24. Jake - A Second ChanceMaybe the First

Chapter twenty-four

Jake - A Second Chance or Maybe the First

I sit nervously at the bar, waiting for Aurora’s arrival. I texted Ryan earlier to find out where she would be tonight. He said they were hanging out at her house, and he’d get her to come to the bar. It’s a win-win situation for us both—he gets to hang out at the bar, and I get to talk to Aurora.

There haven’t been many situations where I have been this nervous, not even when I had asked Sophia out on our first date. Chill out dude, it’s not like you’re asking Aurora to marry you. I berate myself, stopping my fingers from twiddling the ring I always wear. Actually, my cousin Dylan gave it to me many years ago, and I still cherish it.

I stare at my indistinct reflection on the black marble countertop, trying to figure out my features in the hazy reflection, when I hear them come in .

They are arguing in loud voices, their voices overlapping each other. I spot Ryan first, who is sporting jeans and a casual, black long-sleeved shirt. Britt follows in a casual outfit similar to Ryan's, denim pants but with a black crop top. Why I’m obsessing over their fashion is a sure indication that I’m nervous. They reach me and each exchanges a fist bump, quieting down.

Then comes Aurora, frantically looking through her purse as if she’s lost something. She expertly navigates her way through the bar, missing couches, tables, and booths, obviously just following the loud voices of her friends.

“Ooh, hello! Look who we have here. Hi Jake! Good evening. Hope you’re good,” Brittney greets me cheerfully, extending her hand out for a handshake.

I respond to her greetings politely, shaking her hand. But my eyes are glued to the woman who is still unaware of my presence.

Aurora looks so breathtaking in her white, fitted, off-the-shoulder dress. It accentuates her curves, making her look like an innocent temptation. Her hair cascades down her back, resting beautifully on her exposed porcelain shoulders. She has finished her look with gold, low-heeled sandals.

I gulp.

She is so beautiful, and she doesn’t even know it. Her face is bare of any makeup, save for the subtle lip gloss. I don’t believe I have ever had feelings this deep inside me for anyone ever before. I am totally bewildered that my body and soul are embraced in a romantic tango with Aurora.

How and when and even IF to share this with her is a mystery to me right now.

I catch Brittney’s gaze when I hastily look away from Aurora and realize I’ve had my gaze glued to her for over a minute. She winks at me and mouths a, ‘you’re welcome.’ I take a huge gulp of my water, feeling my face burn. Not so subtle, Ryan shouts out a greeting to me.

Aurora whips her head up at the mention of my name, eyes widening. She shoots a meaningful look at Brittney, who raises her palms in surrender as if to assert her innocence. Then she glances at Ryan, who is actively trying his best not to return her look.

Instead, he greets me in a loud voice. “Hey! Jake, my bro!”

I raise my brows at the bizarre greeting, then he shockingly proceeds to hug me.

“Aurora hates surprises or being caught unawares. You owe me big time, bro! At least come to my funeral,” Ryan dramatically speed-whispers into my ear, making me chuckle.

I push him away, turning to face Aurora.

“Hi,” I greet her smoothly, masking the nervousness churning through me.

She has an unreadable expression on her face as she stands there, staring at me. I have a feeling of déjà vu, my mind transporting me back to the night we first met. She has the same expression on her face now, only now I don’t see the judgment I thought I saw that night. I cannot exactly pin what the expression is, but it is definitely not judgment.

I suck in a breath. I have been a despicable person, over and over again, for nothing. I feel like the biggest dirtbag to ever walk the earth.

“Hello, Jake,” she responds timidly, her voice catching a little.

She adjusts the strap of her purse on her shoulder, tightening her hold, and I see her hands shake a little. It’s something that I would have missed if I had blinked at that moment. Well, that makes the two of us .

I hop off the barstool, landing right in front of her. She’s truly breathtaking. I clear my throat, blinking myself back into politeness. Stay focused dude, I chastise myself.

“Shall we?” I ask politely, reaching out my right hand and waiting for her to take it.

She does, and I breathe a sigh of relief, her vanilla perfume invading my senses in a really good way. Brittney hoots and Ryan whistles loudly, making some of the patrons look over. She glares at her friends and I see her cheeks flush red from embarrassment. I chuckle at the cuteness of it.

