Second Chance At Love

Promises.

Brynn

Waking up this morning felt so good.

There were days, weeks, even months when I woke up feeling like the world around me was crashing down. Where getting out of bed wasn't even an option for me some days. Sure, this isn't the first day where I woke up and felt better than I did two years ago. But it's the first day that I have hope. Hope that even after everything I've gone through, life is still going to get better. I'm happy I woke up today. Maybe a little bit happier at the fact that I woke up next to a man who I'm insanely in-like with. Add on the fact that he has a really attractive, raspy morning voice.

But when you're now dating the captain of the football team, mornings are short. He had to leave early for a team meeting and I couldn't go back to sleep after he accidentally woke me up. I tried to for about thirty minutes before I gave up and came downstairs to make myself some coffee. I wait for the coffee to brew when I hear the front door open and close. I think it's way too soon for them to be back so I walk over and peek my head in the hallway. I was right. I meet Maddy's gaze. "Hey," I say quickly before walking back into the kitchen.

After Valdez's birthday, we started talking more. She's a lot more friendly to me than before but I wouldn't call us best friends. It's still kind of new so I'm not completely comfortable with her yet. I don't know, this friendship — if that's what this even is — is still new to me.

She walks into the kitchen setting her purse on the island. She's all dressed up meanwhile I probably still have bedhead and am in one of Cgc's hoodies and my pants from yesterday. "What are you doing here at 7 in the morning?" she questions, raising a brow. "Uh, Xander didn't tell you?" I ask. She shakes her head, pulling out a stool to sit on. "I haven't talked to him since last night before he went out. He annoyingly didn't text me this morning." She rolls her eyes. I pour some coffee into a glass, lifting it up to my lips. "Spill, new girl," she says. I roll my eyes this time at the nickname.

"I slept over," I say, shrugging my shoulders. She looks at me for a long moment and her eyes flit around my body. I look away, feeling uncomfortable. "What?" my voice comes out lower than I wanted it to. "You're doing the walk of shame aren't you?" she asks, a smirk lifting the corner of her red-painted lips. My eyes widen and I shake my head quickly. I set the mug down on the counter before I can drop it at her assumption. "We didn't sleep together— well we did, but not like that! We just slept together. On a bed. But that's it," I defend.

"I always wondered when that was going to happen," she says with raised brows as she picks up her phone. "Are you okay with it?" I ask. I don't really know why I asked. She looks up at me shortly before looking back at her phone. "Why do you care?" she asks. "Your relationship with Cgc has absolutely nothing to do with me." She shrugs. I nod, picking up my mug and taking it with me over to the island. "But like. . . I don't know," I shrug, "You are the only one out of everyone who doesn't. . . like me. I just don't want that to still be a thing. It bothers me," I admit. I would say I'm a pretty likable person and I'd never hate her for not liking me, but it does bother me. As much as I hate to admit it.

"I don't have a problem with you. I never did. And I'm not about to open up to you especially because you aren't Nova or Xander, but if I've been a bitch, I'm sorry. I shouldn't take out my anger on people, but life hasn't been my best friend these past couple of months. You obviously make Cgc happy and were able to make him. . . not a total manslut, so," she shrugs, "I guess you're not terrible." I actually smile. I never expected an apology out of Maddy. I didn't want one even though I might have deserved one, so I appreciate it. "I'm sorry too," I say. She furrows her brows. "I probably did things to trigger your emotions sometimes, so I apologize if I did."

She shakes her head. "I don't remember you doing anything to trigger any rude comment in me. Like I said, it was just me. . . Xander and I are in a better place now, so. . ." She looks like she wants to say more, but stops herself. "Can I have some?" she says, filling in the short silence and changing the subject. I nod, figuring she's talking about the coffee. I pull out another mug from the cupboard and pour in the remainder of the coffee. I hand it to her along with the sugar packets and creamer. "Thanks," she says. I nod and lean against the island. "So. ." She takes a sip from her coffee. "I don't kiss and tell either, but. . . what happened with you and Cgc?"