The President's Daughter by David Dower (if you liked this book txt) 📕

know what I’d do…

*

I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing, I groaned turning over trying to locate it. “Could you turn the freaking thing off?” I heard Thomas yell.

I grabbed my phone, not bothering to look who it is, before answering it. “Hello?” I spoke, groggily.

“Alice?” I heard my mother’s voice from the other end. “It’s Ben,” She said quickly.

My eyes snapped open, as I sat up straighter on the bed, “What happened? Is everything okay?”

I heard her breathing quicker, she sounded frantic. “Just get over here as soon as possible, okay?” She said not before hanging up.

I stared at the phone for a couple of seconds, as I tried to wrap my mind on what had just happened. I pulled the sheets off my body, running over to Thomas’ bed and ripping the sheets of him.

“Hey, what the hell?” He asked sitting up. “What gives?”

Ignoring him, I grabbed his hand pulling him of bed. “We have to leave now.” I said, running frantically into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

“Why?” He asked yawning.

I spit, not before rinsing and running over to my suitcase. “It’s Ben, something is wrong.”

“What’s wrong?”

“If I knew, I would tell you. Now please hurry up,” I said wanting to get to the hospital as soon as possible. I wanted to find out his condition, and if I just called my mom back again, knowing her she would just ask me to get over here as soon as possible.

Ten minutes later, we were in the car minutes away from the hospital. Ben’s father had picked us up from the hotel, when we asked what is wrong with Ben he just shook his head telling us we will find out when we get there.

I prayed to God the whole way there, hoping that Ben was alright. I didn’t know why I was so concerned, maybe it was because I was his friend and because I cared for him. But I knew that if he did die, I would feel responsible, mainly because I was responsible.

I didn’t wait for Ben’s father to put the car in park, I opened the door hopping out running towards the hospital doors ignoring the odd looks I got from visitors as I ran past them, and towards the elevator. “Come on, come on.” Clicking the elevator button multiple times hoping it would speed up the process.

When the doors finally opened I rushed in clicking the sixth floor, where Ben was staying in the private section of the ICU. I tapped my feet nervously, “Does these elevators go any faster?” I muttered.

“If it did, I wouldn’t be here for the last two minutes trying to get to the eight floor. Now would I?” I heard a woman say, I turned around and saw a woman sitting in a wheelchair she looked to be in her late seventies, with white hair, and bright blue eyes.

“Sorry,” I said quietly.

She smiled at me, “Its fine dear.” I smiled back at her looking at the doors waiting for it to open, “Are you here to see your boyfriend?” She asked.

I shook my head, “No.” I said shaking my head. “Ben. He is just a friend,” I said with a small smile.

“You are the girl whose daddy is the President, huh? And this Ben fella, is the one who took the bullet for you? Cliché don’t ya think?” The old lady said.

I chuckled, “How do you know about that?”

“News travels fast around here.” She replied.

I shook my head, thinking my thoughts aloud. “He shouldn’t have done that, he shouldn’t have taken the bullet.”

“You know sometimes, people are willing to take a bullet for the person that they love.” The old lady said.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the doors had finally opened. I looked back at the old lady but she was looking back at me with a smile on her face. “What are you doing standing here for? Don’t you want to go and check if your fella is alright?” She asked snapping at me, but with a smile on her face.

I nodded my head, rushing out the doors and down the hall, towards Ben’s room. “That was literally the longest elevator ride of my life.” I muttered.

A few seconds later, I was in front of Ben’s room. I took a deep breath, “Oh please Lord. Please let him be okay…” I silently prayed, pushing open the door.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the door was my mother who was standing just a few steps away from the door, my eyes then wandered to the boy on the bed who was sitting up smiling and laughing with his mother. “Ben!” I exclaimed.

I looked to my mother in confusion, “But y-you said.” I mumbled in confusion.

“I didn’t want to tell you he was awake, because knowing you, you would take five hundred years to get changed and get over here.” My mother said with a smile on her face.

I wrapped her in a hug, “That’s not me who takes years to get dressed it’s you.” I muttered as I heard her chuckle.

I then released myself from the hug, walking over to Ben’s bed where his mom got up from the seat she was sitting to make room for me. “You’re awake,” I whispered.

“Indeed, I am, Alice.” He said softly.

I made my way over to his bed, and wrapping him in a hug. He quickly hugged back with his right arm, due to his left arm being in a cast. “I am so glad you are okay.” I mumbled against his skin, where my face was buried in the crook of his neck.

“I am glad too,” He whispered stroking his hand in my hair.

