Second Chances (9 page)

*
Zoey
*

Luke is being such a sweetheart
and I loved every minute of it. That boy makes my heart race and my stomach
flutter. I came home to an empty house so having a text war with Luke was a fun
distraction. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to see him again but now I
knew I really wanted to. During the week it will be hard for us to see each
other. He would have all his football practices, games and classes. I decided I
wanted to take a shower and when I came out of the bathroom to walk back to my
bedroom I found my mother sitting on the end of my bed.

“What are you doing in here?” I
asked as I walked passed her to grab my brush. “I just got back from dropping
Lily off at swim class and I know that you said we would talk when you were
ready
Zoey
but we need to talk now.” I was trying to
contain the rush of adrenaline that was now running through me. “Well I don’t
feel like talking so I guess those plans didn’t really work out.” I finished
brushing my hair and had turned to face her. “
Zoey
are you having sex with a college guy. Is that where you were all weekend?” My
mouth dropped open and I took a step toward her. “Where’d you hear that from
Ashley? Perfect little Ashley, well maybe she should get her facts straight
before she creates problems.” I stood in front of her with my hands on my hips.
She was facing me with her arms crossed “So you didn’t spend the weekend with
some guy.” She was glaring at me now and that just fueled me.  “You know
what mom. I did stay with a guy his name is Luke. He is a really amazing guy
but because you don’t have enough respect to ask me if I am having sex in a
grown up manner then I don’t owe you an explanation.”

I walked passed her and out of
the room heading to the kitchen. She was following behind me yelling, “Damn it
Zoey
! Don’t you dare walk away from me! You’re mad at me
about what has happened that is fine. You’ll get over that but that sure as
hell does not mean you should be running around having sex with guys you just met.
Ashley said this guy you were with uses girls and then moves on to the next.
Zoey
you are brighter than to let some guy just use you
like that.” Oh now I’m passed that point of control. I put my water down on the
countertop hard and walk right up to her. “Yak know what momma, here’s the
thing I’m a virgin just because you can’t keep your legs closed doesn’t mean I
can’t.” As if it was a reflex she brought her hand up and smacked me across my
face. Immediately my hand went up to my cheek to cover the spot she had just
hit. “Oh my god
Zoey
I am so sorry.” I grabbed my
keys off the kitchen table and walked out the door. I got in my car but had no
idea where I was going I just wanted to be alone. I drove for about thirty
minutes and then found a gas station. I was almost on E and still had no
intentions of going home. I had not stopped crying since I left.

 I found myself sitting in
my car at the beach where we had went yesterday watching people play volleyball
and run around. I missed my daddy so bad. I felt horrible how things had turned
out. My mind had wondered back to the times my mom said she had conventions and
weekend retreats for work. Had she been meeting Bruce and lying to us all. How
could she come home to my daddy and face us all knowing she had just slept with
that man. My heart broke for my daddy. He adored my momma and would have done
anything for her. He always told me that she was his soul mate that they had
been made for one another. How was I going to get past this? I wasn’t sure if I
could ever look at her with respect again. She said I would get over this…get
over it. How? I wasn’t sure there was a way to just get over this. I felt like
she not only cheated on my daddy but on me and Lily too. If she was unhappy why
didn’t she say she was? Why cheat?

I was now wondering around on the
beach. I found a spot down away from people to sit and just look out over the
water. I wished I had my daddy. I missed him so very much. Not many girls can
say there dad was there best friend but I could. He understood me and we would
sit for hours and talk about the crazies things. We would create stories by
each saying one sentence in addition to the previous one. He could always make
me smile and laugh no matter what. He was my hero and he was such a special man
with a huge heart. So caring about everyone he met. Why did my mom take me and
Lily away from our home was it for that man. Did she drag us away from all our
memories of my daddy to be closer to that man? I dialed my phone and after two
rings she answered “
Zoey
?” Through my tears it came
out strained, “Did you move us here to be closer to him? It had nothing to do
with being closer to Aunt Lauren...
did
it? You moved
for him…didn’t you?” After a long silence she answered “Yes, but…”  I hung
up the phone and began to cry again. Who was this woman? She was not who I was
raised by the one that taught me love and honesty, to never steal or cheat. At
that moment I hated her and I wasn’t sure I could change that or if I wanted
to. My phone vibrated and it was Luke. I let it go to voicemail. Shortly after
a text came through

Luke: ‘Can I see you tonight I am
having
Zoey
Withdraw?’

Me: ‘I am so sorry but it’s not a
good time’

Luke: ‘Are you Ok?”

Me: ‘No!’

I expected a response by text but
he called again. I couldn’t let him hear me crying so I again sent it to
voicemail. After three more calls they stopped.

Sophia called next about five
minutes later and I knew it was because Luke had probably called her. I answered
“
Soph
I just need some time alone okay.” I knew she
picked up that I was crying. “
Zoey
you’re freaking
Luke out he is panicking. He needs to hear you’re okay.” I shook my head from
side to side “No can you call him and just tell him that things got bad at home
and I just need to be alone please.” She agreed to try but felt he wouldn’t be
happy with that. She convinced me to tell her where I was but agreed to not
tell Luke right now. She told me she was going to have Evan bring her and drop
her off to be with me. At first I declined her offer but when she refused to
listen to me I was glad that she was on her way. About ten minutes later a
really long text from Luke came through and after reading it I felt horrible
for avoiding his calls.

‘
Zoey
I hate that you are shutting me out. I want you to
allow me to be here for you. I am really trying to understand why you can’t
talk to me. I’m trying not to take it personal but it’s hard. I really care
about you Z more than I thought I truly could. I want you to trust me enough to
run to me whenever you need to about anything you have going on. It’s killing
me right now that you’re so sad and I can’t hold you. I know I can’t fix any of
it but I just want you to know I am here for you. Please don’t shut me out.
Please!’

