Last Chance: A Second Chances Novel Read Online Free Page A

just not feeling it tonight,” I lied. “I’ll see you next week.” I held out my hand and he shook it.
    Chance then focused on Lara. “It was nice meeting you. Maybe I’ll see you again.”
    She smiled and said, “Maybe.”
    That was all I could take. Without so much as another word, I pulled her away from the garden, to the front of the house where my truck was parked.
    “What the hell is wrong with you?” she snapped.
    Teeth clenched, I huffed. “I leave for one second and you disappear with Harris. That’s fucked up.”
    She threw her hands in the air. “He asked me to take a walk. It was harmless. What does it matter anyway? I’m nothing to you. Tomorrow you’ll forget about me and move on to someone else.”
    Sucking in a breath, I closed my eyes. “So that’s how you see me.”
    “I’m sorry. I guess after everything that happened with Kate, you changed. I loved being around you before, but now . . .”
    “Now what ?”
    She stared at me for the longest time and I waited for her to speak, but then she gently grabbed the keys out of my hand. “It doesn’t matter. Right now, I need to drive you home. You’re drunk.” She walked around to the driver’s side and got in.
    I was too angry to argue about my level of sobriety, so I followed suit. The entire ride home, I had to clench my hands into tight fists. I was so fucking pissed. Why was Lara being so much of a bitch? And what did she mean, I changed ?
    Once we arrived at my house, Lara got out of the truck. “The keys to my car are inside.”
    I nodded and pointed to the side gate. “We can go in through the back door.”
    She handed me the keys and followed me through the fence. I couldn’t just let her go without getting answers. Stopping quickly, she ran into my back.
    “What’s wrong?” she gasped.
    Jerking around, I glared down at her. “This whole night has been wrong. You’ve been nothing but be a complete bitch. You say I’m the one who’s changed, but what about you? What happened to the fun-loving Lara who liked to joke around? You used to always flirt with me. What’s changed?”
    She shook her head. “I told you, it doesn’t matter. Now let me get my keys and go. This night’s over.”
    I held my keys behind my back. “Not until you tell me.”
    She circled around me, but I was too quick for her. “Luke, stop playing around. I want to go home.”
    “You’re not going anywhere.”
    “Wanna bet?” She reached behind my arms, trying to pry my hands apart. It was a futile attempt, but she tried anyway. “Dammit, Luke,” she growled, pushing me away. “I’ll just walk home then.” With her head held high, she charged past the pool, but she wasn’t going anywhere.
    I gripped her around the waist and she screamed as I lifted her off the ground. Taking her purse from her shoulder, I dropped it on the ground, along with my keys and phone. Two steps to the left, and we were in the pool. When we surfaced, she gasped and caught her breath, but I wasn’t letting her go.
    “Luke! What are you doing?” She wriggled in my arms and kicked her feet out, as I held on tight.
    “All I want is a simple explanation and I’ll let you go.” Once she got tired of kicking, she sighed; her blue eyes tired and defeated. “Tell me,” I murmured.
    “Not until you tell me why you chose me tonight. Out of all the girls you could have invited, you picked me. You never gave a damn about me before.”
    “That’s not true. Seeing you with Harris tonight fucked me up. It made me realize I had to have you, one way or another. I’m not going to let you go.”
    She sucked in a breath. “What if I don’t want you?”
    I moved closer and nipped her bottom lip before she could turn away. “Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t.” She closed her eyes and licked where I bit her. “Tell me,” I demanded. “And don’t lie. I need to hear this.”
    She opened her eyes and I could see the truth, but then she shook her head. “I