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KAYLENE, YOU IDIOT, tell him you like him. Say something. He's told you he likes you so many times. It's your turn to let him know how you feel.
I ignore the lecture in my head and opt for a professional parting instead. I stick out a hand and say, “You've done well, Ben. You completed four out of five missions. Anyone would think that was respectable.”
At first, Ben seems hesitant to take my hand, but he eventually shrugs and shakes it. “I would have completed five missions if someone hadn't failed me.”
“Yes, well... I-I actually feel bad about that.”
My inner lecture continues:
Say something, Kaylene. What if this is the last time you see him? If Oscar can be brave, why can't you be brave? Tell him you like him.
“I, uh...” I take a step backward, eager to end this conversation. “You'll have to report to my mom one last time. She'll probably be in contact with you soon.”
Ben only says, “Okay.”
Why isn't he saying something? Does he think it's my turn to flirt with him? He's tried and failed, after all. I can't keep expecting him to try.
Or maybe—and this is a strong possibility—he doesn't care if I walk out of his life for good. Maybe our chemistry wasn't as great as I thought?
“Well, I guess I'll see ya later.”
See ya later. If those are the last words I ever say to Ben Worthington, I'll never forgive myself.
I leave Ben's dorm and return to my house, avoiding my mom on the way in. She still hasn't forgiven me for failing to become an Archangel.
I don't think she'll ever forgive me.
A few hours later, I'm already resisting the temptation to send a text to Ben. He doesn't even use his LightTab, so it would probably be pointless. Sighing, I fall into bed and stare at the ceiling. I do have feelings for Ben, so why did I let this happen? My feelings for him are so strong, Taishi Nakamura hasn't crossed my mind for the longest time. My heart moved on, but I was too stupid to act on it.
Are Ben and I really compatible, though? He's a wiseass bad boy with very little in common with me. We would probably date for one day and realize it was a disaster. There are no happy endings, I remind myself. That's what Ben said, and I kind of believe it too.
* * *
THE NEXT DAY, I MISS Ben a lot. I wish I didn't, but I do. He's constantly on my mind, and I don't even have Archangel training to distract me from my thoughts.
When I get a message on my LightTab, I check it immediately, thinking it might be from Ben.
It's not.
It's from Taishi.
I heard what happened to you. I'm very sorry. You would have been an amazing Archangel. I think they should reconsider.
That sounds like a really impersonal message, but Taishi is the only Archangel trainee who reached out to me, so I'll give him credit for that.
As I reread Taishi's message for the dozenth time, I start to wonder if I should do something more productive with my time. Maybe I could accept a new mission? I would need another partner, though. I wonder if Dad would—
My mind drops its thought when I hear a tap on my window. With a raising eyebrow, I slide from bed to inspect the noise.
Ben is standing under my window with a poster in his hands.
I MISS YOU
I barely have time to process those words before the poster falls away, revealing another one.
COME TALK TO ME
I HAVE A SUPRISE FOR YOU.
The word surprise is spelled wrong, but I think it's kind of cute. Shaking my head, I venture outside to greet the boy below my window. As soon as I'm within grabbing distance, Ben takes my hand and warps me to a familiar garden.
“We're at Thomas Weston's house,” Ben immediately says. “Yeah, so... do you remember that crap I said about happy endings... about how they don't exist? Well, I'm trying to prove that wrong today.”
Before I can ask what he means, an unfamiliar lady greets us with an enthusiastic wave.
“Hello there!” the lady exclaims. “You've arrived just in time! Mr. Worthington and I are about to give Thomas the final push he needs.”
“Who...?” That's the only word I can get out, because I'm totally confused.
“You don't recognize Mrs. Weston?” Ben asks. “I guess I'm not surprised, since she looks a lot healthier now. She passed away a little while ago, and we've been working together to—”
I cut him off when it dawns on me. “She's Thomas' mother?” I squeak.
“Indeed I am,” the lady says. “Poor Thomas... he was at my bedside 'til the very end. He was so dedicated to me, I fear he has neglected his own happiness. He is in love with that young lady, you know.”
The last time I saw Mrs. Weston, she was senile, sick, and raving about angels. Seeing her upright, alert, and smiling is nothing short of amazing. She looks like a different woman.
“She's talking about Rosalind... obviously,” Ben says. “Our boy is in love with Rosalind. Claire and I have been working together to get her son off his ass, to make him do something about it, but I wanted to wait 'til you were here so we could all go together.”
I don't know what's more shocking: the fact that Ben is on a first name basis with Thomas' mother, or the fact that Ben has been working on this, and I had no idea.
“The Rosalind mission ended when she got engaged,” I whisper to Ben. “You know, you didn't have to do this.”
“I know. But leaving her with that Edwin guy felt wrong,” Ben says. “Rosalind isn't happy, Thomas isn't happy, nobody's happy... and we're gonna change that.”
Ten minutes later, after a bit of coaxing from his mother, Thomas leaps into his curricle on a mission to find Miss Banks. Meanwhile, we warp to Rosalind's side, because I want to see her face when the butler announces, “A Mr. Thomas Weston is here to see you, ma'am.”
She's shocked—understandably so. It's been over a week since she's seen her absent beau, and the last time they spoke, he practically encouraged her to accept Edwin's proposal. There needs to be a better resolution today, or I might wring Ben's neck for wasting my time.