She smiles and looks at me with surprise as I lead her to one of the alcoves with decorative, lacy curtains that give us a bit of privacy. We take seats opposite each other.

The sconces on the walls around us glow in different colors. They reflect beautifully, giving her an ethereal glow. My words get stuck in my throat, and I cough lightly, pretending the cough is what got me stalling. I really need to stop acting like a total weirdo tonight.

“Hi, Aurora,” I say again, my voice coming out scratchy.

“Hi, Jake,” she responds shyly.

And I see the Aurora that Ryan’s been talking to me about. The Aurora he couldn’t stop describing, and I feel something shift deep within me. Remorse and guilt are warring through me. How had I managed to misread her expression that day? I was the judgmental one, not her .

“How’re you doing?” I ask, truly meaning it.

Today has been a heck of a ride, and she is the one who bore most of the brunt of it all.

“Honestly, this day feels so long ago now. Like it didn’t just all happen today.” She laughs and continues: “I’m still trying to wrap my head around all these events and feelings, honestly. But I’d say I’m doing better than I thought I’d be, actually. I have my friends to thank for that.”

The love and respect she has for them shines through her eyes, and I feel a little bit envious of her relationship with her friends. I don’t have any close friends besides Ryan and a few acquaintances. It’s always been just Dylan and family and, for a while, Sophia.

“I’m sorry,” I say, after a short pause.

She furrows her brows, looking confused at my tone.

“It’s okay, Jake. You didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I mean, you didn’t match-make Sophia and Alex. Neither of us saw that coming.”

“No, Aurora. I’m sorry for everything. From the very beginning, I acted like a jerk and insulted you and your shops. I literally berated your businesses, the insults in the elevator, and in my office. I am so sorry for it all.” I cringe inwardly, clearly seeing how much of a dirtbag I’ve been all along.

“I really have no excuse for it at all. There’s no explanation for how much of an idiot I’ve been to you. Saying ‘that’s not who I am’ is a cliché statement that really sounds stupid, because I literally did and said all those hurtful things. And I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier in your office. I hadn’t meant to do that, either .

“And as for dropping my hand off your shoulder? Aurora, it was to hold your hand because I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable at the sudden closeness. And the next second, you were gone. I never meant any disrespect. I’m sorry about it all.

“But at the risk of sounding stupid, that’s not who I truly am, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, Aurora,” I beg, wincing internally at how weird I sound.

“It’s okay, Jake. It’s all in the past now,” she says, genuinely making me sit up straight in shock.

“What?”

She laughs at my reaction, shaking her head.

“It’s okay? Just like that? You don’t maybe wanna throw a glass of water at my face?” I ask in disbelief.

Speaking of which, not a single attendant has popped in here to ask for our orders.

As if reading my mind, she looks at the table and says in a joking voice, “Maybe the water part would have been nice. But there’s no liquid here right now.” She continues, serious. “I’m sorry for overreacting back at the office,” she says, wincing slightly at the memory of it.

“Hmm, it’s weird how no one has come in here to take our orders.” I echo her thoughts.

“I think my friends might have had something to do with that,” she says dryly, rolling her eyes, and I chuckle lightly.

“Bella told me you’ll be baking her wedding cake?” Trying to make small talk, I figure it will then be easier to ease into the inevitable topic we need to discuss tonight.

“Yep, I’m still surprised about that, but is it okay with you, though?” she asks, and I grin in response.

“Only if you’ll agree for me to be the taster.”

“Deal.” She laughs out loud, throwing her head back.

“Speaking of cake, thank you for the boxes you gifted my mom and little sister. The bills also. You really didn’t have to.” I thank her genuinely, really amazed by her level of kindness. It’s no wonder Mom and Bella are completely smitten by her.

And that reminds me of the reason why I texted Ryan about Aurora’s location tonight. I’d been thinking she’d be in one of her shops. He texted back they were at home but about to head out to the bar.

I had just driven mom and Bella back to the station for their train ride back home. So, I rushed back home, jumped into the shower, and put some effort into my outfit before driving back to the bar to wait for them. Well, for Aurora specifically.

As planned, we have to decide what we need to do with the matter at hand. Left to me, I’d say we go with the lie. Protect ourselves from our pasts. But Aurora’s decision matters. I don’t plan to force her into a situation she doesn’t want to be a part of.

If she wants the truth to be told, so be it.