Page 26 of Her Second Chance

Jason scrutinizes me before nodding. “I’m sorry I overreacted. It’s obvious you’re not feeling good. I don’t know what it is about you, but I’m not myself.”

I bite my lip to keep my cries from turning into sobs. I don’t want to start our forever with a lie, but I can’t admit that I want Brock. Do I even still want forever with Jason? My head is a mess, and all I want is to go home, back to my real timeline where my actual life waits for me.

He pulls me into a hug. “Let’s get you back into bed, and I’ll go get you some soup.”

I sniffle, trying to stop my tears, but not having much luck. What the fuck am I even doing here?

Brock

With each passing day, it becomes harder to be patient. I know Hannah’s made for me, just as I’m made for her. What I don’t understand is how fate could bring me my soulmate, only to keep her from me.

I feel Hannah slipping through my fingers, yet there doesn’t seem to be anything I can do to stop it. The urge to shake her is strong, but that wouldn’t do anything other than hurt her. The last thing I want to do is hurt Hannah. I just have to keep waiting.

One day, she’ll open her eyes.

She has to.

Chapter 10

Hannah

While Jason runs to get me soup and medicine, I try calling Brock. He ignores my calls, letting them go straight to his answering machine. After the fifth message I leave, begging him to talk to me, I give up, recognizing defeat. It’s probably for the best, but that doesn’t make me feel better. If anything, I feel worse.

Why is fixing my past so complicated? Why would Brock be placed in my path when I’m here because of Jason? Nothing going on makes sense. Of course, are there really rules when it comes to time traveling to your past to correct your biggest relationship mistake?

The worst part of all this is my hormones and emotions are that of my eighteen-year-old self. My mind knows how to react, but my heart won’t let me. Where is the wisdom I’ve accrued over the last thirteen years? I mean, I know I was a hot mess when Hunter dumped me, but that wasn’t how I usually behaved. I wasn’t this bad. Was I?

Jason knocks twice before letting himself into my room. He must’ve taken the key with him. I’m not sure how I feel about him thinking he can come and go as he pleases. We’re just getting to know each other in this timeline. That feels presumptuous on his part.

“Hey,” he says when I roll over to face him. He looks me over, wincing. “You look rough.”

I raise my hand to my cheek. No doubt my eyes are puffy from crying over Brock. I’m glad Jason thinks it’s because I’m sick and not because I’m worried another guy hates me.

“Sit up and eat some of this soup.” His voice is soft, and I can tell he’s trying to be tender. Too bad it feels all wrong coming from him.

I sit up against my pillows, and he spoons some of the soup he bought into my mouth. It feels good to have someone take care of me for once. When I was with Hunter, he would poke and prod me before giving me some sort of Google diagnosis. Not wanting to catch whatever ailed me, he would leave me in bed alone. Warm and caring, he was not.

“Thank you,” I murmur, slurping the hot liquid.

“I’m sorry I was so hard on you earlier. I didn’t realize you were sick. I’m not a jealous person, but the thought of you with someone else makes me want to hit things. You’re mine.”

He holds the spoon to my mouth again, and I shake my head no. “I’m full,” I croak. Something about the way he called me ‘his’ doesn’t sit right. It almost feels sinister. Surely he doesn’t mean it that way.

He sets the soup on my desk and pulls me into his arms. For a place I thought I’ve spent years missing, I don’t relish being here. I don’t like Jason’s possessive nature. He was never like that in the past. At least, not that I remember. I try to recall him holding me, but all I get is a pounding behind my eyes. Being in my past has twisted all my memories.

Desperate to feel connected to Jason, I pull him down next to me, snuggling into his chest. He tightens his arms around me as he kicks off his shoes. My shirt has pulled up, baring my ass to him. He moves his hand there and squeezes. I shift my leg so his hip is between my legs, allowing me to feel him harden against my thigh. Thoughts of Brock from last night hit me, and I have to force myself not to compare. Jason is perfectly satisfying. He’s just not. . . Brock.

I squeeze my eyes, trying to forget the man I’m not supposed to want. Too bad it doesn’t work. Sighing, I pull away some. “I should get some rest.”

He holds me tighter. “Go to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake.”

I bite my lip to keep from screaming for him to leave. I’m too overwhelmed with guilt with him here. I want to call Brock and beg for his forgiveness. Brock’s arms are where I want to be right now. Nothing about this second chance with Jason feels right. In fact, everything feels wrong.

No.

I came back here because of Jason. This is my second chance. I can’t mess it up because of my confusion. But what if I’m not confused? What if things have already been altered beyond repair?

I struggle to work through my muddled thoughts, but my head throbs. My eyes are heavy, so I give in and close them.

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