Rosalind tries to look prim and stoic when Thomas enters, but I know it's a facade, because I can hear her frantic thoughts.
Good gracious, he looks handsome... and here I am, looking ordinary and plain. My hair is in an unforgivable state of disarray. Does he know about Edwin? My heart is racing something terrible!
“Good day, Miss Banks,” he greets her with a bow. “You look lovely, as usual.”
“That's very kind of you, though I do question the veracity of such a statement,” Rosalind says. “I heard about your mother, Mr. Weston. You have my condolences.”
“And I heard about your engagement to Mr. Clyde,” Thomas replies. “So... you have my condolences as well.”
“Condolences!” Titters of nervous laughter slip from Rosalind's throat. “Whatever do you mean?”
“I mean... I refuse to believe he could be the right man for you.” As he approaches the lady on the sofa, Thomas sweeps his hat from his head and drops to one knee. “My lady, I have been remiss in expressing the depth of my affection for you. With your permission, I will now correct that mistake, and let my true feelings emerge. I long to touch your perfect cheek, and to whisper words I have withheld for far too long. I dream of a moment when my lips can meet yours... and then meet them again, because no single kiss could ever be enough. I want to gaze into your eyes and feel like all is right in the world, because only your eyes have such power over me.”
“Damn,” Ben hisses. “I sure as hell won't be able to top that speech.”
“Mr. Weston...” Rosalind whispers, reaching for his hand, “I have also been remiss in expressing the depth of my affection... and I believe I've made an awful mistake. I should be with the man I love, don't you think?”
Cocking his head, Thomas asks, “The man you love is...?”
Rosalind gently swats his wrist. “You, of course! I only accepted Edwin's proposal because I didn't know I had another choice!”
As they embrace, Thomas' mother says, “I guess that means Edwin will be jilted. Is it wrong to say I am without sympathy for him?”
When I tell her about Edwin's mistress, she looks as shocked and scandalized as I expected.
I say, “Infidelity isn't cool. Edwin didn't seem like the kind of guy who planned to be faithful, so... good riddance to him.”
Satisfied by the outcome, Ben warps us Home, where we part ways with Mrs. Weston.
“What you did for Thomas and Rosalind... I think it's really nice,” I tell Ben. “I don't know if a lot of spirits would have taken the time to do that.”
“Thanks, but it's not over yet,” Ben says. “Close your eyes.”
“Uh... what?”
“Close your eyes!” Ben insists. “I've got another surprise for you.”
I close my eyes and play along, even though I have my doubts. When I was training to be an Archangel, I was taught to always be alert.
A moment later, Ben says, “Okay, you can open them.”
When I reopen my eyes, I see Angelica and Isaiah in bed together, holding hands, watching a movie.
“I had to convince Angelica that her ex-boyfriend was a serial cheater and a two-faced asshole. It wasn't hard,” Ben says. “After that, I had to convince Isaiah to give her a second chance... which also wasn't hard, to be honest. Then everything happened really fast.”
There aren't enough words in human language to express my shock. This is the last thing I expected Ben to do. “But... you didn't even like Angelica and Isaiah as a couple!” I exclaim.
“I didn't... at first. But you convinced me they'd be happier together,” Ben says. “Kind of like how I would be happier if I was with you.”
Before I can say anything, Ben warps us to another location. I don't recognize the house, but I catch a glimpse of Sophie in one of the windows.
I start to speak, but I can only get one word out—again. Ben seems to have that effect on me. “It's...”
“This is my mom's house, where I used to live,” Ben finishes my thought. “Do you see those flowers over there? Sophie planted them yesterday.”
I follow his gaze to a cluster of tulips, bent by a light breeze.
“She got to plant them because you gave her another chance at life,” Ben says. “You gave up your chance to become an Archangel so my sister could have that chance, and... I think I love you for that.”
“You think?” I ask, my eyebrow raising.
“Yeah, but... there are a lot of reasons why you've lovable,” Ben continues. “You're sweet... but you don't want people to know that. You care about others. You care about me, which is more than I can say about most people. I like the way you scowl at me when you think I'm messing up. I like it when you're checking out my body... but then you pretend that you're not checking out my body. It's adorable when you do that. I like your smile. I like your eyes, because... seriously, you have the most beautiful eyes in the world. I might not be a good guy, or a clever guy, and I'm definitely not worthy of you, but you make me want to be better. You make me try harder. And... happy endings might not exist, but I know one thing for sure.” Ben suddenly cups my cheek and brings his face closer to mine. “I'll never have one if I can't have you.”
I'm silent for a moment or two, and when I finally find my voice again, I tease him, “That was a pretty good speech.”
Ben's thumb glides along my face, and a grin makes dimples in his cheeks. “Not bad, right?” he says, his voice strained.
“It was almost as good as Mr. Weston's,” I commend him.
“Almost... but not quite,” Ben agrees.
I don't think either of us expects what I do next.
I reach for Ben's head, slide my fingers through his soft brown curls, and plant my mouth on his. My body melts into his arms as they wrap around me, and I moan against his lips. This is the craziest, boldest, stupidest thing I've ever done. And it's the best moment ever.
I was almost an Archangel. That was my ultimate dream. I never thought I would want anything more than that—until I kissed Ben Worthington.