A second chance: Sequel of Against all odds (15 page)

“
Why?
I thought you liked David. Don't you want me to be with him?
Obviously if he feels something for me. I'm not sure. But he seems to
like me.”

“
Cassidy
I love David, he's like a son for me, it's not that. But you can't be
with him without knowing that..” she stopped not sure it to
continue.

“
Knowing
what?”

“
Oh
my God. Cassidy listen there was someone else in your life before the
accident,” she said.

“
What?
I had a boyfriend?” I asked stunned.

“
You
had a man in your life,” she said again.

“
Great
and who is this man? Where is he now? How come he never came to see
me in hospital?Is he dead?”I asked.

“
No,
he's not dead.. well he didn't come because...” She stopped
again. All these pauses were irritating me.

“
Because?
Listen mum I don't want to know about my past, not now when I feel so
happy. This guy you're talking about doesn't care about me. He never
visited, he never phoned. I don't want to know, please.”

My mum looked worried.

“
OK
honey, but I thought that it was better to tell you.”

“
OK,
thank you,” I said as I stormed out of the room. I didn't want
to hear anything else. I just wanted to lay down in my room and think
about David.

The next few days passed
slowly, I was bored at home. My mum had a new job and she was out
almost all day. I kept going around the house, staring at the walls.
Sometimes I grabbed a book and read something, sometimes I cooked but
I was always alone. As promised David came to visit every evening,
but there was always Kylie with him. Not that she bothered me, I
really liked her. I felt something special for her. But I wished I
could stay alone with him even if for just a few minutes. I thought a
lot about what mum had told me. I was curious to know who this man I
had in my life was, although I felt angry for him. He didn't care so
much about me since he hadn't even bothered to  came and see if
I were OK. I didn't know him and I already felt angry about his
existence. I was sitting down on the sofa watching a movie when I
heard a knock on the door. I jumped up and went to open. It was
David. My face brightened and my lips curved in a smile when I saw
him.

“
Hello
Cassidy, is your mum home? She asked me to bring her these,” he
said showing me some small boxes.

“
Oh
no Dave, she's at work.”

“
Oh
right, I forgot that she has started working. Then I'll leave them
with you.”

“
Please
come in. Or maybe you're in a hurry.” I said hoping he would
say no.

“
Not
really, I don't have lessons today, the students went on a trip.”

“
I'm
so happy to see you, I'm getting so bored here doing nothing. I
wanted to go back to work, although honestly I can't believe I worked
on accounts, I hate numbers. Probably I'll search for something else.
My mum says it's too early and for now I have to think only about my
recovery.”

“
Well,
your mum is right. You've been through a lot.” Suddenly a
brittle silence stretched through the room as we just looking at each
other. It was a moment, probably a few seconds, but it was like a
lifetime. My heart hammered in my chest. He kept staring in my eyes
and then he moved a little forward. I was going to die, for a moment
I thought he was going to kiss me. Oh, how much I wanted him to do
it. Instead he said...

“
Do
you want to go out?”

“
Ahm...
really? Where?” I asked feeling disappointed that he hadn't
kissed me and excited about at the idea of going somewhere with him
at the same time.

“
I
don't know, where do you want to go?”

“
The
sea, the beach. Oh, I would love to walk on the sand.” I said
happily.

David smiled.

“
OK,
but I have to warn you. I came with the motorbike, do you think that
would be OK for you?”

“
Well,
I don't know, we'll have to try to find out.”

“
Great.
Then let's go. I have about 3 hours then I have to go for Kylie at
school.”

I felt so happy. I was going
to pass 3 hours in his company.

“
OK,
I'll get changed,”I said as I was going to leave the room to go
upstairs and find something more suitable to wear.

“
Why,
you look great. Come on let's go,” he said as he grabbed my
hand.

I felt thrilled while I
closed the front door. David gave me a crash helmet to wear and then
he got on his motorcycle. 

“
Come
on Cassidy jump on, ”he urged me.

I did as he told me and then
shyly I put my hands around his waist.

“
Not
like that Cas, you have to hold me tighter.” Saying this, he
grabbed my hands and pushed me closer to him. My face rested against
his back while my hand wrapped around his waist. My heart made a flap
as I could hear his heartbeat. It was a beautiful feeling being this
close to him. He started the ignition and we began our ride together.
It felt awesome being on a motorcycle, the breeze  ruffled my
hair while we passed from the highway. I felt alive and free. It felt
so good. I had been so sad in the past weeks. I was starting to live
again and this thanks to him. He was so special. When we arrived near
the beach, the wind was cooler and I shivered a little. David stopped
the motorbike and I got off. He followed me. We both took the helmets
off.

“
I
come here frequently you know,” he said. 

“
Really,
how come?”

“
Well,
 in these past months I felt sad and lonely and I used to come
for a walk here. Just to reflect on my life and about the choices I
had made.”

