A Second Chance at Forever (Chance #2)

by K. B. Andrews

  The heat of the night mixed with the mist of the cool water made me feel sticky and excited. The drinks of the night had kicked in full force and everything brought back memories. Memories from a happier time. A time when Mason was mine.

  After he turned off the boat and dropped anchor. He turned on some music and held out his hand. “Dance with me.”

  I was filled with so many emotions, I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to dance with him. I wanted to feel his strong chest against mine, to be wrapped in his muscular arms, but I had to remind myself that he wasn’t mine anymore, that he belonged to someone else. But I didn’t care, he was mine in some way. He always had been.

  I took his hand and we stood between the seats. There wasn’t much room to dance, but I knew we would hold one another more than dance, anyway.

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and breathed in his intoxicating scent that I had missed so much.

  He softly placed his hands on my hips and pulled me against his hard chest. Everything felt right, I was finally where I was supposed to be.

  “Tell me that you will stay,” Mason whispered in my ear as his hot breath blew across my cheek.

  I lifted my head to look into his eyes. “I’ll stay, for now.”

  He shook his head. “That’s not what I mean. I want you to stay. Here, with me. Forever. I can’t lose you again.”

  “What about Nicole?” I asked, our faces only inches from each other.

  “I don’t care about Nicole. I’ve tried to make myself love her but I can’t. I can’t love her when I’m still in love with you.” Mason lowered his lips to mine.

  When our lips touched, it was like a dam busted open. All the feelings I had kept bottled up for all those years, rushed out. As his lips glided against mine, I couldn’t think about Nicole or Chis anymore. I couldn’t think about leaving. I couldn’t think of anything but him.

  I tugged his hair as his lips continued with their torture and his tongue begged for entrance. When I finally tasted him, a moan escaped me.

  He broke the kiss for only a second and locked his eyes with mine. “God, I’ve missed that sound.”

  As soon as his lips returned to mine, he grabbed me by my outer thighs and lifted my legs over his hips. He walked us to the bench seat, laying me across it. The position I was in was uncomfortable with my bruised ribs, but the alcohol helped to numb it, a bit.

  Laying on my back, I looked up at him. He kept one knee on the seat as he leaned over, inches from touching me. His eyes held so much more emotion than I could even understand. They stared into mine, deeply and intensely.

  He raised his right hand and caressed my cheek. “You’re so fucking beautiful.” His tongue swept across his bottom lip before he moved back in.

  Before, I would have been flinching at the hand that was coming toward my face, but this time, I welcomed it. I knew Mason would never touch me in the same way Chris had.

  Mason’s touch felt right, like I had been starved for oxygen from the moment I left him. I was finally able to breathe again when he kissed me. In that moment, I knew. Mason was what I wanted.

  I didn’t have to think about it anymore, I didn’t want to go back to Chris or anything that life held for me.

  This is all I would ever want, him. It’s always been him. I was just too young to realize what I had when I had it. It took losing him and only being half a person until I finally got another chance.

  His hand traveled from my breast to the hem of my shirt, when I remembered the bruises.

  “Mason, we should stop.” I pushed his hand away.

  He sat up, confusion showing in his hooded eyes. “Why?” he asked breathless, cupping my cheek and running his thumb under my eye.

  Can he see the bruise?

  I took his hand in mine. “We have to think about this. We shouldn’t rush into anything. I know you said you don’t love Nicole, but I know you well enough to know that you don’t want to hurt her either. If we keep doing this, you will hurt her.” I looked into his blue eyes.

  He seemed to understand. He sat back in the seat. “You’re right. I told myself that I wouldn’t let this happen tonight. I’ve never been able to think straight when I’m with you, guess that hasn’t changed.” He offered up his sexy grin.

  Mason took my hand and led me back to our seats to head back. As we sped back toward the dock, I closed my eyes and hoped I did something right for once. I didn’t want to be the other woman, I wanted him all for myself.

  I tried to clear my thoughts, letting the warm night air blow over my overheated skin. Remembering Mason’s hand slowly crawling up my side with his hot lips on mine made me break out in goosebumps, despite the heat of the night.

  The boat slowed and Mason cut the engine as we pulled up to the boat dock. After getting the boat in the proper spot, he hopped out to tie it down. Standing on the dock, he reached out his hand, which I took and he helped me over the edge.

  We slowly walked back up the dock, neither of us saying anything.

  “I should probably get home,” I said once we reached the gravel road that led to the grill.

  Mason shook his head to agree. “Yeah, I should too.”

  He walked me to the car and opened the door for me.

  “Still a gentleman, I see.” I smiled as I climbed inside.

  “Some things never change.” He met my smile with his own cocky grin, causing his eyes to burn even brighter.

  Goosebumps broke out across my skin and butterflies filled my stomach from that grin. “Good night, Mason.”

  “Good night, Lennox.” He closed the door and walked away from the car without a look back.

  When I got home, I had emotions flying all over the place. I wanted Mason, but what did that mean?

  I knew I didn’t want Chris, how could I after what he did? I no longer wanted to live the life I had been. I didn’t want to surround myself with fake people or have my every move watched. I wanted real friends, real love, a real life. But, I loved being on stage. I loved the heat of the spotlight. I loved the screaming fans.

