Third Chances

by Smoak, Ivy

  "So, what does this have to do with James?" Alina asked.

  "He's an addict."

  Alina laughed. "His friend drugged him. He's not an addict. That's quite a leap."

  "No. He told me. And I freaked out. I just thought that if I let myself get close to Rob, that would mean I'd be close to James and I can't go through that again. I can't do that."

  "But, Daphne, you don't know his situation."

  "I know that. And I told myself that I wouldn't let it bother me. I was just projecting all my problems onto them. But it's not just that. Rob is so different from me. I just got so overwhelmed with everything. I told Rob that I didn't need him. I told him I needed to figure out what I wanted on my own. I was wrong though. I want him. What if I missed out on my chance of starting over?"

  "Do you know how I knew I loved Bryce?"

  I shook my head.

  "He made me laugh when I was sad. And he was there for me when I needed him."

  I bit my lip. "Rob makes me laugh. And he tried to be there for me, but I pushed him away."

  Alina grabbed my phone off the couch. "So call him and tell him that you need him."

  I took my cell from Alina. "But if I need him, what happens when he leaves me?"

  "Daphne, not everyone leaves. Sometimes you just need to take that leap of faith."

  "He would have already called me back if he wanted to talk to me."

  "Texts are emotionless. He needs to hear your voice."

  "I don't know."

  Alina sighed. "Do you like the way he makes you feel?"

  I nodded. "I'm so out of my comfort zone with him. But I like that. I think he's good for me. He makes me feel like I'm fun." I laughed.

  "You know, you've smiled more this weekend than you have in the last month. Are you really ready to let go of that feeling?"

  "No." I didn't want to let go.

  "Then stop being a wuss and call him."

  I frowned.

  "Tough love, Momma Bear."

  "Are you guys seriously going to keep calling me that?"

  "What would you prefer that we called you? Girl who's scared to call the man she loves?"

  "I don't love Rob."

  "Don't you? You should really stop fighting things so much. It's kind of exhausting, isn't it?"

  "It's too soon to love him."

  "There aren't rules and timelines for these things. Love is love. And the way he makes you feel...I don't know another way to describe that feeling. Now call him before I do."

  I knew Alina wasn't joking. Sometimes her and Kristen would prank call the boys I liked in high school just to torment me. "I'll call him, geesh."

  Alina laughed.

  "Maybe after I take a nap, though?"

  "Now, Girl who's scared to call the man she loves."

  "Please just keep calling me Momma Bear." I sighed and sat up. "I'll go call him then." I walked out into the hallway as quietly as possibly, trying not to disturb Kristen and Layla sleeping. Before I could chicken out, I pressed on Rob's number in my phone.

  It rang several times and went to voicemail. It was one of those generic voicemail messages with some lady talking. Maybe it's not his phone. Maybe Mason gave Layla the wrong number. I shook my head. There was no reason for him to do that. Unless Rob really, really didn't want to talk to me.

  It took me a second to realize that the voicemail had beeped awhile ago. Shit.

  "Hey, Rob. It's me, Daphne Hughes from the Blue Parrot Resort. Sorry, that was a weird way to describe myself. I don't work there, we met there." I laughed awkwardly. "Wow, I wish I could somehow hack onto your phone and erase this and start over." I laughed again at my own joke. What the hell am I doing? "I'm sorry, I should probably tell you how I got your number. I'm not Kristen. I promise I'm not stalking you. Layla asked Mason for your number. That's how I got it. I don't know if Mason told you that, though, so I just wanted to make sure you knew."

  Beep.

  What the heck? The voicemail had cut me off. Shit! I had more to say. Was it weird for me to call back right away? Screw it. I pressed on his name again and waited for the voicemail to kick in.

  "It's Daphne Hughes again. Your voicemail cut me off before I got to say why I was calling." Why am I calling? He's going to think I'm crazy. "I was wrong, Rob. I don't want to be alone while I figure out how to deal with...everything. I want to be with you. I mean, we can see how it goes, I guess. I'm not asking for you to commit to me. We barely know each other. That would be crazy. Right?" Don't ask him to validate your craziness! "Sorry, that was weird. I just meant, I love you. Fuck." I covered my mouth with hand. Did I just say that I loved him? Did I just curse at him? "That's not what I meant. I meant that I love the way you make me feel. You have a really good...energy."

