Second Chance

by Natasha Preston

"I'm glad you're enjoying it. When you didn't agree to the date straight off I was worried you didn't want to."

  "Sorry about that. I've not done this since Jace and it was just a little strange to begin with."

  He winced and I saw him practically kick himself. "I'm sorry, Chloe, I should've thought."

  I took a sip of the juice. "No, it's fine, no need to apologise. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't ready or didn't want to be."

  We fell into a slightly awkward silence. My dead boyfriend was always going to be a tough subject, no matter what the situation.

  The sun broke through the clouds and I looked up, raising my arms. "I better get a tan this year," I said almost absentmindedly.

  "You're already tanned," he replied.

  He was back smiling and the awkwardness had passed, thankfully. Rhys really was handsome. His pale green eyes looked almost translucent in direct sunlight. I liked that they were so unique; I'd never seen a colour like it before. Jace's eyes were gorgeous too, although I'd always preferred Cassie and Logan's slightly lighter shade of blue.

  It was getting dark when we finally walked back to the car. Rhys had run the basket back earlier and then we'd gone on a long walk. It was really nice and I felt myself relaxing around him more and more.

  "So, Chloe," he said, leaning against his car, "am I going to get a second date or are you blowing me off?"

  I couldn't keep a straight face. "You're very forward."

  His eyes widened. "Whoa, not what I meant! Shit, that really did sound wrong, didn't it?"

  "Yeah, but I know what you meant, and I'd love to go out with you again."

  This was the part where he was going to kiss me, I could sense it before he started to lean in. I hadn't kissed anyone since Jace so my stomach was fluttering with nerves.

  He tucked my hair behind my ear and pulled me closer to him with the other hand. I placed my hands on his chest, not quite sure if I wanted to push him away. This was unchartered territory. Since I was fifteen the only person that I'd kissed was Jace. That was five years of my lips belonging to him only.

  When he was just an inch away I'd finally made up my mind. I was just a tad scared but I did want to know what kissing this gorgeous guy felt like. I lowered my arms, wrapping them around his waist as his lips finally met mine.

  The kiss was sweet and made me arch into his body but there was something missing. Rhys was a good kisser but I didn't feel like I wanted to do it all day. It was early days, though. I had to give it a chance and try not to compare everything to Jace. This was different, I was in love with Jace, and me and Rhys had been on one date.

  He pulled away first, smiling down at me. "I guess I should get you home then."

  "Yeah, you probably should." I could have easily stayed out with him longer; once we'd passed awkward silences we got along well. It was dark now though, so I knew I had to get back.

  Rhys started the car up and I gasped. "It's eleven o'clock!"

  Laughing at me, he placed his hand on my thigh. "Time flies, huh?"

  That was an understatement. We'd been at the park for four and a half hours. I knew it was late but I had no idea it was that late. I checked my phone and apart from a text from Logan that I was not going to open until I got home, I had nothing else there. My parents would be asleep, although they would sleep lightly until they hear me come home.

  Rhys pulled up outside my house and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips. "Thanks for tonight."

  "I think that's my line," I said.

  "Yeah, well, I'm just glad you said yes."

  "Me too. Night, Rhys."

  "Night."

  I tried not to look back at the car as I walked down the path. Once I'd opened the door I gave him a little wave and went inside. He'd waited until he saw me go in before leaving. I liked men that did that; it showed they cared. That could pretty much be a deal breaker for me. I needed to know a man at least cared enough to make sure I got home okay.

  Smiling to myself, I practically skipped up to my room. There were no big fireworks between us - possibly because it was still early days - but I'd just been on a date and I didn't feel guilty for moving on. That was a big step and I couldn't keep the moronic grin off my face. Things really were going to be alright.

  Chapter Eight

  Chloe

  By the time I'd gotten out of the shower, dried my hair and put on my pyjamas I was exhausted and just wanted to crawl into bed. I still had that post great date glow but fatigue was taking over and I needed to curl up under my quilt.

