Page 39 of Your Second Chance
“Sorry. I think I needed a second.”
“It’s a big moment.” He shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Yeah.” I closed my eyes. “Hey, Ollie?”
“Yes, love?”
I opened my eyes. “Tell me something inappropriate for this moment.”
The corner of his lips curled into a smirk, and I glanced up at him, silently begging him to pull me out of the moment.
“I’m terrified of cats,” he said, so casually it made me blink in disbelief.
I stared at him, trying to process his words.Cats?A man as tall and built as Ollie, with muscles that could probably wrestle a bear, was scared ofcats?
“Cats?” I repeated to make sure I hadn’t misheard him.
“Oh no,” he said, his tone serious, shaking his head. “They’re terrible creatures.”
I paused, letting the absurdity sink in before the laughter bubbled up uncontrollably. It burst out of me. It was the kind of laugh that shook my whole body and made my stomach ache by the time I was done.
“What did a cat ever do to you?” I asked, wiping a tear from the corner of my eye.
He shrugged, deadpan. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
That only made me laugh harder. I felt light. Free.
“When I was a kid, we had this cat—a fat ginger thing named Percy.”
“Percy doesn’t sound terrifying.” I teased him.
“Percy was Satan’s pet. One Christmas, I was holding a mince pie, minding my own business, and this bastard launched himself out of the Christmas tree. Straight at my face.”
“Thetree?”
“Yes, the bloody tree. And while I’m screaming and trying to peel him off my head, my mum’s yelling at me to ‘stop scaring Percy.’”
I continued shaking with laughter, gasping to try and form words. “Didn’t anyone help you?”
“Help me?” He scoffed. “No, they were all too busy saving theornaments. I had to fend for myself.”
That did it. I doubled over, clutching my stomach as laughter poured out of me. The mental image of Ollie, probably still gangly and awkward as a kid, being ambushed by a cat from a Christmas tree was too much.
When I finally caught my breath, I looked up to find him watching me. His face had softened. Without a word, he reached out, his hand warm as he cupped my cheek.
The gesture was unexpectedly tender, and I froze. He lightly brushed his thumb against my skin, mirroring the way I’d touched him once before.
“Ollie,” I whispered, not knowing what else to say.
His eyes searched mine. His hand stayed on my cheek.
“It’ll be okay. Whatever it is, Nova. It’ll be okay. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. Weird, but strong.”
I chuckled, rolling my eyes to hide the lump forming in my throat. “Weird, huh?” I asked, playfully punching him on the shoulder.
“Yeah, but that’s part of the charm,” he said jokingly, though his tone stayed soft.
The playful moment lingered for only a beat before the air between us shifted.
