Can't Forgive You (Second Chance Diaries Book 2)

by Emma Vikes

  It would also be a way to apologize to Olivia for over-stepping.

  In all honesty, I wasn’t much of a cook. I lived off my college years, ordering take-out and eating at fast food chains. Convenience store foods was also a staple in my apartment and it was only when I dated Olivia that I started eating home-cooked meals again. Frying was the only way of cooking that I knew how to do.

  I could only hope Olivia would appreciate the effort. Besides, I was watching YouTube all night to learn how to make pancakes from scratch. She had to appreciate that.

  I set out to the kitchen and took out the kitchenware I needed to use but first, I made a pot of coffee. When we used to date, Olivia couldn’t function without having a cup and was often cranky when she left her apartment without having one. She’d been cranky in the same way as a person who was functioning on little sleep and often times, that version of her scared me.

  Fortunately, Olivia’s pantry was filled with everything I needed for the pancakes. I dumped the ingredients in a mixing bowl and then started making the soufflé pancakes like I remembered it. It wasn’t easy and it took me about four wrongs until I managed to make decent-looking ones. The ugly ones were still edible enough which meant they were for me.

  Next, were the eggs and bacon. I wanted to create a happy face with them but I ruined one of the eggs so the other plate was of a cyclops. I’m sure Olivia wouldn’t mind having that for breakfast. It was still cute, in a way.

  “What are you doing?”

  I almost dropped the bacon on the floor, startled at the voice.

  Olivia was quickly tying up her robe but she wasn’t fast enough because I got a peek of her thin nightgown. I swallowed, turning away. “There’s coffee in the pot if you want some.”

  “What are you doing, Logan?” Olivia repeated, staring at me with her hazel eyes.

  I lowered down the tongs I was holding and then shrugged my shoulders gently. “I understand that I may have crossed the line last night. I was overstepping my boundaries when I should’ve just been grateful that you were gracious enough to take me in.”

  Olivia remained silent.

  Then we both heard the shower turn on upstairs.

  She looked at the food on the table and a ghost of a smile flashed on her face.

  The sight of it made my heart skip a beat and I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from smiling. The last thing I needed was for Olivia to catch me smiling like a fool.

  “I’ll go brush my teeth and wait for Amy to come. You’ll be joining us?”

  Just as she asked, I glanced at the plate I left behind on the counter. It was still too early and I still wanted to get some sleep since I woke up to cook. But Olivia looked at me expectantly and I remembered how nice it felt to eat with people again. Just as I was about to nod, my ringtone filled the silence between us.

  Olivia pursed her lips but nodded, smiling thinly at me. “You should get that. It might be Clara or your work. Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s important.”

  I nodded and let out a loud sigh as I picked up my phone. I poured myself a cup of coffee and retreated back to my room. “Hello?”

  “It’s me. Are you doing okay? Did your friend help you out?” Clara’s voice was filled with wonder when she asked the questions. “Do you need anything?”

  After Olivia agreed to help me out, I had my assistant pack me a couple of things from home, including a laptop, so I could still work. I met up with him at a supermarket parking lot to retrieve the bag and then headed straight to Olivia’s. My mind was in frenzy yesterday, so it slipped my mind to inform Clara that I’d found a place to stay. “I’m doing fine and I have all that I need. I’ll be staying with my friend for two nights only. Can you do something within that timeframe?”

  “We’re already trying to diffuse the whole thing. Our team has to release a statement that would answer Julija’s though and that’s a bit tricky.”

  I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “What do you mean by that?”

  “The public is now aware that something happened between you and Julija. I’m sure they’ll assume that you two used to date. Since they’re aware that she’s an accountant to a billionaire, they might assume it was her behind the claims. But her statement could be misleading.”

  My eyebrows furrowed. “What? She made it clear that she ‘dated’ me and everyone knows she’s an accountant. People wouldn’t be that stupid.”

