"Have I woken up the sleeping beauty?" Benjamin's deep voice rumbled through the line. "I was hoping you'd pick up."
Megyn's heart jumped. "What's up, Benjamin?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep. "You almost gave me a heart attack!" she added, clearly startled.
"Is that what you call me now, Gazelle? A heart attacker?" Benjamin teased, his chuckle low and familiar.
Megyn adjusted her pillow, biting her lip. "Benjamin, it's been a whole week... and it's two-thirty in the morning here in Randi," she said, feigning disappointment.
"Do you want to talk?" he asked, voice tentative.
"Nope. I need to sleep," she replied.
"I'm sorry for waking you up at this time of the night then. Please... go back to sleep," he said, his tone dropping with regret.
He was about to hang up when Megyn whispered, "Benjie, wait." Clutching the phone tighter, she hesitated. "Are you okay?"
The question hit him like a wave. Suddenly, he felt like a teenager again.
"I couldn't sleep," he admitted. "I've been tossing and turning."
"Why?" she asked softly.
"I've been thinking about you. I just... wanted to hear your voice." He chuckled lightly. "Especially at two o'clock in the morning."
Megyn thought he was flirting again—but something in his voice had changed. It was steady. Sincere.
"I can't sleep because of you. I wish I was there," he said.
"You do?" she breathed.
"To steal you away," Benjamin replied, his voice turning playful, "maybe take you back to the beach."
Megyn's heart flipped. Could a man really think about a woman so much that he lost sleep? It felt strange... and yet wonderful.
Silence stretched between them.
"Benjie..." she finally said, "I'm confused. We only met once... but it's like we're emotionally attached."
Even as the words slipped out, Megyn wasn't sure they'd make sense to her when morning came.
Benjamin chuckled warmly. "Oh yes, Gazelle. Whatever portion Aunt Lucia gave us must have been powerful. I like it. I enjoy this attachment... and I miss you."
The air between them shifted—something heavier, more real, settling in.
"You shouldn't say things like that," Megyn murmured.
"Why not?"
"Because..." She faltered, unable to explain the sudden pounding of her heart.
"Megyn," Benjamin's voice dropped to a murmur.
"Yeah?"
"I'm not rushing you," he said gently. "I just want you to know."
Silence again—only their breathing filled the spaces between words.
Finally, Megyn whispered, "You're gone... just like you came. You said you'd be away for two years... and I don't know..."
Was she throwing herself at him? Was this desperation?
Benjamin felt a surge of emotions he hadn't expected. Megyn's words—so raw, so vulnerable—sparked something fierce in him.
"I love it when you're jealous, my Gazelle," he said softly. "It shows I mean something to you."
"Benjamin, it's not like I have you to be jealous of," Megyn replied, her voice tender.
Closing his eyes, picturing her face, Benjamin asked, "Do you miss me, my Gazelle?"
"I don't know..." she murmured. "Soon, I'll forget how this heart attacker even looks." She paused, then added in a whisper, "And I don't even know why I care."
A heavy silence fell.
Benjamin's heart warmed despite the cool night.
"Megyn... are you happy to hear from me?" he asked.
She hesitated, fingers tightening around her phone. "I... don't know how to express it."
"Princess, just say you miss me... and it will be my command," he said, his voice like velvet.
"What if I do?" she whispered.
"Then you've already made my night," he replied.
Megyn sighed, a mix of hope and uncertainty filling her chest
"There's nothing you can do about it. You're far beyond these borders," she said softly.
Benjamin exhaled, his heart steady now. This conversation gave him courage. It confirmed what he already knew.
"Bear with me, my Gazelle," he said. "I need to earn this international pilot license. It won't be long. And like I promised on our first date—we'll meet again. You've captured my heart."
Megyn struggled to steady her racing thoughts. I've captured his heart? The idea felt almost foreign — unbelievable. They had only just met, exchanged a few words, and yet something deep had stirred in him... and maybe, if she was honest, in her too. But she wasn't ready to name it. She barely knew him. How could something as sacred and profound as a heart — his heart — be handed over so easily?
She cleared her throat, uneasy, her voice low and hesitant.
"The heart is so deceitful... who may know it?" she murmured, quoting the ancient words she had often reflected on.
How many times had she seen hearts mislead, hers included? How could she trust what she barely understood?
Yet something gentle tugged at her spirit, whispering that maybe, just maybe, not every heart was destined for deception. Perhaps some hearts were led — not by whim, but by a deeper Hand. Still, caution wrapped itself around her hopes like a heavy cloak.
Slow down, she told herself. Guard your heart too. Trust, she knew, was earned over time — not captured in a fleeting moment.
"Trust my heart Gazelle. Trust your heart too." Benjamin said. Then in a deeper tone, "My Gazelle, can I trust you with my heart?"
Megyn sighed.
She had never imagined herself tangled in a long-distance anything... yet here she was. The more they spoke, the harder it was to deny it. She missed him.
"…Goodnight, Benjamin," she whispered finally.
He caught the faint sadness in her voice.
"Hush, my Gazelle. It's okay. Sleep well. We'll talk about everything when we meet again." His voice was warm, steady—sure.
"Goodnight, my Gazelle," he repeated.
Megyn tried to respond, but he stopped her gently. "Hush… sleep, my Gazelle. Sleep."
Her eyes fluttered closed. Her voice slurred as she murmured, "Goodnight, my love."
Benjamin smiled, heart full. He hung up and fell into the deepest sleep he had had in days.
But that night, dreams came rushing.
He dreamt of Megyn—running after her, calling her name. She walked ahead, never turning back. No matter how fast he ran, the distance between them grew.
Benjamin woke up exhausted, the image of her slipping away burned into his mind.
Right then, he decided: he would travel back home soon. He would surprise Megyn. He would look into her eyes—and find the answer he already suspected.
Because he was sure.
She had his heart.
And he had hers.
Very soon