A second chance: Sequel of Against all odds (20 page)

CHAPTER 17

As soon as the car stopped I
jumped out, I paid the driver and ran home. I opened the door and
went in hoping my mum was there. I just felt the need to talk with
someone. How I wished I had a friend with whom I could talk. How come
no friends had come to visit me? Didn't I have friends? That was a
question I had asked myself frequently. Why was I so isolated? What
had happened in the years before the accident that made me so lonely?

I went in the living room
and my heart lost a beat when I saw David seated on the sofa. He was
drinking a cup of tea and reading the newspaper. I looked at him for
a moment, he hadn't seen me yet. He looked so handsome and sweet. So
different from Tyler. He felt my gaze on him and looked up. Our eyes
met and I felt that spark again. Something that I felt only when he
looked at me. It wasn't something physical like it had happened with
Tyler, it was something else, something much deeper. He seemed sad
and smiled weakly at me.

“
Hello
Cassidy.”

“
David?
How come you're here? Where's mum?”I asked as I walked towards
him.

“
Upstairs
with Kylie preparing her room.” he replied as he put down the
newspaper.

“
Her
room? Is she staying here?” I questioned.

“
Yes,
she'll pass the night here and all day tomorrow. I have to go to
Sunny Island for a concert. I don't know If I ever told you, but I
play the piano. Some time ago I won an important contest so I was
invited to the Sun fest to play two of my songs.”

“
Oh
David, that's fantastic.”I exclaimed. This man never ceased to
amaze me.

“
Yeah.”
He agreed without much enthusiasm. He kept looking at me in a strange
way, was it disappointment? Sadness? He seemed hurt. Did my mother
tell him where I've been? At that moment, I felt two hands wrap
around my waist and hug me tight. I turned around and saw Kylie.

“
Oh
hello Sweetheart.”

“
Hello
Mu... Cassidy..” She said smiling. She had the same sweet smile
her father had. “ Hmm, Cassidy do you mind if I call you mum?”
She asked suddenly. I looked stunned at her and then at David who
gave her a sharp look.

“
Kylie
enough!” He shouted as he got up. Kylie bit her lip and was
about to cry. “You know that...”

“
Oh
David,no!”I said stopping him. I looked at Kylie. “Well,
if it really makes you happy, it's not a problem for me. I mean it's
strange I'm not your mum or your step mum but..”

“
But
you love Daddy that's enough for me.” She said with a grin on
her face before disappearing in the kitchen. I felt my face going
bright red. My heart beat was accelerating. I wished to look at
David, but I couldn't...

“
Cassidy..”

“
What?”
I managed to say.

“
I'm
sorry if she embarrassed you. Kylie is just a kid, she thinks that
things are that easy. She thinks love is all you need to be happy.”

“
Well
isn't it the truth?” I dared.

“
Is
it? I don't think so. I loved a lot in my life, unconditionally
without ever getting anything back and certainly I'm not happy.
Cassidy, love is not enough.. it's never enough. There are other
things, like power, money, charm. These things also seem to play an
important part. And I'm afraid I have none of those.”

His tone was hard and
unforgivable. Oh God, he knew. He knew I had been out with Tyler. I'm
sure he was talking about this..

“
David...
this is not true those things don't make a person happy.”

“
They
don't but they attract.”

“
David
I don't understand. Did Kylie's mum leave you for a rich guy?”I
asked looking at him in the eyes. He tensed for a second and then...

“
Yes
she did. She left me for a bastard that ruined her life. A bastard
who thought he could buy her happiness with stupid material things
without giving her the most important thing she needed, love. He
never loved her, he didn't take care of her, he made her suffer and
he abandoned her when she needed him the most, yet she loved him.”
His voice cracked emotionally. I stared at him disbelievingly. I've
never seen him in this state before. He was hurt, he seemed
devastated but why was he putting his anger on me?I was different
from Kylie's mum. I would never leave him for a rich guy.

“
I'm
sorry for the burst out. Maybe I should go.” Saying this he
stood up.

“
No
David please don't go. Do you want to talk? Maybe if you tell me what
happened I...”

“
No.
I don't want to talk about him anymore.” He said curtly. “I'm
sorry, forgive me. I rarely lose control like this. You're beautiful
with that dress on. Red really suits you.” He said, his
expression had softened and his voice had become more gentle.

I smiled and walked towards
him, stopping just in front of him. I looked into his eyes, his gaze
was different from Tyler's, it was so gentle. There was no lust in
his eyes just love. I could see his soul through his eyes. I felt his
sadness, his suffering. I couldn't lose this man. I wanted to relieve
his grief and sorrow. If he gave me a chance, I would show him that
not all the women were like Kylie's mum. We looked at each other and
after a moment of hesitation I wrapped my arms around him. He didn't
say a word as I hugged him tight. Initially he just stood still,
rooted to the floor but then he hugged me back.

“
David,
don't be sad, please. You can always count on me. I'll be there for
you.” I promised and I meant it. 

“
Thank
you.”

