Second Chance

Annabelle’s POV

“Are you sure you want this, babe?” John asks me for the millionth time today as we’re sitting on the waiting area at LAX.

“Yes” I snap at him, turning to glare at him. “Stop asking me the same fucking question over & over again” I say through clenched teeth, slouching back on the uncomfortable airport chair. To say I was in a foul mood is an understatement. & John was the one that was suffering all of it.

“Sorry” He says in a low voice, in a hurt voice. I let out a sigh, feeling guilt wash over me.

“No, I’m sorry, John. I shouldn’t… be treating you like this” I say, turning to look at him. He gives me one of those heartwarming smile, that makes my inside tingles. Or used to.

“It’s ok, babe. I’m just wondering why the sudden decision to leave” He asks, grabbing my hand & yanking me up so I can sit on his lap. I do & snuggle close to him, breathing in his scent. He smells of fabric softener & soap. No cologne, no cigarette… not the smell I’m craving so much… not Brian’s scent.

I feel him placing a kiss on my sweet spot & all the memories from the past weeks come to my mind racing. All the times Brian kissed that same spot, sending shivers all over my body, sending me into oblivion… all the times I let him pull me on his lap, I let him kiss me, I let him call me babe. All the times we made sweet love. And most of all… all the times I thought that this time, we would really make it. But I guess the universe isn’t done fucking with me. Or maybe it is. Maybe it’s telling me that as much as I want to be with Brian, that as much as I claim to love him, that maybe… he & I aren’t meant to be. I mean, if we were, we would be together by now. I wouldn’t be engaged to John & certainly, Michelle wouldn’t be pregnant with Brian’s baby. But that’s not how things are & I’m tired of fighting the universe. Maybe, just maybe… it’s time to let the universe win.

“You know you can tell me anything, Bellie” He says, cupping my cheek to make me look at him. “I thought this is what you wanted. To get married here, in your hometown, the place you love the most, surrounded by the people you love the most, where all those beautiful memories you keep telling me about took place. What happened? What made you change your mind?” He asks me & I can see concern in his eyes. Those eyes that made me fall in love with him over & over again. The eyes that I cannot see anymore because they make me feel like the piece of shit I am for ever hurting this man that has nothing but love for me. If only he knew. If only he knew that he was stupid for waiting for me or my call when I was fooling around with a married man behind his back. He doesn’t have the slightest idea & it kills me to do this to him. “Does this have something to do with Brian & Michelle having a baby?” He questions me, his voice barely as a whisper. I stare into his eyes, shocked about the words that just came out of his mouth. What the hell does he knows about Brian & I? “Because if it does… I want to know everything” He says, placing a lock of my hair behind my ear.

“There’s nothing for you to know about, John” I say, the lie spilling from my tongue so easily that it scares me, because I’ve become used to lie to John, my fiancé, my soon to be husband, the one that I promised to always be honest to. I see in his eyes that he doesn’t believe me for a second so I step up my game. I can’t let John find out about my rendezvous with Brian. Maybe I should be honest & just come clean & hope for him to forgive me & not call off the engagement, but I don’t. Instead… I feed him another lie. Instead… I chose the easy way out. “This place is special to me, like you said. & the majority of people that actually means something to me lives here. & you’re right… my most precious memories are here… a big part of my heart is here. But when I remember, or even hear the words ‘Huntington Beach’ & all those things come to mind, I realize that the one thing wrong with that picture is… you” I say & his eyes go wide. “This city is not where I have memories of you, of us. Everyone else… but not you. & I want to marry you somewhere I know it’s our place, that place that we call home. & Huntington is not that. New York is. I can have my dream wedding there, because when I think of New York, I think about you & the amazing 2 years of relationship & happiness you’ve given me. & I want to celebrate that there… not here” I say, feeling my breathing come out a bit ragged. It’s not that I don’t mean the words that I just said to him, because most of them, I do. It’s just that I’ve become everything I’ve never wanted to be… a conniving little liar.

“I love you, you know that?” He says, a small smile playing in his lips. “Nothing can ever change that, Annabelle. & I would be honored to make you my wife anywhere you want. Because I want you to be happy. & if you want us to get married in New York, our city, where everything started… then so be it. Because I love you & I’m never gonna grow tired of letting you know that” He says, leaning forward to place a sweet passionate kiss on my lips, his hand holding my face in place. I respond to his kiss, while a tear rolls down my cheek. His words were beautiful & I have no doubt that he means them… I just wished I deserved them.

Val’s POV

“Honey, can I ask you something?” I ask Matt, while he’s busy playing his video games & me just lounging on the couch, reading a magazine.

“Uh-huh” He says/mutters, never taking his eyes off of the screen.

“You would never lie to me, right?” I ask & I see his body tense up for a second.

“No, I wouldn’t” He says after a couple of seconds of silence. I eye him closer, seeing him in his gaming mode again.

“Because you know that trust is something that has to be earned & it’s so easily to lose. & once you lie to someone you love, let’s say… you’re wife or girlfriend, well… it’s kinda hard to build up that type of bond-”

“Where are you going with this, Val? Why the fuck are you telling me all of this? Did you read it in your magazine?” He says, pushing pause on his game & turning to look at me, a bit annoyed, I might add. I swallow hard, not sure if I’m ready to know what I’m trying to find out.

