Second Chance Romance (Southern Nights) Completed

Chapter 6

“Second Chance Romance”

2012 Copyright All Rights Reserved

Chapter 6    

    Oliver placed a hand on Jade's arm.  "You alright?" He asked her with nothing but concern filling his voice.  

    Jade glanced over her shoulder and offered him a weak smile.  "As good as can be expected," she replied tiredly.

    He nodded at her response.  "Why don't you sit down Jade.  I'll get you something to take the edge off.  People will probably be in and out for the rest of the afternoon anyway so it‘s only going to get worse."

    She started to protest.  She usually felt more productive when she was moving around, doing something.  When she sat, she thought and when she thought, she tended to get upset all over again.

    He grabbed her gently by the elbow and led her over to the chaise.  "You need some rest Jade.  You're practically dead on your feet.  For once, let me take care of you," he smiled and added, "just a little bit, alright?"

    She let out a heavy sigh and glanced around the room.  "Where's Libby?"

    "She's in the living room with the York's kids and they are coloring.  She is perfectly fine, now come on, sit for me...please."

    "Fine," she conceded.  It was only then that she realized he had maneuvered her over to the chaise.  She sat down stiffly and crossed her legs, not knowing exactly what she was supposed to be doing.  She glanced around at all of the people mingling in her house, some she recognized from high school, and other’s she didn’t.

    She briefly wondered if Austin would dare to show his face after there earlier heated encounter.  There was a part of her praying that he just stayed away but yet there was another part- albeit a small part, that hoped he would stubbornly show up anyway.

    “God, now I know I’m going crazy,” she mumbled to herself, raking her fingers nervously through her hair.

    “What was that?”  Oliver bent down to her level and asked.  He thought he heard her mumble something but it was barely audible so he wasn't all that sure.  

    Ever since they left the cemetery she had been distant and he was worried about her.  He saw the argument that she had with Austin and on the way home she didn’t utter a single word.  Even now, she seemed dazed.

    “Oh, nothing,” she shook her head, not believing that she had actually said that aloud.

    He searched her face for a long moment before nodding.   "I'll be right back," he told her, tenderly touching her shoulder.

    “Alright, “she replied numbly.

    He stood there a few seconds longer before turning and heading back towards the kitchen.  A few drinks he thought would loosen her up a bit.  She was tense and in all honesty she had every right to be.  Jade hasn’t had it easy over the last few years, having a baby on her own, doing the best that she could to raise her.  Then to get the call about her father was probably more than she could handle.  It was all coming down on her like a ton of bricks.

    He stopped in the kitchen and grabbed a wine glass, setting it on the counter.  He then went over to the table and picked up a bottle of chardonnay, taking it back to the glass and filling it a little more than half way.  

    “This should take the edge off,” he muttered to himself, lifting up the glass and looking at it.  It was more than obvious that she was wound up tighter than a jack in the box after the events of the last few days and she needed to release some of that tension.  Hopefully, this would do the job.  

    He swirled the golden liquid in the cup before lowering it back down.  He thought back to the kiss that she gave him and wanted to believe so badly that she meant what she said but he also knew that she was sorely grieving and her emotions were all over the place.  He didn’t want to let any of it go to his head but that was really hard to do with a woman like Jade Sampson.

    Knowing there wasn’t much at this point the could other than be there for her in every way possible, he let out a ragged sigh, turned and headed back to the den.

    Walking back into the den, he spotted Jade right where he had left her.  She was stiff as a petrified oak, her eyes taking in everyone and everything around her.  

    “Here,” he held out his hand, offering her the glass.  “Drink up, Olly’s orders.”

    She lifted her brows.  “Olly’s orders?” 

    He chuckled, “Yep.”

    A small smile tugged at her lips.  “Well who am I to argue with the great Olly,“ Jade teased.  

    He flashed an amusing grin.  “Great, huh- I think I like the sound of that.“

    She took the glass from his hands, and brought it to her lips, sipping at it ever so slowly.  “I bet you do,” she replied.

