by Emma Vikes
Can’t Resist You
Second Chance Diaries - Book 3
Emma Vikes
© Copyright 2021 - All rights reserved.
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental. The characters are all productions of the author’s imagination. Please note that this work is intended only for adults over the age of 18.
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Contents
Description
Prologue
1. Maia
2. Ansel
3. Maia
4. Ansel
5. Maia
6. Ansel
7. Maia
8. Ansel
9. Maia
10. Maia
11. Ansel
12. Maia
13. Ansel
14. Maia
15. Ansel
16. Maia
17. Maia
18. Ansel
19. Maia
20. Maia
21. Ansel
22. Ansel
23. Maia
24. Maia
25. Ansel
Epilogue
The Broken Love – Sneak Peek
Prologue
The Rest Of Second Chance Diaries
Also by Emma Vikes
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About the Author
Description
A college breakup with my then-boyfriend, followed by a divorce years later with my colleague I fell in love with, has left me never to get into another commitment for the rest of my life, until I meet the same honey-colored eyes I used to get lost into during my college days, 8 years later.
But I am determined not to fall into that trap anymore. The divorce has shattered me and has left me broke. I have a 7-year-old daughter to feed and I can't afford to lose my job anymore, having got fired once.
In fact, I should hate him even more now, when he crosses his limit and gives me an offer to come back into his life.
How dares he? Didn't he remember the incident that caused our breakup?
I hate him and I have always hated him for the past 8 years.
Doesn't matter if he is a billionaire now and the owner of the hotel, where I got this new job as a sous-chef!
But who am I kidding?
Each passing day I am getting weaker by his charisma, the undeniable attraction of the hotshot CEO he has become.
I can't let it happen to me again, I need to find another job.
Because 8 years have passed and still, I can't resist you Ansel...
Prologue
Maia
Wrapping his arms around my waist, Ansel rested his head on my shoulder.
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at him. He was always so clingy whenever I was cooking.
He kissed my shoulder lightly.
I had to resist the urge to turn around and give in to him. “Careful,” I murmured as I continued to stir the tofu stew I was making from scratch. “If you get too close to the pot, you might burn your hands.”
Ansel chuckled. “You’re making me feel like you don’t want me holding you right now.”
It wasn’t like I didn’t like him hanging around my kitchen whenever I was cooking. I appreciated his presence most whenever I tried to make a new dish. When he was around, I had someone to taste my cooking. Ansel always gave me an honest review and never simply said that everything was delicious because he loved me.
He pulled away from me but left another kiss on my shoulder.
I couldn’t help but smile to myself. It seemed to be a habit he would never outgrow, even when we’d been together for two years. I turned off the stove before facing him. I took a step closer and wrapped my arms around his neck, resting my head on his chest.
I’ve always loved the difference in our height. Ansel was tall and lanky while I was short and petite and whenever I hugged him, he felt like my safe space. Pulling away a little, I looked up to meet his honey-colored eyes. “You know I love it when you’re being clingy but I really have to figure out the main dish I’m gonna make for the competition. I can’t afford to be distracted right now, babe.”
This was probably the most important competition I’d ever had the chance of entering, right after the one that got me a scholarship grant at the university. Aside from the cash prize, the judges were owners and chefs of Michelin star restaurants. Impressing them meant a hefty deal for an aspiring chef like me and would also help me land a job after I graduate.
I had to win it.
“But babe,” came Ansel’s whiny voice.
I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes. As in love as I was with him, his tendency to be whiny and overdramatic could rival a girl’s.
“You’ve been working for that competition for nearly two weeks and it’s held in the middle of summer. You have plenty of time to work on a recipe.”
I pursed my lips. No matter how many times I’d explained it to Ansel, he didn’t seem to want to understand it. It had been one of the main issues we had in our relationship. Ansel didn’t like to compromise and always wanted things to go his way. It was hard to reason with him when he’d already fixed his mind on something. “I’ve already explained this to you a thousand times, babe,” I said, trying to make sure my annoyance didn’t show in my tone. “I have to figure out what to cook and when I do, figure out how to enhance its taste until it becomes a specialty.”
Ansel took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Will you be cooking all night?”
I glanced at the clock and then turned back to my cooking, turning the knob of the stove on again and then nodding. “Yes. I have to study tomorrow for the finals. Today’s the only time I gave myself to focus on this.” I briefly glanced over at him.
Ansel had his arms crossed on his chest and a scowl on his face. “All night?”
Closing my eyes for a moment and then opening them again, I turned my head so I was looking at him directly. “Yes, Ansel, I’ll be in the kitchen all night.”
