006

It’s been tough for me the past few weeks. I've been healing, physically at least. The bruises are fading, my wounds are closing, and the bandages have come off, but the inside of me still feels heavy. Like something's stuck and refusing to move. Benjamin told me that I needed to heal completely before I started my revenge plan. They shouldn’t see me broken like this. And I think he is right, I need to look strong. They won’t even see me coming when I hit them. This morning, Benjamin stood at the doorway of my room, leaning against the frame with his arms folded. "Get dressed," he said, casually. "We're going out." I looked at him, confused. "Out?" He nodded. "You need air, something different. Something exciting." I almost said no. The idea of being around people scared me a little. What if someone recognized me? What if I broke down in public? But there was something about how he looked at me, like he knew I needed this more than I was willing to admit. So I got dressed. Nothing fancy. Just jeans, sneakers, and a hoodie. I pulled my hair up in a loose bun. No makeup. I didn't care. I look good regardless. He drove us himself, refusing to let anyone else come along. His car smelled like him, something expensive but calm. The windows were down, and the wind blew through my hair. I didn't know where we were going until we pulled into a colorful parking lot and I saw the huge metal sign in front of us. "An amusement park?" I asked, raising a brow. Benjamin just smirked. "Don't overthink it. Let's just be two people having a day." He bought us tickets, ignoring my protests about being in a rowdy place. The first thing he did was hand me cotton candy, blue and fluffy, just like when I was a kid. I held it and blinked. "I haven't had this since I was, like, ten." "Perfect," he said. "Time to rewind." We strolled through the park. Kids were laughing, teenagers running around with their friends, couples holding hands. For a moment, I forgot I was Elizabeth, the girl who was stabbed at her own wedding. I was feeling a lot better. We stopped at a small booth, and he bought hot churros sprinkled with sugar. We ate them slowly, walking along the path and watching people scream on wild rides. I pointed at one and shook my head. "Don't even think about dragging me onto that," I warned. He laughed. "Relax. I already know you're not ready for a rollercoaster that throws you upside down." Instead, he took me on a slow-moving ride that gently circled the park. It gave us a view of everything from above. As we sat side by side, he pointed things out, a boy trying to win a teddy bear for his girlfriend, a woman with four kids struggling with ice cream cones, a clown chasing a balloon that had flown away. I found myself laughing. Genuinely. He looked at me, quiet for a second. "You have a beautiful laugh." I looked away, cheeks warming. "Don't start." After the ride, we walked some more, playing a few games. He won a small plush dog and handed it to me without a word. I hugged it without thinking. It was silly, but it felt good. From the amusement park, he said, "Two more stops before we go back home." He took me to a quiet museum. Nothing too fancy, just an art gallery with soft lighting and calm music. We walked side by side through the halls, staring at paintings, sculptures, and weird installations that made us tilt our heads. "I don't get this one," I said, pointing at a messy-looking painting with too many colors. He chuckled. "It's called abstract." "It's called confusing." He laughed again. "You're not wrong." We wandered slowly. No rush. No pressure. At one point, I stood in front of a painting of a mother holding her child and I didn't say anything. He didn't either. He just stood beside me, hands in his pockets, letting me feel whatever I was feeling. "She looks sad," I said quietly. "She looks strong," Benjamin replied. I looked at him. "You always say the right things." He shrugged, "Maybe." After the museum, we drove to a cinema. The final stop. It was quiet. Barely anyone was inside. He bought us tickets for some random romantic comedy and loaded us with popcorn, drinks, and those chocolate things I always secretly loved. We sat near the back, and for the first time in a long while, I watched something without constantly checking over my shoulder. I laughed at the dumb jokes, cringed at the cheesy lines, and once or twice, I glanced at him and caught him already looking at me. When the movie ended, we didn't talk immediately. We just walked to the car in silence, the night air soft and cool. Inside the car, I hugged the little plush dog against my chest. "Thank you," I said. Benjamin started the engine but he hadn't driven yet. He looked at me. "Don't thank me." I frowned. "Why not?" "Because I needed this too." I blinked. He looked away, then back at me. "I've been in this lonely bubble for so long. Wake up, work, meetings, deadlines, silence. Nothing has made me feel... human in a long time." I stayed quiet. Listening to him. "But today, seeing you laugh... watching you just be yourself, I felt alive," he said softly. "I haven't felt this happy since I lost my mom." He paused for a second, then added quietly, "So thank you. For coming into my life, even if it happened in the worst way possible." My heart pulled tight. I didn't know what to say. So l didn't say anything. I just nodded, and we drove home in silence. And for the first time in a long time, I didn't feel so broken. I didn't feel like a ghost. I felt seen.