Romance: The Second Chance - Contemporary Romance (Romance, Contemporary Romance, Suspense Romance Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

digging in immediately and with gusto.
                  Eli looked at Abby, then slid the Crab Medley in front of her.
                  Now that she finally saw what the dish looked like, she could understand why Eli was skeptical of her choice. She wished he would have warned her it was going to be so large and... raw. Though she’d probably have ignored whatever advice he gave her anyway. This was all her fault.
                  Before she could decide how she would proceed, Eli placed a second dish slightly off to her right.
                  “Just in case you're still hungry after the medley.” He smiled, and gave her a slight wink, before heading back toward the kitchen.
                  It was a warm bowl a Clam Chowder. Exactly what she wanted to eat. Abby couldn't believe it.
                  “Did you see that?” Molly said, voice muffled by a mouth full of fish.
                  “See what?”
                  “See that flirting going on. I think Eli likes you!”
                  “What? No. He was just being polite.”
                  “No way. I've seen Eli talk to girls for years now, and I’ve never seen him act like that. Dude's got a serious crush on you girl. Lucky,” Molly took another bite of her fish, and chomped down loudly. Abby's thoughts blocked out the noise.
                  Could he really like me? No, of course not. Not me. Not if he knew.
                  Abby barely heard a thing Molly said for the rest of the afternoon, going over her interactions with Eli again and again in her head.
                  By the time Molly had walked her back to Melody's, Abby didn't want to do anything but sleep. She dragged herself straight to her bedroom, which Melody had set up perfectly while she was gone, and fell dully onto the bed. Drifting off to sleep, thinking….
                  If he only knew....

Chapter Three

                  T here were birds singing outside Eli’s window. The sun had already risen and sat full and glowing above the fence line. Join us , the birds called, but for the time being Eli refused. This wasn’t the first time the birds had woken Eli up, and if it wasn't the birds then it was something else. He’d never had a use for alarm clocks, hating being violently woken up, but also because he would much rather be awake than asleep. The night brought terrors with it. And since trips to the bar usually did more harm than good, he’d finally decided to give up trying to rid himself of the memories and accepted them.
                  Sometimes, on bad nights, he would find himself gasping for air. As if the terror inside could manifest itself into a noose around his neck. He woke crazed, wrapped in his sheets, soaked in sweat from head to toe. Often it took hours to calm down, and he could never fall back asleep. Those were the bad nights.
                  Other days, like today, he woke to the birds singing, and the glorious sun streaming through the blinds. He preferred it this way. No rushing. No stress. Just a sense of calm and pure serenity.
                  Eli sat up, massaging the skin around his eyes. His fingers trailed down his jaw line, continuing down his neck until they reached the rough edges of the scar he wore like a cheap necklace, one he had to wear forever.
                  He’d lived life so passionately, once, and so blissfully ignorant to how awful the world could be. To how something you loved so dearly could be ripped from your arms without warning or explanation. Leaving you to wonder if you could ever feel again.
                  Off to his left lay the medal the mayor had given him two years ago: ELIJAH WAITERS – HERO, coated in gold.
                  Eli didn't care for it. Nor did he care for those who asked