Page 89 of One More Chance
From the kitchen sink, I heard how they interacted with each other; the warmth in her voice, the laughter, the easiness in how she spoke with him. It was torture, exquisite and unbearable, to hear her laugh at another man's jokes, to accept another man's compliments, and to know there was love kindling there.
It was subtle. Nobody else in the world besides me, or perhaps Sloane's sister Dawn, would have heard it. She had feelings for him.
Charlie, for his part, seemed to understand that he didn’t need to rush her. He wasn’t pushing or making any overt moves. He was simply… there. Listening, being present, offering a shoulder without expectation. I knew he wasn’t trying to force anything; he was patient, giving her space to figure things out on her own.
It gnawed at me, the quiet undercurrent of their interactions. I sensed the shift in her, the slow pull of something that might turn into more. And despite how I tried to shut the thoughts out of my mind, I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if Charlie’s patience turned into something more than just friendship.
I didn’t have to wait long.
He cleared his throat. “I was thinking... maybe we could go grab dinner sometime? I know you have been through a lot, but if you are up for it, I’d really like to take you out. No pressure, just... a chance to unwind.”
There was a moment of hesitation before I heard Sloane's reply. “I think I’d like that, Charlie. Thanks.”
Jealousy and anger simmered under my skin.
Don't be a hypocrite, big guy. You did a hell of a lot more than take Angie out for dinner, remember?
I had already done enough damage to Sloane. If she could find solace in someone else, maybe that was the best for her?
Maybe Charlie was what she needed.
I swallowed hard and focused on the dish in front of me, but I couldn't ignore the cold knot that settled in my stomach.
Rufus padded into the room, sitting down beside me with a low whine, as if he could sense the shift in the air too. I scratched behind his ears, "It's okay boy."
I heard the door close and Sloane’s soft footsteps on the stairs to check on the kids.
I guess she will tell me whenever she's ready.
Later that night, as I sat alone at the kitchen table, silence lorded over the house. The kids were upstairs, tucked away behind closed doors, their laughter from earlier in the evening already fading into dreams. Rufus was asleep at my feet, tail twitching against the floor. I stared into a cold cup of coffee I had no intention of drinking.
Sloane came in and stood by the counter for a moment, her arms crossed, a mug clutched in her hands. She looked tired but clearer, too, as if something inside her had settled into place.
“I need to talk to you,” she said softly.
Well fuck. Here goes.
I straightened in the chair. “Okay.”
She didn’t sit next to me and instead stayed by the counter, a safe distance away. “I’d like to go out with Charlie,” she said. “On a date. A real date.”
I stared at her. My teeth clenched hard enough to crack a diamond. I hadn’t prepared for the honesty of it, not like this. She wasn’t asking for permission. She was informing me.
“Good for you, Sloane." I kept my voice light because, in a bizarre and fucked up way, Iwashappy for her. I knew how difficult this hadto be for her, to process these emotions and share her desires with me. I was proud of her.
She cleared her throat. "Did I hear you correctly? Or did you forget to add sarcasm to that?"
I chuckled into my cold coffee. "I know he’s a good man. I can see that about him. It seems you two have a good friendship. He makes you laugh.”
Sloane nodded, her gaze not leaving mine. “That’s not why I said yes. I said yes because I need to know if this,” she gestured vaguely between us, “is something I want to fight for… or something I’m just used to surviving.”
I swallowed. My mouth tasted like ash, "Can you explain more?"
“I’m not trying to hurt you, Levi,” she went on, her voice steady but gentle. “But I don’t trust this new version of you, this new version of us. Not yet. I don’t know if what we had can exist anymore without all the hurt in the middle. And I don't want to feel like I only let you back in because I didn’t want the kids to be without a father."
“You’re allowed to figure that out,” I said, though god fucking damn it pained me to say it. “You deserve to know what it’s like to be... happy.”
Her eyes softened, but she didn’t move closer.
