Page 92 of Second Chance with Seth

“Okay, I won’t.”

“Will you tell me what I can do instead?” she asks, and I have to smile.

“You can kiss me.”

She giggles, leaning up and clamping her hands around the back of my neck. I crush her body against mine, flexing my hips up into her as our lips meet. We grind against each other, breath for aching breath, until she pulls back, staring at me, struggling to fill her lungs, and I bring my hand up, cupping her cheek.

“I’m sorry,” she says.

“What for?”

“For being so suspicious. Again.”

I shake my head, smiling at her. “It’s okay. I get that, even if you’ve forgiven me for my past misdemeanors, I still need to regain your trust, and that you might occasionally doubt me, even if you have no need. It’s gonna be a long road back. I understand that. But I promise you have nothing to fear from me, Everly. Nothing at all.”

“How can I be sure of that when you do crazy things like quitting your job, without even discussing it first?”

“It’s not crazy. And I didn’t wanna discuss it first.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’d probably have given me a hundred reasons not to do it, even though it’s one of the most sensible things I’ve ever done.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Even Aiden agreed with me about that.”

She frowns at me. “Aiden? You mean you’ve spoken to him?”

“Of course I have. When I told you I’d left my job, I meant it.”

“So, it’s official?”

I wonder if she’s looking for me to find a way out… a way back, but I nod my head. “It’s completely official, babe.”

She looks bemused, which reminds me of the expression on Aiden’s face when I sat down with him in his office and explained my intentions.

“I can’t afford to fuck it up again,” I said once I’d outlined my plan. “And that means I need to be there, not here.”

“I get it.” His reply surprised me. I’d expected more of an argument.

“You do?”

“Of course I do. I’d hate for Jordan and the kids to be miles away, and I love the fact that I can go back there at lunchtimes, and sometimes collect the girls from school. It’s important.”

“Yeah, it is. But it’s not just about River. It’s not just about having a daughter I didn’t even know existed, and wanting to build a life with her… for her. It’s about Everly, too.”

“Have you worked things out? Or is this about being on-hand so you can be a part-time dad while you try to win Everly back?”

“No. I’m pretty sure we’re okay.”

“Only pretty sure?” he said, tipping his head to one side.

“I’m not taking anything for granted.”

He nodded his head. “Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand what you’re saying, and why you wanna leave, but I don’t really see why you can’t play things like they were before. I mean, you lived with Everly then, and you still worked here, so why can’t you do that again?”

“Because it didn’t pan out very well, did it?”

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