Page 23 of Chance

It's a lounge, I’m guessing, as the house has no furniture because the owners aren't living here. There’s a massive window seat on the side that overlooks the woods surrounding the house. On the one wall, a massive, wooden fireplace sits, which I’m sure is the original. The walls are all done in white, and it has that newly painted smell throughout the house. The main reason I like this house already is how bright and airy it is.

We walk through the sliding glass door to the dining room, which has a study on the one side and the other door leads into the kitchen. The kitchen has stairs going off it and a small toilet tucked under the stairs.

"I love the cabinets," May says as she runs her hands over the granite worktops that match the sparkling, black-tiled floor. The kitchen has an American fridge-freezer and a large cooker built-in, but the original, wooden cabinets really showcase the place.

"It's a four bedroom, and two of the bedrooms have ensuites," I say, stepping closer and tilting her chin so that she looks at me. Maisy leans into me, and I can smell her sweet perfume while her lips are close to mine.

"Do you like it?" I ask, brushing a kiss to her cheek next to her lips. Her skin is always so soft, and it feels like an old friend as I brush my fingers down her cheek.

She lets out a sigh before saying, "Yes, but it’s way too expensive, I bet." She looks up at me with a worried face.

I never told her how much I would inherit because I never wanted to. It reminded me of my dad, but now I'm using it to help my family, putting it to good use.

"I have a lot of money, believe me, and what is mine is yours because I've always been yours,"I tell her as her eyes soften.

Maisy shocks me by kissing me. She presses her lips to mine gently, as if she’s afraid I would say no. I would never reject her. It's the first time she has kissed me first, and it makes me want her so damn much. Her hands weave into my hair, and I grab her hips to tilt her more into me, as much as I can with the bump pressing into my stomach. My phone rings twice before she stops the kiss.

"You should answer that." She smiles, and I can't help but grin.

I pull it out, realizing my mistake too late. It's Elena, and her contact photo is one of us in bed, which she took and set as her contact photo on my phone. You can see she has no top on, and I don't in the photo, either.

I look up into Maisy’s eyes, but to my horror, she is staring at the photo, paler than I’ve ever seen her. Fuck, no. I can’t believe I forgot about the damn photo.

"I have to go," Maisy says before running away from me as quickly as she can, and I swear under my breath before following her.

I manage to stop her in the lounge; I'm lucky she is pregnant and can't run that fast.

"I'm so fucking sorry, I forgot she put that on there. I told her yesterday to leave me alone, but she clearly didn't understand,"I blurt out, feeling as desperate as I’m sure I look.

"It's just a reminder why we won't work. You can be in the baby’s life, but not mine. If it was anyone but her, I think I could have forgiven you, but why her?” Maisy shouts as she paces in front of me. “She destroyed us, and you let her!" she screams at me as she stops right in front of me. The pain all over her face is hard to look at.

"I lost you, May. You left; the love of my life left without even seeing me. You were my best friend, and I went crazy. I wasn't thinking,” I shout back, losing my own temper, but she doesn’t flinch.

“I just wanted to forget my fucking life and not live it. I know I messed this all up, but please give me a chance,"I say gently this time, but she still looks so angry, and I’m actually surprised she hasn’t hit me. Most girls likely would have.

"No, why would I? I want a man who will put me first and doesn't have pictures of him with a girl–who I hate–in bed, on his phone!"she shouts.

Maisy just leaves this time. I let her, knowing she needs to calm down. I'm getting a new phone and a new number tomorrow. I should have deleted her number and that fucking picture. I'm an idiot.

"Can you take me home, please?" Maisy asks Lucy as I walk into the room.

"I'm buying the house,” I tell Lucy, whose eyes widen as she nods and looks back at Maisy.

“Let me take you home, May," I say, and she shuts her eyes like she is trying to wish herself out of here.

"Fine, I'll wait outside," Maisy says before walking out. It hurts to see her walk away from me like that. She is right, she deserves a better man than me. But I couldn't walk away if I tried. I need her.I don’t care how fucking selfish it makes me, no one will ever love Maisy as much as I do.

"I want the house by the end of the week, and tell the owners I will give them twenty thousand more for the keys this week," I say, and she nods before opening her phone.

"I'll call you after I have spoken to the owners, Mr. King." She nods, looking a little awkward. I know she must have heard the fight.

“Bye, and I’m sorry you had to witness all that,” I say.

“I’ve heard worse in my job.” She shudders, and I wave goodbye and leave her to it.

I shake my head before walking out to see Maisy standing by my car. I unlock it, and she gets in. I try to speak to her on the way home, but she ignores me. I was so close to getting her back, and Elena fucked it up again. It seems like a regular thing right now, but I guess it's my fault for not deleting her number.

When we pull up, Izzy is getting out of her car. She runs to Maisy when she gets out and hugs her as a greeting.

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