  Can I give up that part of my life, the reason I left to begin with?

  I decided to take a hot shower to clear my head.

  I turned on the water and began to remove my shirt. The bruises weren’t fading anytime soon. They looked even worse, if possible. Both sides, my stomach, and back were solid blue and purple. I stepped into the shower and sat in the bottom, letting the water wash over my sore body.

  Once the water began to run cold, I pulled myself from the shower and stepped out. The bruise under my eye was fading. I was able to cover it with makeup, but once that washed away, it was prominent. I brushed out my hair without looking back into the mirror. It only gave me memories I didn’t want to remember.

  I sat in bed and pulled the blankets around me. For the first time that day, I turned on my cell phone.

  As soon as it powered on, I had a constant stream of alerts. Text messages, emails, voicemails, all begging to be heard at once.

  I called Alissa first.

  “Hey. Where are you?” she asked as soon as she picked up the phone.

  “I’m at my dad’s, but please don’t tell anyone.”

  “What the hell is going on Lennox? Chris has called me at least a hundred times today. Not to mention, you have work to do.”

  “You’re going to have to cancel everything. I don’t know if I will be coming back.”

  “Okay, Lennox. Spill it.” I heard the confusion and disappointment in her voice. Alissa wasn’t just my assistant, she was my friend and she was worried about me.

  I let out a long breath before beginning to explain. “Chris and I got into another fight the other night. It was bad. He gave me a concussion and I’m covered in bruises. I snuck out and he doesn’t know where I am. So please don’t tell him and cancel everything.”

  Once the words were out, I quickly made up an excuse to get off the phone. It was hard for me to tell her why I had been acting so strange. I was emba
rrassed that I had let Chris treat me so badly for so long. I never should have taken him back, no matter how sad and lonely I was.

  I turned the light off and laid down with the memories from the evening running through my mind.

  I drifted off to sleep with images of Mason. Everything from the first time we met, up until the most recent kiss. The hungry look in his eyes when he saw me walk into the bar. How gentle and loving he always was. Before I could overthink anything about us, I drifted off to sleep.

  I woke at two A.M. with my phone ringing. I answered without thinking. “Hello?”

  “Lennox, where are you? Why haven’t you been answering your phone?” Chris asked, sounding composed.

  I rubbed the sleep from my eyes but refused to give him any more of my fear. “I’m gone Chris, I’m not coming back. You need to accept it and move on.”

  “Lennox, we’ve talked about this. You are mine. I will say when we’re done, now get your ass home.”

  “No, Chris. I called off the engagement. I’m not coming back. Now please, leave me alone.”

  “I will find you and bring you back.” I heard him yell into the phone as I was pulling it away from my ear to hang up.

  After hanging up, I turned the phone off and went back to sleep.

  The sun rose, stirring me from my peaceful sleep. I rubbed my eyes and stretched.

  “It’s about time you woke up. Are you ready to go?”

  I sat up and began to look around the room for the voice.

  In the darkened corner of the room sat Chris. He leaned forward, the morning sun shined through the curtains, casting eerie shadows across his face.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked, pulling the blankets around me tighter.

  “I told you I would find you and bring you home. It’s time.” He stood from his chair.

  I scooted up the bed until my back was against the headboard. “No.” I shook my head. But he rushed toward me.

  I opened my mouth to yell for my dad, but as soon as my mouth opened, his hand covered it and he grabbed me up against him.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he whispered in my ear. His hot breath blew across my sensitive skin, causing a shiver to run up my spine. “I told you, you can’t leave me. What made you think I wouldn’t come get what was mine?”

  I elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to release me. As soon as I was out of his grip, I made a run for it. I reached the door just as he caught me and pushed me hard against it, my head bounced off with a loud thud. The hit caused me to become dizzy and a ringing started in my ears. I leaned against the door to stay upright and my eyes met his just as he drew back his fist and punched me in the stomach.

  I fell to the floor, trying to crawl away, but he grabbed me by my leg and pulled me back to him. He straddled me, pinning my arms beneath his knees.

  “You’re never going to get away, Lennox.” He pulled back his fist and landed a hit to my face.

  I woke with a jump, covered in sweat and my heart racing. I scanned the room quickly to see that I was alone. I laid back down to calm my racing heart. Was Chris capable of something like that? I had no doubt that he was. My only hope was that he wouldn’t find me.

  “Lennox, breakfast is ready if you’re hungry,” Kathryn said, sticking her head into my room.

  I didn’t answer but slowly sat up from bed. My sides were hurting badly already, I must have tossed and turned all night. I stood slowly and made my way toward my bathroom where my pain medication was. I tossed one back and headed downstairs for breakfast.

  Sitting at the table, I piled my plate with scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. It was the first day in a long time that I actually had an appetite.

  “How’d you sleep?” Dad asked.

  I poured myself a cup of coffee. “Not very well. I should probably start taking my pain medication before going to bed.”

