A Second Chance 106
Posted on March 07, 2025 ยท 0 mins read
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Chapterย 106 Becauseย Cedricย refusedย toย goย toย theย hospital,ย Siennaย hadย noย choiceย butย toย buyย someย medicineย fromย theย pharmacyย andย handleย itย herself. โ€œAreย youย sureย youโ€™reย okay?โ€ย Siennaย asked,ย stillย worried.ย โ€œIfย youโ€™veย hurtย anย internalย organ,ย thatโ€™sย noย joke.โ€ โ€œIโ€™mย fine.โ€ย Cedricย chuckled,ย hisย lipsย stillย coveredย withย aย bandโ€“aid,ย makingย himย lookย aย littleย silly. Heย seemedย aย bitย embarrassed.ย โ€œYouย didnโ€™tย thinkย Iย wasย uselessย forย notย hittingย Josiah,ย didย you?โ€ Siennaย wasย caughtย offย guard,ย thenย couldnโ€™tย helpย butย laugh.ย โ€œWhatย areย youย talkingย about?ย Isย hittingย someoneย supposedย toย beย someย kindย ofย specialย skill?โ€ โ€˜Guessย not,ย heย wondered.ย Cedricย pressedย hisย lipsย together,ย hidingย hisย smile.ย โ€œIย wasย justย asking.ย Donโ€™tย takeย itย seriously.โ€ Butย Siennaย couldnโ€™tย helpย butย sigh,ย feelingย bothย lostย andย uneasy.ย Iโ€™veย saidย soย muchโ€ฆย Cedric,ย Lโ€ฆ โ€œIย knowโ€ย Beforeย sheย couldย finish,ย Cedricย quicklyย tookย overย herย sentence. Iย knowย youย donโ€™tย reallyย likeย me,ย andย Iย didnโ€™tย takeย itย seriously,โ€ย heย said,ย lookingย atย herย withย clear,ย sincereย eyes. Heย added,ย โ€œIย alsoย wantย toย apologizeย forย actingย withoutย yourย permission.ย Iย didnโ€™tย meanย toย upsetย you.โ€ โ€œHowย couldย Iย beย mad??ย sheย thought.ย Iโ€™mย notย theย kindย ofย personย whoย canโ€™tย tellย rightย fromย wrong.ย Thereโ€™sย noย wayย Iโ€™dย acceptย hisย helpย andย thenย turnย aroundย toย blameย him. Siennaย shookย herย head,ย smiling.ย โ€œIโ€™mย notย angry,ย Iย justโ€ฆโ€ย Sheย wasntย sureย howย toย explainย herself. โ€œItโ€™sย fine.โ€ย Cedricย couldย tellย whatย sheย wasย aboutย toย sayย andย didnโ€™tย wantย herย toย feelย awkward.ย Heย confessedย hisย ownย feelingsย openly. Heย explained,ย โ€œDonโ€™tย feelย pressured.ย Iโ€™llย admit,ย yes,ย Iย helpedย you,ย butย Iย alsoย hadย myย ownย reasons.โ€ Siennaย wasย surprised.ย Sheย hadnโ€™tย expectedย himย toย beย soย straightforward,ย withoutย hidingย anything. โ€œCedric,ย Iโ€™veย alreadyย toldย youย beforeโ€ฆย Weโ€™reย notย rightย forย eachย other,โ€ย sheย said. โ€œIย rememberย that,โ€ย Cedricย saidย withย aย nodย andย aย smile.ย โ€œButย Iย donโ€™tย understand.ย Howย exactlyย areย weย notย rightย forย eachย other?โ€ Isnโ€™tย itย obvious?โ€˜ย sheย thought.ย โ€˜One,ย Iย haveย noย familyย backgroundย Two,ย thereโ€™sย myย pastย marriageโ€ฆ. Cedricย pausedย forย aย momentย beforeย asking,ย โ€œSienna,ย doย youย knowย Marcus?โ€ โ€˜Marcus?โ€ย sheย wondered.ย Havingย livedย inย Fliratyย forย soย long,ย Siennaย definitelyย knew him.ย Marcusย Jordanย wasย theย sonย ofย basketballย starย Jordan. Nowย sheย understoodย whyย Cedricย broughtย upย Marcus.