“I swear to God, next time you decide you want to die on me I will make sure that happens.” I said angrily. “Don’t ever do that again,” I said softly, squeezing him.

“I promise I won’t.” He muttered.

“You know what, I think we are just going to go…” I heard my mom say from behind me. But I didn’t bother to turn around, I didn’t want to let go of Ben-just yet.

I heard them shuffling, and a few seconds later I heard the door close. Ben and I were left in each other’s arms, “Why did you do that? Why did you take a bullet for me?” I asked pulling away from him, and looking into his hazel eyes.

I saw his Adam’s apple bob, he patted with his left hand, gesturing for me to take a seat on his bed. He shuffled to the right in order to make room for me. “I would always take a bullet for you,” He said softly.

“Yeah, but why?” I asked my hands still wrapped around his neck.

His eyes darted to his lap, then looking back at me with a determined look in his eyes. “Because I will always take a bullet for you, if it means protecting someone I love.” He whispered.

I looked at Ben, in wide eyes. “Y-you love me?”

Ben slowly nodded, grabbing the side of my face in his hand pulling me closer to him. “More than you can ever imagine…” He said slowly.

I noticed as Ben’s eyes began to close, my eyes slowly fluttering shut. I felt his hit breath, fanning my lips. “Alice? Can I ask you a question?” He said softly.

I nodded my head, “Yeah?” I whispered.

“Can I kiss you?” He said not waiting for my answer before bringing my lips even closer to his. Chapter Thirty-One: Sour Kiss

Can I kiss you? Ben’s words repeated in my head as his lips got closer, soon I found my eyes fluttering shut as well. His hand was gripping the left side of my face, as our lips brushed before I heard a beeping sound coming from a monitor.

“Sorry,” Ben whispered.

I opened my eyes and saw his cheeks tinted pink, I looked over at the monitor and noticed that beeping noise was his heart rate. I chuckled, “Its fine.”

He nodded his head, “Is it too late for me to kiss you or did my heart ruin the mood?”

I snorted as I shifted on the bed, “No it didn’t ruin the mood. But if you want you can still kiss me…” I said my attempt of trying to be causal yet flirty.

Ben’s eyebrows raised as he tried this again, leaning over and grabbing my face with his good hand, “Alice?”

“Yeah?” I said quietly, looking into his hazel eyes.

“Can I kiss you?” He asked his eyes focused on my lips.

Once again I heard the sound of the monitor, I ignored it. I looked at Ben’s hazel eyes which were pleading for me to say yes, “Just kiss me already.” I said grabbing his face and crushing his lips onto mine.

Ben must’ve seen surprised because he didn’t react as quickly as I thought. I moved my lips against his, as he began to do the same. So many thoughts were running through my head, but I pushed them aside as I let Ben’s warm lips move with mine. It was my first kiss, and it felt weird that I was doing this with my best friends ex. I felt guilty as I tried to push the last thought away from my mind, but I couldn’t.

“Ben!” I heard someone scream, the sound of the door opening. “Ew, gross.” We pulled away as we looked at the door to see a horrified Thomas hands clamped over his eyes, behind him was Ben’s father.

I got up from the bed, dusting the imaginary dirt of my skirt as my eyes darted all around the room, it was silent for a few moments before we heard the sound of Ben’s heart monitor.

I blushed furiously, “Well it looks like someone is getting better.” Ben’s father said.

“Y-yea,” Ben said clearing his throat. “Yeah, I am feeling a lot better.”

“I wonder why,” He said looking at the two of us, smug.

“Are they done?” Thomas asked looking behind him even though his hands were still covering his eyes.

“Yes, you can stop doing that now,” I said snapping at him.

What was the big deal like it wasn’t that he walked into something even worse. “Well I am sorry if I didn’t want to see my sister and her friend locking lips. No ten year old wants to see that,” Thomas said shuddering.

“And no one wants to see you use the bathroom with the door wide open, but I guess we all have to see things we don’t want to see.” I retorted back at him.

The room was silent, we soon heard chuckles coming from Ben’s father we all looked at him in confusion. “What? Can’t blame me for finding this just a tad funny?”

I rolled my eyes, as I brushed past Thomas who was narrowing his eyes at me and Ben’s father, walking out of the room. I wanted to get as far away from this hospital as possible.

*

“Could you quit glaring at me?” I snapped at Thomas.

He huffed, giving me one last glare before looking out the window.

“Dad I am seventeen not five,” I said getting a little annoyed.

“Let her go Evan,” I heard my mom say, we both turned to face my mom who was looking at me with a small smile on her face.

“Victoria-“ My dad