Never Say Never, Part Two (Second Chance Romance, Book 2) (4 page)

Chastity appeared beside him and patted him on the shoulder in her awkward way. She wasn’t good with physical contact.
 

“It’s about that woman again. The stripper?”
Chastity’s question was equally awkward.
 

“She wasn’t a stripper, Chas.”
He finally turned and walked to the kitchen, the leather couch called out to him but he needed a cup of coffee for this day.
 

“What do you mean?”
 

“She was more than just a stripper.”
He poured himself a cup of coffee and shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about this right now.”
 

“Honey, you need to talk about it. It’s the only way you’re going to get over her.”
 

Chase took a sip and massaged his temples. Did he want to get over Emily? She’d left out the bit about being a criminal, but it wasn’t like it bothered him that much. Unless she really had killed someone, of course.
 

It was more the fact that she’d lied to him.
 

But then, he’d lied to her.
 

Not about dating Janet, but about who she was. And the apartment. Guilt rose to the surface and he glugged more of the dark liquid.
 

“I was wrong to judge her about her past, when she’s never judged me.”
 

“No,”
said Chastity, walking up to pour herself a mug as well, “you were wrong to trust someone you barely knew. But it’s understandable.”
 

“It is?”
He wasn’t this vulnerable, he never sought approval on his actions or decisions, but Emily had put him on some grand guilt trip.
 

“Yeah, well after what happened with Janet, but I don’t know if you should give up on that either.”
 

Chase put the cup in the sink and leaned against it, facing his sister.
 

“You crazy? Janet destroyed everything we had the minute she climbed into bed with another man.”
 

“Yeah, and I’m the one who let you in on that little secret, but even I don’t think you should throw away three years of a relationship over that. It’s redeemable.”
 

He studied her with a frown. Why was she even worried about his relationship with Janet? The two had never exactly gotten along.
 

“What about Emily.”
 

“Emily was a passing phase, brother.”
Chas left her coffee mug untouched on the table and gestured wildly. “A woman of the night. She treated you as a tool rather than a lover or husband.”
 

“Woah, who said anything about marriage?”
 

His sister gave a small laugh and tossed her dark hair back over a shoulder, then straightened the black silk scarf she’d tied around her neck.
 

“Isn’t that what you want?”
 

“Marriage?”
He considered it for a second. It wasn’t a foreign concept –
he’d been set on proposing the night he’d discovered the truth about Janet. “I don’t know. I don’t know if I’d be able to trust again after all this.”
 

“Come on. You and I both know that you’re secretly longing for that romantic connection. Vous voulez que l’amour.”
Chastity gave a flourish and undid her scarf for effect.
 

“In English this time.”
Chase sighed at his sister’s eccentricities and checked his watch.
 

“You want love.”

He stared at her for a minute. “I want to be on time for my meeting. I’d better get going.”
 

“Sure, sure.”
She nodded with a smile. “Just remember, that stripper girl wasn’t worth your time. You’re quality and she was trash. And Janet, well she’s on the same level as you.”
 

Chase strode to the front door, tying his navy blue tie and straigtening it.

“Why are you pushing so hard for her?”

“Because I know true love when I see it.”
Chastity’s expression was the picture of innocent intrigue, but his belly burbled with anxiety.

“Right.”
He drew it out into a prolonged sarcastic exclamation.
 

“Seriously. I think the only way you’re going to get over Emily is to have a chat with Janet. You need to deal with the residual feelings of anger and disdain to move towards a brighter future.”
 

That made sense at least. He needed to talk to his ex about what had happened, and tell her to butt out of his life.
 

“Okay, maybe I should meet up with her. We’ll see. I dunno.”
He shrugged his jacket on and unlocked the front door. The cream walls of the hallway sprang into view and the mahogany doors of the elevator at the end of the hall beckoned.
 

Chastity left the untouched coffee on the counter and collected her sparkly black clutch from the entrance hall table. She poked her brother on the nose in a signature act of fondness –
well, signature for someone who’d recently reappeared in his life.
 

“Ponder it.”
She swept out ahead of him and he followed.
 

They reached the elevator and a man in a smart red suit pressed the button for them.
 

“Morning Mr. Newman.”
He gave a small tip of his equally red cap.
 

“Morning Simon.”
 

Chastity wrinkled her nose at the helper. In the years he’d known her, she’d never once spoke to ‘the help’. She considered it beneath her. One of his long-lost sister’s many quirks.
 

Some would call them flaws, but he was happy he had any family left after the death of his parents.
 

They entered the elevator and the doors slid shut. Simon pressed the button for the ground floor.
 

“Everyone deserves a second chance.”
She spoke up and Simon’s eyebrows shot up.
 

Chastity had pushed hard for this. But she was right. Everyone did deserve a second chance. That meant Emily did too.
 