  Beep.

  God. No! I quickly hit his name again. It eventually went to voicemail.

  "I'm not a hippy. I don't like vibe people's energies. This is Daphne Hughes again, by the way. Wow, once you start leaving messages it's really hard to stop, you know what I mean? But I'm stopping now. I just needed you to know that I'm sorry for assuming the worst about James. I'm sorry for freaking out about your sexual history. I don't know if it counts as history if it was just a few days ago, but that's beside the point. And I'm really sorry for pushing you away. I'm just sorry for everything. I've been having a hard time, which you could probably tell. I'm a mess, honestly. But you made me feel better. You made me smile and laugh and I really, really like you. I'm just asking for another chance. I'll be back in New York on Friday. I know your brother's wedding is this weekend so you're super busy. But if you could call me, I'd really like to hear your voice. I want to give us a shot. If you're willing..."

  Beep.

  I sighed. There was nothing else I really needed to say. I just had to wait. I walked back into the room. Alina had fallen asleep on the couch. I went over and sat down beside her.

  "Did he pick up?" she asked groggily.

  "No, he didn't answer."

  "Give him some time."

  Time was one thing I had a lot of. I had no plans for the rest of the summer. I could wait. Maybe I really would turn into a stalker like Kristen. Because no one in their right mind would call me back after hearing those messages.

  Chapter 37

  Daphne

  My phone ringing made me jump. Oh my God, it's him! I slid my finger across the screen without looking at the caller ID. "Hey!"

  Alina groaned in her sleep.

  I pulled the phone away from my ear. "Sorry." I slipped out into the hall again. I put the phone to my ear again. My heart was beating so fast. "Hey," I said, a little calmer.

  "Hey, Daphne. How's the bachelorette party going?"

  I sighed and leaned against the wall. Bryce. It was Bryce. He was probably just calling to see how Alina was. "Hey, Bryce. It's great."

  He laughed. "Is everyone still asleep?"

  "Um...yeah. Do you want to talk to Alina?"

  "No, just come down to the front desk."

  "Why?"

  But Bryce didn't answer. He had already hung up the phone.

  Weird. I was wearing pajama shorts and a tank top. I looked back at the door. There was no reason to change. The only person I cared about impressing was Rob and he wasn't here anymore. And I certainly didn't care what Javier thought about me. He was the most unhelpful concierge in the history of the world. He deserved pajama Daphne. And maybe my ensemble would just scare off anyone so they wouldn't want come close enough to remove my bracelet. Crap, I have to put another one on today. I'd be stuck with two bracelets and Rob wasn't here to help me.

  I walked over to the elevator. Bryce had probably sent Alina flowers. Which was really sweet. They were the cutest couple ever. Or maybe Tim had sent some male strippers. I stepped onto the elevator. That would be hilarious if Alina had to wake up to some guy dancing around the room in a banana hammock. But even that thought didn't make me smile. Rob hadn't called me back. It was morning. He was back in Newa
rk or New York or wherever their jet had taken them. He would have heard my voicemails and gotten all my texts by now. And...nothing. He didn't want to talk to me anymore. I had made such a mess of everything. I sighed and stepped off the elevator.

  "Daphne!" Bryce was standing in the middle of the lobby with a huge smile on his face. His shaggy brown hair was sticking to his forehead because of the heat. Tim's hair was still perfectly coiffed somehow and he was leaning on the counter talking to Javier. And Ethan was staring at the activity board with his strong arms folded across his chest. He seemed completely transfixed with the options. I still hadn't looked at it. Maybe there was something weird on it.

  I realized I had just been standing there awkwardly staring at all of them. I quickly walked over to Bryce. "Oh my God. What are all you guys doing here?" I didn't mean to sound horrified, but I'm pretty sure it came out that way. I now deeply regretted my wardrobe choice.

  "You're not happy to see us?" Bryce said. He gave me a hug and a swift kiss on the cheek.

  "No, it's not that. I'm just...surprised."

  "That was kind of the plan."

