Falling For Us Again

29. A SECOND CHANCE?

Chapter 29

A SECOND CHANCE?

Dylan

My phone rings beside me on the bed. I blink, dragging my eyes away from staring mindlessly at the ceiling.

I grab my phone. It’s Maggie calling.

“Hey Mags,” I say as I answer the call.

“Hey.”

There's still an awkwardness between us, even though I try to be as casual as I used to be; she holds me at arm’s length now. She's hurt and struggling through her feelings. It has made our synergy off, and even some of our customers have commented on it. I miss how it used to be, and it pains me that we might never go back to being that way.

She lets out a breath before she continues. “I just wanted to tell you that I’m leaving town.”

“What?” I grip my phone tighter.

“Just for a little while. I’ll be back. I just need some time away to figure things out.”

“When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” I say in an incredulous voice. “I can't believe you're leaving town tomorrow, and you're just telling me this now. We worked together yesterday, and you didn’t say anything.”

“I’m sorry. I’m a coward, I couldn’t tell you to your face.”

I sigh. “Maggie…”

Silence drags between us for what feels like an eternity.

“I’m sorry for being an oblivious fool.”

She chuckles lightly. “Whatever. I’m over you already.”

I smile at that. “The cafe will miss you. How am I ever going to run it without your expertise?”

“Oh please. I’m just leaving for a couple of weeks. You’ll be ok. Plus, Gia and Timmy are around.”

I sigh again. “Take care of yourself Maggie.”

“Take care, Dyl.”

The call ends, and I fall back into my bed. Everyone seems to be leaving; everyone needs space to figure out their feelings. I fear the distance growing between Maggie and me. It’s hard to admit, but perhaps space is what we all need.

My bed feels too big, the emptiness in my chest gnawing at me. It's been two weeks since Jenna left, and I can’t shake the hollowness of her absence.

I’ve tried to keep myself busy, to focus on work, on anything to keep my mind off her, but it’s no use. Every thought circles back to her, to the weight of everything we uncovered, to the way she slipped away without a word.

Once again.

But now I can't even be bitter. It’s a lot for anyone to handle, but I wish she’d let me in a little and give me a heads-up that she was going to leave. Maybe I might have tried to convince her to stay, but I know I’d have respected her choice.

She won’t answer my calls.

My body feels heavy, like it’s carrying a weight I can’t shed. The morning light filters through the blinds, casting long shadows across the room. I sit there for a long moment, just breathing, trying to gather the courage to face another day without her.

I’ve been running on autopilot since Jenna left. I haven’t let myself fully feel it yet—the loss, the uncertainty, the way everything seems to be unraveling all at once. But today, something inside me shifts. I can’t stay here, waiting, hoping that she’ll come back. I need to do something. Anything.

My phone buzzes on the nightstand, and I glance at it, seeing Kam Powell’s name light up the screen. Shit. The meeting in L.A. is tomorrow.

I’d nearly forgotten in the haze of everything. I never told anyone why I left LA in the first place. Maggie has always suspected that it had something to do with Jenna, but I denied every time. But she was right.

I remember the day I was told we were having a special guest—Jenna Goldberg—I hadn’t seen her in over six years. Last I heard she was living in NY, but apparently recently located to LA and her publisher was throwing a launch party for her new book.

I almost bumped into her in the lobby and ducked behind a planter just in time. She was with her boyfriend and looked happy. Seemingly untouched by the years that had passed, and unaffected by our history.

It feels foolish to think about now, but I was heartbroken all over again. I left for Hartlow the following week like a coward. I couldn’t bear the thought of her living so close and having to hear about her romantic escapades in the tabloids.

I rub my eyes as my thoughts drift to the meeting with Kam. I don't know if I’m ready for it, but it feels like a lifeline—I’ll take the meeting, and then... maybe I’ll find Jenna.

I don’t know what I’ll say, but I can’t let things end like this. I can’t lose her again.

***

When I arrive at Kam’s office, I’m greeted by his assistant, who leads me into a sleek conference room. Kam’s waiting for me, dressed in his usual sharp suit, his expression bright.

“Geez, Dylan, you're a hard man to convince.” He says good-naturedly as we shake. “It took me months to get you to come out here.”

I smile lightly. “It’s good to see you again Kam. The hotel is stunning, congratulations.”

“Thank you, man.”

We sit down, and Kam gets straight to business, outlining the project and what I can expect if I take the job. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“So, Dylan, are you in?”

He’s watching me closely, his expression patient but expectant.

“Yeah,” I say. “I’m in.”

Kam nods, satisfied, and we move on to the finer details. As the meeting wraps up, I find myself standing in the lobby, staring out at the city beyond the glass doors. I have the job. I should feel something—excitement, relief—anything. But all I feel is this gnawing sense of incompletion.

