Page 30 of Just Another Chance

When I spot a quiet alcove covered in sweet-smelling honeysuckle, I take Addie’s elbow and guide her over. We sit down, suddenly quiet, and finish our iced lemonades. There is so much that is hanging unsaid between us and it’s starting to drive me crazy. I can’t ignore it any longer, so I take a breath and plunge into the deep end.

“Thank you for letting me bring you here tonight,” I say quietly.

“It’s nice coming back. I haven’t been here since…we came to see the Christmas lights.”

“Yeah, me neither.” I reach for her empty plastic dish and spoon and toss it into the nearby garbage container with mine. “Addie…I need to ask you something.”

I turn to face her, and she swivels to look up at me.

Here we go.“Why did you run off without even talking to me?” A weight lifts off my chest the moment I ask and I’m dying to hear her answer after all this time.

“You mean after I saw you kissing another woman?” she asks.

“Yes. Because if you would’ve stayed and heard me out then you’d know that woman was a hooker my father hired to try to break us up.”

Disbelief and confusion flash across her face. “I’m sorry,what?”

“My dad told me she was a business associate’s daughter and then begged me to have dinner with her as a favor to him. I felt bad and caved in even though I didn’t want to. She tried coming on to me a few times and I cut the dinner short. We stepped outside and they must’ve planned for her to kiss me the moment you arrived. He wanted you to see that kiss. It wasn’t even fucking real, Addie. The whole thing was a setup.”

Christ, it feels good to finally get that off my chest.

“Oh, my God,” she whispers. “But-” Her voice trails off and I can see the gears spinning in her head.

“But what?”

“But then why did Kayla tell me you wanted to break up with me?” Confusion flares brightly in her brown eyes.

“What?” I practically roar. “Your sister told you that? I never had a conversation with her about wanting to break up, Addie. I swear.”

“Why would she lie to me?”

“I have no idea.”

She seems to be considering my words. “And earlier that day your dad stopped by my apartment,” she says carefully.

My gut drops sickeningly. “What did he say to you?” I ask. God, just when I thought I couldn’t dislike Thomas Beckett any further, I feel a wave of hate pass through me. If I find out he did something more to break Addie and I up, I will never forgive him.

“He told me to back off. He said you were moving on and that I wasn’t good enough for you. That I was holding you back from the life you should be living.”

“Shit,” I swear and swipe a hand through my hair. If he weren’t already dead, I’d kill him myself.

“Then he said you were at dinner with some socialite, and she was more fitting than I was.” Addie presses her lips together and I have a sinking feeling there’s more.

Preparing myself for the worst, I nod for her to continue. “And?”

“And then he pulled his check book out and asked how much it would cost to get me out of your life.”

For the first time ever, I have no words. It’s hard for me to grasp how low my own father sank in an attempt to break us up. Every vile curse word imaginable flashes through my head and I hope my father is roasting in hell right now. I grab Addie’s hands in mine, lean in and press my forehead against hers.

“I’m so damn sorry, Addie.” She squeezes my hands then our fingers thread together. I’m looking down at our hands and it’s hard for me to comprehend what she just said. We were both callously tricked, but here we are once again, back together despite the world being against us.

It’s like Fate granted us a second chance.

“It’s not your fault,” she whispers. “But why didn’t you come over and explain things to me? I waited…” Her voice catches. “I waited up all night for you, Tanner, and you didn’t even call.”

“I was on my way, and I got into an accident.”

“Oh, my God,” she whispers. “What happened?”

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