  "I hope you ladies haven't been having too much fun without us." Tim grabbed my hand and kissed it like he always did. "Looking lovely as ever, Daphne."

  "Thanks, Tim."

  Ethan gave me a fairly awkward hug because we didn't know each other that well. Bryce and Tim had seen me in pajamas plenty of times. Ethan had maybe seen me in a cocktail dress most recently? I should have changed.

  "So everyone's still asleep?" Ethan asked. "We thought we'd bring breakfast up to the room and surprise the girls."

  "Yup." Everyone but me. "That's a great idea. So...what are you guys doing here?"

  "We can't want to go on vacation with our ladies?" Tim said with a smile.

  "Of course. But, it's Alina's bachelorette party."

  "Those shouldn't last a week. We were bored. We thought it would be better for us all to hang out together."

  "I don't know how you guys could have been bored with Tim planning your bachelor party," I said.

  "Bryce kept vetoing all my delicious ideas like an ignoramus," Tim said.

  I laughed.

  Bryce shrugged. "We just thought it would be fun to combine our parties."

  "That's a great idea." Except, it wasn't really. Because now I'd be the seventh wheel. If you thought a third wheel was bad, a seventh wheel was absolutely horrible.

  "If I'm being completely honest," Tim said, "I wanted Bryce's bachelor party to be here. When he turned the idea down, I helped hook Alina and you ladies up instead." He rubbed his hands together. "Now I'm getting what I wanted."

  "You just got lucky. Don't act like you planned this whole thing," Bryce said.

  "Believe what you want to believe."

  "Let's go get breakfast," Ethan said. "I'm starving." But from the way he said it, it was pretty clear that he just wanted to see Layla. It was cute how eager he was to see his wife.

  Not only was I now the seventh wheel, but I had to endure them all being stupid and adorable and coupled up. It made me miss Rob even more. We had never gotten to be a couple and now we never would be. I bit my lip.

  Javier cleared his throat. "Here are your keycards, gentlemen. We got the two rooms adjacent to your ladies' room. So it's three rooms total. We'll have our cleaning service take care of the first room and make sure they're upgraded to the couples' suites."

  What now?

  "Sounds great," Tim said.

  "Wait," I said.

  Javier looked extremely disappointed that I had spoken.

  Jerk face. "Where will I sleep?" Three couples' suites for three couples. Did they expect me to sleep in the hallway?

  "It's fine, Daphne, you can share our room," Tim said.

  "Um...no."

  Tim laughed. "Although you have the face of an angel and the posterior of Beyoncé, I promised Kristen that I would never sleep with any of her friends."

  "That's good to know. How much would another room cost?"

  Javier typed something into his computer. "All we have left is the penthouse suite. It costs ten thousand dollars a night."

  Seriously?

  Javier nodded. "Usually our most prestigious guests stay there. I believe you met the Hunters and Caldwells during their stay."

  "Yeah." I could feel all the guys staring at me. "Okay, well, I can't afford that." A teacher's salary would never let me afford a room like that.

  Bryce laughed. "You can crash with Alina and me, it's fine."

  I didn't want to ruin their pre-wedding whatevers. "Yeah, we'll figure it out. Thanks for looking, Javier." Thanks for nothing.

  "Of course, ma'am. Now, gentleman, I have the menus for all our restaurants here. If you'd like to order, I can have your food sent up to you."

  "That would be great." Ethan picked up the closest menu.

  "We are kind of in a hurry," Tim said. "I don't want to accidentally lose my card before I even get to greet Kristen." He had put the word accidentally in air quotes.

  Bryce hit his shoulder.

  Apparently they had already been told about the stupid bracelet game. At least I wouldn't have to wear Alina's bracelet anymore. The silver lining to being a seventh wheel, I guess.

  "What do you want?" Bryce asked me. "Say it slow so I can write it all down."

  I laughed halfheartedly. "I'm not really hungry."

  "Are you okay?"

  "I'm fine." I put on a smile. "Did you guys ditch Alex?" Alex was Bryce's other groomsman. I was kind of hoping he would be with them. He had a girlfriend, but then at least we'd be an even eight. Besides, I'd rather listen to him going on and on about his sugar momma than be totally excluded.

  "He didn't want to be the awkward one here without his girl," Tim said.

