Read Online No Second Chances by Marissa Farrar - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marissa Farrar
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Ridiculously hard work, but wonderful. Boys are a different species, I swear.”
“So, are you married?” I asked, sneakily trying to find out who Oliver’s dad was without directly asking the question.
She laughed. “Oh no, thank God. I hooked up with Lawrence Knight when I came home on Spring Break in my last year of college, and managed to get pregnant.”
“Lawrence Knight?” I remembered the slender, dark haired boy from school.
She must have heard my surprise in my tone.
“Yeah, he filled out some during his late teens—shot up and out like a football player. When I told him I was pregnant, he took off, and his parents moved not long after. I could probably have tracked him down if I’d tried, but I wasn’t going to chase him. He knew how to get hold of me if he wanted, but he didn’t even bother. Oliver doesn’t miss what he didn’t know, though I do wish he had a father figure around at times, especially now he’s getting older. He could do with someone to rough and tumble with, you know?”
I nodded, as though I did. “So did you drop out of college?”
She shook her head. “Nah, I managed to graduate, though I did so with a bump. Then I moved back home with my folks, and I’ve stayed ever since.”
“What about you, Jasmine?”
She smiled. “I’m still running Mom and Dad’s business. They couldn’t keep it up after Mom had her stroke, and I couldn’t leave them like that anyway.”
“Wow, so much responsibility, both of you.” Who would have thought my beautiful, carefree friends would have ended up back in the same town, both living normal day-to-day lives. I’d been sure Taylor would have ended up in Los Angeles, living the life of a movie star or model, and Jasmine would have ended up in New York, doing something cool like fashion designing or editing a magazine.
I wasn’t sure why I was surprised. It wasn’t as though my own life went to plan. What was it I had wanted to do, anyway? I was sure I’d entertained dreams of studying English and writing, but they now felt as airy-fairy as the dreams I’d held of being a princess when I was five.
“So,” said Jasmine, shifting in her seat and glancing toward the floor. “Have you seen Cole since you’ve been back?”
I stiffened. “Only in passing.”
Her eyes widened, focusing on me now. “Did he talk to you? What did he say?”
“Nothing, really. Just being polite.”
“I hear he’s working at Frankie’s now.”
I gave a nonchalant shrug, trying to pretend I didn’t care. “It’s none of my business what he does with his life. He screwed it up enough when he was eighteen. I didn’t intend on letting him drag me down then, and I certainly don’t intend on allowing him the chance to do the same now.”
I looked over to Taylor, who had taken a sudden interest in Oliver still playing outside. She got to her feet and wandered over to the window, watching him the whole time, though I knew it was only an excuse so she didn’t have to look at me. I was tempted to ask if she’d seen Cole at all, if she’d been to visit him, even, when he’d been in jail, but honestly, I didn’t want to know. All of that was in the past now. By the fact she had Oliver, she’d obviously moved on. It was only a stupid teenaged crush. We all made mistakes back then. I couldn’t hold hers against her.
Could I?
“It’s okay, Taylor,” I said, addressing the elephant in the room. “We’re both grownups now. There are far more important things than us fighting over Cole Devonport when we were kids.”
She spun to face me and bit her lower lip. “Oh, are you sure, Gabi? I’ve been feeling horrible all these years, and then when I found out what had happened to you …” Her gaze flicked down at my leg, and I knew the real reason for her concern. She probably hadn’t given me a second thought since high school, but now I was back and with a leg missing, that busy old train called The Guilt Trip had taken her on a
“So, are you married?” I asked, sneakily trying to find out who Oliver’s dad was without directly asking the question.
She laughed. “Oh no, thank God. I hooked up with Lawrence Knight when I came home on Spring Break in my last year of college, and managed to get pregnant.”
“Lawrence Knight?” I remembered the slender, dark haired boy from school.
She must have heard my surprise in my tone.
“Yeah, he filled out some during his late teens—shot up and out like a football player. When I told him I was pregnant, he took off, and his parents moved not long after. I could probably have tracked him down if I’d tried, but I wasn’t going to chase him. He knew how to get hold of me if he wanted, but he didn’t even bother. Oliver doesn’t miss what he didn’t know, though I do wish he had a father figure around at times, especially now he’s getting older. He could do with someone to rough and tumble with, you know?”
I nodded, as though I did. “So did you drop out of college?”
She shook her head. “Nah, I managed to graduate, though I did so with a bump. Then I moved back home with my folks, and I’ve stayed ever since.”
“What about you, Jasmine?”
She smiled. “I’m still running Mom and Dad’s business. They couldn’t keep it up after Mom had her stroke, and I couldn’t leave them like that anyway.”
“Wow, so much responsibility, both of you.” Who would have thought my beautiful, carefree friends would have ended up back in the same town, both living normal day-to-day lives. I’d been sure Taylor would have ended up in Los Angeles, living the life of a movie star or model, and Jasmine would have ended up in New York, doing something cool like fashion designing or editing a magazine.
I wasn’t sure why I was surprised. It wasn’t as though my own life went to plan. What was it I had wanted to do, anyway? I was sure I’d entertained dreams of studying English and writing, but they now felt as airy-fairy as the dreams I’d held of being a princess when I was five.
“So,” said Jasmine, shifting in her seat and glancing toward the floor. “Have you seen Cole since you’ve been back?”
I stiffened. “Only in passing.”
Her eyes widened, focusing on me now. “Did he talk to you? What did he say?”
“Nothing, really. Just being polite.”
“I hear he’s working at Frankie’s now.”
I gave a nonchalant shrug, trying to pretend I didn’t care. “It’s none of my business what he does with his life. He screwed it up enough when he was eighteen. I didn’t intend on letting him drag me down then, and I certainly don’t intend on allowing him the chance to do the same now.”
I looked over to Taylor, who had taken a sudden interest in Oliver still playing outside. She got to her feet and wandered over to the window, watching him the whole time, though I knew it was only an excuse so she didn’t have to look at me. I was tempted to ask if she’d seen Cole at all, if she’d been to visit him, even, when he’d been in jail, but honestly, I didn’t want to know. All of that was in the past now. By the fact she had Oliver, she’d obviously moved on. It was only a stupid teenaged crush. We all made mistakes back then. I couldn’t hold hers against her.
Could I?
“It’s okay, Taylor,” I said, addressing the elephant in the room. “We’re both grownups now. There are far more important things than us fighting over Cole Devonport when we were kids.”
She spun to face me and bit her lower lip. “Oh, are you sure, Gabi? I’ve been feeling horrible all these years, and then when I found out what had happened to you …” Her gaze flicked down at my leg, and I knew the real reason for her concern. She probably hadn’t given me a second thought since high school, but now I was back and with a leg missing, that busy old train called The Guilt Trip had taken her on a
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