    “Oh yeah,” he chuckled, “I most definitely do.”

    They both laughed then and suddenly Oliver felt like he had been sucker punched in the chest.  It was the first time that he had her laugh, really laugh and he loved the way it sounded.  It was such a heady sound that he was utterly left entranced by it.   

    Jade stopped laughing the moment that she realized Oliver was staring at her.  She covered her mouth with her hand, suddenly feeling self conscious and asked, “What?   What’s wrong?  Do I have something on my face?”

    Oliver shook his head and reached for her hand.  “No,” he said softly, “Don’t stop.”

    She furrowed her brows together  in confusion, “Don’t stop what?”

    “Laughing,” he told her.  “You looked so beautiful just now.”

    “Oh,” she replied shyly and hid her smile at his compliment.  He always seemed to know just what to say in order to brighten her moods.  Jade glanced up at his face and tipped her glass to him in acknowledgment before bringing it back to her lips and taking another healthy swallow.  
        
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    Austin walked into his house and headed straight for the closet.  His hands were fisted tightly by his side.  He never wanted to hit something so badly as he did right then.  

    She was right.   I fucked up, big time, he thought to himself.  Walking into his closet he knew exactly what he was looking for.  A box, a very special box.  He bent down and in the back corner, there it was.

    With careful hands, he picked up the box  and stood, staring at it.  That box held memories.  Memories that meant the most to him.  He clutched the box to his chest and for just a moment, he closed his eyes.

    If only life could have been so different.  If only I could have kept it in my pants.  If only he had told Tina to go to hell that day.  If only….  If only…. If only means squat.

    He growled low in his throat and backed out of the closet.  He had no one to blame but himself for the way that his life turned out. He knew that, he had thought that he had accepted it long ago but the first time that he saw Jade’s face; everything that he had felt for her came flooding back.

    She was the one.  He knew that deep down in his heart of hearts, she was the only one that he could ever love.

    Austin pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and laid the box down in front of him.  He sunk into the seat and with shaking fingers, slowly lifted the lid.  

      
    In this box, Austin kept every picture, every letter, every card that he had from his and Jade’s relationship.  That first year she left he went through this box daily reading notes, remembering when and where every picture was taken, reliving every special moment of their relationship.  As time passed and he accepted that she wasn’t coming back his ventures through the box became less and less.  It had probably been almost a year since the last time that he looked at it.

    Swallowing, he reached in and pulled out the first thing that he touched.  It was a picture of Jade standing by the lake in a wisp of a sundress, shading her eyes with her hand.  It was the labor day picnic of their junior year.  He could remember that day so vividly in his mind.  She had no idea that he was taking the picture but he couldn‘t resist once his eyes fell on her.  She looked so beautiful and innocent, standing there that warm afternoon, watching the ducks play in the water.  Austin rubbed his finger longingly over the image and laid it on the table.

    He reached in the box and grabbed the next item.  It was a letter.  He couldn’t remember the exact day that it was written but he could remember the moment that she gave it to him.  It was right before football practice.  He was heading out of the locker room and she ran up to him, breathless with a sparkling smile lighting up her face.

    “What’s this,” he asked her, taking the carefully folded paper out of her hands.

    She cocked her head to the side, “Just a little something to remind you,” she told him.

    Austin started to open the note and Jade covered his hands.  “Later,” she told him.  “Read it when you all alone.”

    Austin quirked his lips and arched a brow.  “Alone?” He repeated.  “What’s in this note?” He asked curiously.

    “Yes, alone and that‘s for you to find out…….later.”

    He rolled his eyes and stuffed the note in his football britches.  “If you say so,” he told her and bent down to give her a peck on the lips.  “I have to get to practice before Coach has my hide.  I’ll call you later tonight, okay?”

    She grinned back at him and stood up on her toes.  “You better,” she replied, pressing her lips once more to his.  

    Austin blinked, as the memory faded.  That letter detailed how she felt about their first time.  The happiness, the love that she felt and the fact that she had no regrets.