  Ethan cleared his throat.

  "Oh. Not that you're awkward, Daphne, you gorgeous woodland nymph," Tim said.

  "Yeah...I'm not sharing a room with you."

  He touched the lapel of his dress shirt, as if he was offended. But his smile said otherwise.

  "Come on, I'll show you guys to our room." I gestured to the elevator.

  "Hey, are you sure you're okay?" Bryce asked as we followed behind Tim and Ethan.

  "I'm good."

  He scratched the scruff on his chin. "Okay. Well, I'm not sharing my omelet with you, because it won't be what you wanted and you'll just complain about how it should have had less cheese and more vegetables."

  "That happened one time, Bryce."

  "I know. Which means I know that you're upset. Something to do with the Hunters and Caldwells perchance?"

  Why was he so annoyingly perceptive? "Just for the record, not every time a girl is upset is it due to a boy problem."

  "So, it's your time of the month?" Tim asked. "I hope you haven't all synced up yet. It should be another day and a half for Kristen. Not that I mind pleasing during her cycle. I just keep track so I know the fluctuations of her moods."

  This was going to be a long week. I leaned my head against the elevator wall.

  "I'll take it from the pajamas and the attitude that she's definitely on her period," Tim whispered not so quietly. "Ow," he said when Ethan elbowed him in the ribs.

  "Okay, yes, I'm upset about a boy. I'm not on my period, weirdo."

  "It still kind of seems like you are..." Tim let his voice fade away.

  I sighed. "There was this guy here this weekend and he was really funny and sweet and...wonderful. And I pushed him away for...I don't even know why. I just wish I could take it all back and start over. I blew it."

  Bryce was smiling.

  "Why are you smiling at my agony?"

  "I'm not," he said. "Have you tried calling him?"

  Tim laughed.

  I glared at him. "Yes. He didn't answer."

  "Tough luck. Maybe don't pretend you're on your period next time you see him," Tim said.

  "Tim, if you don't stop talking about my cycle, I'm going to slap you."

>   Tim laughed. "I'm just messing with you. I know your cycle doesn't start until next week."

  How the hell does he know that? I lightly slapped his arm.

  He immediately screamed at the top of his lungs.

  Bryce and Ethan started laughing, which caused me to start laughing. It felt so good to not cry. These guys always made me feel better. Just not the same way Rob did. Rob. I was like a high school girl pining on her crush. Why did I insist on torturing myself? It was over. I just had to accept that and move on. Or turn into Kristen and stalk him. Ugh.

  "You'll be happy to know that Professor Hunter was here and Kristen didn't sleep with him," I said to Tim. I wanted to distract myself from Rob and keep my good mood going.

  But Tim didn't laugh, he just looked confused. "Why didn't she sleep with him? He's on her list."

  "You seriously wanted her to sleep with him?"

  "If it would have made her happy, yes. She's so beautiful when she's sexually satisfied."

  Vomit. Tim was the weirdest person on the planet. "Whatever you say."

  Bryce laughed.

  I had the advice of three guys if I had the guts to ask them for it. Maybe it was good that they had come today. "Hey, so, I called and left a voicemail on this guy's phone." They didn't need to know that it was three voicemails and that they all made me sound like a lunatic. "Should I call again, or..."

  "Hell no," Tim said. "I think you've done enough, don't you? You need to let these things take their natural course. Like all natural. I'm really craving the outdoors today, aren't you? A nice walk through the rainforest?"

  "He means you should just give it some time," Bryce said. "Stop it," he mouthed silently to Tim, but I had seen his lips moving.

  They were all acting so weird. Maybe they were all like James and were just incredibly horny. The thought kind of grossed me out. I stepped to the side so they could walk out of the elevator first. I could change into my swimsuit real quick and do some laps while they all caught up. There was no reason to force my pathetic seventh wheel self on them.

  I heard Alina scream as soon as Bryce walked inside. There was a bunch of making out and inappropriate groping as I pulled my one-piece bathing suit out of my suitcase. The guys showing up just made me miss Rob even more. It was just another reminder that I was alone. It almost felt like there was a huge neon sign over my head saying, "Single girl. Avoid at all costs." I quickly changed in the bathroom.