Page 55 of A Second Chance At Forever

I eyed her. “There’s more to it than that. Since we took off, you haven’t talked to anyone.”

She sat up. “I just feel like there is something going on between you and Lennox.”

I didn’t want to, but I lied. “There is nothing going on.” I shook my head. I couldn’t meet her eyes, I was afraid she would be able to see my lies leaving my lips.

“If there isn’t anything going on, then something isn’t finished. I saw the way you look at her.”

Finally, I turned to look at her. “What do you mean? I’m not looking at her any certain way.”

“Yes, you are,” she eyed me with her brows lifted.

“How am I looking at her?” I stood, getting annoyed with the conversation.

“Like you’re madly in love with her. You don’t even look at me that way. Whatever you two had isn’t finished, is it?”

I rubbed my hands over my face. “I don’t know, Nicole.”

“Do you still love her?”

I didn’t answer her. I couldn’t. Finally, I nodded my head, not wanting to say the words to her.

“I can’t believe this.” She held her head in her hands.

I let out a long breath and sat back down beside her, wrapping her up in my arms. I decided to tell her everything. Well, not everything.

“Lennox was my first love. We were together for a few months before she left to start singing. We promised each other that it wouldn’t come between us, but we were so young and we just couldn’t handle the distance. We broke up a year after she left, but I never let go. I had always held out hope that she would come back and we would pick up where we left off.”

Nicole moved closer to me, watching me as I told her the story I hadn’t ever told anyone.

“A few months ago, I read a headline that said she was getting married and I finally gave up on that hope. I thought she was happy where she was and wouldn’t ever come back to me. That same day, you asked me to commit. I did, but not for the reasons you thought. I was just trying to get over her. I thought that if I started something up with you, it would help me to forget her. But then, she came back. I don’t mean to hurt you,” I took a long breath and forced myself to go on. “I thought about everything, you, her, and myself. I decided I wasn’t being fair to you. I shouldn’t have started anything up with you when I was still in love with her. I thought I could break up with you and you wouldn’t ever know the difference. But then, you surprised me with your mom and dad.”

“And when you said you had something to tell me, you were going to break up with me?” she finished for me.

“Pretty much. I’m sorry for hurting you and dragging you into all this. It wasn’t meant to be this way. I’m sorry, Nicole. It’s her, it’s always been her.” I finally admitted.

She took a minute to think over everything I had told her. “And now, if I am pregnant, what are you going to do?”

“I will stick around. I can’t leave you alone in this. I will give up anything I have to. You didn’t deserve any of this. I will take care of what’s mine,” I promised.

“I knew you would.” She smiled slightly before moving in for a hug.

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