Page 27 of Her Second Chance

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I wake clammy, with my sweaty hair clinging to my forehead. Jason’s body covers mine as he spoons me. I thought I missed this, but now that I’m here, it’s not comfortable. Refusing to acknowledge that I’d rather be in bed alone, I tug Jason’s arm closer, placing his hand on the center of my chest. My heart beats beneath his warm palm.

“Are you going to wake up?” he rumbles in my ear. His voice is thick with sleep, making him sound like Brock.

I turn to face him, still in his arms, smiling up at him, hoping he can’t see the discomfort on my face. It’s time I move forward with Jason and give up this silly flirtation with Brock. All it’s doing is hurting us both. “I think you cured me.”

He chuckles. “Does that mean I can do this?” He leans closer, kissing me softly.

I smile and nod. “Yes, please.” I want to hurry and fix things, so we end up together. I’m ready to be thirty-one again. I feel like I need to hurry and get back to my future. I just hope when I do, my soulmate is there waiting for me. Otherwise, what in the hell have I been doing here?

He traces a finger across my cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Hannah. . .”

“Say it,” I plead. Even though everything feels wrong, I need it to be right.

“I’m falling for you, and it scares the shit out of me.”

“I’m scared too.” And I am. I’m terrified I’m ruining my second chance. The last thing I want is to squander this opportunity to fix things and wake up in my future alone. Or worse, never wake up at all.

“I’m not sure how to navigate this with you.” He stares into my eyes, showing me how vulnerable he is. Jason is my forever. He has to be.

I kiss him, tracing his lips with my tongue, not caring that we’ve both been sleeping for hours and our breath is less than minty fresh. He reaches between us, tracing a finger up my slit, missing my clit. I whimper in frustration.

I reach between us, cupping him through his jeans. He punches his hips forward, grinding against my palm.

“Hannah-“ Grace yells as the door slams into the wall. “Shit, sorry.” Her giggling has Jason pulling away from me.

“I gotta go,” he hisses, grabbing his bag and holding it in front of his lap.

“Don’t go,” I beg.

He kisses me on the forehead, softening toward me. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Grace watches him leave, mouth hanging open. “What was that?”

“I don’t know,” I whisper, trying not to cry. Because as nice as our moment was, my heart is still heavy at the thought of Brock never speaking to me again.

I’m so screwed.

Brock

I shouldn’t get mad at Hannah. None of this is her fault. My anger does nothing to help the situation. All it does is make me feel worse. There’s a war waging behind her eyes, but there’s nothing I can do to stop it. Hannah has to choose. And I have to sit back and wait until she does.

There’s no solace in waiting alone. All I have is my hope. But what happens when that’s gone?

Chapter 11

Hannah

Despite only two days passing since Brock left my dorm room upset, it feels like I’ve been away from him forever. I’ve looked for him everywhere, to no avail. All I want is to make things right so we can be friends again. I can’t leave here with him so mad at me.

As soon as I step into the Student Union, I spot Brock’s broad shoulders as he and his teammates tower above the surrounding students. He’s in one of the food lines with some of the other football players. His wet hair has grown out so some and it now curls beneath the edges of his cap, telling me he just got out of the shower. Even from here, I know he smells amazing, like being home on Christmas morning.

He looks over his shoulder, stiffening when he spots me. I raise my hand to wave at him, but he turns around without acknowledging me. I look around for Jason, making sure he’s not here. I don’t want him to see me with Brock after Sunday. There’s too much at risk if I upset Jason. Even though I’m not sure I want him anymore, I’m still afraid to choose Brock. It feels risky to forget Jason brought me back here. I want Brock, but what my feelings for him are wrong?

All I know is I can’t go back to my life with Hunter. When I think about it, my head throbs and my chest constricts, making it hard to breathe. In fact, whenever I see Hunter in this timeline, it makes me feel like I’m swimming underwater against a current. He doesn’t fit here.

As soon as I’m sure I’m in the clear, I approach Brock. If he’s told his football friends about what happened between us, they don’t let on. In fact, they completely ignore me.

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