ย Marcusย hadย fallenย inย loveย withย Lapa,ย theย exโ€“wifeย ofย oneย ofย hisย fatherโ€™sย closeย friends.ย Larsaย wasย sixteenย yearsย olderย thanย him,ย divorced,ย andย hadย fourย kids. Theirย relationshipย hadย causedย quiteย aย stirย backย then,ย andย toย thisย day,ย peopleย stillย talkedย aboutย itย withย aย senseย ofย awe. Cedricย continued.ย โ€œYouย seeโ€ฆย Marcusย andย Larsaย didnโ€™tย careย aboutย beingย aย perfectย match.ย Iย donโ€™tย getย whyย youย thinkย thereโ€™sย someย kindย ofย issueย betweenย us.โ€ Siennaย openedย herย mouthย severalย times,ย butย couldnโ€™tย findย theย wordsย toย argueย back, โ€œSo,ย Sienna,ย Cedricย said,ย aย smileย curlingย atย hisย lips.ย โ€œTheย ideaย ofย beingย aย perfectย matchย isnโ€™tย whatย shouldย keepย twoย people. Chapterย Jon apart.ย Whetherย theyโ€™reย togetherย orย notย dependsย onย ifย theyย loveย eachย other.โ€ Beforeย Siennaย couldย respond,ย heย added,ย โ€œIย knowย thisย mightย justย beย meย holdingย ontoย hope,ย andย thatย youย donโ€™tย feelย theย sameย wayย Iย Donโ€™tย worry,ย though.ย Whatย happenedย tonight,ย Iย wasย justย helpingย youย Iย wonโ€™tย tryย toย forceย youย intoย anythingโ€ Thenย whatโ€™sย theย differenceย betweenย meย andย Josiah?โ€˜ย heย thought Havingย saidย allย that,ย Cedricย feltย aย littleย shy,ย butย thereย wasย noย hesitationย inย hisย words.ย โ€œYouย needย myย help,ย soย pleaseย donโ€™tย turnย itย down,ย alright?โ€ Siennaย wasย surprised.ย Heย wasย soย clearโ€“headed,ย yetย soย recklessย andย passionate. However,ย thereย wasย somethingย sheย hadย toย say.ย โ€œIย knowย thisย soundsย awful,ย butย Iโ€™mย notย Larsa,ย andย thisย isnโ€™tย Fliraty.ย Theย effortย youโ€™reย puttingย intoย meย wonโ€™tย beย returnedโ€ โ€œWell,ย atย leastย Iย tried.ย Cedricย shrugged,ย hisย eyesย burningย withย intensity.ย โ€œIfย Iย donโ€™tย evenย haveย theย courageย toย fightย forย theย girlย Iย like,ย thenย Iโ€™mย notย reallyย inย aย positionย toย talkย aboutย likingย anyone Heย raisedย anย eyebrowย andย smiled.ย โ€œWhoย knowsย whatย theย futureย holds,ย right?โ€ Theย nextย day,ย duringย theย lunchย breakย atย theย danceย studio,ย Siennaย wentย toย theย hospital,ย theย sameย oneย whereย sheย hadย boughtย theย medicineย before. Thisย doctorย wasย someoneย sheย knewย throughย Hannah,ย andย becauseย ofย that,ย heย hadย aย betterย understandingย ofย herย situationย andย tookย goodย careย ofย her. Asย soonย asย heย sawย her,ย heย asked,ย โ€œFinishedย theย medicine?โ€ โ€œNo.โ€ย Siennaย replied.ย Inย fact,ย afterย thingsย withย Ryanย didnโ€™tย workย out,ย sheย hadnโ€™tย takenย anyย ofย theย medicine. โ€œIsย thereย somethingย wrongย withย you?โ€ย Theย doctorย raisedย hisย handย signalingย forย herย toย sitย down.ย โ€œSitย andย tellย me.โ€ โ€œOkay.โ€ย Siennaย satย downย andย sharedย herย concerns. Sheย explained,ย โ€œActually,ย Iย didnโ€™tย takeย muchย ofย the medicine.ย Afterward,ย itย seemedย likeย myย symptomsย improvedย aย little.