Page 7 of A Possibility of an Unexpected Second Chance

CHAPTER6

Hayden stared at his phone, his finger hovering over the send button. It was eight thirty in the morning…Was it dumb to ask her to join him for breakfast? Was she eating right now, or did she sleep in on her one day off? The splattering of rain on the patio door confirmed there’d be no filming today. If he woke her up with a text, that would be bad. He deleted his breakfast invitation and ran a hand through his hair. Why was this so complicated?

Things had been so awkward with her on the set, and last night had been the straw that broke him. He couldn’t stand the tension between them anymore. He had to try to fix things. Or at least smooth them over so they could work together.

He opened his mini-fridge and took out a bottle of water. The cool plastic felt good against his palms. He opened the lid and let the liquid wash over his throat.

Lana had said he could call her. Why did that surprise him so much? Maybe because she’d been avoiding him at all costs up until now. Or maybe because she’d been crying at the time. He hated that he made her cry.

He stared out the patio window as he drank the last of the water from his bottle. The overcast sky fit his mood perfectly. Gloom and darkness. Of course, if he could get Lana to go to breakfast with him, it would help.

In the distance he saw a lone figure walking along the beach. He squinted. That couldn’t be Lana. Why would she be on the beach in the rain? Yet, it looked like her.

He grabbed a jacket, slipped on his sandals, and opened the patio door. With the better view, he could tell it was Lana. He was sure of it. But something looked off about it. She pulled her sweater around her shoulders as if she were cold but continued to walk further out along the beach.

He caught up to her, the rain pelting his forehead and making him blink. “Lana? Are you okay?”

She turned, startled. “Hayden?” She seemed confused.

Worry made his stomach tighten. “Why are you out here in the rain?”

The rain fell heavier, soaking them. She looked out at the ocean. “No reason.”

“I don’t believe that.”

Lana gave him a small smile. “You always could read me.”

Funny, that’s what he thought about her. “What’s wrong, Lana?”

“I just needed to think.”

Hayden had a sneaking suspicion he knew what this was about. “Is it your mother?”

Lana brushed the rain from her face and exhaled. “It’s like she can’t live her own life. All I said was that I wanted a day to myself, and she went all ballistic on me.” She stared at him. “Is it too much to ask that I get some time alone?”

A hollow feeling spread through him. She wanted to be alone. So much for asking her to breakfast. “No, that’s not too much to ask.”

“She’s moved into my room. I can’t breathe anymore. I love her, but…”

Hayden knew the rest without Lana saying anything. Gail and Lana were alike in many ways. No wonder they clashed. “I know you love her. But she's a bit much sometimes, right?”

“Yes.” She hugged herself and looked up as if just realizing it was cold and rainy. “Can I come over? For a little bit?”

His heart jumped into his throat. She wanted to come over? He tried not to get too excited about the thought of Lana wanting to spend time with him. “Of course.”

He thought about putting his arm around her, but they were both wet it wouldn’t offer her any warmth. When they got to his room, he slid open the deck door and they entered.

He grabbed a towel from the bathroom and offered it to Lana. She wrapped it around her like a blanket. “I’m sorry. I’m getting your floor all wet.”

“Don’t worry.” He grinned, running a hand over his hair plastered to his scalp. “I’m as soaked as you are.”

She stared at him, letting out a small giggle. “Yeah, you are.”

“Do you want some coffee?”

“Sure. Thank you.” She scrunched her hair in the towel, trying to dry it.

He busied himself, trying not to pay attention to how the woman he couldn’t stop thinking about was now standing in his room, or how she smelled of fresh rainwater and that light floral scent he’d grown accustomed to. The woman that made his heart race when he was near her was now standing a few feet from him. He shook his head as he poured water into the coffee maker and flipped it on.

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