Page 51 of Second Chance with Seth

“I know. I probably phrased that badly, but the point stands. Things are…”

“Things are different now. I get that. I’m not an idiot, babe. Having River means your time is taken up with her.”

“Then how do you expect this to work?” she says, sounding desperate. “Even when I’m not putting in the hours down here, I still have so much to do.”

“Well… I kinda hoped you’d let me help.” She frowns, like this is news, and I have to smile. “Don’t look so surprised. I offered earlier, and even if it wasn’t what you wanted to hear, you can’t deny that having me around could have its uses.”

“I—I’m not.”

“Really?”

“Really. But looking after a baby is exhausting. Are you honestly telling me you won’t mind if I don’t feel like making love with you because I’m too damned tired?”

I smile, grinding my hips into her, which makes her gasp, and then I dip my head and trail a line of kisses from the corner of her mouth to her ear.

“To be honest, I’m just relieved you’re considering making love with me again.” She shakes her head and I lean back, relieved by the smile that’s touching at her lips. “In answer to your question, no, I won’t mind… although I find it hard to believe there’s ever a time when you don’t feel like making love.”I can still remember how wild she could get… how we’d tear at each other’s clothes, our lips and hands everywhere, and I let out a slight groan. She licks her lips, gazing into my eyes, like she’s in the same place as me… lost in those memories, and as I feel like I’m on a roll, I continue, “I know things were tough at the end…”

“Don’t call it the end,” she says, interrupting my flow, although I don’t mind. Her point is valid. It’s a pleasing one as well, and I smile down at her.

“Okay. I’ll start that again… I know things were tough before I left, but I still wanted you. All the time.”

“I still wanted you, too. But there never seemed to be any time.”

“I don’t know about never,” I say, raising my eyebrows, and she bites her bottom lip. We’re both remembering our last time together. I know we are, and I free her lip with my thumb as she closes her eyes, letting out a gentle moan.

“I—I’m scared,” she whispers.

“You have nothing to be scared of. I promise.”

“But I can’t…”

I snap my thumb across her lips.

“Don’t make this about what you can’t do. Make it about what you can do. You don’t need to ask yourself how good we can be together. You already know that. All you need to ask yourself is, can I forgive him for hurting me? Can I let him back in? Can I give him another chance? Because if you can, I promise, you won’t regret it.”

She sighs, her shoulders dropping, and I feel a wave of despair wash over me, my hand falling to my side.

“Can I take that as a ‘no’?” I ask.

She stares up at me, right into my eyes, like she’s searching for something, and I let her gaze for as long as she needs, until she says, “You can take it as a maybe.”

That’s not a ‘no’, and I nod my head, feeling a little less despondent.

“Okay. What do I have to do to turn maybe into yes?”

“The first thing you’re gonna have to do is let me go.”

“Never. I’m never letting you go, babe… no matter how small the chance for us, I’m taking it and I’m fighting for it.”

She smiles, just slightly, licking her lips, and rests her hands on my chest, which feels much more like ‘yes’ than ‘maybe’.

“I didn’t mean forever,” she says. “It’s just things will probably be getting busy inside, and I can’t leave Owen to cope all by himself.”

“Oh. I see.”

I go to step back, but she grabs my arm, her other hand still on my chest, pressing down hard, like she wants me to stay… which isn’t a problem for me.

“I—I’d love to be able to say ‘yes’,” she says, blushing just slightly, and I put my arms around her, pulling her close.

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