She leaned in, and for just a fraction of a second Ben's breath caught in his chest, because he didn't know what she was going to do next. Of course, it wasn't anything scandalous — they were in the middle of a bookstore, and they hadn't been together for years, and he was married now — but his mind had bounced to it all the same. Maybe it was because they had a history, or maybe it was just because that was the way his mind worked. Once a rake, always a rake...
He might have interpreted her offer in that same sort of tone and turned her down out of hand, were it not for the last sentence. Ben might not have been a good husband — he was quite obviously and publicly a bad husband, actually, with everything Witch Weekly published about him — but despite what people thought, he wasn't going to run around and be unfaithful to his wife. He might not be able to make Melody happy, but if he owed her anything for his part in creating this situation they were in then he at least owed her that much. He couldn't make her happy, but at least he would do his best not to make her miserable, and not to make her feel as though other women were laughing at her behind her back. That last phrase that Angie had added on changed the tone of the offer significantly, though. A place to go, whether she was there or not. It wasn't so much about her, then, or about them — she was offering it to him, because it was something he might need.
And he really might need it. There were times when things got so tense with Melody that coexisting in the same house seemed unsustainable, and he was running out of places to go. Art had his own problems, and his circle of friends who could entertain last minute houseguests was shrinking as more people grew older and got married themselves. Aldous would never turn him away, but Aldous would also ask questions in a way that Ben suspected Angie might not.
"Yeah, thanks," he said, voice level despite the tight feeling in his chest. "I might take you up on that, sometime."
He might have interpreted her offer in that same sort of tone and turned her down out of hand, were it not for the last sentence. Ben might not have been a good husband — he was quite obviously and publicly a bad husband, actually, with everything Witch Weekly published about him — but despite what people thought, he wasn't going to run around and be unfaithful to his wife. He might not be able to make Melody happy, but if he owed her anything for his part in creating this situation they were in then he at least owed her that much. He couldn't make her happy, but at least he would do his best not to make her miserable, and not to make her feel as though other women were laughing at her behind her back. That last phrase that Angie had added on changed the tone of the offer significantly, though. A place to go, whether she was there or not. It wasn't so much about her, then, or about them — she was offering it to him, because it was something he might need.
And he really might need it. There were times when things got so tense with Melody that coexisting in the same house seemed unsustainable, and he was running out of places to go. Art had his own problems, and his circle of friends who could entertain last minute houseguests was shrinking as more people grew older and got married themselves. Aldous would never turn him away, but Aldous would also ask questions in a way that Ben suspected Angie might not.
"Yeah, thanks," he said, voice level despite the tight feeling in his chest. "I might take you up on that, sometime."
MJ made this <3