“
Why
were you sad? Because of Kylie's mum?” I bit my tongue, I knew
I had exaggerated but I couldn't refrain myself from asking. I wanted
to know everything about him. He looked at me in the eyes, a little
surprised and for a moment he remained silent.

“
Well
yes, she was one of the reasons,” he answered a moment later.

“
I'm
sorry. I shouldn't have asked. That's personal,” I said as I
started to walk away to reach the beach. I was doing everything in
the wrong way with this guy. Why had I asked? It wasn't my business.

David followed me. I stopped
in front of the sea, took my sandals off and dipped my feet in the
water. It was frozen but felt wonderful. Today was really hot.

“
I
loved her,” he said making me turn around to look at him. This
statement hit me like a slap in the face. It really hurt. I felt
jealous. We looked at each other without saying anything for what
seemed forever although it had last only a few seconds.

“
I
see.” I said sadly.

“
But
she loved someone else,”he continued.

“
What?
That's why you're not together?” I asked stunned.

“
Yes,
she married another man and I was left heart broken.”

I felt awful. How could
possibly a woman prefer someone else to him? She must have been
insane I concluded.

“
I'm
so sorry. But how could she leave Kylie?”I asked feeling sorry
for that sweet little girl.

“
She
didn't, she raised Kylie most of the time but for some time she will
stay with me now.”

“
Oh,
OK and do you still love her?”I asked, afraid of the reply.

“
Yes
I do and I will always do, in seven years it never passed a day that
I didn't think about her.”

I felt sick. Was he trying
to put me off? Was he trying to kill all the hopes I had about him?
Maybe he had understood that I felt something for him, that I had
fallen head over heels for him. Why was he telling me all this?
Didn't he understand this was killing me?I felt tears coming in my
eyes and I had to turn around and face the sea again. I couldn't look
in his eyes anymore and I didn't want him to see me crying. We
remained in silence hearing just the hush sound of the waves then
suddenly I felt him behind me. His hands wrapped around my waist as
he pulled me into him.

“
But
I'm ready to start loving again,” He said softly in my ear. My
heart pounded heavily in my chest. His chest was crushing my back and
his strong arms had tightened the grip. I was taken by surprise and I
couldn't stop trembling especially when I felt his breath on my neck.
We remained like this for some time until I felt him loosening the
grip for a second just to turn me around to face him. He looked down
in my eyes, his warm breath on my face. I was going to faint. The
emotions I was feeling were overwhelming. He caressed my face and my
hair.

“
You're
so beautiful,” he said before placing a kiss on my neck which
made me shiver from head to toe. I thought he was going to continue,
instead he pulled back as if he had just realised that what he had
done was wrong.

“
Cassidy
you shouldn't stay in the sun, maybe it's better if we go in the
shade for a moment. You're still weak.”

He was right, I felt weak
but not for the reasons he thought. That kiss on my neck had nailed
me to the floor, my God it was so sensual. My skin was burning as
heat engulfed me. Was it possible that he didn't notice the huge
effect his lips had had on me when he had touched me? Even if it was
just for a very brief moment? I had to slap myself mentally a couple
of times to realise he was still talking to me and that I hadn't
listened to a word of what he had said. I was staring at his face,
day dreaming. It was when I felt his cold hand on my forehead that I
came back to my senses.

“
Oh
my God, you're so hot. I hope you're not running a fever, maybe I
shouldn't have brought you out. Your mum will kill me.” He said
concerned.

It wasn't fever.

“
I'm
fine,” I said grabbing some sea water to put it on my face to
cool down. I felt better. Just at that moment something crossed to my
mind and I giggled  at the thought. I grabbed some water in my
palm and I threw it to him. He was taken by surprise as the cold
water hit his neck and chest. For a moment, he was startled but then
a grin appeared on his face.

“
You
want to tease eh? OK, no problem I'm in.”

And saying that he threw
water back at me hitting me in my back. I screamed, it was so cold.
We continued to throw water to each other like two small children
until I lost my balance and we both fell down on the sand. My face
was almost touching his and my body pressed on top of his. I trembled
while I felt his hands grabbing my waist, holding me. He came nearer
and for a moment I thought that finally I would have felt his lips on
mine. He seemed undecided for some reason. I knew he wanted me, I
could see it in his eyes, I could feel all the tension there was
between us. But something seemed to block him. He sighed and then he
pulled me up and afterwards got up himself.

“
Let's
go a moment under that tree. You need to rest a little OK?”

I nodded although I was
disappointed and probably I had showed it. He kept glancing at me
without saying anything. 

“
Sit
down here,” he said. “ I'll go and get the jacket I have
in my bag.”

Saying this, he walked
towards the motorbike and came back a few minutes later. In one hand
he had the jacket which he gave me and in the other he had a small
bag.

“
This
is for you,” he said while he gave me the bag. “It's a
small gift which I was going to forget to give you,” he said
with a smile.

I took the bag and looked
curiously at it. Then I opened it and found a small sketchbook and a
set of pencils and colours in it. I looked questionably at him. He
must have read my perplexity.