Page 37 of Second Chance Christmas

Her heart stammered.

“Can we start with watching you play tomorrow?”

He grinned. “You’re sure?”

“You are the love of my life. All I care about is that we’re working towards being together. It was never about you not playing football.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know what I did to deserve this second chance.”

She lifted up onto her toes and kissed him. “It’s a second chance for both of us. And Leo? We absolutely deserve it.”

“Then let’s not waste it.”

They walked, hand in hand, across the street, to Harry’s house first, and then, into their future.

* * *

His team won the game,and two goals were scored by Leo. The crowd went wild, chanting his name. His teammates hugged him, and after the final whistle was blown, he looked directly into the members’ box from which she and Audrey were watching and pointed at them, then tapped his heart. Cassidy’s eyes misted with tears. She toyed with the ring she wore, her soul lifting.

Afterwards, they were given a tour of the club, including the rooms, and she met several players she knew by name, one of whom Leo introduced as his best mate. For Cassidy, it was an eye-opening moment, because she’d wanted, so badly, to get to know these people who were integral in his life, and now, finally, she was.

While Leo was showing Audrey the gym, next door to the locker room, Leo’s friend Finn pulled her aside.

“I’ve been hoping I’d get a chance to meet you.”

“That’s mutual,” she said, honestly, smiling brightly.

“Look, it never seemed appropriate to tell you this. I mean, you were married so soon after it happened—,”

Her spine straightened and her heart started to race.

“That night, I was there. My girlfriend at the time brought a couple of friends. It was one of them who, you know…”

Cassidy’s eyes shut. She had forgiven Leo, but it was still hard to think back to that time.

“I’m sorry,” Finn grimaced. “I just promised myself that if there was ever a chance for me to tell you this, I would.”

“Okay,” she said, nodding once. “Tell me.”

“The next morning, I heard the girls talking. And she—the one who’d, you know—,”

“Yeah, I know.”

“She was laughing about how he kept calling her Cassie. He thought she was you. I know it doesn’t excuse it, but…he was blind drunk. It was a stupid game we used to play with new recruits. Like a hazing. I’m so sorry.”

She groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead, her heart twisting. Not with anger, nor sadness, but with sympathy for Leo, and also with regret. She wished now, more than anything, that she’d listened to him back then. That she’d had more faith in him. He’d cheated. He’d gotten very, very drunk, and slept with someone else, but somehow, it mattered that he had thought it was Cassie.

“Thank you for telling me,” she said, honestly. “I’d forgiven him, and I love him, but now, I feel…just so sorry for him,” she said, honestly.

“He’s loved you for years. He has this photo of you on his phone, some beach picture or something. He looks at it before every game. Refuses to talk about you, but I see him staring at the picture, I see him looking at it and looking for you. You’re his soul mate.”

“Hey.” Leo walked up, putting an arm around Cassidy, eyeing his mate. “You’re not embarrassing me are you?”

“By telling me how much you love me? Not possible,” she said. “Where’s Audie?”

“Playing with some trophies.”

Cassidy’s eyes widened. “Leo—,”

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