He let out a shaky breath. “So you chose to use today as your free time to practice and forgot all about the farewell party for me at my fraternity. Is that it, Maia?”
Ah, shit. Now I understood why he was upset. I turned off the stove again and faced him.
His mouth was set in a grim line and his honey eyes had darkened.
I knew this would be hard to backpedal from and the only way I could get on his good side was if I tell him I would come. But I had three more dishes to work on that would take more of my time. “No, of course not, Ansel. It’s just that I totally forgot about the farewell party your frat house was gonna throw for you. I got too caught up with the competition and I also have finals to worry about.”
A moment of silence fell between the two of us.
I knew that despite my explanation, the damage had already been done.
Ansel was already upset with me. “Is this competition even more important than me?”
I chewed on my bottom lip. I hated it each time he took the conversation in this direction. It made it seem as if I was giving less in this relationship. More than that, I felt like he didn’t really support what I loved. “Is that party more important than a competition that could seal my future?”
Ansel’s thick eyebrows furrowed and h
e scoffed. He took a step towards me and placed his hands on my arms, rubbing them a little and then saying, “You’re a great cook, Maia, and everybody knows that. You don’t need to win a competition to prove that.”
I gritted my teeth in annoyance and pushed his hands away. “You don’t understand, do you, Ansel? This is important to me. It’s just a party, among countless ones that you’ll have before and after graduation.”
Ansel’s eyes narrowed and he took a step back. “Just a party? My frat brothers are throwing this for me, Maia. You know they’re important to me like how you claim that stupid competition is important for you too.”
The fact that he called a competition‒ I was practicing my ass off for stupid‒ annoyed me even more. “Look, if you really want me to go, I’ll be there right after I finish cooking! I’ll let you flaunt me to your frat brothers as much as you want. Because that’s the point of it all, isn’t it Ansel? You just want someone to cling on your arm and gush over you.”
Another moment of silence passed between us and Ansel turned away. “I flaunt you because I want to show you off. Because you’re beautiful, smart and amazing and it still amazes me that you agreed to be my girlfriend.”
With his words, my annoyance immediately melted and I felt bad for the comments I made. “Ansel…”
He backed away and shook his head. He motioned at the pot on the stove. “I came here wanting to convince you to come but it seems like there’s something more important than me, that’s taking your time. Whether you come to the party or not, I don’t care. You do you and I’ll have a blast with my brothers.” He walked out of the room and out of the apartment, slamming the door loudly in his wake.
Left alone in the kitchen, I leaned against the counter and squeezed the bridge of my nose. Taking in a deep breath, I turned around and flipped on the stove again, finishing the stew I was making. I didn’t have much time to prepare and I had finals too. Ansel would have to wait.
Besides, in the two years we’d been together, I’ve realized that it was best to give each other some space after the fight. We’d always had trouble compromising but Ansel was easier to talk to after he cleared his head. So rather than running after him and telling him I would come, I focused my energy on cooking again but doing it as quickly as I could, just so I could still make it to the party.
“You know, they say that the taste of your food would depend on your mood.”
I didn’t have to turn around to know Joanne was there. I heard them come in but I was trying my best to focus all my energy on what I was doing. With a sigh, I turned to face Joanne and Giselle.
“What’s got you in such a sour mood,” Giselle teased, approaching me and then dipping her pinky in the pot, tasting the food. “It’s a good thing that your mood hasn’t affected your cooking.”
“Ansel and I got in a fight again,” I muttered, crossing my arms in annoyance. “I just want to finish this dish and then head to the party but it led to us fighting.”
“And it left you completely annoyed and you can’t focus on your cooking,” Joanne said, shaking her head. “I think it’s best if you shower and go change and then we’ll head to the party. You won’t be able to do anything if you keep thinking about your fight which means you should fix it.”
Pouting, I knew Joanne was right and they assured me they would clean everything up while I get ready. I was honestly so lucky I had them as my roommates. I checked my phone before I got in the shower and Ansel didn’t call or text. Despite how I wanted to give him space so we had time to think, there were times when it didn’t work.
After I finished getting ready, Joanna and Giselle accompanied me to the party. It had been a good thing they hadn’t headed there early. I felt a lot better knowing I was coming in with them. We used Joanne’s red compact car and arrived at the frat house. The music was loud and there were people milling around the front yard. I couldn’t help but pity the neighbors in the area.
“Maia! You made it!” Garrett cheered when he spotted me.
I gave him a friendly hug. Garrett was the only frat brother of Ansel that I actually liked. Goofy and awkward and never failed to make me laugh with his gags. But after pulling away from his hug, I could sense a kind of tension in him. I cocked my head to the side. “Are you caught up in another love affair again?”
