Second Chance (Sample)

Second Chance - Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Chloe

“How was the run, crazies?” Cassie asked. Like with the rest of the family, I got along really well with her, too, she was like a sister. She didn’t like exercise though, the same as Jace, so they always let us get on with it and would make faces when we returned.

I groaned. “Good-ish.” She shook her head, looking at me as if I were actually crazy. I think the last time she had done anything sporty was when she was at school, nine years ago.

Cassie looked very much like Logan with the same colour blue eyes and dark blonde hair. Hers was dead straight and just below her shoulders but she often shoved mousse in it to make it do something. She was just a little taller than me but then most of the people in my circle were.

“You two want Chinese?” she asked, glancing at the Golden King Chinese menu in front of her.

Logan raised his eyebrows at her. “Cass, it’s half past four in the afternoon.” Usually, his mum would serve dinner at half past six every night but it was the anniversary of their first date so Daryl was taking Julia to some posh hotel in the city. They deserved to celebrate after being together for thirty years.

“Yeah?” she questioned, staring at her younger brother blankly, waiting for a good explanation as to why she couldn’t have Chinese so early. “And?”

“Nothing. Never mind.”

“If you think I’m playing mum just because they’re away, you are seriously mistaken. Now, what do you two want? Chlo, you’re staying, right?”

“Yes, thanks. My usual?” Cassie nodded and scribbled down my order on a scrap piece of paper.

My house was too quiet. Since my parents set up a car rental place four years ago they had spent most of their time at work, leaving me at home. I was plenty old enough to take care of myself but I now found the silence suffocating.

Logan reeled off a list of what he wanted and went off to have a shower.

I sat down opposite Cassie on the kitchen stool and waited for the inevitable Jace conversation. “So, how’s everything going?” I asked, trying to steer things into her life rather than mine.

Cassie thought that hanging on to Jace was unhealthy. The problem I had was I didn’t quite know how to live my new life without him. We’d spent years practically glued to each other’s side. It was hard to fully let go of my old life.

She sighed and it was then that I noticed how tired she looked. She’d been having a shit time too. “Okay, I guess. Hopefully the divorce will be sorted soon and the house will sell. Then I can move on.”

Cassie and her bastard husband, Rick, had recently separated so she was living back with her parents. Arsehole-Rick’s new slut girlfriend keeps contacting her to whine about how long the divorce papers were taking, like it was Cassie’s fault.

“I just want it over now. It’s hard moving back in with your parents, you know? Especially living with Logan again!”

“Yeah, he can be a pain.”

“It’s good to see you so much again, though.”

I frowned. So much? “Do I stay here too much?”

Cassie laughed and shook her head. “No. Not enough, actually. We love having you here. You’re part of the family, you know that.”

I let out a sigh of relief. I did still hang at theirs a lot but I didn’t want to if they thought it was too much. Part of me felt like, because I was moving on I shouldn’t be here, but they were family to me, and I didn’t ever want to give that up. Cassie said I was part of the family, and I felt like it, too, but technically, I wasn’t anymore. I just hoped that when I eventually found someone else they wouldn’t think any differently of me.