A Second Chance | ✓

𝟤𝟪 | 𝖶𝖾𝗅𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝖳𝗈 𝖸𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖳𝗐𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝖾𝗌 ♔

It's funny how Odette started out her twenties by planning a gender reveal for me and now I'm starting my twenties doing the same thing.

God, I can't believe I'm about to be twenty years old tomorrow. It feels as if I was just turning eighteen yesterday . . . then a week later I met a man who would change my life forever.

I notice it's almost ten and I'm starting to get hungry. I exit out of the tabs on my laptop before closing it and setting it down on the couch next to me. I went ahead and made my way downstairs.

What I was met with next was something I didn't expect. Celestina, Blanca and the others in the main Morales team were in the kitchen with everyone else living in the Castillo Residence.

My parents are here as well. And Odette, well she's been going back and forth, living here or back at her apartment. Sometimes Grayson spends some nights at her apartment too. Cassandra is the first person to see me and she shushes everyone which turns the spotlight to me.

Which I'm sort of uncomfortable with because it's quiet and everyone is just staring at me with a smile on their faces. Usually I wouldn't mind the spotlight if I were fighting at the Red & Black Cave . . . which reminds me, I should have Cass book me a night to fight because it's been a while and-

"Serenity! Good morning!" Odette says, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Hi, wh- what is all this?" I motion around my hands in a circle.

"I'm glad you asked, diablita . . ." My papá says and looks over at my mamá who's holding Alessandra.

"By the way, we didn't know this was happening at all, Elijah just asked us if it were okay to watch Alessandra today and tomorrow because apparently you'll be spending today and tonight out having fun with friends then tomorrow, Elijah will be taking you out and be spending the night at his penthouse." Mamá says, all in one breath. I was starting to get worried she wasn't going to stop anytime soon which would cause her to run out of breath which then wouldn't end up so pretty. "And as you know it's a tradition to start the morning before and morning of your birthday with my famous french toast."

My papá sets a large tray of french toast in the middle of the kitchen island and I notice there are a few other bowls with toppings.

"And since you're the birthday girl, you get to serve yourself as many as you'd like."

"I'm not the birthday girl yet, mamá." I smile, grabbing myself a plate and putting five pieces of french toast on it. I add some cut up strawberries, maple syrup and top it with powdered sugar.

About fifteen minutes later, everyone had already served themselves breakfast. "So, would y'all like to tell me how my day will go today since I'm practically getting kidnapped for the day and night?"

I don't know why but my first instinct was to look at Odette because last year on my birthday, Odette basically had Cass and Ryan work with her to kidnap me out of the house and take me out for the day.

My night ended with me almost going to some random guy's apartment. I remember saying no and the next thing I knew, I was slicing his throat out by an alleyway. Turned out he was some rapist that I was already going to kill three days later.

"Don't look at me, Serenity. I had no clue this was happening. I'm too busy napping and eating. Plus I wouldn't even be able to have fun at a club because I can't drink."

I turn to look at a random face which lands on Cassandra who is trying to hide a guilty look. "Spill it, Cass."

"Ryan and I were in charge of setting up appointments for hot air balloon rides."