One More Chance by Jaycelle Rodriguez

Chapter 170: The old days

"Sam,"

| was reading a romance in my room when | heard a knock on the other side of the door, followed by my

brother's voice.

And after a few minutes when | didn't respond to his call, he opened the door and gavea 'why aren't you

responding look’. "What?" | lazily asked giving him a quick look and then turned my eyes back to the book on my

lap.

| couldn't help letting out a deep sigh when | heard his footsteps heading in my direction. I'm sure he would

convinceagain 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 | decided to fly back to Los Angeles and stayed with my parents and Cali. | decided to

cback hafter a month of not receiving any updates from Luke and after Lucy cto 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 | missed them

and | missed her... And that's why my brother can often knock on my door and pesterto go out again.

"How are you?"

| huffed as | glanced at him. | don't know how many times he had askedthat question since | chere and

told them what happened.

"Hmm... the sas yesterday," | 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, | cto this room after finding out what happened to you and Luke or

should | say, what you did to him that night. | think that was also the t| 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!" |

interrupted him with a bittersweet chuckle.

"I know, but what | was just saying is that thas passed so fast and so much has changed, but | never

imagined that | would cback to this room again and ask you the squestion | asked you before. How are

you... how are you, Sam?"

| just lowered my gaze with a deep sigh, trying to blink away the tears that had suddenly formed around my

eyes. | 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 | could no longer stop them.

"D- Dale..."

| put my hands over my eyes as | sobbed to keep the tears from flowing, but it was useless as it seemed to be

getting harder and harder to hold back. | felt like my heart was about to explode due to so much heaviness and

pain | have inside at that moment. "Oh, Sam..."

Then suddenly | felt his arms wrapped aroundand pattedon the back to comfortlike he used to do

back then when | was still his little sister. And that signature gesture of my brother madecry even harder. |

seemed to go back to the youngwho always have my brother's back and his shoulders to cry on.

"I missed you, Sis, welcback to the old you." The only words he said that madechuckle and cry at the

stime.

"I don't know exactly how to feel when I heard that news again, Dale," | said as | continued to cry on my

brother's shoulder... the very first person who becmy best friend.

"I know," was the only word he said and continued to huglike | was still the young Samantha who he always

bullied but then always protected at the stime.

"I don't know why he had to do it again. | gave him a second chance because he said he regretted what he did

before and he promised he wouldn't make the smistakes anymore but..." | stopped as | was interrupted by a

painful sob. "but | have no idea why he made that f*cking promise just to be broken again!"

"Shhh..."

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

"Sam..."

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

"Calm down," he grabbedby the shoulders and madelook at him.

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

am | going to do to stop loving him?"

"Samantha,"

"How am | going to move on again when all | know is to love and trust him that he would be by my side until |

grow old? Help me, Dale... please helpbecause 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 | 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 beca 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 | 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 | feel that since | met and loved him, | always get hurt in the end? And why do every t| give so

much, | always end up losing myself?"

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

including yourself."

| stared at him in surprise right after | heard those words, but | didn't show it because honestly, that question

was really just for myself, but | didn't notice that | mentioned it out loud.

"Then what should | do so | won't end up miserable again?" | 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 madefrown.

"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 ca 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!" | said, my voice full of conviction.

"Then you might at least hear his apology,"

"And | 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 | don't have closure or not, but I promise this time, | won't let him slip so easily! | will make sure

he will live in hell for doing this to me--- to us again!" | formed my fists as anger started to boil inside my chest.

"Whoa! | don't know if | should be proud or scared to hear those words from you,"

"You should feel both---" but | was stopped from speaking when we heard sknocks on the door and Cali's

smiling face appeared a few seconds after.

"Mommy," She uttered, beaming and | took a deep breath before opening my arms to welcher with a hug.

"Cali,"

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

"Were you crying before | cin, mommy?" | gulped as she looked atright after breaking our hugs.

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

"Yes, kinda," | shrugged. "Because your Uncle Dale and | were reminiscing about the old days and | couldn't help

but cry as | suddenly missed them."