A Second Chance 108
Posted on March 07, 2025 ยท 0 mins read
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Chapterย 108 628ย  Althoughย Josiahย woreย aย smileย onย hisย face,ย Mirandaย knewย exactlyย whatย wasย goingย on.ย Sheย couldย tellย rightย awayย thatย heย wasnโ€™tย happy.ย  Thisย smileย wasย hidingย somethingย sharp, Josiahย Mirandaย loweredย herย voice,ย givingย himย aย slowย shakeย ofย theย head,ย signalingย himย notย toย doย anythingย rash. โ€˜Isย sheย reallyย thisย nervous?ย heย wondered.ย Josiahย forcedย aย smile,ย fastrated.ย โ€˜Doesย Grandmaย thinkย Iย amย goingย toย doย something?โ€ Theย atmosphereย becameย tense.ย Siennaย andย Cedricย exchanged aย ookย beforeย bothย stoodย up. โ€œMiranda,โ€ย Cedricย saidย withย aย smile,ย โ€œThankย youย forย yourย hospitalityย tonight,ย butย itโ€™sย gettingย late.ย Siennaย andย Iย willย headย outย nowย andย letย youย rest. โ€œYouโ€™reย leaving?โ€ย Mirandaย quicklyย turned,ย forcingย aย smileย asย sheย stillย stoodย inย frontย ofย Josiah โ€œYeah.โ€ย Siennaย noddedย inย agreement.ย โ€œMiranda,ย Iโ€™llย comeย seeย youย againย soon.โ€ Mirandaย didnโ€™tย insistย onย keepingย themย thisย time.ย Sheย noddedย andย said,ย โ€œAlright,ย Cedric,ย Siennaโ€™sย inย yourย handsย now.ย Youย betterย makeย sureย sheย getsย homeย safe.โ€ โ€œDonโ€™tย worry,ย Miranda,โ€ย heย smiled. โ€œGoodbye,ย Miranda,ย Siennaย said. Asย Siennaย turnedย toย leave,ย Cedricย extendedย hisย handย towardย herย Sheย understoodย whatย heย meant.ย Josiahย wasย watching. Siennaย hesitatedย forย justย aย fractionย ofย aย secondย beforeย acceptingย hisย handย andย smilingย gently.ย โ€œLetโ€™sย go.โ€ โ€œOkay.โ€ย Theyย walkedย outย handย inย hand. Behindย them,ย Josiahย scoffedย loudly,ย โ€œGrandma,ย theย peopleย areย gone.ย Canย youย letย goย ofย meย now?โ€ Mirandaย pausedย forย aย moment,ย thenย releasedย him,ย thoughย sheย stillย watchedย himย withย concern.ย โ€œAreย youย alright?โ€ out.ย โ€œWhatย couldย beย wrongย withย me?โ€ Josiahย shookย hisย armย out. โ€˜Ohย really?โ€˜ย Mirandaย thought,ย hearingย theย sarcasmย inย hisย voice.ย Youโ€ฆโ€ Sheย sighedย inย exasperationย andย pokedย hisย forehead.ย โ€œIย knowย youโ€™reย upset,ย Josiah.ย Youโ€™veย beenย spendingย aย lotย ofย timeย thinkingย aboutย Siennaย lately.โ€ Josiahย gaveย aย low,ย coldย laugh. Josiah,โ€ย Mirandaย said,ย herย toneย suddenlyย serious.ย โ€œListenย toย me.ย Justย forgetย it. Siennaย reallyย doesnโ€™tย likeย youย anymore.ย Sheย andย Cedricย areย doingย justย fine.โ€ Evenย Mirandaย wasย helpingย them.ย Josiahย heldย hisย frustrationย in,ย answeringย casually,ย โ€œIย neverย saidย Iย wasย goingย toย doย anythingย toย them.ย Youโ€™reย theย oneย actingย likeย youโ€™reย worriedย aboutย me.โ€ย  โ€œReally?โ€ย Mirandaย didnโ€™tย believeย him โ€œReally.โ€ย Josiahย letย outย aย lowย chuckle.ย โ€œWhatโ€™sย theย alternative?