One More Chance
Note: this short is loosely edited
I hadn’t seen him in three months. My eyebrows furrowed as he casually walked toward me. I continued my interview, taking my time to answer each question while trying to figure out what I should say to Chance. Our last conversation was super emotional. I mean, I was a wreck. I was truly torn between my heart’s desire and fear of getting hurt. A week after leaving his house in the middle of the night, Chance and I met up to talk. Despite him promising to be better, I couldn’t bring myself to give us another try. I still remembered the pain in his honey-colored orbs when I said my last goodbye.
At that moment, I felt like the helpless little girl who watched my parents lose themselves in love. Their rollercoaster of a relationship ended badly and caused them to never love again. And I swore to never to be like them. My obsession with not ending up like them inevitably led me to be just like them. I fell for him hard and fast. Truthfully, I didn’t know how to handle it. I went to mother for advice. She adored Chance and had no problem letting me know that I’d made a huge mistake. After talking to her, I felt worse than before, but I knew I couldn’t run back to Chance. It would seem like I was playing games, which wasn’t the case.
So, I moped around for three months and tried to distract myself with work. I did everything I could to forget Chance. Taking a page out of Solange’s book, I drank, smoked, shopped, but nothing could replace Chance’s place in my life. Seeing him today caused a mix of emotions. Above all, happiness trumped the fear and regret I had for giving up on us so easily. Him being here meant that he hadn’t given up, or he was here to support me on the biggest day of my life. Either way, I was glad to see him.
I had been at RFK Stadium since seven this morning, making sure everything was perfect. Exhaustion was slowly creeping up, but Chance’s appearance gave me a second wind. I damn near drooled at his fresh fade, caramel skin, and charming smile. He waited for me to finish an interview with a local food blogger before speaking. My heart raced a mile a minute, and my palms were clammy. Sliding my hands down my hips, I exhaled.
“I couldn’t not support you today,” was his greeting. Butterflies erupted in my belly and a smile formed on my lips. “Everything looks just like you wanted it to.”
“Yeah, I’m still shocked that everything came together.”
“Come on. You worked your ass off. There was no way it wasn’t going to be a success.”
Chance was by my side when I was stressing about getting permits, insurance, searching for a lot to fit my vision, and finding sponsorships. He was more than a listening ear. If it weren’t for him and his legal expertise, I wouldn’t be here. With his help, I was able to draft contracts for the vendors and find reasonable insurance. Honestly, he deserved recognition for his part in making my dream come to life. It was because of him that this event happened. It would still be a goal in my notebook if it were up to me.
“Thank you. I appreciate you for coming. You know that if it weren’t for your support, this wouldn’t have happened.”
His eyebrows met as he stared at me. “Nah. This was all you. All I did was push you to see it through.”
I wasn’t sure about what to say next. Should I hug him? Offer him a map of the truck lot? I needed to do something other than stare at him.
“Let me show you around,” I said after a moment. He nodded with a smile that still warmed my insides. As we made our way through the crowd, I pointed out the bar, seating area and the non-food vendors.
“Are you hungry? We have so many options.”
Glancing to my left, I met his pensive gaze.
“I could eat.” He shrugged.
“Okay. What are you in the mood for? We have Korean, Mexican, Jamaican,” I listed the cuisine we had as we passed by food trucks. All the lines were long, but they were moving fast. I was still in awe at the fact that my first event had sold out. Thanks to Clean Eatz and social media, my first food truck even had done better than I predicted.
“I’m in the mood for tacos,” he answered after a beat.
“Okay,” I said, then I led him to El Lugar Del Taco’s food truck. The owners took us right away and had Chance’s food ready in no time. We found an empty table near the back of the lot and sat down.
“How you been? I saw on Instagram that you went to Jamaica last month.”
We still followed each other, and occasionally, I liked his pictures. There were a few nights where I was tempted to DM him. Luckily, I resisted the temptation because Chance was more than a late-night hookup. It was nice to know that I wasn’t the only was keeping a close eye on my ex.
“Yeah, I went with a few friends, and I’ve been good.”
“That was supposed to be our spot.” He punctuated his statement with a grin that made my belly flip.