“Well… I just wanna know the real reason why Anna came back” I say looking at him. I see him lower his gaze, before looking back at me.

“I don’t know” He says. He lies. I can see it written on his face. He should know that by now, I can tell when he’s lying to me or not. We’ve been together forever so I’m pretty positive that I can tell when he’s lying to me. & he’s lying to me right now. & it hurts me that after all of these years, he doesn’t trust me.

“Bullshit, Matthew” I say a bit hard. I see his eyes widen in shock. “That’s bullshit & you know it. You & all the guys know why she came back. & it doesn’t take a fucking genius to know that Brian has something to do with that” I snap at him, throwing the magazine on the coffee table.

“What are you talking about, Val? Where are you getting all of this?” He asks me, his voice calm & soft… another sign that he doesn’t want to continue with this conversation cuz, maybe, he’ll lie to me again.

“Well, don’t you think that’s ironic that we don’t hear from her in 3 fucking years & when we run into her in New York, all of the sudden, Brian leaves the recording & a day later she’s a his fucking doorstep? You can’t tell that she came back just because she felt the need to, or because she missed her family. She could’ve done that sooner. She came back for Brian & I wanna why, Matt” I say, breathing hard. I see Matt’s head in his hand. “I want you to tell me what’s going on between Brian & Annabelle” I say, a tear rolling down my cheek, cuz I know what his answer is gonna be, but I need to hear it. I need to hear the words that are gonna break my sister’s heart. “& please don’t lie to me” I say in a small voice.

“They… Brian… he….” He mutters, not being able to form a coherent sentence. “FUCK” He yells in frustration. “It’s complicated” He says, throwing his head back in the couch. “Please don’t make me do this, Val. It’s not my place to tell you this” He pleads, looking at me & I see the battle with himself etched in his face. But it breaks my heart that still… he doesn’t trust me. I’m his fucking wife & he doesn’t trust me. I wipe my tears & turn, grabbing my bag & heading towards the door.

“When you grow a pair, Matt, call me. In the meantime, I can’t even stand being in the same room as you while you lie to my face” I say, before his words stop me dead cold at the door.

“They love each other” I turn to see his gaze on the floor. “He loves her & she loves him. That’s why she came back. That’s why they have been at each other’s throat constantly… cuz they’re just acting out on all the feeling they keep bottled inside” He says, turning his gaze to me & I notice that my tears are running more freely. Why? I’m not sure. Maybe it’s the fact that I knew all of this at the bottom but been in so much denial, that them just loving each other is like they’re betraying me… when the truth is… they’re betraying Michelle.

“Since when?” I ask in a little voice. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I mean… sure, we all knew that Brian’s & Anna’s relationship was something only them understood, & I never fully understood why he was so pissed when she told him she was moving to New York. It was not the reaction someone would expect from a best friend.

“I don’t know since when. I just found out” He says & I nod my head.

“Is that why he walked out on Michelle on their wedding day?” I ask him & he nods. I feel my body shaking from the tears. My heart breaking for my sister. She’s gonna be devastated when she finds out about this “Is that why she never came back?” I ask & he nods again. I let out a sob. “I can’t believe this” I say, pacing through the living room. “So what… they’ve been fooling Michelle’s back all this time?” I say, anger building up inside of me. I can’t believe they did that to my sister. What the fuck is wrong with them?

“No” Matt says quickly, coming over to me & placing his large hands over my shoulders. “It was a onetime thing & then Brian did what he had to do” He says & realization hits me. His words hit me like a bitch slap. Brian hasn’t been doing what he wants to do all of these years… he has been doing what he has to do.

“That’s why he married her. Because that’s what he had to do” I see into my husband’s eyes & he nods. “Oh, God. Chelle’s gonna die when she finds out about this” I say & Matt quickly makes me look at him.

“You can’t tell her” His tone is stern & serious.

“That’s my sister, Matt. I have to tell her” I say with a scoff.

“No, you don’t. This is none of our business, Valary. Besides… Anna just left, again, &… she’s getting married & Brian is having a kid. They’re moving on. We don’t have to mess with that” He says & I ponder on his words for a second. He’s right, not 100% right, but right nonetheless. Who am I to ruin this beautiful stage of pregnancy for Michelle? She’s so excited about this baby cuz she thinks it’s what it’s missing in her life & that finally it would bring Brian close to her… again, like they once were. If only she knew that Brian will never be hers since he loves someone else… since he loves his best friend. & that best friend is not Michelle. She never was that to him. “You have to promise me that you won’t say anything, Val. I know she’s your sister, but let’s give them the happiness they both have been craving so much” Matt says, running his fingers through my hair lovingly. I nod my head yes.

“I promise” I say & he smiles at me before hugging me. I close my eyes because I know I’m betraying my sister, my own flesh & bone… but Matt’s right. We should let Brian & Michelle find that happiness that’s been lacking in their life ever since they got married. & I know that all the hopes are placed in that unborn child. That child it’s what’s gonna make them or break them.