Like something crucial is missing.

Like she’s missing. There's no point in denying it anymore. I’m in love with Jenna. I’ve never stopped loving her.

Before I can talk myself out of it, I pull up the GPS on my phone and type in the address of Jenna’s office. I’ve known where she’s worked for years, but I’ve never gone there before.

It feels strange, intrusive almost, but I have to see her.

I can’t let her slip away again. Maybe, just maybe, we can have a second chance.

***

Her office is a sleek, modern building tucked into the heart of downtown L.A. I park my car a few blocks away, the walk giving me time to gather my thoughts. I’ve let too much go unsaid between us for far too long. I’m not leaving here until I tell her how I feel.

When I reach the building, the receptionist is not happy that I don’t have an appointment, but after a quick explanation, she directs me to the floor of Jenna’s office.

My heart pounds in my chest as I ride the elevator up. What if she doesn’t want to see me?

I step off the elevator and make my way down the hallway. Her office door is slightly ajar, and through the gap, I catch a glimpse of her. She’s sitting at her desk, focused, her expression calm and poised.

The sight of her, so composed, makes my heart ache in a way I wasn’t prepared for. She looks different here—like she belongs to this world, this life that has nothing to do with me or the tangled mess of our past.

For a moment, I hesitate, my hand hovering over the door. Maybe I shouldn’t be here. Maybe I’m making a mistake. Maybe I'm just bringing chaos back into her life.

Right then she looks up, and our eyes meet through the gap in the door.

Her expression shifts, surprise flickering across her face, and she sits upright.

I push the door open and step inside. Jenna watches me carefully, her eyes guarded.

“Hello Jenna.”

“Dylan?” she says, sounding surprised. “What are you doing here?”

“I had a meeting in L.A.,” I say, my voice sounding strange in the quiet room. “I thought I’d stop by.”

She nods but doesn’t say anything else. She doesn’t ask how I knew where to find her. The silence stretches between us, heavy and awkward.

I should have planned this better; I should have thought about what I was going to say, but now that I’m here, all the words I’ve rehearsed in my head seem to slip away.

“I… I needed to see you,” I finally manage, my voice low. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

She stands up from her desk, crossing her arms over her chest, her expression unreadable. “What is it?”

I take a deep breath, my heart pounding in my ears. This is it. I can’t hold it back any longer.

“Jenna,” I say, the words tumbling out in a rush. “I know things are complicated, and I know we’ve been through so much, but I can’t stop thinking about you. I’ve never stopped thinking about you since the moment you came into my life. I love you. I’ve always loved you. And I’m sorry it took me so long to realize it, but I can’t keep pretending like it doesn’t matter. Because it does. You matter. More than anything.”

I take a step closer to her, cupping her face in my hands. “I want you back, Jenna. I want you in my life. I don't want to lose you again. I don't want to have regrets. Can we get a second chance to love each other the right way?”

For a moment, she just stares at me, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly parted in shock. The silence that follows is unbearable, stretching out like an eternity. My heart sinks as I watch her, waiting for some kind of reaction, but she says nothing. She doesn’t move.

The silence feels like a knife twisting in my chest, each second that passes, cutting deeper. She doesn’t feel the same. I can see it now in her eyes—the way she’s struggling to find the words to let me down easy.

My hands fall to my sides.

“I—” she starts, her voice barely a whisper, but it’s enough to send me spiraling.

I take a step back, my chest tightening with the realization that I’ve misread everything. I thought maybe... maybe she felt the same way. But I was wrong.

“It’s okay,” I say quickly, forcing a smile even though it feels like my heart is shattering in my chest. “You don’t have to say anything. I get it. I shouldn’t have come here. I’ll let you be just like you've always wanted.”

“Dylan—” she says again, but I can’t bear to hear whatever it is she’s about to say.

I don’t think I could handle hearing her rejection. I walk out of the office, my legs moving faster than my mind can keep up. The hallway stretches out in front of me, but I can’t see anything. All I can hear is the sound of my own heartbeat, pounding relentlessly in my ears.

I push through the front doors of the building, the bright sunlight hitting me like a slap in the face. The streets of L.A. buzz around me, but I can’t focus on anything. My heart feels heavy, my chest tight, and all I want to do is disappear.

I thought I could handle this. I thought I could tell her how I felt and maybe this time things would be different. But now I realize how foolish I’ve been.

I keep walking, my feet carrying me farther and farther away from her office, from her, to where I parked my car. It feels like the world is caving in on me, like everything just came crashing down in a single, silent moment.

I was foolish to think that we could have a second chance.

There is no hope for us.