"Benjamin, go outside. I need to get dressed!"
Ava noticed Benjamin's awkwardness upon realizing she was his stepmom and said it on purpose.
Benjamin almost ate dirt, man. This chick's mood swings are wild! She thinks she's all that, huh?
But Ben ain't no pushover. With a sly grin, he goes, "Mom, I want some milk!" Ava's face went beet red, totally flustered.
Still, Ben played it cool and left. Too much to process, or his brain might just short-circuit.
Outta nowhere, he's got a "mom" who's barely older than him and drop-dead gorgeous. And, oh boy, he just scoped out his stepmom and got a little too excited.
Thinking back, it's hella awkward. Not only did he see his stepmom in her birthday suit, but they also had a moment. First time for everything, right.
In the living room, Ben grabbed a glass of water and plopped down on the couch, eyes shut, trying to think straight. Once he chilled out, he started piecing things together. No way his dad's death was just an accident, but he's got zero leads. He swore he'd get to the bottom of it, no matter what.
Then there's this smokin' hot stepmom giving him a headache. He's clueless on how to deal with her and suspects her reasons for marrying his dad. A twenty-year age gap? Yeah, right, love my foot.
Did she marry Dad for his cash? Ben wondered. But nah, she doesn't seem like the gold-digger type. Her simple clothes gave it away.
If she was all about the money, she'd be decked out in designer stuff. But her clothes, shoes, bags? All basic. Not a single piece of bling on her. She's genuinely low-key.
While Ben was deep in thought, he heard soft footsteps. Even though they were light, he knew Ava was coming. He turned and saw her in a dark green dress, her curves on full display.
Ava's face was still flushed, her damp hair hanging behind her, looking all kinds of sexy. Fresh outta the shower, she was a total knockout.
"Are you really Benjamin?"
Ava walked over slowly, still in disbelief. Daniel had mentioned his son, but she didn't expect him to be such a looker.
And then there's the awkward bit. If this guy's really Benjamin, does that mean they gotta live together?
"I swear it's me. If you don't believe it, I can show you my ID!"
Ben looked her straight in the eyes. He got why she was so cautious. A babe like her probably had dudes hitting on her left and right. Makes sense she'd be on guard.
Hearing Ben's confirmation, Ava relaxed, no longer doubting him. Suddenly, she said, "By the way, thanks for saving me at the hospital today. Seriously, thank you!"
Thinking back to the hospital hostage situation, Ava shivered. If Ben hadn't stepped up, who knows what would've happened.
"No biggie!" Ben pointed to the couch, "Maybe we should have a real talk!"
For now, Ben couldn't bring himself to call her stepmom. Just couldn't wrap his head around a woman barely older than him being his stepmom.
Ben had a ton of questions. Ava living with his dad might help him get some answers.
Ava was curious about Ben too. She'd heard from Daniel that his son was abroad. She thought he was studying, but Daniel said otherwise. Ava really wanted to know why Ben, so young, was out there on his own.
"How did my dad die?" Ben asked, sadness in his eyes. Just 'cause he had beef with his dad didn't mean he didn't love him. When he and his sis were little, their mom split. Their dad raised them solo, but stuff happened, and Ben ended up leaving the country.
Talking about Daniel's death, Ava glanced at Benjamin with a touch of sympathy. That's when it hit her this kid, a couple of years younger than her, had just lost his dad.
Worried, she looked at him and gently asked, "Hey, have you eaten? If not, I can whip up some noodles for you!"
At first, Ava was fuming about the awkward scene that just went down. But seeing Benjamin all alone in the living room, looking so lost, her anger melted away. She couldn't help but feel for the guy.
Benjamin had been on the move since he got off the plane and hadn't had a bite to eat. But honestly, he wasn't hungry. His mind was stuck on his dad's death. Eating was the last thing on his mind.
"Thanks, but I'm not hungry." Benjamin really couldn't eat. When he got the news about his dad, he was in shock for ages before it sank in. He couldn't believe it and had to check multiple times. He even broke his work contract, risking a huge penalty, just to get back home and see his dad one last time.
Sure, Benjamin and his dad had their issues, but it was all family stuff. Now that Daniel had mysteriously fallen from a building, Benjamin wasn't about to let it slide. He needed to find out what really happened, who was behind it, and make them pay, no matter what.
"Mrs. Williams, do you know how my dad died?" Benjamin couldn't bring himself to call Ava "mom" just yet. He'd seen her name on her hospital badge, so he knew her name was Ava.
Ava dropped the cooking idea and sat next to Benjamin, her scent lightly filling the air. Benjamin couldn't help but notice. If he wasn't so caught up in his dad's death, he might've found it hard to resist Ava's charm. Things could've gotten pretty irrational if they stayed together.
"I'm not really sure about your dad's private life." After thinking it over, Ava realized that besides living under the same roof, she and Daniel didn't interact much.
They got married, but that was about it. She rarely even cooked for him. Daniel never asked much from her, and Ava knew nothing about his business or personal life. She only found out about his death when the cops called her the next day.
In a way, Ava and Daniel were more like roommates than a real couple. She couldn't really answer Benjamin's questions, so she just shared what she knew about the days leading up to Daniel's death.
Hearing this, Benjamin was even more convinced that his dad's death wasn't an accident. He decided to hit up the police station the next day to talk to the officers handling the case.
Standing up, Benjamin said to Ava, "Mrs. Williams, can you grab me some bed sheets? I'm beat."