A Second Chance 103
Posted on March 07, 2025 ยท 0 mins read
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โ€œWhatโ€™sย goingย on?โ€ย Siennaย asked,ย confused.ย โ€œIsย somethingย wrong Cedricย lookedย atย her,ย hesitatedย forย aย moment,ย thenย spoke.ย โ€œIย knowย thisย mightย beย aย bitย sudden,ย butย Iย haveย toย askโ€ฆย whyย areย youย soย afraidย ofย Josiah?โ€ย  Heย swallowedย hard,ย hisย voiceย strained.ย โ€œArenโ€™tย youย two,ย uh,ย gettingย backย together?โ€ โ€œBackย together?โ€ย Siennaโ€™sย eyesย widenedย inย surprise.ย โ€œWhyย wouldย youย sayย that?โ€ย  Cedricย fellย silentย forย aย momentย beforeย answeringย honestly.ย โ€œThatโ€™sย whatย Josiahย toldย me.โ€ Beforeย Siennaย couldย respond,ย heย awkwardlyย added,ย โ€œSoโ€ฆย didย youย twoย haveย aย fight?ย Itโ€™sย normalย forย couplesย toย argue,ย right?โ€ โ€œNo,โ€ย Siennaย cutย himย offย sharply. Herย lipsย pressedย togetherย tightly,ย andย herย eyesย reddenedย slightlyย No,ย itย wasnโ€™tย aย fight.ย Thereโ€™sย noย gettingย backย togetherย betweenย meย andย him.โ€ Cedricย staredย atย her,ย stunned.ย โ€œWhatโ€™sย goingย on?โ€˜ย heย wondered. โ€œYouย twoย didnโ€™tย makeย up?ย Thenโ€ฆโ€ย Heย trailedย off,ย realizingย something. Heย couldย seeย theย hostilityย inย Josiahโ€™sย eyesย wasnโ€™tย justย someย misunderstanding.ย Itย wasย real.ย Josiahย wasย clearlyย seeingย himย asย aย rival. Lookingย atย Siennaโ€™sย reaction,ย Cedricย hadย aย guess.ย โ€œCouldย itย beโ€ฆย Josiahย isย justย pushingย forย this,ย andย youย donโ€™tย feelย theย same?โ€ย Siennaย frozeย forย aย moment.ย Sheย hadnโ€™tย expectedย Cedricย toย figureย itย outย soย easily. Sheย didnโ€™tย answer,ย butย theย lookย onย herย faceย madeย everythingย clear. โ€œIย wasย right,ย wasnโ€™tย I?โ€ย Cedricโ€™sย voiceย darkened,ย andย heย slammedย hisย handย onย theย steeringย wheel.ย โ€œThisย isย tooย much.ย Josiahย isย goingย wayย tooย far.โ€ Whenย itย cameย toย mattersย ofย theย heart,ย itย wasย supposedย toย beย aboutย mutualย feelings,ย notย someย kindย ofย forcefulย demand.ย โ€œBut,โ€ย Cedricย wasย confused.ย โ€œWhyย areย youย runningย away?ย Canโ€™tย youย justย talkย toย himย aboutย it?โ€ โ€œTalkย toย him?โ€ย Siennaย letย outย aย dryย laugh,ย theย bitternessย ofย pastย experiencesย risingย toย theย surface. โ€œThisย isnโ€™tย theย firstย timeย somethingย likeย thisย hasย happened,โ€ย sheย said. โ€œWhat?โ€ย Cedricย wasย takenย aback.ย โ€œYouย mean,ย youย andย Josiahโ€ฆโ€ Siennaย closedย herย eyesย andย noddedย slightly.ย Sheย hadย neverย spokenย openlyย aboutย it,ย butย now,ย itย allย cameย rushingย back. Herย firstย marriageย hadย beenย aย trapย setย byย theย Flynnย family.ย Atย twenty,ย sheย didnโ€™tย understandย it,ย but afterย fourย years,ย howย couldย sheย stillย notย seeย it? Wasย sheย angry?ย Ofย course,ย sheย was.ย Sheย hadย beenย caughtย inย aย manipulativeย marriageย andย subjectedย toย soย muchย injustice. Butย theย Flynnย familyย hadย doneย herย aย hugeย favor.ย Sheย wasย someoneย evenย herย ownย fatherย hadย rejected.