Second Chance at Forever (Forever Book 2) (27 page)

He held the watch as I said, “Please carry it with you as a reminder that time is precious, and life is short. Life is unpredictable and sometimes cruel. We lose the ones that we love, and if we are lucky…we can have a second chance at forever to make it right.”

“Is the universe laughing at me now, dad? How did I meet the girl of my dreams who happens to be the daughter of the girl of your dreams?”

“I don’t know, son, I’m still trying to wrap my head around that one, but I do know Riley cares for you. When I see you two together, I see me and Reese all those years ago. It’s like I’m watching a movie of my life and waiting to see what happens next.”

“What does happen next, dad? She’s married to someone else, and how will this affect my relationship with Riley? I love her dad, but she’s not going to want to be with me if you break up her parents’ marriage.”

“Jackson, Reese and I belong together, we always have. I love her, son, and my feelings have never changed for her. She is just existing in a loveless marriage that has never really made her happy. Before coming to New York, Reese asked her husband for a divorce, and then to reunite with me is just fate’s way of righting the wrongs that happened to us. Our chance was taken away from us by forces beyond our control. Now is the time to take back what we lost and be together like we always planned to do.”

“I get that dad, but at what cost? You love Reese, she loves you, but what about the other people in this story? Riley, her father, and me. It doesn’t matter if she asked her husband for a divorce, they still have a life together and have a daughter. Riley is never going to understand this and be accepting to the fact that my father is the reason why her parents are not together anymore. Dad, you really have not given any thought of the damage that you and Reese will leave in the promise of being together. I think at this point, we should just go home and I’ll work things out with Riley on my own. But, dad, you need to walk away from her mother.”

“I can’t do that, Jackson, I won’t. I have lost too many years without her in my life, and I can’t lose one more day. You always wanted me to be happy and find someone to share my life with; well she’s the one I want, Jackson. I can’t deny my feelings for her because she is married to someone else. I know our situation is very unique and complex, but you already believe Riley is the one for you, don’t you? As I have always known Reese was for me.”

“We just need to trust our heart and follow the path that it leads us on. Jackson, I love you, you know this. I would do anything for you son, but this is one request that I have to say no to. I can’t let her go and have her slip away from me again. Please understand and give me your support.”

“Dad, I want to, believe me I do, but all I see is this ending badly for all of us. I want you to be happy, dad, I really do. You have given me everything and put me before your own happiness. I can’t stand here and tell you that you don’t deserve some of your own. I will try to do things your way. I want Riley to be my
forever
. I know that we’re young, dad, but when I look to my future, I only see her in it. Can you understand that?”

“More than you know, son…more than you know.”

“I’m taking a big risk here, dad, but I trust you. I just hope we can separate our two relationships and not destroy what we have.”

“Jackson, oh god, thank you.” I hugged my son and let out the breath I was holding. We made it through this storm, and now he knows the truth.

“Dad, what happens next? How are we going to explain why we’re there? Riley hasn’t returned one of my phone calls, and you haven’t spoken to Reese. I haven’t even met her father yet. How the hell is he going to react to me when I introduce myself to him?”

“Jackson, I must ask you not to reveal anything that I have told you with Riley. I don’t know if Reese has told Riley about us. The way they left is leading me to believe that her husband may suspect something, and I have to tread very carefully on how to proceed. I have a contact watching their villa, and once we arrive, I will be brought up to speed.”

“I have never seen this side to you before, it’s like you have shifted into mega mogul, and you will stop at nothing to get what you want.”

“Jackson, I have lived my life at the highest level of control, and I wouldn’t be able to run my business without it. When it comes to matters of my heart, it requires a similar level of control and discipline. I know what I want, and who I want, so it’s time to get my woman back.”

WAKING UP IN paradise was not like I expected. As I laid there with Samuel’s heavy arm across my chest, I felt as if I was having an out-of-body experience. Samuel was relentless yesterday with his demands of me and Riley. He had forced us on this trip and was controlling every aspect of it. I hadn’t had a minute to myself since Samuel showed up in New York yesterday morning.

I carefully removed my body from under Samuel, hoping I didn’t wake him. The bathroom would be my safe place to think for a few minutes, I hoped. I took a peek at my phone and of course it was full with text messages from a number that no one would know but me. I quickly read them as they were all in code, just in case my phone ended up in the wrong hands. I did have one voicemail, and it was from Walker. I peeked out from the bathroom and eyed a sleeping Samuel.
Thank god, now I can listen to Walker’s voicemail.

“Reese, I don’t know why you left without saying goodbye. I can’t believe I’m actually saying these words again, it’s like I’m back there when I discovered you missing the first time. I will find you this time. I promise you that, my love. Reese, I meant every word I said to you last night. I love you, and you’re mine forever. You will be seeing me soon. You can count on that.”

Oh Walker, I love you too. Please feel my love wherever you are, and know you’re in my heart. Please forgive me for leaving you again.

As much as I wanted to save his message, I couldn’t take the risk of having it discovered by Samuel, so I deleted it, but not before texting Walker to let him know that I loved him too. I had never texted a message so quickly before in my life. I hope it all made sense to him.

