried to speak, anyway, and I was too frightened to let out any words. His hands on my arms were squeezing me tightly, enough that I knew I would have bruises later. I kept pushing at his arms, his chest, but I might as well not be doing anything because he didn’t seem the slightest bit affected.
I was getting ready to scream when he was suddenly pulled away from me. I cried out as his nails dragged on my arms, stumbling back away from him. In the next moment, I saw Ben getting ready to throw a punch at Hunter.