ย Afterย Fionaย passedย away,ย sheย wentย toย herย father,ย beggingย himย toย takeย herย in. Sheย wasย justย fificen,ย stillย aย child,ย andย sheย neededย someoneย toย careย forย her. Chapterย 103 Butย herย fatherย refused: Inย theย end,ย itย wasย Mirandaย whoย tookย herย handย andย ledย herย intoย theย Flynnย family,ย whereย sheย wasย takenย careย of,ย givenย food,ย shelter,ย andย theย opportunityย toย continueย herย educationย andย pursue dance. Ifย itย hadnโ€™tย beenย forย theย Flynnย family,ย aย fifteenโ€“yearโ€“oldย orphanย keย herย couldย notย haveย survived.ย Thatย kindnessย wasย somethingย sheย couldย neverย forget,ย noย matterย whatย huppencil. So,ย whenย theย peopleย whoย hadย helpedย herย hurtย her,ย sheย hadย noย choiceย butย toย swallowย herย painย andย moveย on. Siennaย snappedย backย to theย present,ย aย coldย smileย onย herย lips,ย herย eyesย shimmeringย withย unshedย tears.ย โ€œHowardย wokeย up. Iโ€ฆย Iโ€ฆ Sheย wasย tooย emotionalย toย finishย herย sentence. โ€œIย understand.โ€ย Cedricโ€™sย voiceย softened,ย hisย toneย gentle.ย โ€œYouย dontย needย toย sayย more.ย Iย getย it.โ€ and Atย thisย point,ย everythingย wasย clear.ย Heย hadย goneย toย theย hospitalย todayย toย visitย Howard,ย whoย hadย justย wokenย up,ย andย thereย heย hadย runย intoย Sienna,ย whoย hadย beenย hurriedlyย leaving. Theย Flynnย familyย isย reallyย tooย muchโ€ฆย heย wondered.ย Evenย Cedric,ย withย hisย goodโ€“naturedย disposition,ย couldnโ€™tย helpย butย curseย underย hisย breath.ย โ€œUsingย theirย kindnessย toย controlย you,ย withoutย evenย consideringย yourย feelings?โ€ Wasย oneย timeย notย enough?ย Nowย theyย wereย doingย itย again?ย Noย wonder Josiah,ย whoย hadย originallyย beenย setย onย divorcingย her.ย suddenlyย changedย hisย mind. Siennaย froze,ย staringย atย him.ย Heย wasnโ€™tย theย firstย personย toย sayย thisย toย her.ย Theย firstย wasย Hannah. Herย eyesย filledย withย moisture,ย andย sheย bit herย lip.ย โ€œThankย you.โ€ Theyย hadย onlyย metย aย fewย times,ย yetย heย wasย theย oneย whoย couldย sayย somethingย likeย thatย onย herย behalf.ย Sheย feltย deeplyย grateful,ย โ€œWhatย areย youย thankingย meย for?โ€ย Cedricย shookย hisย headย lightly,ย havenโ€™tย doneย anythingย forย you? โ€œNoย needย to.โ€ย Siennaย smiledย faintly.ย โ€œIย donโ€™tย haveย anyย friendsย inย Jiacrity.ย Justย theย factย thatย youโ€™reย willingย toย listenย toย me,ย andย speakย upย forย me,ย isย enoughย forย meย toย beย grateful.โ€ Sheย leanedย forward,ย grabbedย herย bag,ย andย gotย outย ofย theย car.ย Thanksย forย givingย meย aย ride.ย Iโ€™llย getย goingย now.โ€ โ€œOkay,โ€ย Cedricย followedย herย outย ofย theย carย andย watchedย herย walkย away,ย gettingย fartherย andย farther. Suddenly,ย heย joggedย afterย her.ย โ€œSienna,โ€ย  โ€œHuh?โ€ย Siennaย stoppedย andย turnedย around,ย lookingย atย himย inย confusion.ย โ€œWhatโ€™sย up?ย Isย somethingย wrong?โ€ย โ€œYes.โ€ย Cedricย nodded,ย hisย voiceย aย bitย urgent. โ€œDoย youย haveย aย wayย toย getย ridย ofย Josiah?