Ew... I Slept With My 'Bro' For 3 Years?! Well, GO HELL, F*ckboy novel Chapter 14

Chapter 5

I shut my eyes tight-then snapped them open, throwing every ounce of pride and hesitation out the window.

My whole body trembled as I blurted it out, voice shaking but loud enough to make the world stop turning.

“Ben… would you-would you want to, uh… settle down with me?”

The words hung in the air like a thunderclap.

Everything went dead quiet.

All I could hear was the pounding of my heart in my ears, wild and heavy, like it was trying to escape my chest.

My face burned so hot I swore it could’ve melted steel. Even my neck felt flushed.

I didn’t dare look at him.

My head dropped, fingers twisting the hem of my shirt like a lifeline.

Every second dragged like a century.

Just when I was about to break, I heard his voice above me-low, a little hoarse, but clear as day.

“Ellie… when you say ‘settle down,’ do you mean… get married?”

My head jerked up.

And there he was-Benjamin Miller-looking straight at me with those deep, steady eyes.

No disgust. No pity. No smirk.

Just raw surprise and something… searching.

My throat tightened. Tears pricked my eyes, but I forced them back.

“Yes! I mean get married. Like-paperwork, house keys, the whole damn thing.”

“I know I’m not good enough for you.”

“You’re a good man-a hero. I just got out of a broken engagement, people talk trash about me, and maybe being with me would give you trouble.”

“But I swear-if you’ll have me, I’ll be loyal.”

“I’ll keep the house running, make your life easter, never let you come home to cold food or cold silence. I’ll make it work, I promise.”

“I just… I just want someone solid to lean on.”

“Someone decent. And I want to prove to everyone who’s been laughing at me that I can build a real life.”

The words tumbled out like I was ripping my heart open with my bare hands.

God, this had to be the boldest, most reckless thing I’d done in both my lives combined.

10:24

Ew… I Slept With My ‘Bro’ For 3 Years2! Well GO HELL Eckhoul

10.0040

Chapter 5

But I had no choice.

Benjamin stared at me-quiet, unreadable.

The silence stretched, heavy and long enough that I started wondering if I’d imagined everything.

Then, finally, he spoke.

“You… really don’t care about my leg?”

I blinked, stunned for a second, then shot back without thinking, “Care? Hell no!”

“That’s a mark of honor! You got hurt serving your country-anyone who judges you for that has no damn heart!”

He hesitated again, voice dropping even lower.

“I’m not much of a talker. Not good with words.”

“Good,” I said, looking him dead in the eye.

“A home’s built with effort, not pretty speeches.”

Then I added softly, almost instinctively, “Ben… I know you’re a good man. That’s enough for me.”

That “Ben” slipped out naturally-warm, familiar, like I was already part of his world.

His shoulders stiffened slightly.

He looked at me for a long, long time, like he could see straight into my soul-to the part of me that was bruised but still fighting

Finally, he gave a slow, deliberate nod.

“Alright.”

One word.

Heavy as a mountain.

“If you’re sure-really sure-and you won’t regret it… then we’ll go make it official.”

The world exploded into light.

Tears spilled down my face before I could stop them.

Not from sadness. Not from fear.

From the wild, overwhelming relief of being given one more chance to live differently.

He said yes.

“Y-Yeah! I’m sure! I won’t regret it! Thank you thank you, Ben!”

Benjamin looked like I’d just thrown a grenade at him.

His tan face flushed deep red. He lifted a hand like he wanted to wipe my tears, froze midway, and awkwardly patted my arm instead.

WILCOWELL Ferkhovi

110

Chapter 5

“Don’t-uh-don’t cry,” he muttered, voice a little rough. “If if that’s all, I should head out.”

Then, like a man running from a fire, he grabbed his tool bag and limped away fast, not once looking back.

I leaned against a pile of cold scrap metal, half laughing, half crying as I watched him disappear.

The tears were hot-but my heart was burning brighter.

Ben and I didn’t waste time.

We were both the kind of people who, once we’d made up our minds, didn’t second guess.

Friday morning, first thing, I got up before sunrise, combed my hair, and changed into the best thing I owned-a floral shirt I’d sewn myself

Not fancy, but clean and neat. This was a big day.

When I reached the county clerk’s office, Benjamin was already there.

He’d swapped his greasy work overalls for a stiff button-up and worn gray slacks.

His hair was slicked down with water, and he stood under the big oak tree out front, back straight, clutching his paperwork like it was a mission

order.

When he saw me, he just nodded. Lips moved-but no words came out.

There weren’t many people there, just a middle-aged clerk behind the counter who gave us a quick once-over, eyes curious.

A just-divorced factory girl and a limping mechanic-yeah, we probably looked like a strange pair.

But our documents were all in order, and we both answered “Yes” when she asked if it was voluntary.

Thud.

The stamp came down hard.

Two small maroon booklets slid across the counter.

Marriage licenses.

Red. Bright. Heavy

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