I cried harder. I felt a hand on
my shoulder and turned to find Sophia with Evan standing behind her. She drop
down in front of me and let me just fall into her and cry deep sobbing cries.
When she pulled away she saw my eye. “What in hell happened to your eye
Zoey
?” I explained about my mom and everything that
happened. Evan leaned in and gave me a one handed hug and told me he was going
to find Luke. Sophia and I had stayed there talking as the sun started to
settle. “You know I am really going to be that skanks ass now,” Sophia really
didn’t like Ashley this just fueled her a little more.

“I need to call Luke”. I said
standing up and turning to her. “Hey you want to stay with me tonight?” I told
her I was going to go home for Lily but I really appreciated her and the friend
she had become. She hugged me again and when she looked back at me she was
crying. We held hands and walked back to my car. The closer we got the more he
came into view. Evan had never left…Luke had shown up here. He was leaning back
onto the hood of his car. As we got closer he must have heard us when he looked
up, his eyes connected with mine and that was it I lost it again. The tears
just spilled over and I couldn’t stop them. He came to me and wrapped me into
him tightly kissing the top of my head. “
Shh
…Baby
Don’t
cry
! Sorry I couldn’t stay away. Once Evan told
me he brought Sophia to you and made him tell me where and jump in my car. I
thought I would wait until you came up here. I just want to be here for you
Zoey
. Let me be here for you please.” I pulled away and
looked up at him. He leaned forward and kissed my upper cheek where the red
marked had formed from my mother hitting me. He then hugged me to him again and
I rested my head on his chest. I felt safe, overwhelmed and at the same time
happy to be in his arms.

*Luke*

I was really looking forward to
seeing
Zoey
tonight. My parents made it home and my
mom asked about my weekend as we sat at the kitchen table eating the sandwiches
she had made for us both I told her about
Zoey
. I
told her how amazing she was how beautiful, caring and adorable. She sat and
listened as I told her about how
Zoey
had lost her
dad. I told her how she made me feel and how being away from her was like
torture. I felt like the air was slowly being sucked out of my lungs and no
matter how hard I took a breath I couldn’t get enough air to fill them. What
she said in response shocked me “Well Lucas if I didn’t know better myself I
would have to say that my son may be falling in love for the first time.” I
brushed her off telling her she was crazy it had not been enough time for that.
She laughed and ruffled my hair and she cleared the table. The entire time I
was showering I thought about what she had said it wasn’t possible not this quick…was
it?

I tried calling her and she
didn’t answer so I decided to text her. The responses I got in return were
definitely unexpected. She wouldn’t answer my calls. I wasn’t sure why she was
avoiding me. I called Sophia and she said she would talk to her. The entire
time I waited for
Soph
to call me back I felt as if I
was going to go crazy. What was going on? When she called me back and told me
that
Zoey
talked to her well I was glad but also a
little hurt. Why couldn’t she talk to me? I wanted to be there for her always
no matter what the situation was. I sent her another text but never received a
response. I sat down on the couch holding my phone in my hand staring at it as
if willing it to ring. About forty five minutes past and the sun was beginning
to set my phone rang it was Evan calling. He wanted me to know they found
Zoey
and Sophia was with her. I begged him to tell me where
and after a while he finally told me they were at the beach. I left so fast and
drove there pulling into the space next to
Zoey’s
Escape. Evan pulled in next to me and got out. We stood there talking I
couldn’t believe everything he told me.
Zoey’s
mom
had hit her after their fight. Her Cousin was causing problems and now her mom
thought I was after her daughter for just sex. I stood there fighting the urge
to go down to the beach and hold her. I had just leaned back onto the hood of
my car when I saw the girls walking our way. Once she was close I couldn’t help
it I had to hold her. She let me hugged her and she cried which crushed me I
hate seeing her cry. I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat and tried my
best to comfort her. She took it all in. When she looked at me I saw the red
mark that the confrontation between her and her mother had now left. I hated
that her mother had hit her. It really struck a little anger in me. I shook
that away. She agreed to sit in her car with me and talk. Sophia and Evan had
said their good byes.

Her eyes were so reddened by the
tears. She reached out and took my thumb
acrossed
her
cheek to clear the tear, “I’m sorry I made you feel like I was pushing you
away. I don’t like you to see me like this Luke. We just started seeing each
other and I don’t want you to think badly of me and my family.” I immediately pulled
her chin up to meet her eyes with mine, “
Zoey
I don’t
think badly of you or your family. I don’t like that your mom hit you but I
understand you all have a lot going on. I am not here to judge any of you. I
don’t want your mom to think badly of me based on your cousin’s stories.” I
held onto her just looking into her eyes. “Baby good or bad I want to be here
for you. I want you to feel comfortable enough with me to tell me all of it. I
really care about you
Zoey
so much. I want to take
all your hurt away. I know I can’t and that kills me.” She kissed me so soft
and sweet. She then laid her head on my shoulder.

She decided she needed to go home
about eight thirty she wanted to make sure she told Lily good night. I agreed
that I would not get out but I wanted her to allow me to follow her home just
so I knew she got there safely.

When she turned into her driveway
I slowed behind and rolled down my window. After she closed her car door she
walked to mine and kneeled down at my window. “Thanks for being so sweet and
thanks for caring.” She leaned in the window and gave me a kiss as she placed
her hand in my hair at the back of my head to pull me closer. “Will you text me
when you get home please.” I gave her one more
kiss
“Yes I will.” She stood and walked to her door turning to wave before walking
in. As I drove home I thought about how I could work it out to be able to see
her tomorrow. I had practice and then a night class. During the week was going
to be so rough.