First Love..again

Chapter Twelve:Two Weeks Later and Present Day

Madison ran around the islands tossing a baby coconut in the air back and forth, back and forth with Ben.

“Catch!”

“Nice pass, Maddy!”

“You look surprised!”

“Of course not. You always had good form,” he winked at her.

They consecutively chuckled for both of them knew what each other was thinking in that moment.

Back in their high school days, Maddy and Benny would toss the football around often. Too often, maybe. They had a way of upping the stakes, too, for the games. For each missed pass, they would strip down a piece of clothing. Ben used to get so annoyed that his girl didn’t miss the pass often.

Unless she wanted to catch it, that is!

Once again, the two had come up with their own forms of amusement since they had become stranded. They often found themselves coming up with games to pass the time.

It wasn't always fun and games though, there was a lot of work to be done around their makeshift camp. They each took turns doing things like catching food in the ocean, picking and preparing coconuts, making meals, washing dishes, doing laundry in the ocean, and cleaning up camp daily. They were like a well oiled machine, the two of them together.

Ben and Madison even managed to make a small shelter area with palm leaves, their tarp, driftwood, and their blow-up boat, which still acted as a bed for them to sleep in at night and lounge in during the day. A few times they had to blow it back up, but for the most part, it held up to the elements.

They even became much more comfortable with each other as time went on. Because of the heat, and lack of clothing that they now shared, they often ran around the island in nothing more than their under garments. However the two did not cross the boundaries with one another. Ben started sleeping down the opposite end of the boat also, so he wouldn't have another embarrassing moment with Madison again like he had had the first night.

The two sat on the beach enjoying the views and engaging in their daily chats, this time the conversation became more intimate somehow. Maybe it was because they were comfortable with each other now, maybe it was because they felt safe with one another, maybe it was just out of pure curiosity, maybe it was because the thought of rescue got further and further away each day, or maybe it was just because they really did have unresolved business. Either way, two weeks in, today was the day that changed their relationship.

"Benny, Do you think it's a coincidence that the two of us ended up here together, after more than 20 years, or do you think it's fate," Madison asked shyly? She stared off into the distance as she asked, not wanting to know if he'd be shocked by her question.

Ben remained looking off in the distance as well still. "I guess I never really believed in fate before. I always thought that we controlled our own future. But being here with you now, knowing that this was completely out of our control, it definitely makes me consider the alternative," Benjamin said softly. He now took the opportunity to change his position and look into Madison's big, beautiful, brown eyes!

"You know me, I've always been a believer that things happen for a reason. If it's meant to be, it will be," Madison sad with a glimmer of light upon her lips!

Ben scooched a little closer to her and put his arm around her back. "Now I remember the reason why I loved you so much back then" he whispered to her intently! He then looked away again, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

"We were so young! In one way it seems like forever ago, and in the same realm, being here with you now, it feels like it could have been yesterday," she added with a slight smile, while biting her lip! She couldn't help but feel the attraction still there between them. Butterflies swarmed within her stomach and tingles fluttered through her lady parts.

"I know what you mean! So much has changed for the both of us. We're both married, we both have families of our own, but yet in this moment, knowing that we are here, and we are together, practically stranded for an unknown amount of time, it's almost as if nothing has really changed for us at all," he poured out his thoughts! Benjamin then reach down and grabbed her hand and held it within his own, as he looked back to stare contently into the eyes of his former lover, his very first love, and at one time, his very best friend!

"What are we doing," she questioned him?

"I don't know honestly, Maddy!" He gripped her hand tightly. "I just know that you are an amazing woman. "I've honestly forgotten why we broke up! Does that seem crazy," he asked?

"No...not crazy," she responded. "We weren't all perfect during our last few months," she reminded him! "We were arguing more than we ever had. You wanted to spend all your time with your friends, and I didn't understand that that was what teenagers were supposed to want to do. I was ready to settle down, and you weren't. You made me feel not important enough because I didn't come from a family of money, like you and your friends. I couldn't go off and do all the things you wanted to do...and I felt like you resentmented me for that. So I decided to let you be free and live that carefree life," she explained! "I thought that maybe you would come back one day, if it was truly meant to be!"

"I'm sorry Maddy! I never meant to make you feel that way," he said sadly. "I thought about giving us a try again...over and over again," he explained! I realized what we had, only a few months later. But by then I had gone to Europe for the summer. I tried to call you, but you had blocked my number. When I got back, you were dating Avery, and he seemed to make you happy!"

He did make me happy! He does make me happy," she corrected herself! "He never made me feel less than...ever," she said cooley. "Besides, you got with Heather after that Summer. She had always had her eye on you, I knew that. She never much cared for me because if it," she chuckled! "I guess that was just how it was meant to play out for us!"

"I think she just knows the connection that we had," Ben added.

"Maybe," She said agreeably.

But what about now," he asked? "We make a pretty good pair here," Ben explained!

"But this isn't the real world, Ben! This is an alternate universe," she added! "Would we be like this back at home," she asked?

"Probably not...but we probably would never have gotten that opportunity either! Maybe you're right...maybe it is fate," Ben stated intently, as he gripped her chin while gently forcing her to look into his eyes!

"You don't believe in fate, Ben!" She continued the stare.

"No...but I believe in us! I believe that you and I should be in each other's lives. I'm not sure how that looks, but I don't want to live without you in my life again, Maddy," he then kissed her softly on the lips!

Madison did not pull away. She had been wanting to kiss him also. She just couldn't bring herself to be unfaithful to her Husband. But here... now...she didn't know if she'd ever see her Husband again. Should she risk her happiness forever? Should she wait forever for Avery, not knowing if she'd ever leave this island? Or should she make the best of the situation that was handed to her? Maddy still didn't know. But one thing she did know was that Ben was an excellent kisser, and the passion was still there between them, and so she embraced his lips as they parted upon hers.

"Oh Ben, we probably shouldn't have done that," she whispered into his mouth, as she pulled away slightly!

"Your probably right...but I couldn't contain my feeling any longer! It's as if I was that teenager all over again," he spoke huskily, as he pulled her in towards his embrace. "You know that I've always loved you, Maddy! Don't you?"

"I've always loved you too Benny! That will never change! I think you always have love for your first," she stated!

"Then you love me too," he asked?

"I do love you Benny, I do. I am just not in love with you any longer! I'm in love with Avery! But that doesn't mean I'm not in love with what we had back then. And the feelings are growing stronger by the day! It scares me Ben! I'm scared that I'll fall in love with you again, and I'll be in love with two people. And I'm most scared that I'll have that happen, and then have to choose," she said sadly.

"I wouldn't make you choose Maddy! I know that you are in love with Avery. You talk about him all of the time," his face now sank a little as he turned away. Then looking back, he began, "I love my Wife too! But I'm in love with you too, and what we have built here. I want to be with you Maddy! I do, but I could never leave my Wife either, I love her too much, and we've made a commitment! But that commitment isn't reality here. The reality is...that we could be here forever, and I'm here with someone that makes me happy too, equally as happy as my Wife! Should we not be happy together while we're here?"

"I don't know, honestly! I just don't know anymore," Maddy got up and decided to walk around the island! She needed to be alone for awhile. However here, there just wasn't much alone to be had. She couldn't go very far. Part of her wanted to paddle away to another island. Was she being selfish wanting to pursue something with him, she wondered? Was she being a fool to think that she should keep it platonic? Could they really ever go back to being just friends? At this point, she didn't know!