Second Chance

Evening had settled in, and the restaurant buzzed with activity. Waitresses weaved through crowded tables, customers chatted over meals, and silverware clinked against plates. Yet, to me, it was all silent.

I sat there, unable to hear a thing.

Across from me sat Ashley.

Fifteen minutes had passed, and I still couldn't bring myself to say a word.

She was the girl I was supposed to pick up last night for our second date. The first one had gone great—so good that we eagerly planned for another. But thanks to the debtors wrecking my night—and my car—Ashley had been left waiting. Now, she believed I had ghosted her.

I wanted to tell her everything. To explain what had really happened.

But I couldn't.

The dark world I had stepped into couldn't be exposed. My mind raced to craft an explanation—one that was true but didn't reveal the parts she could never know. Something believable. Something that made sense. But nothing felt right.

Damn it. My brain was overloaded.

I looked at her again. She was beautiful.

Her blonde bob cut framed her delicate face perfectly, her skin pale like fresh snow, and those sky-blue eyes—eyes that always pulled me in whenever I looked at her. Her lips, full and red, hadn't touched mine yet, but I wanted them to.

It wasn't just her looks, though. It was her kindness. Her care. The way she always tried to understand me.

But right now, I understood why she was upset. I had ignored her messages, missed her calls, then suddenly appeared again, asking to meet.

In her eyes, I was probably just another scumbag.

"So, are you gonna explain yourself?"

I flinched at the sudden question. Her voice was calm, but her gaze was fixed on the table, refusing to meet mine.

I swallowed.

"Uhm... I—I got into an accident."

That was true.

Her eyes widened in shock. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "Y-you did? Oh my God, I'm so sorry… Is that where you got those bandages from?"

I glanced at my arms, my torso, even my head—wrapped in layers of bandages. Technically, I wasn't even supposed to be discharged from the hospital yet, but Tyler and Jordan had dragged me straight to see the boss. Now, I probably looked like a runaway patient.

Ashley reached out to touch my arm.

"Ouch."

She immediately pulled her hand back. "Sorry…" she murmured, guilt in her voice. "Can you tell me what happened?"

That was one of the many reasons I liked her. She genuinely cared.

When I first arrived, she had been upset, masking her concern with an irritated front. But now, she was openly worried about me.

So, I told her.

Not everything, of course—I left out the mafia part. Instead, I tweaked the story, adjusting details so that it made sense while keeping her in the dark.

She listened closely, reacting to every part of the story with gasps, frowns, and widened eyes.

When I finished, I sighed, rubbing my forehead.

"…That's what happened. I'm sorry I didn't text you sooner. I got too caught up in everything else and… I forgot about you." My voice dropped slightly. "I understand if you won't forgive me."

I stared down at the table, guilt twisting in my chest. I hated lying to her. But more than anything, I hated making her feel like I had abandoned her.

My heart pounded in anticipation of her answer.

"…I forgive you."

I looked up, surprised.

She fidgeted, playing with the hem of her sweater. "I should also apologize… I got mad at you without knowing what you went through last night." Her gaze lowered to her lap.

I hadn't expected her to forgive me so easily. She really was too kind.

I smiled slightly. "So… we're good, right?"

She giggled softly before meeting my eyes again. "Yeah, we're good. I'm just glad you didn't actually ghost me. I've started to like you."

My chest tightened at her words.

"Really? Because I like you too."

Her cheeks tinted pink.

"To make it up to you, how about another date? An actual one this time."

Her face lit up. "I'd love to! What time? What place? Are you picking me up? Oh—wait… your car…"

Right. No car.

She hummed in thought. "We could use my parents' car… if they allow it." She frowned, deep in thought, trying to figure out how to convince them.

She looked adorable like that.

From there, we talked for hours—about her family, my studies, our shared hobbies. Time slipped away, and before I knew it, two hours had passed.

I didn't want the night to end.

But then her mother called, and she had to go.

We planned our second date for next weekend. I was already counting down the days.

By the time I arrived back at my apartment, the sun had nearly set.

Two hours with Ashley had felt like five minutes.

I stepped inside, shutting the door behind me, heading straight for the kitchen to grab a glass of water. As I passed the living room, a familiar voice called out.

"Hey, dude. Just got back? You gone all day, man. Was the date that good?"

Right. I forgot about my roommate.

Zack Walker—a twenty-year-old university dropout who made a living freelancing. Lazy as hell, but he always paid rent on time. That was the only reason I put up with him.

He sat on the couch, eyes glued to the TV, playing a game.

"How long have you been at that, Z? It's almost evening." I leaned against the counter, sipping my water.

This guy had an addiction to video games. If he wasn't in the living room on his PS5, he was in his bedroom grinding away on his PC.

His appearance didn't help, either—eyebags, messy hair, an oversized hoodie, and shorts. He looked dead.

"Stop nagging, dude," he grumbled. "Hey, grab me a beer. I need to kill this boss."

I rolled my eyes but tossed him a can.

"Thanks, man." He popped it open and took a sip. "Now, get ready to witness me destroy this boss."

He glanced at me—then did a double take.

"Dude—the hell happened to you? You look like a damn mummy."

His tone was half-joking, but I knew the concern was real.

"Pay me no mind. Just focus on the boss," I muttered, brushing it off.

He shrugged. "Aight, whatever you say, man. Now, watch this!"

I sat beside him, watching as he faced off against the boss.

And I had to admit… it was impressive watching him tear through it.

For the first time in days, my night went on peacefully.