  I left the bathroom, tiptoeing across the hall, careful not to disturb my parents. Another date conversation with my mother would tip me over the edge. Hearing details of your parents' dates was not something I wanted to hear - especially some of the dates they'd been on. I shuddered.

  I walked into my bedroom and jumped out of my skin. Logan sat on my bed, flicking through my magazine. He looked up as I tried to slow my erratic heart. It's Logan, not a burglar.

  "Good, you're finished in the bathroom."

  I stared blankly, literally not knowing what to say to him. Who sneaks into someone's home and waits for them in their bedroom?

  "How was the date?"

  My brain caught up with what was happening right now and I threw my hands up. "We are not skipping over the part where you explain what the hell you're doing in my room!"

  "I'm waiting for you, what else would I be doing?"

  Is he serious?

  With a deep breath, I replied, "No, Logan. Why are you here in the middle of the night with no warning?"

  "Oh. You didn't answer your phone."

  "So you came over and let yourself in? You didn't think that maybe I was in the bathroom or asleep?"

  "No, and that's a pretty accurate description of--" I held my hand up and he stopped talking, breaking into a huge, mischievous smile. "So did the date go well or not?"

  Since he was clearly not leaving like any normal person would have done, I shoved him over the other side so I could get to my favourite spot in the bed - the middle.

  We're really doing this right now. "Yes, Logan, the date went well. Rhys is perfectly nice, not an axe murderer, so you can calm down about that one. We had fun."

  He was silent for a minute. His gorgeous blue eyes were guarded. I hated when I couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling. After years of pretending he was fine, Logan had gotten really good at fooling people.

  "That's good. I'm glad you had a nice time, Chlo."

  "Thank you. It was strange at first and I kinda felt like I shouldn't be there but as soon as we got talking more, and walking, I relaxed and didn't feel... guilty."

  "Good, I'm glad of that. You shouldn't feel guilty."

  "I know. I've spent so long feeling guilty for living, for thinking about a future without Jace, for wanting to date again and just about everything else I could feel bad about. I'm tired of it and I know it gets me nowhere."

  He frowned and flicked the magazine closed. We'd be talking about him reading a How To Boost Your Bust article later. "Do you not feel guilty about moving on anymore or do you just think you shouldn't. There's a huge difference, Chloe."

  "I don't feel guilty. I loved Jace and he died, there's nothing I can do about it and I don't want to be the way I was anymore. I deserve a second chance."

  "You do."

  "Do you still feel guilty?" I asked.

  His eyes clouded and jaw clenched. Finally, he replied, "Every day."

  "Logan," I said breathlessly. The pain in his voice was so real and so raw that I felt it, too. He sat tense on my bed, refusing to meet my eyes. I shoved myself up and wrapped my arms around him. I felt the muscles in his back and shoulders bunch. They were rock solid and I couldn't help admiring his dedication to his fitness.

  "Please, talk to me," I whispered.

  He hadn't hugged me back, just sat deathly still with his arms fisted by his sides.

  "Logan, please, I can't stand it."

  Slowly releasing a de
ep breath, he raised his arms and clamped me flush with his body. It was a little more intimate than we'd been before with me straddling his hips but there wasn't anything sexual about it. He was hurting over the death of his brother and I needed to help him.

  "I'm alright, sweetheart," he said into my hair.

  "No, you're not. Talk to me. I can help."

  He released me and I wanted to cling on for dear life. I wanted to hold him until he stopped hurting, until all the broken pieces knitted back together. I wanted him to hold me and let me in all the way. I wanted to be the one who gave him the power to stop the guilt. I wanted to do all of that, just like he'd done for me.

  I didn't leave his lap when he'd stopped our embrace. "You're talking to me, Logan." I felt a tear slither down my cheek. "I'm not moving until you talk."

  He shrugged. "Beautiful girl sitting on my lap. I got time for that."

  "Come on," I said, lightly slapping his chest with the back of my hand. "Why do you feel guilty every day?"

  "Me and Jace argued."

  "You and Jace argued regularly, Logan. Neither one of you apologised, you both knew the other one didn't mean it and you moved on. Jace had forgiven you before he'd even closed the front door. Stop agonising over it."