ย Doย youย thinkย Iโ€™mย theย kindย ofย guyย whoย wouldย giveย upย myselfย forย aย woman?ย Besides,ย Siennaย hasnโ€™tย reachedย theย pointย whereย Iโ€™mย theย oneย sheย needs 14 Chapterย 108- Thatย actuallyย madeย someย sense.ย Miranda nodded.ย โ€œTrue,ย youย donโ€™tย reallyย likeย herย theย wayย Cedricย does.ย Honestly,ย Iย thinkย itโ€™sย moreย aboutย youย notย likingย theย ideaย ofย someoneย whoย usedย toย likeย youย suddenlyย likingย someoneย else.โ€, Josiahย stiffened.ย โ€œIsย thatย whatย youย think,ย Grandma?ย Youโ€™reย sayingย Iโ€™mย likeย thisย becauseย ofย that?โ€ โ€œYeah,ย Mirandaย said,ย noddingย seriously,ย โ€œIย thinkย thatโ€™sย exactlyย itย lowย elseย canย youย explainย it?ย Allย those years,ย andย youย neverย thoughtย twiceย aboutย her.โ€ Josiahย paused,ย caughtย offย guard,ย unableย toย respond. โ€œIโ€™llย passย inย time.ย Cedricโ€™sย different.ย Heย reallyย likesย Sienna,โ€ย saidย Miranda. Mirandaย wentย on,ย herย voiceย filledย withย aย touchย ofย wistfulness.ย โ€œIย justย hopeย thoseย twoย workย thingsย out.ย Ifย theyย endย upย together,ย itโ€™llย beย worthย it. โ€œAtย leastย Iย wonโ€™tย feelย likeย Iย raisedย herย forย nothing.ย Itโ€™llย giveย meย someย peaceย withย herย grandmother? Thatย night,ย Josiahย stoodย underย theย shower,ย warmย waterย pouringย down,ย hittingย hisย back,ย coveredย inย scars. Withย hisย eyesย closed,ย theย wordsย Mirandaย hadย saidย echoedย inย hisย mind.ย Youย donโ€™tย reallyย likeย Sienna.ย Yourย canโ€™tย standย seeingย someoneย whoย usedย toย likeย youย suddenlyย fallย forย someoneย else.ย Whyย didnโ€™tย youย careย aboutย herย allย theseย years?โ€ Isย thatย reallyย theย case?ย Isย it?ย Yeah,ย itโ€™sย true.ย Thatโ€™sย it.ย Noย doubtย aboutย it,โ€™ย heย wondered. Theย nextย day,ย aย weekend.ย Josiahย cameย downstairs,ย notย expectingย toย seeย Siennaย there,ย talkingย withย Miranda. Upย already?โ€ย Mirandaย wavedย atย himย whenย sheย sawย him.ย โ€œYouโ€™reย justย inย time.ย Iย needย toย talkย toย youย aboutย something.โ€ย โ€œWhatโ€™sย up?โ€ย Josiahย satย downย casuallyย onย theย couch,ย grabbedย anย orangeย fromย theย fruitย plate,ย andย beganย peelingย itย slowly.ย โ€œItโ€™sย likeย this,โ€ย Mirandaย began.ย โ€œPickย aย time,ย andย goย withย Siennaย toย theย courthouse.โ€ Josiahย frozeย forย aย moment,ย liftingย hisย headย toย lookย atย Sienna.ย Sheย cameย allย theย wayย hereย thisย earlyย justย forย this? Siennaย metย hisย gazeย andย nodded.ย Speakingย slowly,ย sheย said,ย โ€œIย promisedย Miranda.ย Nowย thatย Iโ€™mย notย onย myย ownย anymore,ย andย Iย wantย toย beย withย Cedric,ย Iย needย toย takeย careย ofย this.โ€ โ€œYeah.ย Mirandaย noddedย inย agreement.ย โ€œItย needsย toย beย doneย quickly.ย Otherwise,ย ifย theย Brawneย familyย findsย outย youย havenโ€™tย gottenย theย papersย yet,ย itโ€™llย causeย trouble.โ€ Sheย shotย aย lookย atย Josiah.ย โ€œYouย needย toย setย aย timeย forย this.