A Second Chance

Chapter 24

Nicola's POV

"Gabriel..."I opened my mouth to tell him I couldn't stay with him, but I couldn't find the words as I saw the anxious look in his eyes.

" Gabriel..I..I," I kept stuttering.

I what you idiot? Do you actually have an explanation to give him? He noticed the last time you didn't stay with him, that you even refused to eat in his house, except for the one time you got stuck there because of the rain.

But last time you stayed away because you were angry with him. If you refuse to go with him now, he would think that you were still mad at him. You would hurt him again.

"Nicola?"

I blinked, coming out of my thoughts, hearing him softly calling out my name.

He gently took my hands in his, making sparks fly inside of me, and I frown at it, irritated that I should feel this way when he felt nothing.

"Nicola?" He said again, making me look up at him. He looked hurt. Oops, he must have thought I was upset because he touched me. I squeezed his hand to reassure him, and he gave a soft smile.

"Please say yes, Nicola. You are a part of our family too, so why do you need to go stay in a hotel, like some guests?" He looked down and continued,"it hurt me a lot last time. Seeing you won't talk to me or look at me and wouldn't even eat the food served in my house. You hated me that much." I squeezed his hand again, feeling guilty, making him look up at me with sad eyes.

"Nicola, if you don't stay in my house, I won't send my girls with you to yours." He spoke so gently and sweetly that it took me a moment to realise that he had, in fact, actually threatened me.

"WHAT!" I shouted, snatching my hands away, glaring at him.

"I'm kidding," He said, his expression changing into a smirk. "But you have to admit, its unfair that they stay at your home for two whole months while you refuse to stay with them for just three days." He said, shrugging his shoulder carelessly.

I glared at him with my hands on my hips, saying,"That's cause they are not the problem."

"Oh, they're not?" He asked innocently. Making me narrow my eyes at him.

"Then who is Nicola?" He asked me, leaning down to come closer to me, putting his arms on each side of me, placing his palm on the car bonnet, trapping me. "Me?"

My breath hitched, feeling him so close yet not touching. I bit my lips to prevent a groan from coming.

This is what I was talking about! My heart was beating so loudly, and I was finding it very hard to breathe in this close proximity.

How in the world am I going to keep this attraction a secret from him, when he can make me all hot and bothered, just by coming close to me.

I was craving for his touch in a mere mili second. This is ridiculous!

He is your sister's husband. He is your sister's husband. I kept chanting until my brain became functional again, and I could get my desires under control - a little.

"No.." I finally replied with a frown on my face. He gave me a sly smile, raising an eyebrow he said, "No?"

Ooooh, so sexy... no, no, Sister's husband, sister's husband. I kept chanting.

"No." I repeated more firmly.

"Ok.. Then what's the problem?" He asked, finally moving away and folding his arms over his chest.

"I didn't say there was a problem." I said, jutting my chin forward and looking up at him.

"Then why won't you stay at my place?"

"I didn't say I won't stay at your place," I replied smartly, proud of myself. Until..

"Then you are staying?" He asked excitedly.

After opening and closing my mouth like a goldfish, unable to think of a single excuse to get out of this, I said in resignation. "Yeah... I will stay at your place."

His house is big enough. Maybe I can just avoid him. It was easy enough last time. I hardly ever saw him then.

"Great!'' His entire face lit up, and the smile he gave me sent my heart into overdrive.

My eyes widened, and I forgot to breathe. For the love of god. They should make it illegal for him to smile. He could kill someone with that!

"Let's go then!" He said, putting my luggage in the back of his car and opening the passenger door for me.

I reluctantly got in his car. Sulking all the way to his house.

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Gabriel's POV

She stood their staring at me nervously, with her warm honey coloured eyes wide. She opened her mouth and whispered, "Gabriel..," and I knew she was going to say no to me. So I scared her with threatening to take away Livy and Bella's time with her, and she agreed instantly.

I'm not proud of having to threaten her with the girls, but I was desperate.

Nicola still wasn't willing to have me near her.I just couldn't understand why. Are things seriously impossible to fix between us?

I stared in her eyes to see if I could read anything, but it was unreadable. I used to be able to read her like a book, but now, whenever I am around, she has her walls up.

I have heard her talking and laughing to the girls, even Emma, but whenever she sees me, she turns stiff and uptight and is very polite.

Is this what she meant by letting go of the past and moving forward? I'm always going to be treated like some business associate, while I watch from the sidelines when she is being herself with everyone else.

Hell no!
I am done with this polite nonsense. I am going to break this barrier that has been built between us. A barrier that Nicola is stubbornly trying to keep.

We were almost home now, and Nicola had been sitting quietly the whole time.

I took a peek at her from the corner of my eye and almost burst out laughing.

She was sitting with her arms neatly folded on her lap, with a scowl on her face. Her lower lip was sticking out. She looked incredibly cute sitting like that. Wait, cute? Where did that come from?I wondered.

"You know.., you look like Bella and Livy after they have been scolded." I told her, looking straight ahead pretending not to be watching her.

Hearing this, her eyes widened like saucers, and her cheeks and necks flushed a deep crimson color.

She had turned towards me, so I turned to look at her, my face full of amusement, which only made her blush deepen, and her eyes widened more.

She whipped her head around and stared out the window, hiding her face from me. I sighed. This is gonna be hard.

I never knew Nicola could be this stubborn. But I am going to break through this barrier. I have lived without my best friend for long enough. It's time for her to come back to me.

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Hope you enjoyed it!

Poor Nicola's in for a tough time in the next chapter. Hope to update soon.

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