Page 19 of Irresistible Second Chance

I shrugged, “I heard she has a job and an apartment near town. Starr goes to visit her when she has the chance.”

He didn’t ask me if I did the same. He already knew the answer to that.

“Anyway, I need to shower. Go. Get out.”

He did as I asked. I took a shower quickly, scrubbing my hair as if I was trying to scrub away thoughts of my mom. I got through life just fine by just not thinking about her. I appreciated that Chris didn’t push though. He just didn’t understand. He and his dad didn’t see eye to eye, but his dad hadn’t ever abandoned him.

Feeling cranky, I realized that I didn’t have any clean clothes. Wrapping the towel around my body as tightly as possible I tried my best to watch my footing as I made my way out of the shower stall and into the bedroom. It was so difficult to do the simplest tasks with the cast on. I had crutches somewhere, but I was too stubborn to use them.

I sat down and started to unwrap my makeshift cast cover. Against my best interests, my thoughts kept returning to my mom. I think Starr had said she was doing better than she had been in years. I think Starr had even convinced her to start gardening. I heard she stopped drinking a few years back, but if that were true, it was still a lifetime too late as far as I was concerned.

A knock sounded at the door and Chris called out from the other side, “Are you decent? I have your things.”

“Come in!” I yelled back.

“You look and smell clean,” he said with a boyish grin. I grinned back. Even in my worse moods, he could make me smile. “Here are your clothes. The housekeeper at the villa, Anna Maria, brought them over. Apparently, she lives out this way.” He was carrying my luggage.

“Thank you.” I said gesturing to him to put them down. “I see you’ve thought of everything.”

“I try to be thorough. I’ll let you get dressed.”

He was more than thorough. He had taken care of me. After Santos had gotten us to town, and then to a hospital, it had been Chris who had spoken to the doctors for me, translating everything for me while keeping me in the loop. Even if I just had a broken foot, it was scary to navigate the healthcare system of a completely different country. It was complicated enough for me in the U.S. If he hadn’t been there, navigating the emergency room visit would have been daunting, but with his help it had been easier than visiting an ER stateside.

I didn’t remember much after the painkillers. I just remember getting them and feeling suddenly great.

I made my way out of the bedroom and looked around at his house. It was minimalist, simple and tasteful. It was a two-story building with an open floor plan, and to my surprise, it was hidden deep into the trees. The floors and the countertops seemed to be made from native wood. It was understated luxury. It looked efficient and sophisticated, for lack of a better word.

“It’s a smart house,” he said coming up behind me. He had the crutches in his hands. “You should be using these.”

“I can get around fine without them.”

“You’re practically hopping.”

“I have strong legs; I might as well use them.”

He shrugged, “Suit yourself. Anyway, what do you think of it?”

“Your house? It’s beautiful. Elegant even.”

“Nearly everything in it is solar powered. And the floors and all the tile work were done by local artisans and masons.”

“I never knew you lived abroad. How long have you owned property out here?”

“Five years. And there’s a lot you don’t know about me. But we have time now,” he said lowering himself down to the couch and kicking his legs up on the coffee table. “Fill me on the past ten years. Feel free to leave out the Mark part.”

He still hadn’t called or texted. I was starting to think maybe he wouldn’t, and I was also starting to think that maybe it was better if he didn’t.

“What’s there to tell?” I said sitting down carefully across from him, I placed my out of commission foot on the table too. It felt better elevated.

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking.”

“You’re the mysterious one, why don’t you tell me what you’ve been up to for the past ten years.”

He shrugged, “Trying to make the world a better place while also charging ridiculous fees for my services.”

“Smart.”

“Thank you.”

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