  "I get that, Chlo, but the last words I ever said to him were..."

  "Were what? What was so bad about what you said?"

  "Nothing really. He was pissing me off and I snapped."

  I didn't get it. They'd snapped at each other and told each other to piss off at least once a week. Jace knew Logan loved him and he never held a grudge, especially not against his brother.

  "Is there more to it?"

  He blinked a few times before replying, "No. I just feel like crap for how it ended. I wish I could go back in time and--"

  "Don't. Please, don't do that. I've thought about going back in time constantly and it won't get you anywhere. Logan, there is nothing you can do about what happened; you can only change what happens next. He wouldn't want you to stress over it when he probably forgot all about your fight five seconds after it happened."

  "Yeah, you're right," he said. That was far too easy and I knew he only said it to shut me up but to him the conversation was over so I didn't push it. That didn't mean it was over. I was determined to get him to forgive himself. This was merely an interval.

  "I want you to stay here tonight." So you don't drink yourself stupid at home.

  His mouth popped open. "How inappropriate. I'm feeling quite vulnerable right now."

  Logan's back. I rolled my eyes and removed myself from his lap. "Shut up and go get ready for bed."

  "I don't need babysitting, sweetheart. I'll be fine on my own."

  Staring into his eyes, I said, "Maybe I'm not fine on my own." Truth was, I was terrified of leaving him alone. I wouldn't be able to settle properly if I was worrying about him finding a bottle of whisky and drinking until he drifted off to sleep.

  My words were all he needed to hear to pull his t-shirt over his head. I laid down and rolled onto my side, giving him some privacy while he took his jeans off. We'd spent the night in the same bed before but that was when one of us - usually me - was a complete mess and the other stayed to comfort. I'd never shared a bed with him where I was wearing little shorts and a spaghetti strap top and he was just in boxers.

  I had a huge moment of doubt but then he slipped beneath the covers and wrapped me in his arms. I felt safe and protected and prayed that he felt that, too. It would be fine, no different to all those other times I'd fallen asleep in his strong arms as he held me together.

  "I'm the one that should be holding you."

  "Nah, more manly like this," he said.

  Completely back to pretending he was okay. The boy drove me nuts! Why couldn't he just open up without thinking of it as a weakness?

  Resigning myself to the inevitable, I snuggled back against his chest and let it go - he wasn't going to talk anyway.

  "Are you going to see him again?"

  "He asked me on a second date," I replied.

  "To which you replied...?"

  "I said yes. We're going to the comedy club next weekend." Logan stilled and I felt his muscles tense around me. "What?"

  "That's our thing. Me, you, Cassie, and Rick the Prick before he was the prick."

  And Jace before he died.

  "Do you not want me to go there with Rhys?"

  "No, you can go with who you like, Chlo. It's just weird you doing a Scott thing with someone else. I'm being an idiot, ignore me."

  I didn't realise it would be weird before Logan said it. I was taking a date somewhere I used to go with my boyfriend and his siblings. "No, it is weird. I'll tell him I want to go somewhere else."

  His arms loosened but didn't relax and he started tracing patterns on my arm with his fingers. It felt really nice. I closed my eyes and unconsciously snuggled back against him. I felt his touch everywhere, from the top of my head to the very tips of my toes. It was the most comforting thing I'd felt in a very long time and didn't ever want him to stop.

  "Don't do that. I don't own the comedy club. You can go with whoever you want. We can go with Cass next month," he said against the back of my head. His breath tickling the sensitive skin at the back of my neck.

  "That sounds good," I whispered, flicking off the lamp and closing my eyes again, enjoying having him slowly sending me to sleep with his magical fingers.

  I yawned. "I'm exhausted and need sleep. Night, Logan."

  "Night, sweetheart," he whispered in the darkness.

  Chapter Nine

  Logan

  I woke up with a human on my chest and it took me a few seconds to realise it was Chloe; I was in her room and hadn't left last night like I'd planned. Out of all the women I'd woken up next to this was by far the most pleasant. The least being the charming woman that stumbled to the corner of her room, crouched down and pissed on the floor. She was still off her face drunk, but still, I was out of there before she'd pulled her thong back up.

