Read Online Second Chance for Love by Leona Jackson - Free Book Online
Authors: Leona Jackson
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Mama. Where I belong.”
“Oh, Jetta,” she said, her voice catching on a sob.
“Is something wrong? It’s the middle of the night, Mama. You should be in bed.”
I was annoyed that she wouldn’t just leave me alone. After all, I left because I didn't want anything to do with the town I had left behind. God! Nobody wanted me there, but nobody wanted me to live my own life apart from there either.
“I just wanted to make sure that you were okay,” she replied.
“I’m fine. I’ll call you tomorrow. Okay?”
I hung up the phone and turned it off. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I lay on the floor wondering what I was going to do? I’d spent years building a life for myself that I thought had offered fulfillment and now I was confused.
I toyed with the thought of calling Chase just to hear his voice one last time, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I feared if I talked to him he would be able to convince me to move back home.
Chapter 16: Chase
The next morning I paced back and forth in the driveway for an hour before I was able to work up the balls to make the drive to the city. Even after that I found myself procrastinating by stopping at the diner. I didn't go in for breakfast, because Destiny's car was in the parking lot. So I sat there smoking cigarettes until I could no longer make excuses for sitting there.
I cranked up the radio and pulled onto the highway. The drive was taking forever and I was having trouble keeping my mind on the road. It kept wandering to what was going to happen when I got there. I knew my showing up out of the blue without calling first wasn't going to go over well with Jetta. I had only decided to do it because I knew I wouldn't be able to resume my life until I tried.
I was in the middle of rehearsing what I was going to tell her when another vehicle came out of nowhere and crashed into the driver’s side of my truck. The sound of metal filled my ears and it felt as if my left arm was on fire. I tried to hit the brake pedal, but in the confusion my foot stomped the gas pedal instead. The truck sped forward against my will until it crashed into the guard rail. I felt the back wheels lift and for a moment I feared the truck was going to flip. The last thing I remember before it all went black was the truck landing with a heavy thud.
Chapter 17: Jetta
When I was finally brave enough to turn my phone back on, I had more than two dozen voice mails. I tried to clear them, but my carrier wouldn’t let me until I listened to them first. It insures that I don't miss an important business message, but it also made sure I had to listen to more than thirty minutes of my mother sobbing and then my sisters telling me they couldn't believe what I was doing to our mother. I nearly gave up on the messages, but then the automated voice rattled off a number I didn't recognize.
“Oh God! I bet that's about a late order.” I exhaled and waited for the message to play.
“Jetta. It’s Henry.” His voice hesitated for a split second. “I've got some bad news for you, sweetheart,” he continued before pausing.
My heart pounded in my chest as the second of silence echoed around my skull. If Henry was calling with bad news it had to be about Chase!
“Chase was in a car accident this afternoon. The doctor says he doesn't know if he's going to wake up.”
My heart felt as if it had dropped into my stomach and I couldn't breathe.
“No!” I gasped and gripped the phone tighter.
“Jetta, honey, he was on his way to talk to you. I know his mother won't like it, but I think you should come see him. I know he can hear us, even though he’s not responding. Come home, Jetta. It may be your only chance to see him. Call me back when you get this.”
I fell to my knees.
“No!” I shouted. “First Daddy and now Chase! Why am I losing everybody? I can't live like this! I won't survive it!”
As I sobbed on the floor, I could hear Bosco
“Oh, Jetta,” she said, her voice catching on a sob.
“Is something wrong? It’s the middle of the night, Mama. You should be in bed.”
I was annoyed that she wouldn’t just leave me alone. After all, I left because I didn't want anything to do with the town I had left behind. God! Nobody wanted me there, but nobody wanted me to live my own life apart from there either.
“I just wanted to make sure that you were okay,” she replied.
“I’m fine. I’ll call you tomorrow. Okay?”
I hung up the phone and turned it off. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I lay on the floor wondering what I was going to do? I’d spent years building a life for myself that I thought had offered fulfillment and now I was confused.
I toyed with the thought of calling Chase just to hear his voice one last time, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I feared if I talked to him he would be able to convince me to move back home.
Chapter 16: Chase
The next morning I paced back and forth in the driveway for an hour before I was able to work up the balls to make the drive to the city. Even after that I found myself procrastinating by stopping at the diner. I didn't go in for breakfast, because Destiny's car was in the parking lot. So I sat there smoking cigarettes until I could no longer make excuses for sitting there.
I cranked up the radio and pulled onto the highway. The drive was taking forever and I was having trouble keeping my mind on the road. It kept wandering to what was going to happen when I got there. I knew my showing up out of the blue without calling first wasn't going to go over well with Jetta. I had only decided to do it because I knew I wouldn't be able to resume my life until I tried.
I was in the middle of rehearsing what I was going to tell her when another vehicle came out of nowhere and crashed into the driver’s side of my truck. The sound of metal filled my ears and it felt as if my left arm was on fire. I tried to hit the brake pedal, but in the confusion my foot stomped the gas pedal instead. The truck sped forward against my will until it crashed into the guard rail. I felt the back wheels lift and for a moment I feared the truck was going to flip. The last thing I remember before it all went black was the truck landing with a heavy thud.
Chapter 17: Jetta
When I was finally brave enough to turn my phone back on, I had more than two dozen voice mails. I tried to clear them, but my carrier wouldn’t let me until I listened to them first. It insures that I don't miss an important business message, but it also made sure I had to listen to more than thirty minutes of my mother sobbing and then my sisters telling me they couldn't believe what I was doing to our mother. I nearly gave up on the messages, but then the automated voice rattled off a number I didn't recognize.
“Oh God! I bet that's about a late order.” I exhaled and waited for the message to play.
“Jetta. It’s Henry.” His voice hesitated for a split second. “I've got some bad news for you, sweetheart,” he continued before pausing.
My heart pounded in my chest as the second of silence echoed around my skull. If Henry was calling with bad news it had to be about Chase!
“Chase was in a car accident this afternoon. The doctor says he doesn't know if he's going to wake up.”
My heart felt as if it had dropped into my stomach and I couldn't breathe.
“No!” I gasped and gripped the phone tighter.
“Jetta, honey, he was on his way to talk to you. I know his mother won't like it, but I think you should come see him. I know he can hear us, even though he’s not responding. Come home, Jetta. It may be your only chance to see him. Call me back when you get this.”
I fell to my knees.
“No!” I shouted. “First Daddy and now Chase! Why am I losing everybody? I can't live like this! I won't survive it!”
As I sobbed on the floor, I could hear Bosco
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