ย Asย longย asย thereย arenโ€™tย anyย aggressiveย movements,ย myย reactionsย arenโ€™tย asย intense.ย Butย sometimes.ย Iย stillย canโ€™tย seemย toย controlย myselfโ€ฆโ€ โ€œIsย thatย so?ย Tellย meย more,โ€ย theย doctorย said. โ€œSure.โ€ย Siennaย nodded. Afterย hearingย herย out,ย theย doctorย said,ย โ€œBasedย onย whatย youโ€™reย describing,ย yourย conditionย shouldย beย improving.ย Thisย meansย yourย bodyย isย startingย toย recognizeย whetherย theย environmentย isย safeย orย not.โ€ Heย suggested.ย โ€œWhatย doย youย thinkย aboutย treatment?ย Itย mightย evenย cureย itย entirely.โ€ Psychologicalย treatmentย wasย noย smallย expense. Siennaย smiledย politelyย andย declined,ย โ€œNo,ย thankย you,ย doctor.โ€ โ€œAlright.ย Ifย youย needย anything,ย feelย freeย toย comeย backย anytime,โ€ย heย said. โ€œThankย you,โ€ย sheย replied,ย walkingย outย ofย theย hospital. As sย soonย asย sheย wasย outside,ย Siennaย raisedย herย handย andย coveredย herย eyes.ย Theย reasonย sheย wasย twofold.ย First,ย theย costย wasย significant. considering treatmentย wasย  Butย moreย importantly,ย onceย sheย startedย treatment,ย itย wouldย inevitablyย forceย herย toย recallย theย past.ย โ€œNoโ€ฆย Thatย pastย is 16ย Mon, Chapterย 100 somethingย Iย neverย wantย toย thinkย aboutย againย forย theย restย ofย myย sheย wondered. Atย fiveย inย theย afternoon.ย Siennaย hadย justย enteredย theย danceย studio.ย Sinceย sheย wasnโ€™tย assignedย aย performanceย yet,ย sheย wasย freeย toย leaveย onceย theย timeย hit. Afterย changingย intoย herย practiceย clothes,ย Siennaย steppedย outย ofย theย studio,ย turnedย around,ย andย headedย forย theย subway station.. โ€œHi,ย Sienna,ย someoneย greetedย her. Sheย turnedย aroundย andย sawย Cedricย joggingย towardย her,ย grinningย fromย earย toย ear โ€œWhatย areย youย doingย here?โ€ย sheย asked. โ€œIโ€™mย hereย toย pickย youย upย afterย work,โ€ย Cedricย replied,ย stillย smiling,ย butย thenย saidย suddenly,ย โ€œDonโ€™tย lookย around.ย Justย lookย atย me.โ€ โ€œHuh?โ€ย Siennaย wasย puzzled.ย โ€œWhatโ€™sย goingย on?โ€ Josiahโ€™sย carย isย parkedย atย theย corner,ย heย explained, Siennaโ€™sย heartย skippedย aย beat.ย Doesย Josiahย stillย refuseย toย giveย upsheย wondered. Cedricย tookย aย fewย stepsย closerย andย leanedย downย slightly,ย hisย faceย soย closeย thatย itย almostย seemedย likeย theyย wereย stuckย together. Heย whisperedย inย herย ear,ย โ€œIย thinkย Josiahย doesnโ€™tย believeย weโ€™reย reallyย together.โ€ Evenย thoughย thatย wasย theย truth.ย โ€œLuckily,ย Iย predictedย hisย prediction,โ€ย heย added. Cedricย grinned,ย lookingย pleasedย withย himself.ย Iย figuredย Iโ€™dย comeย pickย youย upย afterย work.ย Youย haveย toย completeย the act,ย right?ย Sienna,ย giveย himย aย smile.ย Smileย forย him Siennaย hadnโ€™tย plannedย to smile,ย butย withย hisย teasing,ย sheย couldnโ€™tย helpย it. Sheย laughedย outย loud,ย genuinelyย enjoyingย it.


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