Walker, I love you too! So much that it hurts. Please forgive me for leaving you again. It was not my intention. Sadly, my hands were tied, and I had no choice. Samuel showed up in New York and took Riley and me to the Caribbean. In only a matter of a few days, I fear Samuel has changed into someone I don’t recognize. I have to be very careful with him, Walker. Please understand what I may have to do in order to return home to you. You have my heart…always remember that. I love you…Reese.

Once I hit the send button, I deleted my message to Walker. I was going out of my mind here on this island. I had to check on Riley. She cried herself to sleep last night, and Samuel prevented me from checking on her. I tiptoed past the bed and was almost out the door when he called out to me.

“Reese, where are you going?”

Stay calm, Reese
. “Good morning, Samuel. I was just going to check on our daughter. I was trying to be quiet so I wouldn’t wake you.”

“Come here, Reese”

“I’ll be right back. Let me just see if Riley is up yet.”

“Reese, I won’t ask you again, Come here.”

Tears were beginning to well up in my eyes, but I managed to hold them back
. I won’t betray Walker again by giving Samuel my body.
I slowly walked over to him, and Samuel reached out to me. Instead of forcefully pulling me down, he gently took me into his arms and held me.

“I love you, Reese. I’m sorry I was never the husband you wanted me to be. I made so many mistakes with you, and I can’t begin to know how to fix them. I know you’re not happy. I would have to be a fool not to know this, but I’m asking you to please try and give me a chance to make our marriage work. Can you try too?”

Here is my chance to tell him no, but I’m afraid. He’s being the kind man that I know him to be, but also he is probably praying I say yes to him. I have to follow my heart…Please Samuel, don’t hate me.

“Samuel, I can’t do this anymore. Hurting you is the last thing I want to do, but I can’t remain in a marriage that I’m not happy in. When we get back to Maryland, I want to begin divorce proceedings.”

Samuel released me and his face had fallen. He got out of bed and ran his fingers through his hair, a clear sign of his frustration and hurt.

“Reese, how the hell did we get here? You have never given me any indication that you wanted to end our marriage. Why now? What am I missing here? Am I that much of a bastard that you hate me so much to divorce me?”

“Samuel, I could never hate you. You will always hold a special place in my heart. You gave me Riley, our beautiful daughter.”

“Yes, our daughter, but what else, Reese? Why can’t you give me your whole heart? I have tried over the years to break down the walls that you so meticulously built around your heart. Why do I have to pay the price for the guy that broke you? I have been here for almost eighteen years. I have been here for you and loved you every single day of it. This is how you repay my love, by asking me for a fucking divorce?”

Samuel picked up a vase of flowers and threw it against the wall, smashing it into pieces. I jumped from the sound of it and hoped Riley didn’t come running in.

He took a breath and said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m just at a loss here. You want me to just walk away from our life together, and for what, Reese? Where will you go? Do you have a plan? Has this been your intention all along?”

“Samuel, we haven’t been happy for a long time now; you know this to be true. You parade me around at all of your hospital functions as if I’m arm candy instead of your wife. I played the role of the good doctor’s wife for all of these years now. I made you look good. And when you don’t need me to be your trophy wife, you tuck me away and leave me be in our house. It’s a game, Samuel, a part that we both play. I’m done with it, and I just want out.”

“I can’t even begin to understand you, Reese. This is how you see me and our marriage? You were just a pawn in my chess game? You’re so wrong, but it’s clear to me that you have already made your decision. I can’t force you to stay with me, but I have this sinking feeling that there is more that you’re not telling me. Did you ever love me at all?”

“Samuel, I never lied to you…not ever. I met you at the lowest point in my life. I had just lost my baby and the man that I loved more than my own life. I never promised you forever, but you still wanted me. Over the years I did grow to love you, but if we are being completely honest here, I’m not in love with you. I never was.”

Smack right across my cheek.
I fell back onto the bed, and Samuel leaned over me.

“Damn you, woman, and your fucking heart. I love you, and I would have done anything for you. How can you break me down like this? I’m a doctor, I heal people. I would never think of ever hurting anyone, and in the course of a few days, I have become somebody I don’t even recognize. You have done this to me, Reese, because you won’t stay with me. What makes him so special that no man can hold a candle to him? Tell me, Reese, why after all of these years, you can’t let this man go? He abandoned you and left you with nothing but a broken heart. Here you are now, willing to give up everything for a man that you haven’t seen in years.”

“Get away from me! Don’t you ever lay your hands on me again! You’re wrong, Samuel, he didn’t abandon me…I abandoned him. I told you what his father made me do. I should have been stronger and fight for the man that I loved, but I was weak! I was the one that left him! Please don’t make me hate you, Samuel. I am not trying to hurt you, but you never listen to me. I have tried over the years to talk to you and make you see how unhappy I was. You always would convince me that it was all in my head and we would be fine. It’s not in my head, and it’s certainly not in my heart. I will always be thankful to you for the kindness you showed me when I lost my baby, and the friendship that followed. Having Riley, our beautiful daughter, has been my greatest joy in my life. For that reason alone, I can never repay you, but to stay in a marriage because of that reason, is no way to live.”