Unexpected Encounter: A Second Chance at Love

[Inside Ben's Car]

After entering the car, both of them did not say anything. They just stayed in their seats, stealing glances from each other from time to time.

"Does your office get off this late everyday?" Ben inquired as he glanced at his wrist watch. It was almost 1:00 am.

"No—" Tina shook her head. "I was working on a project with my team."

Contemplating for a while, she inquired, "When did you come?"

"Around 8."

She widened her eyes in shock and looked at him. "Why didn't you call me?"

"Would you answer my call if I had?" When he looked at her with his cute puppy sad eyes, her heart melted like wax. She started feeling guilty for ghosting the guy for a whole week. Maybe she had gone overboard. Maybe she overreacted.

"You could have at least dropped a message," she remarked. "I would have seen it."

"And then you would have asked me to leave," Ben sighed. He still had no idea what he had done to make her so mad but after taking Rachael's help, he managed to find the reason behind her unexplained anger.

Keeping quiet for a while, he added, "I am sorry, I should have been more considerate towards your feelings but—"

"I-It's okay, you don't have to—"

"No, it's not okay—" He interrupted him. "I shouldn't have made you so upset."

Tina opened her mouth to say something but she couldn't say anything while Ben kept apologizing for a while before he went completely silent.

Though he didn't say a word, she could see in his eyes that he wanted to tell her something. And she was scared to hear it. In fact, she wished he didn't tell her what it was.

She could vaguely guess what his next words would be and she wasn't ready for it.

Staying silent for a long time, Ben finally said, "Tina, I like you alot. In fact, you are the first woman in years I have felt so different about."

When he went silent again, she looked at him. "But?"

"Nothing can happen between us," he added. "I don't wanna get involved in a relationship again. I wanna stay as far as I can from it."

"And it's not because it's you," he further explained before she could say anything. "I don't wanna get in a relationship at all."

"I know that," she remarked. "You don't have to give me an explanation."

When she did not say anything after that, he started feeling very anxious.

"Drive me home please—" she added. "It's getting late."

Ben nodded his head and drove away.

During the entire ride, Tina rested her forehead on the side of the closed window with her eyes closed. She didn't say a word nor made a sound.

The atmosphere of the car turned extremely awkward and heavy making both of them feel suffocated.

When they arrived outside her apartment, she grabbed her bag from the back seat and was about to leave when he grabbed her hand.

"You don't wanna ask me anything else?" When she shook her head, he tightened her grip around his hand. He didn't say anything, he just kept looking at her.

"Nothing at all?" He questioned her again. He didn't know what kind of question he was expecting from her but her silence was not something he wanted.

"What do you want me to ask you?" She looked at him. "You told me you like me and you know that I like you too but you clearly told me you don't wanna take it forward. What else is left to know or ask Ben?"

Before he could say anything, she continued, "I know you have had a very serious relationship in the past which didn't end well. I know you are hurt, but that isn't the end of life, is it?

"I am not saying that you should straightaway jump into a relationship or start dating, you can take your time. But nothing is going to work if you don't try," she added.

"I knew from the very beginning that there was only a slim chance of things working out between you and me but I still kept hoping," Tina sighed. "It's good that you made it clear today. I really appreciate it."

She then placed her hand on his. "I hope you'll find the right one for you soon. I want you to always stay happy and experience all the stages of relationship and love all over again but this time with the right person."

Ben's heart ached when he saw her misty eyes. "Tina—"

"Don't say anything else—" She shook her head. "I might end up flooding your car if you do," she chuckled.

She grabbed a tissue from her bag and wiped the corner of her eyes. "It's funny how you waited this long outside my office just to tell me this. You could have easily done it over the phone or text. I mean, though I didn't reply, I read your messages."

"I didn't wait for you to tell you this," he frowned. He waited for her because he wanted to talk to her, see her.

"Then why did you come? Why did you wait for me for almost four hours outside my office?" She questioned him. His actions and his words definitely didn't match, it was giving her mixed signals.

When he did not say anything, she added, "Let me tell you one thing, women are very sensitive and emotional. We usually don't fall for looks but for the small things men do for us. Like opening the car door, pulling the chair for us, switching sides while walking to make sure we are safe and waiting outside our office for hours without any reason."

"Don't do them unless you mean it, okay?" Without waiting for his reply, she gently removed his hand which was still holding onto hers before stepping out of the car.

"And don't worry about me, I'll be okay," she smiled at him. "No need to feel guilty or something. You did the right thing."

...