Page 14 of A Possibility of an Unexpected Second Chance

“Please tell me there’s a chance for us. Tell me I haven’t messed this up so much we can’t return to where we’ve been.”

“I don’t want to return,” she whispered, and he pulled back from her.

“What?”

“I want to move forward. The two of us. Together.” She cupped his cheeks. “That’s what I meant.”

Understanding dawned on him, and he smiled. “Good. Because I don’t want to spend one more day without you.”

CHAPTER9

Lana breathed in deeply, closing her eyes and enjoying the closeness between them. She’d longed for those words, and now, here Hayden was, saying them to her. The evening had turned cool, but she felt completely warm in Hayden’s embrace.

After a moment, she pulled back from him. “Maybe we should get going. I’m sure my mother is livid, since I disappeared on her.”

Hayden cringed. “Yeah. I’m sure she is.” He took her hand. “Let’s go.”

“Do you mind if we walk slowly? And maybe…” she pointed to the park across the street. “Do you think we can take the scenic route?”

He smiled. “Of course.”

After a moment of silence, he said quietly, “Are you ready to talk about it?”

She knew what he meant. Her mother, and why she was running from her. She sighed. “Yes.”

“You don’t have to, if you’re not ready.”

She glanced up at him, surprised at the closeness she now felt with him. It was like his kiss had healed her, and their relationship. She wanted to tell him, because she didn’t want anything to be kept a secret between them anymore.

“You probably already know. Mother inserts herself in my life, like, everywhere. She wasn’t even cast in this movie, and she made a few phone calls and got herself a part. I mean, they wrote in a part for her! Can you believe that?”

He nodded, his smile widening. “Yeah, I actually can.”

She let out an exasperated breath. “See? Even the fact that isn’t unbelievable should be a sign that something is wrong. Why does she insist on smothering me?”

“She cares about you.” His words held a deeper meaning, but she wasn’t sure what it was.

“I know.”

“She wants you to succeed.”

“Yes, but she wants me to succeedher way.” Lana huffed, the frustration causing tension to come back into her shoulders.

“What do you mean?” His voice was soft. Caring. It almost made her tear up.

“I got offered the lead role in a fantastic drama, but my mother thought it wouldn’t be commercial enough and told me to turn it down. However, I loved the script and told them I would do it. A week later I got a call that they had cast someone else and gave me a lame excuse. I don’t have proof, but I’m sure Mother made that happen.”

His eyebrows rose. “She interfered? How?”

“I don’t know, but I’m sure she had something to do with it. She was against it from the start, and Mother has weight in Hollywood.”

He paused, like what she was saying was just sinking in. “You think she would go to that length?”

Lana nodded. “I’m sure she would. If I don’t eat the foods she allows, or go to the parties she likes…”

“Or date the men she approves of…”

His voice was so low, Lana wasn’t sure he’d heard him right. “What?”

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