Page 13 of One Last Chance

“Vixen Falls is a small town. Did you think Justin wouldn’t tell me? Geez,” she says sadly, sitting back against her chair. “When you left, I knew there was more to the story. I knew that something must have happened for you to leave without saying goodbye, and Domenic was acting all weird and stuff, so I turned to Justin. He couldn’t be one hundred percent sure, but he said he saw you leaving Domenic’s room early the next morning. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together with you leaving and Domenic not talking to me. I knew.”

“I don’t know what to say, Sophia… other than I’m so sorry.”

“Oh, please,” Sophia says, waving her hand. “You think I didn’t know you had a crush on Domenic all through high school?”

“What? You knew? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Chloe, nearly every girl at Vixen High had a crush on Domenic. You were just another.”

“Oh,” I whisper, sinking into my seat and taking another sip of my coffee. “I’m sorry, Sophia. I should have told you. I shouldn’t have left like that.”

“What’s happened in the past is in the past. Was I hurt that you slept with Domenic?” she asks, looking out the window then back at me. “Yes, I was.” I hold my breath for what’s about to come out of her mouth next. “But, I think I was more hurt by the fact that you left without a goodbye.”

Tears slide down my face, and I quickly grab a napkin to wipe them away. Sniffling, I repeat, “I’m so sorry.”

“I know you are, and I forgive you.”

“You do? You forgive me?”

“Domenic and I haven’t been together since then. So please, I forgive you. Our friendship is worth so much more than a stupid boy. It’s not as though I loved him.”

I still. “What? I thought you were crazy about him?”

She shrugs, taking another sip of her hot chocolate. “I was, I guess. But it was more that we just made sense. We were the golden couple… cheerleader and quarterback. Look, Chloe,” she says, holding my hand in hers. “You need to let it go. It was so long ago. All I know is I miss our friendship, and that means more to me than any boy ever could.”

Squeezing her hand, I reply, “Thank you, Sophia, you don’t know how much your words mean to me.”

“Just promise me something, Chlo.”

“Anything.”

“Promise me you won’t let a guy come between us again. Our friendship is more important than that. Plus, I have a new man in my life,” she explains, her eyebrows dancing.

“You do? Tell me. Who is he?”

“Nope, not until you explain what you’re doing back in Vixen Falls.”

“It’s work,” I reply. “Jim’s given me a project down here.”

“Really? What are you taking photographs of?”

I lift my mug to my lips again, not able to keep eye contact when I reply, “Vixen Rapids football team,Sleek Sports Magazinehas asked for me to do the shoot.”

Nearly spilling her hot chocolate out of her mouth, Sophia laughs. “You’re kidding, right?”

Placing the mug back down on the table, my stomach drops. “No, I’m not.”

“Oh, Chloe, what are you going to do? You freaked out when you saw him today.”

I sit up straight. “Nothing. I’m a professional. I can do this without letting my past get in the way.”

“Chloe! You nearly died seeing him before. You need a plan.”

“I do?”

“Hell, yes! How do you feel about him, Chloe? Do you still have feelings for him?”

Shaking my head, I quickly answer, “No, I don’t.”

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