ย Fromย whatย Iย know,ย heโ€™sย notย theย kindย ofย guyย whoย givesย upย easily,โ€ย heย asked.ย Siennaโ€™sย gazeย darkened.ย Justย likeย Cedricย hadย said,ย onceย Josiahย madeย upย hisย mind,ย thereย wasย noย turningย himย around.ย Butย sheย couldย doย nothing.ย Siennaย shookย herย headย andย said,ย โ€œAsย longย asย Iย donโ€™tย giveย in,ย heย canโ€™tย reallyย doย anythingย toย me.โ€ย โ€œButโ€ฆย Cedricย swallowedย hard,ย gatheringย hisย courageย asย heย lookedย atย her. Heย spokeย inย aย lowย voice.ย โ€œIย actuallyย haveย anย idea.โ€ โ€œHuh?โ€ย Siennaย lookedย atย him,ย surprised.ย โ€œWhatย idea?โ€ Chapterย 103 BKย 63%ย โ€“ Herย clearย eyesย wereย lilledย withย suspicion.ย Cedricโ€™sย heartย skippedย beatย asย heย metย herย gaze.ย Heย tookย aย deepย breath.ย โ€œTheย ideaย isโ€ฆย weย getย together.โ€ Siennaย wasย stunned.ย Whatย kindย ofย solutionย isย this?ย Howย couldย Iย dragย himย intoย thisย justย toย escapeย Josiahย sheย wondered โ€œYouโ€ฆโ€ย Seeingย thatย Siennaย wasย aboutย toย getย angry,ย Cedricย hurriedlyย said,ย โ€œPlease,ย donโ€™tย misunderstand.ย Iโ€™mย notย tryingย toย takeย advantageย ofย you.ย Weย wouldnโ€™tย actually beย together,ย butย weโ€™dย makeย Josiahย thinkย weย areโ€ โ€œIfย youโ€™reย withย someoneย else,ย heย shouldnโ€™tย beย ableย toย keepย pressuringย you,ย right?โ€ย heย added. Siennaย fellย silent,ย contemplating.ย Itย madeย sense, Andย sheย rememberedย whatย Mirandaย hadย said.ย Mirandaย wouldnย forceย herย intoย anythingย Siennaย didnโ€™tย want,ย andย sheย onlyย hopedย Siennaย wouldย findย someoneย sheย trulyย caredย about. So,ย ifย sheย andย Cedricย pretendedย toย beย together,ย withย Mirandaโ€™sย support,ย thenย Josiahย wouldย haveย noย reasonย toย keepย pushing her Thisย ideaย flashedย inย herย mindย forย justย aย moment. โ€œNo,ย no,ย itโ€™sย notย possible.ย Siennaย shookย herย headย repeatedly,ย rejectingย theย suggestion. Whatย amย Iย thinking?ย Iย knowย Cedricย hasย feelingsย forย me.ย Howย couldย Iย evenย considerย goingย alongย withย thisย idea?ย Thatย wouldย beย noย differentย fromย playingย withย hisย feelings,ย sheย wondered. โ€œWhyย not?โ€ย Cedricโ€™sย gazeย darkened.ย โ€œEvenย ifย itโ€™sย justย pretend,ย youย wonโ€™tย doย it?โ€ โ€œCedricโ€ฆย Siennaย didnโ€™tย knowย howย toย explainย herself.ย โ€œEvenย thoughย weย havenโ€™tย knownย eachย otherย forย long,ย Iย considerย youย aย friend.โ€ Justย likeย whenย sheย metย Hannahย backย inย Fliraty,ย sheย knewย Cedricย wasย aย goodย person.ย Sheย couldnโ€™tย useย himย orย hurtย himย likeย that. โ€œYouโ€™reย aย goodย personโ€ฆโ€ย sheย began. โ€œAreย youย refusingย me?โ€ย Cedricย smiledย bitterly. โ€œOh,ย wellโ€ฆโ€ย Siennaย shookย herย head,ย herย eyesย clear. Sheย began.ย โ€œIfย youย wereย aย girl,ย Iโ€™dย happilyย beย yourย bestย friend.ย Butย rightย now,ย Iย canย onlyย tellย youย thatย Iโ€™mย justย anย ordinaryย person.ย Yourย lifeย isย justย beginning,ย and youโ€™reย goingย toย meetย theย bestย girlย outย there.โ€ ย 


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