Page 2 of The Billionaire's Second Chance
Why did he have to be so gorgeous?
I found myself checking him out. Squared shoulders, well-trimmed beard, with some of his curly hair lying prettily around the corner of his face, giving him that boyish cuteness. I guess the years did justice to his features.
But, I quickly pulled myself out of my reverie. I wasn’t going to be swayed by his stunning looks. I was no longer that teenagegirl twelve years ago who fell head over heels with the stunning football team captain.
I saw something like a plea in his eyes as he walked towards me, leaning more into his cane, but I mustered the courage and traipsed past him. He tried holding me back but I growled at him.
“Don’t you dare!” Rage and hurt burned in my eyes.
His hands were off immediately in surrender, and he dejectedly walked by with a heaviness that was palpable. There was no point in causing a scene.
Luckily, no one was in the locker room when I ran inside. I curled up with my head in between my knees, sobbing on the cold floor. I wanted to scream, break things, and vent somehow, but I couldn’t do it here.
I had barely managed to go through the shift with my sanity intact. Why did I have to run into him again? The very last thin thread that had managed to hold me together until now just snapped without warning as he reached for me.Kevin Brown reached for me…
I quickly sprung up when I heard someone turn the lock. I hurriedly wiped my eyes with the back of my palms and began changing up. It was a waste of time crying over spilt milk.
***
When I got home, Joey was waiting, her usual cheerful self.
"Hey, you're back!"
She was watching our favorite TV soap opera with a bowl of popcorn on her lap. She had access to my keys, so trust her to always invite herself in anytime.
That’s what friends were for, right? To invade even your most sacred space, without an apology. And apparently, lovers werefor breaking your heart and disappearing for over a decade, only to show up unannounced at your workplace.
“Nope, I guess I left my body at the hospital, and my ghost is here.” I chuckled, slumping into the double sofa with her and dipping into the popcorn.
She tried moving the bowl away, “go fix yourself a bowl. This one’s mine.”
“In my own house?” She couldn’t be serious.
“Don’t forget I was the one that got you the house. Without me, you might still be roaming the streets of Half Moon Bay.” She bragged. She wouldn’t let me hear the last of it.
She beat the other house agents to find me a place when I was ready to move out of the place I had called home for twenty-one years.
“Might be the operative word. But, please, do tell me Joey. Did you also pay for the house? Haven’t I thanked you enough for doing your job as a realtor or do you want me to get down on my knees?”
“Oh shut up. Your sarcastic remarks aren’t going to make me stop being a meddlesome friend.”
“It’s nothing.” I snapped. “I just had a rough day, okay?”
“Licia, you don’t have to keep everything to yourself. Sometimes, it helps to talk about it.” Joey’s voice was softer now, filled with genuine concern.
I managed a small smile, feeling a bit of relief in the comfort of her presence. As I tried to push the turmoil of the day to the back of my mind, if only for a while.
We then decided to go grocery shopping.
“So, what fun thing happened at work today? How many new patients tried to make advances at the prettiest nurse in Halfmoon Bay today? A ton, I guess.” She pried, hoping to milk something out of it.
It would have been funny, but it only reminded me of Kevin’s visit at the hospital, souring my mood.
“Nothing and no one, Joey. Trust me, the last thing I want to talk about now is work. Let’s just get what we came for and head back home, please.”
Joey observed the switch in my countenance for a little while, before focusing on the road again. She had insisted on driving… not that I was eager to anyway.
“Must have really been terrible for you.” She commented.
