Page 104 of Second Chance with the Single Dad Goalie
I make my way into the living room and Blake’s eyes meet mine over the heads of the kids.
“Hey, Whitney.” His voice is steady.
I force a small smile. “Hi, Blake. How are you? Congratulations on the win.”
“I’m good, and thanks.”
For a few seconds, none of us says anything, just stares at each other.
Mia tugs at his shirt. “Can we go home now, Daddy?”
Blake brushes a hand over her curls. “Yes, sweetheart.”
I clear my throat. “Um…, Mia sweetie, we’ll leave in a bit. I want to talk to your dad first. Is that okay?”
Mia blinks up at me, considering. Then she nods. “Okay,” and she scrambles down and runs to where Nico is, leaning against Keith as he plays, well, tries to play video games.
Blake’s gaze flickers with something unreadable as I nod in the direction of the backyard. Stepping outside, the night air is crisp against my skin, and I immediately head for the swings. Lowering myself onto one, I push off lightly, the soft creak of the chains filling the quiet.
“Come on, sit,” I say to Blake who’s standing in front of me, watching me. I start pushing myself gently with my feet. I gesture towards the swing again and for him to sit. With a sigh, he lowers himself to the other one, and like in the past, we swing in a steady synchronized rhythm.
After a while, we bring the swing to a light back and forth. Neither of us speaks right away.
The quiet stretches between us, filled only by the sound of distant laughter from inside, and the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind.
Then, finally…
“All right…,” I exhale, gripping the swing’s chains tighter. “You’ve got your second chance.”
The swing beside me stills.
“What?” His voice is barely above a whisper.
I look straight ahead. “I’ll give you a second chance.”
A sharp breath from him. “Whitney…”
I grip the chains tighter, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “I’ll give you a second chance.” I swallow hard. “Because…, because as much as I want to, I can’t fight my feelings for you. I’ve tried. And I am still hurt, still upset about what happened, but at least now…, I understand why.”
He doesn’t say anything, just watches me, like he’s afraid to move, afraid to breathe.
“I don’t know how to just switch off what I feel for you, Blake,” I continue, my voice softer now. “Believe me, I’ve wanted to. I’ve told myself a hundred times that I should walk away, that it would be easier. But the truth is…,” I shake my head. “The truth is, I still love you.”
His hands tighten around the chains. “Whitney…”
“I’m not saying it’ll be easy,” I add quickly. “And I’m not saying I’ll forget everything overnight. But I’m willing to try. To see if we can find our way back to what we had. If you want that too.”
The next second, he’s in front of me, pulling me up, his hands cradling my face. “I want that more than anything.”
“Oh God, thank you so much. Thank you so much, shortcake.”
“I…, I miss hearing that name,” I say, tears pooling in my eyes. “I miss you calling me shortcake.”
“And I’ll never stop.” His eyes search mine, something raw and desperate in them. “I swear, Whitney, I won’t mess this up.” His voice is thick with emotion. “I’ll make it up to you. I’ll spend every day proving that I…”
I don’t let him finish.
I lean forward, capturing his lips with mine.
