One Last Chance novel – On my birthday, I found out my boyfriend, whom I hadn’t seen for nine months, was cheating on me Silas is standing in the kitche, a girl is in his arms, his hands on her hips and her lips at his neck. Pain rips through my heart as I watch the man I promised my future to hold this other woman. He’s the one person I believed in fully. His words the day I left still ring in my ears. “We’re never going to be over. We may be thousands of miles apart, but Pay, you’ll always be mine, just as I’ll always be yours.” Those words mean nothing now. I know the truth, they were just lies. It’s time to think about my career, not love. Maybe modeling is the way to go?
Payton “Baby,” Silas whispers, getting to his feet and walking over to me. He opens his arms and I fall into them, needing to have him touch me. I’ve missed him. My hands grip his muscular shoulders as I hold on to him. “Si,” I whisper as I take a step backward and out of his hold. “We’re leaving today.” His Adam’s apple bobbles as he swallows, “When?” His voice is hoarse. “In three hours. I wish I didn’t have to go, but I do.” Tears cascade down my face and I wonder if there’ll ever be a day that goes by that I won’t cry. “This is really it.” He pulls me back into his arms. “This isn’t it,” he growls. “We’re never going to be over. We may be thousands of miles apart but, Pay, you’ll always be mine, just as I’ll always be yours. I’m going to Seattle in a couple of days.
When you’ve finished school, you’ll come to live with me. I’m not losing you, Pay, we’re just going to be apart for a little while. That’s all.” His words make me feel as if everything could be right with the world. I don’t allow myself to admit it’s a childish dream that can’t happen. I just melt into him, wanting it to be true. The conviction he says it with calms my racing heart, just slightly. I nod, “Okay.” He grips my face and tilts it up so that I’m looking at him. “Always, Pay, you’re always mine,” he tells me, his lips crashing against mine. I relax into him as our tongues tangle together. “We’ll talk all the time, there’s a reason why there’s video calls.”
He smiles, he’s making this so much easier for me. “I won’t lose you,” he tells me again and I fall even harder for him. “No, you won’t,” I promise him. “I love you, Si.” “Love you, baby,” he whispers and pulls me to his bed. A hot smile on his face. It’ll be hard not being together, but he’s right, there’s ways we can stay together. I don’t have to lose everyone I love. After we have intercourse, we spend the next hour talking about our future. We may not be able to go to prom together, but we’ve so much more to look forward to in our lifetime. He was my first love, my first smooch, my first boyfriend. My first everything. I want him to be my last. Silas is almost two years older than me. It doesn’t matter, because we both know what we want.
“I have to go,” I tell him and fill my throat lodging with emotion. I don’t want to, I’m not ready. I’ve said goodbye to too many people today already. He nods, “Remember, Pay, this isn’t goodbye…” Even as he says the words his beautiful green eyes fill with tears. “It’s, see you soon.” I finish for him. He gives me a teary smile and smooches me once again, this smooch is hungry, passionate, and demanding. It’s unlike anything we’ve ever shared before, but it’s also filled with promise. “I love you,” he says hoarsely. “Always,” I tell him. “Bye, Si.” I turn and walk away just as my tears start to fall once again. My heart ripping to shreds with each step I take away from him. I hope that we can survive the miles and the months that are to come. I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do without him.
NINE MONTHS LATER “Payton. Can you please come down here?” Dahlia yells, and I groan, what does she want now? “What?” I yell back and send Silas a text message. Things between us have been hard, a lot harder than I thought. He’s finally moved to Seattle and is doing what he always dreamed of. He’s loving his life and having fun. This is all that he’s ever wanted. We haven’t had a video call in a few weeks, and whenever we text, the replies come hours later. I feel as though we’re slowly drifting apart. I get to my feet, wishing she’d just leave me alone. Tomorrow is my birthday and all I want is to see Silas, but Dahlia has made it clear that it won’t be happening. She won’t let me go alone and she can’t get a sitter for the kids. She stared at me, “Baby, I know you’ve been having a hard time lately, know that you want to see Silas on your birthday.
I was planning on giving you these tonight, but I thought it may cheer you up now.” She smiles as she hands me some papers. I leaf through them, my eyes widening as I realize just what she’s handed me. Confirmation of a hotel booking in Seattle. “Really?” I whisper, afraid that it may be a joke. She nods. “Really, I had always planned on this being your present, but I wanted to keep it a surprise. We’re leaving in the morning and staying for two nights. Bethan is going to stay here with the kids.” I look at her in shock, she has this planned out. This is the best gift I could have asked for. “Thank you.” I smile at her. The first time since I left Grand Folks, I give her a genuine smile. She returns my smile and more tears fall from her eyes.
