Page 81 of Your Second Chance
“Mum took the train in. We’re all driving back together tomorrow.”
“Why is Will here?” Nova asked, her gaze bouncing between me and my mum, confusion etched on her face.
I grabbed her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, and nodded toward Luna. “Come on. Both of you. Follow me.”
Will clapped me on the back as we walked.
“Good to see you up and about, Nova.” He grinned. “We missed you at work. Some of the players were waiting for their chance to go viral.”
Nova chuckled. Mum leaned over and whispered something to her, and I caught a glimpse of a smile on Nova’s face as we rounded the side of the house.
“Oh, you painted the garden apartment?” Nova asked.
I laughed, the tension in my chest loosening slightly. “Yeah. Will and I did it.”
“Cool,” Luna said, already moving forward. “Let’s see it.”
She pushed open the door, and we followed her inside.
Nova’s eyes widened as she took in the clean, modern design.
“This is incredible.” Nova ran her fingers along the smooth surface of the kitchen counter.
Luna, meanwhile, made a beeline for the bedroom. “Oh my god,” she squealed, throwing her arms out dramatically. “This green wall isperfect.”
Will leaned casually against the doorway, smirking. “Handywork by yours truly. You’re welcome.”
Luna rolled her eyes, though her grin didn’t waver. “You did one wall.”
“Exactly,” Will shot back. “The most important one.”
I turned to Luna, my heart hammering. “So... Do you like the space?”
“Like?” she said, spinning around to face me with a wide grin. “Love. Someone is going to absolutely love being here.”
I paused, the question perched on my tongue as I turned to Luna. “Do you want to move in? Here?”
Nova shot me a sharp look from the other side of the room, narrowing her eyes slightly. Mum chuckled, her arms crossed as she watched the scene unfold, while Will leaned casually against the counter, clearly entertained.
Luna laughed nervously, brushing her hair back. “That’s a weird question to ask, Ollie. I mean, I know you and Nova are... whatever, but shouldn’t you be askingherto move in here?”
I shook my head, keeping my tone steady. “She’ll be in the main house.”
My gaze locked on Nova’s, and the rest of the room seemed to fade away. Everything—everyone—disappeared but her.
“I was so scared when Luna called me. I was so far away. I want you to move in with me. I wanted to make sure Luna was included, so I spruced this space up for her.”
Luna cleared her throat, her nervous laugh returning. “That’s nice and all, but I can’t afford an apartment like this. Look at it—it’s way out of my budget.”
“I’ll charge you the same rent you’re paying for your flat now,” I replied, not missing a beat.
“That’s, like, half the price.” Nova’s voice was incredulous as she folded her arms.
I turned to her, holding her gaze. “Before you decide to run away, come to the main house and see it.”
“I’ve already seen it.”
“We fixed some things up,” Will chimed in.