  “There isn’t any evidence that she works for you per se. Her post could support that theory but it could also be a post of how disgusted she was by your embezzlement scandal. By releasing that statement, she’s simply playing victim.”

  I gritted my teeth in annoyance. How could Julija play it so dirty? “Is there anything you can do about this, Clara? I can’t lay low forever.”

  “I have to discuss it with Miss Wilson. So far, the strongest evidence we have against Julija are the claims her previous secretary had made against her. That testimony and along with her post on Instagram would serve as proof that she was obsessed with you.”

  A soft knock sounded on the door and I turned around. Amy’s head popped in the room. Her blonde hair had darkened since it was still wet from her shower. Rivulets of water dropped to the floor from her hair but she had a big smile on her face.

  I motioned for her to come in.

  She did, pushing the door wider. She didn’t say anything but she approached me and then wrapped her small arms around my waist. “Thank you for breakfast.”

  A lump formed on my throat at the gesture.

  “Is that a kid?” Clara asked through the phone.

  I swallowed, her voice ruining the moment I was having with Amy. I cleared my throat. “Call me when you’ve figured things out, Clara. As for work, I’ll have Paolo email me everything that I need to sign and review.” Hanging up on her, I focused my attention on Amy. I crouched down, so we were within eye level. “You finished breakfast already?”

  She smiled at me sheepishly and nodded. “I was hungry and the food smelled great. I was half-way through when Mom came back from the shower. She’s still eating though. She told me to call you for breakfast.”

  Did Olivia want to have breakfast with me? The thought made me smile a little and I allowed Amy to drag me back to the kitchen.

  Olivia was still eating, a stack of papers by her side and a red pen. She looked up at me briefly and then motioned at the plate on her right. It was the plate where I put the ruined pancakes in.

  “You tried really hard, didn’t you?” Amy snickered beside me. She was finishing a glass of orange juice.

  I chuckled and pressed on her nose lightly with my index finger. “I wanted to make sure you had a hearty breakfast before going to school. You’d be surprise how YouTube can be a great teacher.” I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

  Amy snorted with laughter as she drank her juice.

  I noticed there was a brown bag by her side. “Oh, you bring lunch to school? I should’ve made you one.”

  Amy pointed at Liv who was quietly finishing her breakfast on my side. “Mom whipped me up a sandwich before she started eating. It’s okay, Logan. You can make me one tomorrow.”

  I smiled at the thought and nodded. “Sure thing. What time do you leave for school?” I turned my head to Olivia. “Do you drive her?”

  She glanced at me and shook her head. She looked at Amy and I could see the slight longing in her hazel eyes. “I used to and I would love to. But I promised her that she could take the bus this year.”

  Beside me, Amy beamed. “I ride the bus with Mikaela every day, so we don’t have to wait for each other at the parking lot anymore!”

  Mikaela must be her best friend. “That’s nice. But that means you have to wake up a little early. If you have your mom drive you, you could have a couple of minutes of sleep.”

  Amy shrugged and downed her juice. She stood to bring the glass to the sink and shrugged. “It’s okay. I like waking up early.”

  I turned to Olivia. “Did you
train her to be just like you?”

  A secretive smile formed on Olivia’s lips. “Trust me, she doesn’t entirely take after me.”

  I was nearly done with my breakfast when Amy approached me. “Can you walk me to the bus today?” She looked over at Olivia with puppy dog eyes. “Will that be okay, Mom?”

  Olivia couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She got up from her seat and then took Amy’s bag and helped her with the backpack straps. “Yes, it’s okay, sweetheart. And about last night, I’m sorry if I upset you. Logan will be here when you get home, so you can have some fun with him later after school.”

  Amy’s eyes lit up as she turned to me with a huge smile and then hugged Olivia. “It’s okay, Mom. You were right. I needed to study. Fun is regulated during the school days.”

  Olivia giggled and then placed a gentle hand on Amy’s cheek.

  I watched the two of them interact with each other and couldn’t help but imagine the last ten years being just them. I froze as a thought struck me that caught me by surprise.

