One More Chance

"Sam,"

I was reading a romance novel in my room when I heard a knock on the other side of the door, followed by my brother's voice.

And after a few minutes when I didn't respond to his call, he opened the door and gave me a 'why aren't you responding look'. "What?" I lazily asked giving him a quick look and then turned my eyes back to the book on my lap.

I couldn't help letting out a deep sigh when I heard his footsteps heading in my direction. I'm sure he would convince me again to go out of my room and talk to the people in the house to ease the heaviness in my chest.

It's been two weeks since I decided to fly back to Los Angeles and stayed with my parents and Cali. I decided to come back home after a month of not receiving any updates from Luke and after Lucy came to the cafe with scandalous photos. And since Jack, my best friend had only given birth four months ago, my parents asked them to stay in the mansion so they could often see their newborn grandchild which I like too because I missed them and I missed her... And that's why my brother can often knock on my door and pester me to go out again.

"How are you?"

I huffed as I glanced at him. I don't know how many times he had asked me that question since I came here and told them what happened.

"Hmm... the same as yesterday," I shrugged. It was also my favorite line to answer his question.

He sat down on the edge of the bed with a half-hearted smile on his lips.

"I remember almost ten years ago, I came to this room after finding out what happened to you and Luke or should I say, what you did to him that night. I think that was also the time I found out you were pregnant---" "Dale, what's the point of mentioning those things again? Those were in the past and we can't live in that past!" I interrupted him with a bittersweet chuckle.

"I know, but what I was just saying is that time has passed so fast and so much has changed, but I never imagined that I would come back to this room again and ask you the same question I asked you before. How are you... how are you, Sam?"

I just lowered my gaze with a deep sigh, trying to blink away the tears that had suddenly formed around my eyes. I still remember that day too.

"I know he screwed up again and what he did was absolutely unforgivable and it hurt you so bad, but please don't make your life miserable, sis. You still have us, you still have your daughter,"

A small sob escaped my throat and was followed by another and another until I could no longer stop them.

"D- Dale..."

I put my hands over my eyes as I sobbed to keep the tears from flowing, but it was useless as it seemed to be getting harder and harder to hold back. I felt like my heart was about to explode due to so much heaviness and pain I have inside at that moment. "Oh, Sam..."

Then suddenly I felt his arms wrapped around me and patted me on the back to comfort me like he used to do back then when I was still his little sister. And that signature gesture of my brother made me cry even harder. I seemed to go back to the young me who always have my brother's back and his shoulders to cry on.

"I missed you, Sis, welcome back to the old you." The only words he said that made me chuckle and cry at the same time.

"I don't know exactly how to feel when I heard that news again, Dale," I said as I continued to cry on my brother's shoulder... the very first person who became my best friend.

"I know," was the only word he said and continued to hug me like I was still the young Samantha who he always bullied but then always protected at the same time.

"I don't know why he had to do it again. I gave him a second chance because he said he regretted what he did before and he promised he wouldn't make the same mistakes anymore but..." I stopped as I was interrupted by a painful sob. "but I have no idea why he made that f*cking promise just to be broken again!"

"Shhh..."

"I trusted him! I trusted him again, Dale, but he just broke that trust as well!"

"Sam..."

"What I am going to do now, Dale?"

"Calm down," he grabbed me by the shoulders and made me look at him.

"What am I going to do to stop the pain?" I asked, looking at him as tears kept streaming down my face. "What am I going to do to stop loving him?"

"Samantha,"

"How am I going to move on again when all I know is to love and trust him that he would be by my side until I grow old? Help me, Dale... please help me because I'm going crazy thinking about him all day, every hour, and every minute of every day!" "Samantha, pull yourself together," he said as he dried my stubborn tears. But guess what... they flowed uncontrollably and I had to close my eyes tight to stop my shoulders from shaking.

Who would have thought that at the end of the day, when everything had become a blur and I didn't seem to understand anything, he was still the one I could run to, cry and tell about all the pain and resentment I have in my chest. And that very thing was enough to realize that even if the world had turned its back on me, I still have him, I still have my brother.

"Why do I feel that since I met and loved him, I always get hurt in the end? And why do every time I give so much, I always end up losing myself?"novelbin

"Because you always give so much that you forget to save up for yourself, so you end up losing everything, including yourself."

I stared at him in surprise right after I heard those words, but I didn't show it because honestly, that question was really just for myself, but I didn't notice that I mentioned it out loud.

"Then what should I do so I won't end up miserable again?" I asked, staring at him.

But he smiled, wiping my face with the back of his hands.

"What should you do? Well, wait for him," he shrugged but that made me frown.

"Dale,"

"You should wait for him, so you can find out the truth---"

"And what kind of truth should I still need to find out when everything is already clear? He cheated on me again!" my voice came a bit loud.

"I know, but whether he did it or not, he should at least explain himself to you,"

"I don't need any of his explanation!" I said, my voice full of conviction.

"Then you might at least hear his apology,"

"And I don't need his apology either!"

"So how can you have closure when you don't want to know his side?"

"I don't care if I don't have closure or not, but I promise this time, I won't let him slip so easily! I will make sure he will live in hell for doing this to me--- to us again!" I formed my fists as anger started to boil inside my chest. "Whoa! I don't know if I should be proud or scared to hear those words from you,"

"You should feel both---" but I was stopped from speaking when we heard some knocks on the door and Cali's smiling face appeared a few seconds after.

"Mommy," She uttered, beaming and I took a deep breath before opening my arms to welcome her with a hug.

"Cali,"

I glanced at my brother the moment I brought my daughter in my arms.

"Were you crying before I came in, mommy?" I gulped as she looked at me right after breaking our hugs.

But then I looked at Dale again before answering her question.

"Yes, kinda," I shrugged. "Because your Uncle Dale and I were reminiscing about the old days and I couldn't help but cry as I suddenly missed them."