We stayed in each others
arms for some time. It felt so good; I wished we could stay like this
forever. Then I felt his grip loosening, he let go of me and stepped
back.

“
Cassidy
why don't you come with me?”He proposed.

“
Where?”

“
To
Sunny Island.”

“
What?
Really?” I shouted in happy tone.

“
Yes,
we could pass some time together. I have to leave very early in the
morning because I have to be there before 8.00. As the rehearsals
begin very early. After nine I should be free until the concert. We
could go around. There is a lot to see there what do you think?”

What did I think? That I was
over the moon with joy.

“
Yes
of course I come.”

“
Great.”

Just then my mum and Kylie
came in the living room..

“
Why
didn't you call me Cas? I would have come for you.” My mum
asked looking at me with suspicion.

“
Don't
worry I took a taxi.”

She looked narrowly at me
but didn't say anything else.

“
Mum,
I'm going with David to Sunny Island tomorrow.”I said then.

“
Oh,
that's a good idea,” She said smiling at David.

“
Can
I come too?” Kylie asked looking happily at us. David looked at
me and although I wished to pass time alone with him, I was going to
say yes but then....

“
Kylie
you won't have fun with them, there isn't much to see and I have a
surprise for you tomorrow.” My mum said quickly. She seemed to
want me to pass some time alone with David. I was grateful for this.

“
A
surprise? What surprise.. oh, please tell me.”

“
Well,
If I tell you, it won't be a surprise any more right?”

“
OH,
granny please come on..”

Granny? Why would Kylie call
my mum granny? I looked at David, he seemed tense. But then I thought
that it wasn't a big deal, after all she wanted to call me mum. Kylie
must see us as her family since all she has is her father. I smiled
at David and then grabbed his hand and squeezed it. He smiled back.

“
OK,
OK. I'll tell you calm down.” My mum laughed. “I was
going to take you to the circus and then maybe we can go and eat
something out.”

“
Really.
Oh, that's great.. thank you so much.”

Mum looked at David and
winked at him. At that moment, the doorbell rang. My mum got up and
went to open the door. Kylie followed her and after sometimes she
came back running with a big bouquet of roses in her hands.

“
This
is for you.” She said giving me the bouquet. I looked at it and
then at David. I could see the anger flashing in his eyes, but he
didn't say anything. My mum gave me a strange look before grabbing
Kylie's hand to drag her with her in in the kitchen. She wanted to
leave us alone. I grasped the little envelope attached and opened it.
There was a message which said:
I'm
sorry. Please give me
another
chance. Meet me tomorrow at dinner. I’ll come for you at 8.00.
Tyler.

Suddenly it occurred to me
that there was something strange. How did Tyler know where I live? I
hadn't told him. I hadn't given him my address nor I mentioned in
which area I lived. Had he followed me? Was he a stalker ? Just the
thought made me shiver.

“
An
admirer?” David asked pulling me out of my thoughts.

“
Am...
sort of yeah.”I said blushing. He kept gazing at the flowers
without saying anything and I was feeling awful. I didn't want him to
think that I had started a relationship with someone else.

“
I
have to go now.” He said breaking the silence.

“
Oh
no, please David, don't go. I...”

I put down the roses and
grabbed his hand...

“
David,
those flowers... probably there is a mistake, they shouldn't be
here..I-” I hastened to explain.

“
You
don't owe me an explanation Cassidy, really. I have to go because I
have to prepare some things for tomorrow. I'll come for you at 4.00
am. I know it's early, but we have to catch the ferry boat to go to
Sunny Island.”

I felt relieved, then he
hadn't changed his mind,he still wanted me to go with him.

“
Oh
no problem. I'll have to prepare some things as well. What shall I
bring with me?” I asked.

“
Not
much, just a nice dress for the show, some underwear maybe and some
other clothes for the day. I have a room booked for the day, so
you'll be able to take a shower and get prepared before the concert.
We'll be back late at night after the concert finishes.” He
answered.

“
Ok,
great.”

“
Cassidy,
I was thinking to travel with the motorcycle? Do you think it will be
OK for you? Just bring a bag-pack.”

“
Yeah
that would be fine.”

“
Great.
I'll go and say goodbye to Kylie and your mum and then I'll leave.”

He went in the kitchen while
I kept looking at those roses trying to figure out how Tyler got to
know my address. After some time, he returned and I walked with him
to the door.

“
See
you later then, try and get some sleep, tomorrow you won't have so
much time for that. Goodnight Cassidy.”

Although he was trying to
hide it I knew that the arrival of those roses had bothered him. He
had glanced two times at them as he was walking away. Damned Tyler,
why had he sent me those roses?

“
OK.
Goodnight David.” I said closing the door behind him. I exhaled
and leaned against the door. Excitement and fear created a painful
chaos in my stomach. I couldn't wait to pass some time with him yet I
knew things were not going to be easy. I wished I had never gone
jogging and I wished I had more good sense to refuse Tyler's
invitation. I shouldn't have met him when I knew that this would hurt
David. Because I had hurt him, he hadn't said a word but I could see
his pain through his eyes. I had disappointed him and I was sorry.