A Second Chance

chapter five

As I pull up, I notice that Michael's car is home.

That's odd.

I get out of the car, and open the front door. The house is clean, and I notice something on the kitchen table...

a pocket book.

Oh. Hell. No. I run upstairs, and our bedroom door is locked. "MICHAEL!" I yell, and start beating on the door.

He opens it, looking calm and fully dressed. "WHO'S POCKET BOOK IS THAT DOWNSTAIRS?" I push his chest, and he just stares at me. "I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU'RE FUCKING SOMEONE IN OUR HOUSE THEN I WIL-"

He cuts me off. "Calm down."

I was furious. "WHAT THE FUCK DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME TO CALM DOWN YOU PIECE OF SH-"

"Anastasia! I bought it for you."

I freeze. "What?"

"The bag. I bought it for you."

oh.

"Why are you in here with the door locked then?"

He points to the bed. There are rose petals spread across the white sheets, with a rose lying across the two pillows.

I pause, feeling like a complete and total idiot. "Oh.."

He kisses my forehead, and whispers in my ear. "Happy one year. Only a few more weeks til we tie the knot, beautiful."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted like that.. I was just.. worried."

He smiles, before he tells me he has to leave to go back to work. I frown. "Okay."

"Wait, why are you home? I was trying to surprise you." he asks, stopping in the doorway waiting for my response.

"I got fired for being late.. all the time.."

He giggles. "Oh, Anastasia."

I feel like a complete idiot as I walk over to check my phone. After all Michael had done for me, Chris was still in the back of my mind. I laugh as I see I had 11 missed calls from him. I contemplate it for a minute, but eventually dial his number.

"Ana." he answers.

"Hi."

"I was about to be on my way to your house. You had me worried."

"How did you know I was home?" Stalker.

"I saw you leaving work this morning pretty early. Everything okay?"

I frown at the reminder. "I got fired."

"Oh.. I'm sorry Ana."

"Not your fault." I mumble.

"I'm almost there."

"What?"

"Bye."

"What are you talking about?"

I hear the click of the phone and hear tires pulling into the gravel driveway.

"Oh shit." I mumble.

My hair is a complete mess, and my makeup isn't necessarily neat either.

shit shit shit shit

He knocks on the door, and I debate whether I should quickly run upstairs and atleast brush through my hair or just let him see me as I am.

I choose the latter.

Because im an idiot.

I open the door and he's got in his hand a Wal-Mart bag. "Hello, may I come in? Or are you going to slam the door in my face?" He laughs.

I laugh, trying to hide my insecurity while attempting to flatten my hair down.

"You look fine, Ana."

I nod, feeling a little relieved by his words even if he didn't mean it, and he comes in.

We spend the day watching old Disney movies and making fun of the characters, and eating Skittles and popcorn, along with sweet tea of course.

Only in the south.

He puts in the movie, The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. I hesitate watching it at first, because I know damn well I'm gonna cry like I do every single other time I've watched it (which might just be 2523483 times in the past year), but we watch it anyway.

"Do you think I'll ever find love like that, Ana?"

I look over at him, shocked at his sudden worries. "What do you mean?"

"Like, do you think I'll ever find someone that will really love me forever no matter what and create memories and have fun and argue like crazy until either she or I get sick, and then we can die together?"

"It's just a movie, Chris."

"No. Do you think that will ever happen to me?"

I stare at him and he seems genuinely worried.

How do you comfort someone in this position? "Well.. Of course I do."

"Do you think that could be us?"

I freeze.

"Um.. I mean.."

"Sorry. You're right. Stupid question. Let's just watch something else."

I'm not sure if he was upset because of the depressing ending, or if he was really upset because he thought no one would ever love him.

If you only knew.

He puts in a movie and comes back to sit down on the couch, looking puzzled. I stare at him for a second, and put my head on his shoulder. He looks down at me, shocked, before smiling warmly and resting his head on mine.

For the first time in a while I can truly say that I am happy with where I am right this very moment.

Well that was, until Chris' phone started to ring..