Saving Ben Read Online Free

playing field. So, you have a choice. We can work out an exchange where you introduce us to some of your more worthy friends, and we do the same for you with our pretty little freshman friends at the bar over there, or I can take my new roommate next door to the DKE house.”
    The three of them quickly turned their attention to the bar, where four of the prettiest girls from our hall were waiting in line for a beer. Dolled up in little short sundresses, they giggled and flounced around in excitement over being at their first fraternity party. They were peaches, ripe for the picking.
    When the guys turned back to me, they were all smiles. “I see no reason for you to have to leave the party.” Ben grabbed his friends by the shoulders and turned them toward the bar. “Men, what say we go get everyone a beer while my sister cools off a little?”
    “You handled them beautifully,” Emma said, turning to me when they were out of earshot. “What a bunch of horny hound dogs. If you want to get a man’s attention, talk to his dick.”
    I burst out laughing. “Exactly.”
    “Look at them. They’re even hitting on the same girl,” Emma said, shaking her head in amusement as Ben, Spotty, and Reed made a pass at one of our unsuspecting freshman friends. “Reed can hit on me all day long. I thought you said he was from Richmond?”
    “He is.”
    “Well then, what beach did he work at?”
    “Oh right. No. His parents are divorced. His father lives at Virginia Beach now. Reed spends his summers with him down there.”
    “What about Spotty? He is definitely a cutie, as far as gingers go. His eyes are kind and his smile is sweet.”
    I nodded. “He’s definitely a nice guy. I’m glad to see him happy for a change. He’s been a mess for a really long time.”
    “You mean like drinking too much and stuff?”
    “No, more like in a seriously bad mood.” I moved closer to her so no one would overhear me. “In high school Spotty was considered the top lacrosse attackman in the state. He was being scouted by Division 1 schools when he tore his ACL, wrestling, of all things, with his brother in their family’s backyard. He never regained the speed and agility he needed for D1. Everything else was second best to him.”
    As the three guys headed back our way, I was glad to see Spotty walking with more pep in his step than I’d seen in several years. He handed me a plastic cup of warm beer. “Here. A peace offering. We talked it over and decided you’re right, Kitty. It’s time for us to give you some space.”
    While we waited for the band to start playing, several of Ben’s friends stopped to chat, seemingly under the pretense of asking about his summer. But it was obvious they were more interested in meeting Emma. My heart softened a little toward my brother as I watched him interact with his friends. He seemed so happy and relaxed, so well adjusted to his life at UVA. While his constant concern for my safety drove me nuts, I understood he couldn’t help himself, that his genetic makeup included this overprotective component of his personality.
    Ben is a worrier, has been all his life. When we were young, he worried that our parents would be killed in a plane crash, and that I would get rabies from playing with the wounded stray animals I was always trying to nurse back to health. As his mind and body matured, so did his worries. In high school he worried that this girlfriend didn’t like him enough, or that that girlfriend was cheating on him. He worried he hadn’t studied enough for his AP history exam, and he worried his SAT scores wouldn’t be good enough for UVA.
    Because he had no say in what happened between my parents after the Rose Garden Affair, the only aspect of the situation he could control was keeping me glued together. Ben was the one who rubbed my back at night while I soaked my pillow with tears. He was the one who walked me home after a rough day at school, and he was the one who took me out for