Despite how friendly and easy-going Garrett was, he was a womanizer. Hell, everyone in their house was except for Ansel. Well, he used to be until he dated me and he got his shit together right after.
Garrett stared at me and then looked panicked again. “What are you talking about?”
I’d witnessed him in the same situation in parties countless times and I couldn’t help but laugh. Shaking my head at him, I placed a hand on his arm. “You really should follow Ansel’s footsteps and stick to one woman.”
Garrett blinked and flashed me an uneasy smile. “Hmm-mmm. I’ll try it out next time.”
“Where is he, by the way?”
Garrett swallowed and shrugged his shoulders a little. “Not sure. Might be upstairs or something. Or maybe out in the backyard and drinking himself dead or he might be playing beer-pong with some of the guests.”
I pursed my lips then nodded and went to find Ansel. I asked a few people I knew if they spotted him and most of them said they only saw him when he blew the cake and that was it. That was odd. Ansel liked hanging around crowds. The biggest extrovert I’d ever met my whole life and it was odd for him not to be somewhere in the crowd when it was his party.
“Maybe he’s outback?” Joanne said over the loud music.
We’d lost Giselle the moment we came in but Joanne stayed with me. Her presence was comforting because I wasn’t really the biggest fan of parties like this. There were even more people in the backyard and in the pool.
I continued to look for Ansel until Joanne tugged at my arm. “Maia, isn’t that him?”
My gaze followed where she pointed and I spotted Ansel talking to another girl. They were all smiley and friendly with each other. Ansel’s friendliness was usually one of the main reasons behind our arguments. His overt friendliness sometimes looked like flirting to me. Even right now, I couldn’t help but feel he was flirting with her.
And then she kissed him.
I blinked, stunned at what I was watching. Instead of pushing her away, I watched as he pulled her closer to him, pressing her body against his. I felt like I just got punched in the chest, like the weight of a boulder I couldn’t contain hit me as I collapsed down on the ground.
Joanne was quick to yank me up.
But the boulder still pressed against me and I was desperate to claw at it and fill my lungs with oxygen. I felt like I couldn’t breathe because of it.
Joanne held on me tight. “Maia…”
I felt so out of it as if my soul had split apart from my body and I was floating. The pain was numbing but for some reason, I found the strength to approach them. Joanne was hot on my heels but I was ignoring her. When I reached Ansel and the girl, I harshly pulled at his arm and forced him to pull away.
“What the hell—” he was about to curse at me and his eyes widened when he saw me, “Ma-maia…” The drunken haze in his eyes seemed to have disappeared.
“Seems like you were enjoying yourself so much with your farewell party.”
He looked back at the girl and then at me, blinking rapidly. “I thought—I thought…”
“You thought she was me?” I said, my voice cold and monotonous. “Do you honestly think I’ll be that stupid to believe you when you say that?”
Ansel swallowed. “I didn’t mean to do this…”
I didn’t know what was more heart-breaking. The fact that I caught Ansel cheating on me or the fact that he was trying to make excuses when I caught him red-handed. “You didn’t mean to cheat on me and break my heart the way you are right now, when you promised me you never would? Is that what you’re trying to tell me, Ansel? Am I supposed to forgive you because you didn’t mean to? How c
ould you do this to me, Ansel? Of all the things that you could’ve done to break my heart, did you have to do the same thing my father did?”
A moment of utter silence that passed between the two of us and I wondered if he was regretting what he did. If he was even remorseful about it. But then he took a deep breath and looked at me evenly and something about his look didn’t sit well with me.
“I was already planning to break up with you. I just couldn’t get the right timing.”
The weight of his words caused a ringing in my ears… as if the whole world suddenly stopped. I caught him cheating on me. I was the one with the right to break up with him because of what he did. I didn’t expect the situation to turn upside down and have him say that. It didn’t make sense because he was the one at fault between the two of us. “What?”
Ansel shrugged casually and his nonchalant demeanor irked me even more.
“Think about it, Maia. I’m graduating. In a few weeks, I’ll be out of this place and I won’t be coming back. Being in a relationship wouldn’t work if I’m halfway across the world figuring shit out for myself. Besides, it’s best to cut out unnecessary baggage that you won’t be needing anymore.”
His words stung deeper than the wound of his cheating had inflicted and before I could restrain myself, my hand made contact with his cheek and the slap echoed throughout the house. “That was for what you said.” And then I raised my other hand and slapped him on the other side. “And that’s for cheating on me, Ansel. When you told me that you never would the night I told you about what happened between my parents and why I loathe my father. You promised me that you would never break my heart that way.”