  Waking up to Chloe felt about a million times better every time it'd happened, which wasn't a lot. We'd fallen asleep in the same bed or on a sofa but this was different. There were no tears or anger. Neither of us was really there for comfort. Well, maybe I was after her fucking date.

  She spent the evening with him but the night with me. I needed that night. I wondered what he'd think if he knew we'd shared a bed - not doing what I was desperate to do in it. She wasn't his but I wanted to tell him and it'd be a deal breaker for him.

  Fuck, I was a selfish bastard.

  Chloe breathed heavily and balled her hand in a loose fist, dragging her fingertips over my chest before they curled under her palm. I closed my eyes and counted to ten, slowly. The bottom half of her was beside me on the bed but the top half was almost completely on me. Her breasts were pressed pretty firmly against my chest, which made calming the fuck down almost impossible.

  She was everything I'd wanted for the last six and a half years but she'd always been within my reach yet completely unreachable and I didn't know how much longer I could pretend like it wasn't killing me.

  Her lips were facing me, soft and ready and I wanted to attack them more than I wanted anything else. She might scream if I just went for it. I could pretend I was still half asleep and disorientated, speak a load or rubbish that didn't make sense so she thought I was sleep kissing if she shoved me off. Like that thought hadn't ever entered my mind, every time I'd had a drink I'd wanted to kiss her so I could blame the alcohol if it went wrong. The thing that stopped me every time was the possibility that it could be awkward after. I didn't want awkward with Chloe. I wanted everything with her. I could settle for an agonising fucking friendship, but I couldn't do awkward.

  I wanted to lay in her bed all day with her but I knew she'd wake up soon and I wasn't sure how she'd handle the intimate position, the closest we'd been before was waking up with her elbow in my side or one of her legs against mine.

 
I kissed the top of her head, closing my eyes and savouring the moment for a second. I fucking love you.

  Against every instinct I had when it came to her, I rolled her over, laid on my side and leant on my hand. "Morning, Chlo," I said much too loud and much too cheerfully.

  She gasped awake, jumping and clinging to the cover. "Logan! What're you doing?"

  "Waking you up, you've been sleeping too long. Want to go for a run?"

  First she looked lost, then she looked murderous. "You woke me up to ask if I want a run at..." Her eyes flicked to the alarm clock on the bedside table, "seven in the morning?"

  "Yeah, you up for it?"

  "No, I am not up for it. What's wrong with you?"

  Now that was a question I wouldn't mind the answer to as well.

  "You like running in the morning."

  "Not this morning. We weren't supposed to run today."

  "So is that a no?"

  She groaned and flopped back on the bed. "Logan, go home."

  "I don't want to. We could go get breakfast somewhere or you could cook for me here." I'd already put my hands out to protect whatever she was about to hit. I caught her wrist before it came into contact with my shoulder and laughed. "I was joking. I'm a modern man; I'll cook for you. What do you fancy?"

  "Why're you so happy?"

  The answer was pretty fucking obvious to me and it was currently glaring at me.

  I shrugged. "It's a lovely day, Chlo. Come on, sweetheart, cheer up."

  "You can cook for me here. I want bacon."

  That was what I'd hoped because there was no way her mum would let me loose in her kitchen so I wouldn't end up being the one that cooked anyway.

  I got out of bed. "Alright, miss grumpy, bacon is coming up. You want it in bed or are you getting that arse up?" Actually, I quite liked the idea of bringing her breakfast in bed.

  "I'll get up. Give me five minutes to get ready and I'll be down."

  "Alright. See you in a minute." I opened her door and looked back over my shoulder. "And, Chlo, the messy bed hair is pretty hot." I got out and closed the door as she frantically looked for something to throw at me.

  ***

  "Morning, Bethany," I said to Chloe's mum as I walked into the kitchen.

  "Logan, hi," she replied, shocked to see me. "I didn't know you were here."

  "Yeah, sorry, popped over to see Chlo after her date and fell asleep."