“I know.”
That was his answer and his sister examined him with care.
 

The doors slid open and he walked out with purpose, stress driving his steps. His meeting would go off without a hitch, no doubt, but that wasn’t why he was nervous.
 

He had to talk to Emily again. They had to sort this out and the sooner, the better.
 

Everyone deserved a second chance.

CHAPTER SIX

What a day.
 

He was in the lift again and Simon looked as tired as he felt. Hours at the meeting, and then another after that. Fires to put out left, right and center. He’d picked up the phone on his desk to phone Emily half a dozen times, but had been cut off by business without fail.
 

“Hard day?”
Chase asked, loosening his tie.
 

“I don’t mean to complain, sir, but yes.”
 

“Me too. Don’t worry. The only way to go is up.”
He patted the man on the shoulder and he stood up a little straighter.
 

“Right you are, sir, right you are.”
Simon smiled through his exhaustion. “See you in the morning.”
 

“Have a good night, Simon.”
Chase gave a wave and strolled to his apartment. He needed a stiff whiskey and a night on the couch, relaxing. A couple episodes of Breaking Bad wouldn’t be out of the question.
 

He unlocked his front door, walked in and closed it behind himself. He didn’t bother flipping the light switch –
the moonlight and city glow shone through his window –
and hurried to the cupboard where he kept his booze.
 

He’d been meaning to build a bar, but he never got the chance. What with work and women muddying the waters and taking up his time.

Chase whipped the bottle out and left it on the counter, then clinked a couple ice blocks into a tumbler. The cool rattle set his mind at rest before he’d even had a sip. He sloshed the fluid over the rocks, then lifted the glass to his lips.
 

“You’re home late.”
 

Chase choked and spluttered, wasting good whisky in a fountain of consternation.
 

A figure moved in the living room, in the dark.
 

“Emily?”
 

No, it couldn’t be her. She’d never intrude on his personal space like this.
 

“Seriously?”
The figure, obviously a woman, stood and ambled towards him.
 

“Janet.”
He stated, disappointment settling in his stomach.
 

“Second time’s a charm.”
 

Chase switched the lights on before she could get any closer. Being in the dark with her wasn’t his idea of fun anymore.
 

“What are you doing here?”
 

“I came to talk to you. I’ve missed you, Chasey.”
She walked up, picked up his special order bottle of 1955 Glenfarcas and got a glass out. She poured herself a shot and knocked it back.
 

“That’s a ten thousand dollar bottle of whiskey,”
he observed.
 

She was unapologetic. “We need to talk.”
 

“How did you get in here?”
The last time it’d been Chastity’s key, but this? His sister had been out schmoozing the entire day, surely she hadn’t left her key with his ex.
 

Though this morning she’d been set on talking Janet up.
 

“I,”
Janet started, then poured another glass of whisky and blushed, “I made a copy of Chastity’s key the last time.”
 

“Janet, that’s not okay. If I wanted you in my apartment, I’d ask you.”
 

“Don’t you?”
 

“Don’t I what?”
 

“Want me in your apartment.”
She slid her glass around on the counter and drew closer to him, inching her body into his. It had the opposite effect than she desired.
 

Had it been Emily, he would’ve been on fire, but with her it was pointless.
 

No heat, no sparks, no real connection.
 

He could picture her naked and it still didn’t get him going.
 

“Chase?”
She pressed closer and he extricated himself and went to sit on the couch. It was tough kicking a woman out of his apartment, but it wasn’t the first time he’d had to do it.
 

“No, I don’t want you in my apartment. Janet, I’m not sure I even want you in my life.”
 

She came to sit beside him and he scooched over to accommodate her.
 

“Come on, Chasey, you owe me one.”
 

“What the hell for?”
 

“For ridding you of that treacherous slut.”
 

He chewed on a block of ice and glared at her. “Watch it.”
 

“Oh get real, baby, she was a gold digger and you know it. She wasn’t someone you could trust, you could talk to.”
 

“What do you know about it, Janet?”
 

“More than you think,”
she muttered, and he shot her a quizzical look.
 

She didn’t answer it, but crept closer on the couch, snuggling in and placing her head on his shoulder.
 

That touch was familiar and so was the scent of her shampoo. It brought back memories of love and happiness, mixed with the acerbic tang of betrayal.
 

“What do you want? Why are you here?”
An iota of the pain leaked out into his tone. He still felt for her even though he didn’t want to.

“We need to talk about what’s happened. I didn’t think this break up was serious until I saw you with her.”
 

Chase froze and she lifted her head to gaze up at him. The overheads set off the red of her hair and the freckles across her slightly curved nose. She wasn’t nearly as beautiful as Emily. Not even close. Her insides matched her appearance.