  We seemed like a family.

  While Olivia and Amy were hugging each other and having their moment, I was in the background, watching. It felt so natural and real. For the majority of my life, I’d always thought about myself and the things I wanted to achieve. I barely thought about getting married and starting a family.

  Well, that wasn’t entirely true. There had been a moment in my life when I thought about that kind of future and at the same time, I’d never felt so scared my whole life. The thought made me look over at Olivia.

  If only she knew…

  Amy tugged at my hand. “The bus will be there in five minutes. Walk me to the bus stop?”

  I nodded. I carried her lunch for her as she held my hand. We walked the short distance from their house to the bus stop.

  “Will you wait here for me when school’s done?”

  Her question sounded so innocent but there was this hope in her eyes I couldn’t understand. The sight of her looking at me like she did left a warmth in my heart that I never felt my whole life. I crouched down in front of her. “Do you want me to?”

  She nodded. “Raquel usually waits for me but I’d like it to be you today.”

  “I’ll wait here all day if you want me to,” I told her in earnest just as the bus arrived.

  Amy giggled and then kissed me on the cheek. “That’s silly. I’ll see you later, Logan!”

  I stood up and watched her go, feeling the warmth from her kiss spread throughout my being and up to my soul. Suddenly, I felt light and as I walked, there seemed to be a spring in my step. Then when I got to the front door of Olivia’s house I recognized what I felt.

  Contentment.

  My hand rested on the door knob, my heart beating erratically inside my chest. The whole situation left me with a kind of satisfaction the past ten years never brought. I wasn’t sure if it was because Olivia and I seemed to be on better terms. Or maybe it was because of how Amy treated me that made me feel so diffeent.

  Whatever it was, I shouldn’t get used to it. Olivia was simply doing me a favor by letting me stay. If I got too close, we all might crash and burn.

  Again.

  14

  Olivia

  Amy’s laughter made me look up and I caught her toppled over on the ground beside Logan. Her face was filled with pencil smudges and so was Logan’s. He had a bright grin as he watched her, trying to stop his own fits of laughter. When he turned to my direction, I quickly looked down, forcing myself to review a case.

  I brought my thumb to my mouth and deftly chewed on my nail. It was a bad habit and something I hadn’t grown out of despite my age.

  “You still do that, don’t you?”

  Logan’s voice was a quiet murmur but I knew the question had been directed at me. I looked up from my papers again.

  Amy had focused her attention on the drawing she was making. As I told her this morning before she left for school, she was allowed to spend time and have fun with Logan. The two of them hadn’t wasted a second since she came home.

  Before leaving, Raquel had informed me that Logan had the whole setup ready. He had asked Raquel to buy him two sketchpads and more art supplies earlier today. She was curious as to why he couldn’t get them himself but didn’t pry over his situation. I think Logan noticed that because he thoroughly thanked her for helping him out before she left earlier.

  When I arrived home, Amy recounted how her day went for me, starting from when Logan walked her to the bus stop and then informing me that he’d waited for her there to arrive from school too. When she mentioned it, Logan teased her that he had to wait for her for over an hour because she told him the wrong time. It was adorable to watch them argue.

  “It’s a habit,” I muttered with a shrug. I was about to stand up when he did. He raised a hand at me so I stayed put while he disappeared to the kitchen.

  When he came back, he had two small plates of cookies. He handed one to me and the other to Amy and she was thrilled at the sight of the snacks.

  Logan made a decent babysitter for her. He had enough patience to spend time with Amy and genuinely seemed to love spending time with her.

  Logan looked at me, noticing me watching them again. “Is there anything you need? Coffee? Orange juice?”

  I shook my head and motioned at the papers I had to review. “Would you mind calling for pizza? I usually cook dinner on Fridays but this needs extensive reviewing. I’ll be in my office, so please tell me when it’s here so I can pay. The number of the pizza place is on the fridge.”

