A Second Chance Read Online Free PDF Page B

the office and watching Veronica and Brian together .
    ‘We should definitely look into it.’ Brian ’s smile was relaxed and confident once more. ‘I know for a fact they wanted to open another office in California, so maybe this would be the perfect solution for us , too. I certainly would n’t mind moving if they offered me the position.’
    He had it all figured out. He and Veronica must have talked about it. She imagined them together, lying in bed, their naked limbs entwined as they basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Brian had always joked that his best ideas c a me to him after sex ; fulfilled passion channel ed his creative energy into something new and exciting. This probably was the topic of their lazy conversation . Damn Veronica with her flame - colored hair , emerald green eyes, and angelic face like something from a Botticelli painting . She had turned out to be anything but innocent and sweet, her presence destroying the one thing Jade had hoped to do right in her life .
    Brian was talking about the offer and his thoughts on it, but his words barely register ed in her tired brain. She nodded when he suggested that they have an in-depth chat about it later ; his obvious rush to leave and talk to Veronica had put her on edge. H er carefully maintained composure was starting to show cracks that threatened the ir peaceful split up. She couldn’t force herself to think about the future ; the idea of starting over without the man who had been the one constant in her life scar ed her witless.
    They walked together to the exit, his hand resting on the small of her back in an all too familiar gesture. To a stranger’s eyes , they must have looked like one of countless happy couples leaving dinner in one of the area’s hip restaurants. For a moment she wished they were exactly that, the p ast half hour simply a bad dream about which they would laugh as they chatted on the way back to the office.
    He hailed her a cab and made sure she was comfortable ; his innate chivalry was something she had come to appreciate over the years. He kissed her cheek hurriedly , looking guilty as he explained his immediate plans. He would spend the night at Veronica’s and come in the morning to collect all his possession s from their apartment.
    Obviously, he was giving her a heads up so she could decide if she wanted to be present and witness his departure or leave and come back when it was over. She knew how much he hated drama and tried to avoid it whenever possible — l ike taking her out for dinner and breaking up in public , knowing she wouldn’t become too vocal and explosive with an audience. Much better than in their private little space where no one would overhear their fight if they chose to get into one.
    ‘I think I ’ ll spend the weekend at my parents . ’ T he relief in his eyes almost made her revoke her decision. But she really didn’t want to watch him gather his scattered possessions, knowing he was going to build a new nest with someone else while she remained alone. B eing alone and left behind was what made her the most miserable . The cab took off , and she held her head high , her eyes looking forward as she resisted the temptation to turn around and see him standing on the pavement, watching her leave.

T wo
    ‘M o m, I told you already , like a hundred times, it was a mutual agreement.’ Jade could hear the exasperation color her voice as she watched her mother shrug her slim shoulders in a gesture of defeat . ‘And no, it can’t be patched up, even if you want me to go and beg him to take me back.’
    ‘Who ’ s talking about begging, Jade?’ Mrs. Rowley watched her daughter with a frown as she boiled water and place teabags in two mugs. ‘ How about talking like two adults and maybe helping Brian see what a great mistake he ’s about to make ? ’
    ‘M o m, he knows what he wants.’ A fter a day and a half at her parents ’ house, Jade had started to sound like a broken