Read Online Second Rate Chances by Holly Stephens - Free Book Online
Authors: Holly Stephens
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the place he once called home. The house appeared to be well cared for and Sam briefly wondered if Zach was the reason for that. When Zach rejoined him, he held up a DVD case for Sam to see. Sam shook his head.
“She always loved her Night Court,” Sam said with a sigh. “Used to make me stay up and watch reruns with her in college.”
“It’s one of the reasons I love Lil.” Sam cringed at the L word. His gut clenched and he wanted to run as far away as he could. There was no way this night could go well for any of them. Sam wasn’t keen on pretending to like Lil’s new boyfriend. He should walk away now while he still had a sliver of his dignity left.
It was bad enough losing three years of his life. It was something else altogether to know that your one and only true love was now in love with someone else.
“Ellie can’t stand it,” Zach said.
For whatever reason, even if it was for him to see the look on Lil’s face when he walked in with her new boyfriend, Sam followed Zach up the front steps to the door. He didn’t knock. Of course he didn’t. He probably had a key and a drawer in Lil’s dresser. His own coffee cup. A space in the walk in-closet. Everything Sam used to have.
Sam didn’t notice anything about the interior of the cottage. Besides the back of Zach’s head, the only thing Sam saw was red. That was until a familiar voice broke up the violent thoughts that were going through his mind.
“Well, I’ll be damned! If it isn’t Sam I Am!”
The hint of a smile played on Sam’s face. He moved his eyes from the back of Zach’s head and found Ellie coming out of the kitchen with a bottle of wine in her hands.
“Ellie Mae,” Sam said.
Ellie rolled her eyes and walked across the living room. Sam scooped her up in his arms, and hugged her lightly, but the return hug from Ellie was much stronger. The simple act only reinforced the fact that Sam hadn’t seen Ellie a week or so prior, but that this was probably the first time they had seen each other since him and Lil split.
Ellie pulled back and smiled at Sam, looking over every inch of his face. “Can’t believe it’s been ages since I last saw you,” she said.
“Well,” Sam said with a small laugh. “For me it’s been more like a couple of weeks.”
Ellie laughed. “I guess so. You know, you don’t look like a guy who has lost his mind.”
“I feel like it,” Sam admitted.
Ellie’s eyes were sorrowful as she said, “sucks, dude.”
“You have no idea.”
Ellie stepped away from Sam and a fraction closer to Zach, which Sam thought was kind of weird. Then again, for all he knew, Zach and Ellie were thick as thieves. Kind of like the two of them used to be.
“Ellie, did you find that bottle of wine?” Lil’s voice rang out.
The tone of her voice was so different than how it was when she had come to visit him in the hospital. She had been reserved, quiet, and even angry. Now, it was soft and light. Just like he remembered last hearing before his accident. He had to admit it hurt, the changes in her tone. To know how she once spoke to him versus how she had a few days ago. He wanted that carefree tenor speaking to him again and come hell or high water, he’d find out what made it change.
“Sam,” she said, her voice sounding startled. “What are you
“She always loved her Night Court,” Sam said with a sigh. “Used to make me stay up and watch reruns with her in college.”
“It’s one of the reasons I love Lil.” Sam cringed at the L word. His gut clenched and he wanted to run as far away as he could. There was no way this night could go well for any of them. Sam wasn’t keen on pretending to like Lil’s new boyfriend. He should walk away now while he still had a sliver of his dignity left.
It was bad enough losing three years of his life. It was something else altogether to know that your one and only true love was now in love with someone else.
“Ellie can’t stand it,” Zach said.
For whatever reason, even if it was for him to see the look on Lil’s face when he walked in with her new boyfriend, Sam followed Zach up the front steps to the door. He didn’t knock. Of course he didn’t. He probably had a key and a drawer in Lil’s dresser. His own coffee cup. A space in the walk in-closet. Everything Sam used to have.
Sam didn’t notice anything about the interior of the cottage. Besides the back of Zach’s head, the only thing Sam saw was red. That was until a familiar voice broke up the violent thoughts that were going through his mind.
“Well, I’ll be damned! If it isn’t Sam I Am!”
The hint of a smile played on Sam’s face. He moved his eyes from the back of Zach’s head and found Ellie coming out of the kitchen with a bottle of wine in her hands.
“Ellie Mae,” Sam said.
Ellie rolled her eyes and walked across the living room. Sam scooped her up in his arms, and hugged her lightly, but the return hug from Ellie was much stronger. The simple act only reinforced the fact that Sam hadn’t seen Ellie a week or so prior, but that this was probably the first time they had seen each other since him and Lil split.
Ellie pulled back and smiled at Sam, looking over every inch of his face. “Can’t believe it’s been ages since I last saw you,” she said.
“Well,” Sam said with a small laugh. “For me it’s been more like a couple of weeks.”
Ellie laughed. “I guess so. You know, you don’t look like a guy who has lost his mind.”
“I feel like it,” Sam admitted.
Ellie’s eyes were sorrowful as she said, “sucks, dude.”
“You have no idea.”
Ellie stepped away from Sam and a fraction closer to Zach, which Sam thought was kind of weird. Then again, for all he knew, Zach and Ellie were thick as thieves. Kind of like the two of them used to be.
“Ellie, did you find that bottle of wine?” Lil’s voice rang out.
The tone of her voice was so different than how it was when she had come to visit him in the hospital. She had been reserved, quiet, and even angry. Now, it was soft and light. Just like he remembered last hearing before his accident. He had to admit it hurt, the changes in her tone. To know how she once spoke to him versus how she had a few days ago. He wanted that carefree tenor speaking to him again and come hell or high water, he’d find out what made it change.
“Sam,” she said, her voice sounding startled. “What are you
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