Page 32 of Her Second Chance

“Are you really going to stand here and pretend the universe isn’t working to bring us together? How can you deny this?” He points at the key in the painting and then his side.

“I should go.” I grab my painting and put it back in its spot, feeling Brock’s eyes on me the entire time, pleading with me.

“Hannah. I can’t do this without you. We were made for each other.”

I gasp, unable to catch my breath. “I can’t. Every time I think about letting you in, I feel like I can’t breathe. My head hurts. I just can’t.”

“I promise, if you just open your eyes, things will be better. Please. Just try,” he begs.

“Turn the lights off when you leave,” I say through the tears, stinging my eyes.

Jason brought me to this place in time, but I don’t seem to want him. I want Brock. He’s the only person who feels real in this timeline. Well, him and Grace. But what if I risk it all and wind up with nothing? Or worse, what if I’m stuck at eighteen forever?

“Hannah, please!”

I pause, muscles tensing, but don’t turn around. I can’t. As much as I want to take a leap and wake up in the future with Brock’s arms wrapped around me, I can’t. Something is weighing me down, holding me in place. And when I think about how I ended up here, my mind turns to Jason. He was my last thought before I woke up here. That has to mean something.

But what?

Brock

Hannah needs to open her eyes. Time is running out, and if she doesn’t choose me soon, she’ll be gone for good. Every time I think she’s coming around, we have a setback like earlier tonight. I’m afraid I’m going to have to let go soon.

“Hannah, please!” I yell, my voice echoing in the almost empty room.

She stays still, unresponsive.

I don’t know what I expected. It’s not like I can force things to go the way I want. Some things are beyond my control. And this is one of them. All I can do is trust that she’ll eventually open her eyes.

I’ll wait for forever for my soulmate if necessary.

Chapter 14

Hannah

Thoughts of Brock have filled my mind since I left him in the studio last night. His desperation was palpable, which doesn’t make sense. Nothing about this second chance does. As much as I want to give in to my feelings for him, I can’t. Something keeps me from being able to follow my heart.

Jason is why I’m here.

It’s like a neon sign flashing in my brain, driving me away from the man I want. Initially, it was my need to fix my past, but I’m beginning to think there’s more to this situation than I first realized. But what?

I’m so distracted by my thoughts of Brock and Jason, I almost walk right into Hunter coming out of the library. Luckily, he’s distracted as well, and I’m able to sidestep him without stopping. He scrutinizes me, but keeps talking to the girl next to him. She’s wearing bright pink scrubs, which seems odd. I know the university has a nursing program, but she looks like an actual nurse with the way she’s writing down things as he speaks.

Weird.

I don’t stop to think about Hunter because tonight I have plans with Jason. The entire walk home I mull over what I should wear. The clothing styles are so different from what I’m used to in the future. It’s hard to believe we ever used to dress this way. I cringe when I think about the low-rise jeans I’ll be wearing tonight. Hopefully, I won’t spend the entire evening worried about flashing my crack. I hope the mom jeans future me wears are never replaced by the reemergence of this style.

By the time I’m back at my dorm, there’s not enough time for a shower. Since the timeline from my past has strayed so far from the one I remember, I have no idea if tonight’s the night we’ll end up sleeping together. The thought makes my stomach sour. I don’t want to mess up the reason I’m here, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit Brock is the person I want. Why did the universe have to send me back to be with Jason, only to have such a big temptation? Is this a test?

That’s it!

This is a test to see if I deserve my second chance. I need to stay on the path. It’s my only way home. It has to be. . . right? All I know is each day my mind feels fuzzier than the previous one. And today I woke up nauseated. It’s like my body’s starting to resist staying in this timeline or something. I need to press on and finish whatever task brought me here.

I throw on my outfit, rushing so I’m not late to meet Jason. I spritz myself with perfume before racing to the front of the dorms where he’s waiting. My anxiety trumps my excitement when I see him. He’s dressed up for our date in baggy jeans with a nice pearl snap shirt, telling me he has high expectations for tonight. That should make me giddy with excitement. Key word is should.

I take the time to look him over since he hasn’t noticed me yet. The butterflies in my stomach are tame compared to the ones I feel when I’m around Brock, but at least they’re there. I think that’s the feeling in my stomach that’s responsible for my sudden bout of nausea, anyway.

I swallow my nerves. “Hey,” I call, waving when he finally spots me.

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