Page 30 of Second Chance Serenity

She crosses her arms. “We both know the reason, though. Have you told her yet?”

Margot is the only person in this world who knows why I left. Why I felt like I wasn’t good enough for Reyna and the life I’d planned for us was not what Reyna deserved.

And her knowledge isn’t even because I told her, but rather because my sister was eavesdropping from the other room when my father told me that I needed to be better than this town. That if I didn’t go off to college and pursue a football scholarship, I was wasting my life.

He’d been insistent on it, and honestly, it was the first time he’d tried to pressure me into anything. Likely because it was the first time I’d gone against what he wanted for me. He was a cop. His entire life was this town. And he’d wanted more for me. Trouble was I’d never wanted anything but Reyna.

Our fight drove me out of Hope Springs, though, and convinced me that I would never be good enough for her.

“The reason doesn’t matter,” I tell Margot, “because the end result was the same. I left, and Reyna will never forgive me for that.”

“It’s not fair.”

“I messed up.”

“And you’ve apologized.”

We head out into the hall and she locks the room up behind her.

“If Chad came back today and apologized for leaving town, would you forgive him?” It’s a low blow, but I don’t know how else to get her to see it.

“That’s different.”

“How’s that?”

“Chad got me pregnant, married me, then took off and left me with a thirteen-year-old to raise on my own. You joined the military, served your country, and nearly died for it.”

I chuckle and wrap my arm around her shoulders. Margot has always been my biggest supporter. Out of everyone, she’s who I wrote the most when I was overseas, and she’d always written back. Even when she and Chad started having problems and she’d caught him cheating on her the first time, she’d written to me as though all was right in the world. She’s strong, maybe too strong for her own good because she refuses to lean on anyone. “You paint me as a hero, but to Reyna, I?—”

“Should be a hero,” she interrupts. “Yes, you messed up. Yes, you suck for that. But you’re a human and it’s in our nature to mess up. And you came back. I just—I love her like a sister, but I wish she’d see.”

I want to continue the conversation, to convince Margot to see it from Reyna’s perspective, but I know she never will. Because even though Margot can see my many, many faults, she is the first person to offer forgiveness for them. Anyone’s faults, really. It’s why she stayed with Chad as long as she did.

“Is Matty ready to go?”

“Matthew,” an annoyed teenage voice calls out from the kitchen. “And yes.” He steps out wearing dark jeans, a black T-shirt, and a black leather cuff bracelet. His dark hair is long and shaggy, and he has to brush it out of his face.

“There’s my boy.” Margot wraps her arm around his shoulders and kisses his cheek.

He groans. “Stop, Mom.”

“Why? Uncle Mikey is the only one here.” Margot grins at me.

“Mikey?” I can’t hide my grimace.

Matty grins. “Actually, you know what? You call me Matty, so I think Mikey is actually fair,” he replies with a grin.

Margot laughs. “Be good, Matt. And get your homework taken care of before you do anything else.”

“Yes, Mom. I promise.”

“Good. Dinner tonight?” she asks me.

“Sure thing. Tell me what to bring, and I’ll be there.”

“Just my son.” She points to me. “And hopefully all in one piece.”

“That was one time,” I reply. “And it was just a few strands of hair.”

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