I hated that my cheeks warmed at his admission. He was right, though. Jamaica was supposed to be our first trip together, but it never happened. When my best friend, Kimmy, suggested we go there for our annual girls’ trip, I was hesitant. However, I was in the “everything reminded me of you” stage of my breakup and needed to get out of my funk. I’d already tried the “going out every weekend until I forgot about him” approach, and that only made shit worse. The next step was to cut my hair, and since I’d just cut my hair a year ago, I wasn’t eager to do it again. A five-day trip out of the country was my best bet. We went to Montego Bay and had the time of our lives. Chance crossed my mind a few times, and so did the fact that I was the reason we were no longer together.
“I miss you, Melissa,” he said, catching me off guard. “And I didn’t come here to try to get back with you. I don’t want you to think I don’t respect you needing time to figure out what you want, but I can’t get you out of my head.”
Before I could even process what he’d said, I blurted out, “I miss you too.”
His eyes widened. Relief flickered in them while a smirk formed on his lips.
“I should’ve given you another chance. I should’ve told you why I was so sacred instead of cowering and running from you.”
For a moment, we remained silent. I let the weight of his words sink in while he finished his food. Just as I was about to speak, my assistant, Logan, came stalking my way.
“Missy, we need you at the bar.”
“Okay. I’ll be right over.”
Logan looked at Chance, then me with a grin. I shot her a look, and she caught the hint, leaving without another word.
“I have to go,” I told Chance with a frown.
“It’s cool. I just wanted to stop by and support.”
“Thanks again for coming. I’ll call you.”
“You better,” he said with a chuckle. “We need to continue this conversation.”
Pushing out a breath, I nodded. “Yeah, we do.”
Chance stood up and held out his arms. I settled into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around me. Chance always gave the best hugs. It was like being wrapped in a heated blanket. His hugs were soothing like my morning cup of coffee. Nothing or no one could ever hug me the same. The revelation that I was still deeply in love with him saddened me. I had to make things right between us.
Once Chance and I parted ways, I met Logan at the bar. The event kept me busy enough not to think about him. But once I got home, my mind was inundated with thoughts of him. I didn’t intend to call him so soon. However, if I wanted us to get back together, I had to put forth the effort. After taking a long, hot shower, I called Chance. I had finally built up the courage to finish “the talk” with him, just for him to not answer. Like a stalker, I checked his Instagram and saw he was at the club with his friends. As I closed the app, I received a text from him promising to call me tomorrow. I was bummed low-key. It was selfish of me to expect him to drop everything when I called. I put us in the weird place. And it was my responsibility to get us back to where we once were.
Two Weeks Later…
There was no logical explanation for why I was doing this. In fact, I spent the last two hours trying to think of one, and I got nothing. Simply put, I was doing it because I wanted to do it. Also, I had no plans tonight and sitting at home thinking “what if” wasn’t an option. I missed Chance, so jumping at the opportunity to spend his birthday with him was non-negotiable. Since he came to my event, we’d been texting. It felt like we were back at the talking stage. He texted me in the morning and checked in around lunch. In the evenings, we talked on the phone.
As much as we’d been talking, we never continued the conversation about us missing each other. Chance had his guard up, and understandably so. I wasn’t sure how I could knock down the wall he’d built. Our emotions were high the last time we saw each other. Part of me was too afraid to bring up the topic of us getting back together. I was too afraid that he would take back everything he’d said. My fears of rejection had somewhat subsided since he invited me to his 30th birthday dinner. The invitation seemed like a step in the right direction for us.
I sighed and continued sifting through the dresses in my closet. I needed something that screamed, “I want to get back with you, but I’m not desperate”—even though I was. No matter what dress I wore to my ex’s birthday dinner, his friends would have something to say. The problem was they were the type to say it aloud.
After spending a few more minutes looking through the dresses, I decided on a silk black midi dress with a side split. This dress would make a statement and turn a few heads too. Hopefully, it would give me the extra confidence to get my man back. An hour later, I was dressed and ready to go. On the way to the restaurant, I stopped to get him a card. Attending a birthday without a gift was beyond tacky. And although my invite was last minute, I refused to be the “thirsty ex” and the only one who didn’t bring a present.
I pushed out a breath once I arrived at Cubanos. After handing valet my keys and retrieving my ticket, I headed inside. Butterflies filled my belly while my heart pounded against my chest as I searched for Chance. I smiled at the hostess as I neared her.
“Hi, I’m with Chance Richardson’s party.”
She returned a polite smile, then looked at the monitor in front of her. With a nod, she said, “Right this way.”
As we made our way to the private room Chance reserved, I tried to calm my racing heart. The hostess opened the door and stepped aside for me to enter. I glanced around the room. Some faces were familiar, some weren’t. The most important face lit up when our eyes met, causing me to return a smile just as wide. Chance stood from his seat and met me halfway. My eyes trailed over his tall frame.
