Page 13 of The Rookie's Second Chance

"Hey," she greeted, pulling a casserole dish from the oven. "Thought you could use a warm meal."

"That's... really kind of you, Mandy," I admitted, feeling the tension from the day ease up a fraction.

We settled into the dining area, the clinking of silverware punctuating the silence. I took a deep breath, realizing that if there were ever a time to bring up the issue with Lexi, it was now.

"There's something you should know about Lexi," I began cautiously.

Mandy, looking up in alarm, fork midway to her mouth, asked, "What happened?"

"Today, we found a letter at her place. A really creepy, threatening letter. I guess… well, Lexi has a stalker.”

“What?”

“Yeah. This is the second letter this month. And this isn’t the first time."

Mandy's face paled, her fork dropping onto the plate with a clatter. "A stalker? Fuck, Jake. Does she know who it is?"

"She doesn't. But here’s the thing," I hesitated, unsure of how to phrase it. "This isn't new. Someone stalked her in college, too."

Mandy's eyes widened, shock and confusion playing out on her face. "She never told me anything like that. I mean, we were close in college. Roommates, best friends. We shared everything."

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling every bit of my frustration and worry. "Yeah, it seems she kept it a secret. But I thought... maybe you'd noticed something back then, something off?"

She shook her head slowly. "No. Nothing. I mean, there were the usual college dramas, but nothing like this."

I nodded, absorbing the information. There was a weight in my chest, the kind that builds up when you care deeply about someone's safety. I had that feeling for Lexi, and the realization hit me - I felt the same way for Mandy. Not romantic, but a genuine concern. She had seamlessly woven herself into the fabric of our lives here.

"You know," I began, breaking the silence, "I'm really glad you're here. With everything going on, it's good to have someone else who's just as worried about Lexi as I am. It means a lot."

Mandy managed a small smile. "I'm just here for a visit, but she's my best friend. Whatever you need, Jake, I'm here."

The soft orange glow from a single table lamp filled the room, casting a gentle light over the remnants of our dinner. The evening had evolved from simple conversation to deeper contemplation, the kind of heart-to-heart that comes from exhaustion and earnestness.

Mandy swirled the remnants of her wine glass, the dark liquid catching the light. "You ever look back and think, 'damn, I wish I could redo that?'"

"All the time," I admitted, taking a sip from my own glass. The bitterness of the wine mirrored the sour notes of my past regrets. "There's a lot in my past I wish I could change."

She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Like what?"

I hesitated, taking a deep breath. "Losing touch with people who mattered. Missing out on chances. Hurting people I cared about..."

She nodded, her eyes distant. "I get that. After college, I kept bouncing around, trying to find where I fit. Thought I'd find love, settle down. None of that happened. Now, I'm just... here."

A small smile played on my lips. "But being 'here' brought you to us."

She laughed lightly, "True. And I'm grateful for that."

The silence settled between us, comfortable yet contemplative. She broke it with a question. "Did you ever love someone, but... you just couldn't make it work?"

"Yeah," I murmured, unable to separate the words from the image of Kayla in my mind. "Sometimes love isn't enough. Timing, circumstances, priorities... everything plays a part."

She sighed, "I thought I found 'the one' a few times. But life's a bitch, and it never panned out."

We exchanged stories, tales of love lost and lessons learned. The conversations were raw, honest. And with each passing tale, my respect for Mandy grew. The image I'd held of her – just Lexi's college roommate – was shifting. She was complex, layered, and resilient.

It was close to midnight when I finally said, "Thanks for this. I don't usually open up."

She stretched, stifling a yawn. "Me neither. But tonight felt... right. Thanks for listening, Jake."

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