The second chance

Chapter 4

The following days, I regularly went to the cafe after work and instead of my old habit of taking coffee with me, I sat down at a small round table by the window and impatiently waited to see if Erick would appear there again by pure chance.

I carefully X-rayed the street behind the glass and looked in the crowd for those dark brown eyes that kept me awake. But my efforts to meet Erick were in vain. Either he was avoiding me or his work duties in this area have ended. I wanted to believe that it was more the second possibility, although my subconscious warned me that at least one of us had come to our senses and did not try to cross our paths again.

After all, what would it actually be good for? If Nick found out I was hanging out with his arch-nemesis on a regular basis, he'd probably rip my head off and it would take me another year to iron things out between us, if at all. And my parents? I doubted they would be jumping for joy that I brought Erick to their table and bagged Nicholas. I would needlessly stir up the water and open old wounds. Was Erick worth it? What am I really implying?

Anger bubbled up inside me. On the one hand, because Erick did not appear again, and on the other hand, because he let himself be caught in the trap that Lorren set for him. But did he have to snort with her? Why did he think with a bird and not with his mind? I knew that being upset about the past wasn't going to help me anymore, but at least it was helping to ease the frustration that was taking hold of me.

"Are you stalking me?" I was snapped out of my thoughts by a familiar voice that didn't sound friendly at all. I was so absorbed in myself that I didn't even notice when he entered the cafe, although I honestly scanned the street. I jumped from the scare, which may have worked in my favor.

"Not by chance," I turned to him with a smile from ear to ear. "I could say the same about you."

Erick stood by the empty chair for a while, fiddling with the coffee in his hand. It seemed to me that he was waging a battle with himself whether to join me or take his legs on his shoulders. In the end, he just shook his head in resignation, pushed back his chair and sat down.

"Tough day?" I asked him.

"Not until I saw you," he retorted.

"Aww," I grabbed my heart with my hands. "Now you've seriously hurt me."

"Raegan," he hissed in a threatening tone. "What's your point?" The judgmental tone in his voice could be cut.

My enthusiasm faded. I believed him that he didn't like seeing me, but he didn't have to let me know it so openly.

"Wait a minute," anger bubbled up in me. "No one told you to talk to me, let alone sit next to me."

"No," he nodded his head, "but I also know that you're only sitting here to meet me."

"Don't kid yourself," my nerves relaxed. I was annoyed that he missed my trick. Was it so visible on me? "I've been visiting this cafe for seven years, which can't be said about you."

"And that's why I stopped coming here."

I gasped. Although I suspected he was avoiding me, hearing it so openly from his mouth really hurt me. So, despite the whirlwind of feelings that was rushing through me, I was determined not to lose my self-respect in front of him.

"Then I won't hold you back," I retorted and started to get up from the chair.

"Wait," he held out his hand to stop me. "Sorry."

"It's okay," was all I could manage.

"I'm really sorry," he looked at me intently.

"Okay," I answered more mildly, although anger was still coursing through my blood stream up and down my body, burning my face.