Why did he look finer than the last time I saw him?
Was this a side effect of missing your ex?
“I’m glad you could make it,” was his greeting as he hugged me.
“Happy birthday, and thanks for inviting me,” I replied breathlessly.
He released me too soon, and I took a deep breath as I tried to regain my composure. I knew he would look good, but damn. We stared at each other silently. A grin rested on his lips while I gnawed on my bottom lip. I watched as his eyes roved over me. This dress did what it needed to do. Once his eyes met mine, he pointed his head toward the table. The only other available seat was next to him. My eyes widened at the revelation. Across from me was his best friend, Bryce. He nodded as I took my seat, and I smiled politely.
“I ordered you a lemon drop martini. You still drink those, right?” Chance asked, leaning closer to me. I nodded while picking up my menu.
“Yup. Thank you.” I pursed my lips together while perusing the restaurant’s offerings. A beat passed before he spoke again.
“What are you doing tonight?”
“This is all I had planned.”
Leaning closer, he placed his hand on my knee. My eyes fell to his hand while chills covered my skin.
“We’re going to a lounge later if you want to come.”
Glancing around the room, I noted that everyone at the table was a friend. There were a few women, but I knew they were his college friends. I didn’t want our first outing since our breakup to be with his friends. Plus, it was his birthday; I was certain his friends wanted to celebrate without his ex being there.
“I’m gonna pass on that,” I said. He smiled and nodded.
“I get it.”
He removed his hand from my knee, and suddenly I was cold.
“Maybe we can grab lunch tomorrow? I mean, if you’re not too hungover.”
Chance chuckled. “Sounds like a plan.”
Bryce cleared his throat and shot Chance a look that made his eyebrows furrow and nostrils flare. The waiter returned with my drink, and I took a big gulp. Yeah, it was best that I didn’t go out with them. Chance looked at me with apologetic eyes before talking to his friends who were sitting across the table from me. For the duration of the dinner, Chance paid little attention to me and conversed with his friends. I chimed in when necessary or whenever Chance purposely asked me a question to make me feel included. By the end of dinner, everyone had warmed up to me, except Bryson. I figured it was because Chance told him what happened between us.
As everyone filed out of the restaurant, Chance pulled me to the side. He handed my ticket to the valet before turning to speak to me. He looked at his friends who were watching us before taking my hand. We walked a few feet away from the group before he spoke. I drew in a sharp breath as I waited for him to speak.
“I appreciate you coming to my birthday dinner. Shit is still weird between us, but I wanted to share this milestone with you.”
A grin covered my mouth. “I’m glad you wanted me to be here.”
Chance ran his hands over his face before stuffing them in his pocket. “Listen, Missy. I don’t know how to get us back to where we were, but I’m willing to try.”
“Me too. I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
The flicker of happiness in his eyes warmed my heart.
Biting down on my bottom lip, I tried my best to hide my excitement. “I’ve been thinking about going to talk to someone. I need to get past the fear of getting hurt, it’s not healthy.”
My mother suggested therapy after I told her about the breakup. She started therapy last year and made tremendous growth. Although she hadn’t started dating yet, her outlook on relationships had changed. She said not getting help sooner was one of her biggest regrets. Since our conversation, I’d been considering it. And now that Chance and I were going to work things out between us, it only seemed right to follow through with therapy to prevent this from happening again.
Chance nodded. “Maybe we should go to a few sessions together? You know, to work through our fears together. I’m not perfect either and my work-life balance could use some adjusting.”
“I’d like that.”
“Cool. So, I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yup. Enjoy the rest of your birthday,” I said before kissing his cheek.
Chance grabbed my chin and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and lost myself in the feeling of his warm lips pressed against mine. Chance’s hands went to my waist as he pulled my body closer. I met his hungry tongue with my own. For seconds, we kissed outside of the restaurant like no one was watching. I hadn’t realized how much I missed his kisses until now. I was less than thrilled when he ended our kiss and stared at me. Without another word, he released my waist and took my keys from the valet. After he walked me to my car, he kissed me once more and promised to call.
I left his dinner feeling like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. The road ahead would not be easy for us, I knew therapy would open some wounds, neither of us were ready to deal with, but I hoped that we’d get through it together. And that it would strengthen our love for each other. If I knew nothing else, I knew Chance was the one for me.