“For you, I’d do anything Pay, just as I would with the others. You’re my family. The only ones I have left. I just want you all to be happy.” “Text me when you’re inside, and I’ll leave. Then you call me when you want me to pick you up,” Dahlia says. I want to roll my eyes at her tone, she sounds like a mom dropping her kid off on a date. “Seriously, Pay, please?” I lean over the center console and give her a hug, I hear the sharp intake of breath before she pulls me in closer. “Thank you,” I whisper as I pull away. “You’re welcome, Pay.” She gives me a small smile and throws me a quick wink. I push the car door open and wave goodbye to her. My breathing quickens as I move toward the front door. I lift my hand to knock, but see the doors slightly open.
“Silas? Hello?” I call out, but there’s no reply. I walk into the house, something in my gut is screaming at me to not go any further, to turn around and run, but I don’t. This is Silas. The man that I love. There’s nothing to fear, he’ll never do anything to hurt me. I hear his deep voice and follow the sound. The air around me is static. That feeling in my gut intensifies, I stumble a step as my heart races once again. I round the corner to the kitchen and come to a halt. My knees threaten to buckle beneath me as the scene plays out in front of me. My eyes widen as I try to comprehend what is happening. My throat closes and traps in the scream that I want to let out.
With my hands balled into fists, I stand here unmoving, not quite sure what to do. Silas is standing in the kitchen, his beautiful green eyes on the woman in his arms, his hands on her hips as her fingers tangle in his messy brown hair, her lips at his neck. Pain rips through my heart as I watch the man I promised my future to hold this other woman. So this is why he’s been pulling away. Why would he want me? He’s obviously getting it from somewhere else. I shake my head, needing to get out of here. I spin on my heels just as the first tear spills from my eyes. My feet move before my brain can catch up, I’m moving quickly toward the front door.
Happy freaking birthday to me! Of all the people in the world, I never thought he’d be the one to break my heart. He’s the one person I believed in fully. His words the day I left still ring in my ears. “We’re never going to be over. We may be thousands of miles apart, but Pay, you’ll always be mine, just as I’ll always be yours.” Those words mean nothing now. I know the truth, they were just lies, words that he said to ensure he had me wherever he wanted me. I run through the front door and towards Dahlia’s car. She’s out of it within seconds, her eyes on me, wide and full of worry. I duck my head, not wanting her to see the full extent of my pain. God, it hurts so bad.
Inside, I’m breaking into a million pieces, why would he do this to me? “Payton?” she questions as I reach the car, her voice hesitant, almost as if she has no idea what to say. I don’t answer her, I slide into the passenger’s seat and as soon as the door closes behind me, heart wrenching sobs wrack through my body. I can’t breathe. I’m trying to suck in some air, but my sobs take it from me. “Oh, Pay, what happened?” Dahlia asks, and I look over at her through my tear-filled eyes to see that she too is crying. I shake my head, I can’t say it, it’s too much. My entire body shaking, why would he do this to me? How could he? “Was he there?” she asks, and I nod as her eyes fill with anger. She doesn’t need me to say anything else, my tears alone say it for me. “Pay, what can I do?” she asks, sounding helpless. “Drive,” I gasp. I need to get away from here. She doesn’t even hesitate, she drives to the hotel she booked for the two nights. The entire drive, I’ve not been able to do anything but cry.
I’m not sure how I get to our suite, but Dahlia lays me onto the bed, then pulls me into her arms and holds me tightly. The next day. Dahlia took me to go shopping. She wanted to give me a makeover. So, I’ve had my haircut, Dahlia has bought me an entire new wardrobe, and a brand-new cell phone. After being on the go all day, both Dahlia and I are tired, it’s time to go back to the hotel. “Hi, excuse me,” a male voice says, and both Dahlia and I stop and look to our right. A nicely dressed man steps forward with an easy smile and holds his hand out to Dahlia, “I’m Jerald McAndrews, I’m with Global Model Management. May I have a word, please?”
Dahlia glances at me, and I shrug and take a step backward. Dahlia and the man talk so softly, I’m unable to hear what they are saying. But whatever it is has shocked Dahlia; her eyes wide, but she’s not angry. In fact, she’s smiling. I wait patiently as they talk, the more they do, the bigger her smile gets. Twenty minutes later Dahlia walks back to me with a business card in her hands. She doesn’t say anything as we walk back to the car. “You’re not going to tell me what that was about?” I ask once we’re inside of the car. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it myself. He is part of a modeling agency, and wants you to be one of their models. He wanted to talk to me as your guardian to have my consent.” I stare at her in shock, “What?” She laughs, “Yeah, that was my first reaction too. He seemed pretty serious. When we get back to the hotel, I’m going to check the company out, but he sounded legitimate.” It’s time to think about myself and what I want. Maybe modeling is the way to go?