ย Ifย youย messย itย upย andย ruinย Siennaโ€™sย chances,ย Iย wonโ€™tย forgiveย you.โ€ย Sheโ€™dย initiallyย wantedย toย leaveย aย wayย outย forย Sienna,ย butย thatย wasnโ€™tย neededย anymore. โ€œGotย it.โ€ย Josiahย flippedย throughย hisย phone. Mirandaย keptย on,ย โ€œTheย sooner,ย theย better.โ€ Josiahย frowned,ย feelingย irritated,ย andย saidย absentmindedly,ย โ€œHowย aboutย firstย thingย Mondayย morning?โ€ โ€œMondayย morning?โ€ย Mirandaย seemedย concerned.ย โ€œWonโ€™tย thatย interfereย withย work?โ€ โ€œItโ€™sย fine.โ€ย Josiahย shookย hisย head.ย โ€œIโ€™llย beย aย littleย late,ย butย itย wonโ€™tย causeย anyย bigย problems.โ€ Alrightย then.โ€ย Mirandaย madeย upย herย mindย andย pattedย Siennaโ€™sย hand.ย โ€œItโ€™sย settled.ย Areย youย relievedย now?โ€ โ€œOkay,ย thankย you, Mirandaย Siennaย smiledย andย nodded,ย butย insideย sheย thought,ย โ€˜Iย wonโ€™tย beย trulyย relievedย untilย Iย haveย theย papersย inย hand.ย Onlyย thenย willย itย beย over.ย  2045ย Mon, Chapterย 108 โ€œMirandaโ€ย Nowย thatย herย goalย wasย accomplished,ย Siennaย stoodย upย haveย toย leaveย now.ย Iโ€™mย meetingย Cedric โ€œOhย Mirandaโ€™sย faceย litย upย withย aย teasingย grin.ย โ€œWell,ย Iย wonโ€™tย keepย youย then.ย Goย on,ย andย donโ€™tย keepย Cedricย waiting โ€œYes,ย Mirandaย Siennaย smiled,ย andย Mirandaย reluctantlyย walkedย herย toย theย door. Josiahย didnโ€™tย move.ย Heย finishedย peelingย theย orangeย andย poppedย pieceย intoย hisย mouth.ย Asย heย chewed,ย hisย faceย scrunchedย up inย disgust. โ€œUgh.ย Whatย kindย ofย orangeย isย this?ย Itโ€™sย soย sourโ€ย heย said. Mondayย morning,ย Cedric,ย havingย takenย theย dayย offย atย Siennaโ€™sย request,ย droveย toย 12thย Avenueย toย pickย herย upย forย theirย tripย toย theย courthouse. Heย didย itย forย twoย reasons.ย First,ย theย memoryย ofย thatย walkย backย fromย Bacchusย Bridgeย stillย hauntedย her,ย andย sheย fearedย somethingย mightย goย wrongย again. Second,ย sheย wasย worriedย Josiahย mightย changeย hisย mindย atย theย lastย minute,ย andย withย Cedricย there,ย heย wouldnโ€™tย dare. Theย carย stoppedย inย frontย ofย theย courthouse.ย Cedricย leanedย overย andย unbuckledย Siennaโ€™sย seatbelt.ย Heย spokeย softly.ย โ€œDoย youย wantย meย toย comeย inย withย you? โ€œNotย forย nowโ€ย Siennaย shookย herย head. โ€œAlrightโ€ย Cedricย didnโ€™tย pushย itย butย gentlyย remindedย her.ย โ€œIfย youย needย anything,ย justย callย me.ย Iโ€™llย beย hereย waitingย forย youโ€ โ€œOkay,ย thanksย Siennaย tookย aย deepย breath,ย openedย theย carย door,ย andย gotย out. Atย theย sameย time,ย Josiahย steppedย outย ofย hisย Bentley,ย elegantย asย ever. Itย wasย justย likeย fourย yearsย agoย whenย theyย wereย bothย heading inย theย sameย direction.ย Backย then,ย itย wasย toย startย aย lifeย together.ย Now,ย itย wasย toย go theirย separateย ways.


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