Second Chances (2nd book of Contest Winner)

Chapter Twelve

We just arrived at Naomi's after Harry called Niall and made sure it was okay first of course. Wiley jumped out of Harry's arms and immediatly ran over to Darcy and gave her a hug. She hugged him back and i got tears in my eyes. Then Darcy made her way over to us. 

"Hey daddy." She beamed and gave Harry a hug. 

"Hey beautiful. I missed you." He said. 

"I missed you more." She replied then she came over to me. "Hey Cholsy." She said and i started to giggle. 

"Well hello there sweetheart." I smiled. 

"Are you and my daddy married yet?" She asked. 

"Oh umm..." I said loosing my words.

"No not yet dear." Harry said coming over to me and wrapping his arms around my waist. Did he just say the word 'yet'? 

"Well i think you are very pretty, no matter what uncle Naomi says." She smiled. 

"Oh so uncle Naomi thins im ugly does she?" I asked through gritted teeth. 

"Well not really she just does not like you very much. I can tell. I don't know why though you are very nice to me." Darcy replied. 

"Darcy!" Naomi said entering the room. "Get away from her and go play with wiley dear." 

"Okay." Darcy obeyed and then her and Wiley left the room. 

"I don't mind Wiley staying over to play but i would rather appreciate it if you would get out of my house." She said to me. 

"I want to see my daughter thank you." I replied. 

"You had your chance to see your daughter three years ago before you made the decision to drop her off at MY doorstep remember?" She said. 

"I know i did a bad thing Naomi, but that was three years ago. Why can't you jusst forgive me like everyone else has?" 

"Because I am not everyone else Charlie. I remember I time you called me your best friend and vise versa. Then you day you went bonkers and just cut all of us out of your life. Then i find Darcy laying out on my doorstep. I understand you were upset with Harry, but that gave you no right to throw everyone else out of your life as well!"

"You don't think i don't know that? I know i went insane for awhle, and im not trying to take up for myself by all mends. I'm just saying that that was a whole three years ago why can't you just let it go already?"

"Let it go?! Let it go?!" She repeated, getting louder. 

"Sorry bad choice of words." I said. 

"You can not be serious right now. I can no believe you have the nerve to march into MY home and demand for MY forgivenness. If anyone needs to be foing anything right now it is you apologising." She replied. 

"I have apologised. A million times for that matter. How many times do you want me to say i am sorry?" I asked. 

"As many times as it takes i guess. You skipped out of three years of your childs life. Three years Charlie. A couple of apologies are not going to do the trick im afraid" She said. 

"Naomi i am extremly sorry i have not been around for the past three years. I am sorry i left my daughter on your doorstep. I am sorry i stopped being your friend. And I am sorry i didnt come to your wedding, but for my excuse on that one i was not invited." I said. 

"That is a lie." She said. 

"I swear i never once saw an invitation to a wedding." I defeaded myself. 

"I sent you an invitation Charlsie. You and the guys were the first one i mailed them to. I was still angry with you but i thought to myself maybe if she shows upi can make myself forgive her. But you never showed, and that just made me hate you even more than before. We have been talking about our wedding days since we were little kids. The one person i wanted at my wedding the most, was you. And you didnt even bother showing up. Not even to the reception." She said getting tears in her eyes. 

"I swear to you i never saw an invitation or i would have been there no doubt." I said. 

"I thought our friendship meant more to you than that." She said with actual teaers rolling down her face. I didn't notice i was crying as well until a tear fell on my bottom lip and i tasted the moisture. 

"I think that is enough for one day." Harry said and tried to pull me away. 

"No." I protested. "Naomi I love you. You are and will always be my best friend. I swear to you I did not know a thing about your wedding or anything that has happened over the past three years. Yes, i messed up three years ago. But that is in the past now. I can't do anything about it now. I will admit i went a little on the crazy side there for awhile...." I said but she interupted me. 

"A little?" She laughed. 

"Okay maybe a lot." I smiled which caused her to smile as well. "But the point is, I am not that same person I was three years ago. I have grown up a lot. Wiley made sure of that." I laughed weakly, tears still falling down my face. "There is not a day that has gone by that i did not mentally kick myself for leaving my daughter behind. But i left her with you because i wanted to make sure she had the best care and i knew she could only get that from you. I trusted you with my daughters life Naomi. Does that not count for anything? I can sit here and apologies all night but that is not going to get us anywhere. Do you want to know what happened to me that day Tyler beat me?" I asked. 

"Charlsie enough." Harry said grabbing my arm , but i ignored him. 

"Do you want to know why I didn't even try to fight back?" I asked. 

"Charlsie!" Harry repeated raising his voice slightly. 

"I deserved what i got that night. Every blow. Every punch. I derserved what he gave me that night. You are right Naomi. I was a terrible mother and friend for that matter, but i have gotten the punishment i deserved and i am now ready to start a new life. Start over." I said. 

"You did not deserve what he did to you Charlsie. No one ever deserves that kind of punishment." She replied. 

"Yes i did. What i did was unforgivable." I replied dropping my head in shame. "I am so very sorry Naomi. I truly am. Please forgive me. I am begging you. I need my best friend back." 

"Fine." She finally breathed after thinking it over for a second. 

"Really?" I asked in shock. 

"Really." She replied and weakly smiled back at me. Then i went over and wrapped her in a hug. "You know it is not very nice to make a preagnant woman cry." She said and we all four started laughing. 

"Oh i know believe me. It isn't very hard either though." I said. 

We pulled away from each other then. "I am sorry i got so mad at you Char...." She started but i stopped her. 

"You have no reason to be sorry Naomi. I am the one who brought this on myself. I accept full responsibility for everything."

"Well I am certaintly glad we got that over with." Niall said. "Aren't you my love?" He asked turning to Naomi. "Now how about a hot cup of tea for everyone? I will put a pot on." 

"I will join you." Harry said. Then he kissed me on the forehead before following Niall into the kitchen. 

"Well that was certantly interesting." Naomi laughed. 

"You can say that again." I agreed. 

-HARRY'S POINT OF VIEW-

"Niall may I ask your advice on something?" I asked once we were in the kitchen and the ladies could not hear us. 

"Sure mate. What's up?" He asked placing the tea on the stove. 

"Well I was thinking about it a lot the other day and i think i have made my mind up." I said. 

"About what may i ask?" 

"I am going to ask Charlie to marry me." I stated.