Second Chances

Chapter:3

"How are you at an unhealthy weight?" I asked. "I'm fifty pounds underweight. They sent me home last week. I've gained ten pounds since they did." He said. "So your not going back?" I asked. "Too much hassle to. I'd rather get a job somewhere around here if I can." He said. I sighed. "If I forgive you, we have to act like no one suspected anything is between us." I said.

"And if anything does start?" He asked. "Keep it low, make sure no one suspects anything." I said. "So if I was to ask you to give me another chance would you?" He asked. "Not right now." I said. "Maybe in the future?" He asked. I nodded. "Could I ask you one more question before I go to my parents' place?" He asked.

"Yeah." I answered. "Did you mean to keep that red 1950 Chevy truck?" He asked. "I don't know why I chose to keep it." I said. "Probably because in high school we had so many memories in my truck that, that truck made you remember all of them." He said. "If you need a job, I could hire you to move all of the cars around in the garage." I said.

"Nah. I don't want to intrude. People might get suspicious if your paying me to do a job you can do yourself." He said. "You know, I could quit my job and save up all of the money from selling those cars and live luxuriously here until I die of old age." I said. "And yet I hear that you are giving up most of the money and donating it around town for things needed." He said.

"And yet I don't." I said. "If you need help that bad around here, I won't mind doing it for food." He said. "Are you sure?" I asked. "I'm sure. If I remember how you cook, I'll gain the weight back and won't try to go back to the military. I promise I won't. I never got to leave the base I was on. If that's what they're going to do is have me repair training equipment and never send me overseas, then I've got more important things to do than stay on the base." He said.

"If you need a place to stay as well there's a room on the first floor with an ensuite if you like. It'll probably be more comfortable than that rickety bed you slept on during high school." I said. "It'll be better than a cot or bed that's falling apart." He said. "That bed was falling apart. It had broken springs and was nothing but cloth and springs by the time we both were sixteen." I said.

"I didn't bring any clothes with me. Would you mind if I stayed at my parents' tonight and returned in the morning before you head to wherever your going?" He asked. "Usually church. You know I never miss a Sunday unless I'm out of town or am sick." I said. "I remember." He said. "It was always nice when I'd go sit with you or you'd come sit with me." I said.

"Who said I won't do it anymore?" He asked. "Remember? Not to make people think we're back together?" I asked. "Let them think what they want. If I remember, your parents left you alone when you turned eighteen because they didn't like me. Or was it the fact that they wanted you to date someone that actually had money?" He asked.

"Well, that's not how I got this place. Long lost relative that was a car collector found out that I was the car guru in the family and willed me his property, racetrack and this house. His son was furious but then didn't care when he was willed his father's business." I said. "Funny how life can reward you when everything went downhill." He said.