  Picking up the papers, I disappeared to the office while Logan headed to the house phone to call. Before entering the office, I overheard him making the order and I couldn’t help but smile to myself when he asked to have the pizza in three different flavors.

  We used to fight over what pizza we should get. I liked mine with only cheese and garlic while he liked his loaded with meat. Whenever we ordered, we had to split it in half. Considering Amy, I think third would be of her preference. It was cute for him to have thought of what she liked and before finally closing the door, I heard him asking her what she wanted.

  Twenty minutes later, a knock came on my door and Amy popped in. She looked like she’d showered and changed into her pajamas. She had a huge grin on her face. “Pizza’s here!”

  I reached for my wallet. “How much is it, sweetie?”

  Amy shook her head. “Logan already paid for it. Oh, he wanted to ask if it’s okay to eat the pizza in the living room? I wanted to watch Avatar on Netflix.”

  The request felt strangely familiar and then it occurred to me that Logan used to ask me the same thing back when. Even at his age, he was a huge fan of that show. Of course he was still re-watching it over and over since it was available on a streaming app.

  Amy kept looking at me with hopeful hazel eyes.

  I couldn’t help but let out an amused chuckle. Standing from my seat, I placed a hand on her shoulders and pushed her to the living room. “Sure, but don’t get used to it. Know that I won’t allow you every time you make that request.”

  Amy pouted but nodded, running to the kitchen to inform Logan that we were eating in the living room.

  When Logan came out of the kitchen, he had a box of pizza balanced in one hand and three plates in the other.

  Amy was holding three bottles of sodas and looked absolutely excited.

  I approached Logan and took the box of pizza from him.

  Logan set everything on the coffee table after Amy cleared it out. He then reached for the remote, clicked on the Kids profile on my Netflix, and searched for Avatar.

  “You’re thirty years old and you still watch that,” I stated.

  He glanced at me subtly and rolled his eyes. “Amy wanted to watch it.”

  “Hmm-mmm,” I mused as I took my seat, reaching for a slice of pizza and putting it on a plate before handing it to Amy. I took another slice‒the one loaded with meat‒and then handed it to Logan when he’
d settled himself on the couch.

  He looked at me when I gave to him, staring at the plate. “You remembered,” he muttered softly.

  I looked away and reached for my slice. “I overheard you requesting a three-way pizza. I’m honestly surprised you remembered we used to do that.”

  Amy was intently focused on the show. She didn’t notice Logan reaching for a bottle of soda, opening it, and then setting it beside her. He then reached for another one, twisting the cap and handing it to me.

  The gesture was simple but it enveloped me in fuzzy warmth.

  We ended up eating dinner in silence. The two of them engrossed in the journey of Aang fulfilling his destiny as the Avatar while I just sat there and observed them. Amy was sitting on the floor and Logan was on the other end of the couch while I sat on the other. Since Amy was closer where he was at, she leaned her back against his legs.

  From time to time, she would look up at Logan and ask questions that he would patiently answer.

  I found the sight of it endearing, remembering how Logan hated people doing that. When we went on movie dates and he would overhear people obnoxiously asking questions, he often snapped at them. But his patience with Amy was remarkable.

  It made me wonder if it would extend even more if he found out she was his.

  Since they were both too engrossed with the show, I quietly took their plates and the empty pizza box from the table. I cleared the table and threw the soda bottles away. Neither of them noticed even when I slipped out of the room and to my office to retrieve the case. When I came back though, Amy had climbed on the couch next to Logan.

  She now rested her head on his shoulder and I couldn’t help but slyly take a picture of the two of them. I didn’t know what possessed me to do so but the moment seemed so perfect to capture. Hadn’t I done so, I was certain I would regret it.

  I let Amy watch the show for another hour and a half. While the two of them were busy with it, I was reviewing the case in the background, yawning from time to time. I wanted nothing more than to crawl into my bed, rest my head on the pillow and allow sleep to takeover. It had been a long week and I was due for a good sleep.