  7

  Mason

  I went home and sat on my balcony, looking over the backyard. I popped open another beer and thought about Nicole. Knowing that Lennox still had feelings for me wasn’t something I needed to hear.

  I mean, yeah, I was fucking glad she did because I was still madly in love with her. But it only meant bad things for Nicole.

  I have to break up with Nicole. She doesn’t deserve this. She has always been good to me. I hate that I have to break her heart.

  Then, there was the chance that I would break up with her for Lennox, and Lennox would end up leaving me to go back to the life she had been living for the past five years.

  There was one thing that hadn’t changed though, I still couldn’t ask Lennox to give up her dream for me. I’d given up my dream, I knew how that felt, there was no way I could ask her to do that.

  So, there I sat, a lot of questions and no answers.

  I sat there and drank beer after beer trying to find one, but as it turned out, the answer wasn’t in the bottom of a beer can.

  Then came the most important question of all, was it fair for me to string Nicole along when my heart would always belong to someone else? Would Nicole be okay with another woman having my love? Probably not.

  There was my answer.

  I had to break up with Nicole regardless of my chances of getting back together with Lennox. I wasn’t being honest with Nicole and in the long run, that would only hurt her more.

  I will break up with her on Sunday when I see her again. I can’t break up with her over the phone.

  A part of me was happy that I would be free to pursue things with Lennox, but another part of me was pissed because I knew the damage I would cause in doing so. In a drunken rage, I tossed my beer over the railing of the balcony as hard as I could.

  I stomped into the house, grabbing an empty box, and started tossing Nicole’s belongings in to it. After I cleared the bedroom of Nicole’s things, I fell into bed. Grabbing the pillows and pulling them around me, I passed out picturing emerald green eyes and long dark curls.

  I woke on Saturday with a massive headache. I groaned as I rolled out of bed and into the shower.

  After an hour long shower, I stepped out and found some pain reliever in the medicine cabinet and swallowed them down. I dressed and went in search of coffee.

  Once I realized there wasn’t a drop of coffee in the house, I grabbed my keys and headed to town.

  Pulling up to the coffee shop, I jumped out of the truck and damn near ran in. I ordered my coffee and was pouring in the sugar when I felt my hair stand up and my body start buzzing. I turned toward the door, knowing who I’d see.

  Lennox walked in wearing a pair of jeans so tight, I felt myself drool.

  She smiled when she noticed me staring. “Hey.”

  “Can we talk?”

  “Yeah, just let me grab some coffee.” I watched as she walked to the counter.

  She was back within minutes and stood beside me adding sugar to her cup. “Do you want to sit down?”

  “Not here, will you come back to my house with me? I want to show you something.” I gave her the smile I knew she couldn’t resist.

  Just like I thought, she agreed to go with me.

  I opened her door and watched her sexy ass climb in. She sat on the passenger side and I wished that she would’ve scooted over and taken her seat next to me like she used to.

  “Will you tell me something?” I asked, sneaking a glance at her on the ride back to my house.

  “What?” She looked over at me, taking a sip of her coffee.

  “Did you think about me while you were gone.” I felt like a pussy for asking, but I had to know. Was I on her mind as much as she was on mine?

  “You have no idea, Mason. I tried to get off the plane that day.”

  “You did?”

  She nodded her head but kept her eyes focused on the windshield, not looking at me.

  “I got on the plane and I couldn’t help but think I was making a mistake. I thought about you and how much I loved you. I tried to get off but they wouldn’t let me. The
plane had already been cleared for takeoff. I sat down and cried almost the whole trip. I thought I messed up and had lost you forever. But then, when I got off the plane and called you, you told me how proud you were of me for chasing this dream of mine and you gave me everything I needed to hear to stay. There hasn’t been a day that goes by that I don’t think about you.” She finally turned to look at me.

  Her green eyes lit up and suddenly, I found myself breathless. “You have no idea how happy that makes me, Lennox. I’ve missed you every day. I’ve been waiting for you to come back to me, everybody told me I was crazy. But even when I tried to get over you, I still couldn’t. It’s always been you.” I picked up her hand and placed a soft kiss on the top.

  We pulled up to my house a little while later and I led her in. “I finally finished it. I thought you might like to see.”

  “Are you serious? Yes, I want to see.” Excitement filled her voice.

  I showed her the dining room that I had finished just before she left, but had since been furnished. After that, we went upstairs and I showed her the bedrooms and the bathroom.

  “I actually did a little more work to my bedroom if you want to see that, too.”

  “Yes, I want to see it. I can’t believe you did all of this.”

  I opened the bedroom door and allowed her to walk in first. Her face said it all. She loved what I had done with the room.

  Before there wasn’t much in there. A bed, a dresser with a couple nightstands, but I added in a his-and-hers closet. She opened the doors and in each closet, was a set of drawers and built in cubby holes for shoes and jewelry, not to mention a ton of storage. I didn’t intend on building that big of a closet, but after the house was finished, I went a little stir crazy and had to keep working. All the while, knowing I was doing it for her.

  “Do you like it?” I asked, leaning against the wall of windows that led out onto the balcony.

  “I love it. I never did forget how talented you are.” Her cheeks were pink as her eyes looked around the room.