One More Second Chance, page 2
“What else could happen?” Phoenix asked aloud and regretted the moment the words left her lips.
Two
Carter Blackwell wished he could snap his fingers and magically appear at the airport. This vacation couldn’t have come at a better time. The volatile stock market had made a few of his high-net-worth clients extremely anxious. He’d been trying to alleviate their anxiety on calls day and night. A major business opportunity recently gained steam and he needed to make some major decisions to move forward soon. And he was in his cousin Jaxon’s wedding. Carter, Jaxon, his brothers Lincoln and Ethan and a few friends had recently returned from a long weekend of partying in Las Vegas. That was more than a week ago and Carter still hadn’t caught up on his rest. Now he had to deal with the pressure of closing a number of loose ends before leaving for vacation in less than two days.
With work, his business venture, family and a robust social life all operating at a high, Carter was weary and desperately needed to unplug. He was more than ready for the beauty and serenity of Fiji.
Carter looked at his watch and took a deep breath. The afternoon seemed to have passed without his realizing it. In another thirty-six hours he would be on the airplane, leaving all of these worries behind him for ten days. That made him smile.
Carter had meant to leave work a bit early to get a jump on packing. He hadn’t even pulled his suitcase out yet. He contemplated turning off his work cell phone but decided against it. There were still a few major stops he had to make before heading home.
The moment his foot hit the stoop of his brownstone near downtown Brooklyn, his cell phone rang.
“Hey,” Carter said through a smile as he greeted the woman he’d been dating for the past few months. This was one call he didn’t mind taking. Her company, among other things, could help ease his mind.
“Um,” Sinai Killington sighed. “We need to talk.”
Carter’s smile faded. What now? “Something wrong?” he asked.
“Have you made it home yet?” Sinai asked, not directly answering his question.
“Just getting here,” he said as he turned the key and pushed the door open. “You’re still coming tonight, right?”
Carter heard her clear her throat. “Yes. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.”
“Okay.” Silence ensued. After a few beats Carter asked. “Everything all right?”
“We will talk when I get there.”
“Okay,” he repeated. “See you soon.”
Sinai ended the call without saying goodbye. Carter looked at the display wondering what happened.
Brushing off the abrupt end to their call, Carter placed his keys onto the hook in the kitchen. Standing still, he took a deep breath, and then rubbed his tight shoulders and sore neck. He worked out regularly, but this wasn’t soreness from the gym. Carter understood this tightness to be the tension that had been building from a long, grueling workweek. He hoped that whatever Sinai wanted to talk about wasn’t going to be too heavy. He already had so much on him.
Sinai’s visits usually helped him relax. She was sleeping over the next two nights so they could get up and catch their early flight to Fiji. They weren’t exclusive but they really enjoyed each other’s company. Carter felt like if he really wanted to get serious in a relationship, Sinai would definitely be a top contender. She was smart, beautiful, ambitious and great in bed. She didn’t take life too seriously and was always ready for a good time.
All of Carter’s friends were getting married. Out of his brothers, he was the only one who wasn’t in a committed relationship. Even Ethan had snagged a beautiful wife and now they had a baby on the way.
He looked around his home. It was perfectly suitable for a family, but Carter wanted to raise his children on Long Island where he’d grown up. He’d always imagined a large home buzzing with warmth and activity even though he wasn’t ready for all of that now. Not yet.
More than not being ready, Carter didn’t believe he had come across the right woman yet. He’d dated his share of beautiful women, but he was looking for much more than beauty. Sinai had a lot going for her, but... What exactly was he looking for? Carter wasn’t sure. Phoenix was the one whom he’d let go. Was he looking for another version of her? Carter shook his head as if to get rid of that thought. That bridge had burned and was pretty much unsalvageable.
The doorbell rang, bringing Carter out of his thoughts. He realized he hadn’t made it beyond the kitchen since he arrived at home. He thought about all the packing he needed to do as he headed to the door to let Sinai in.
“Hey,” Carter said after he opened the door. He leaned forward to kiss her pink glossed lips.
“Hey.” Her response was flat. She puckered but didn’t kiss him the way she usually did.
Carter stepped aside to let her in. He admired her pretty face and curvaceous figure as she walked into his brownstone. His brow furrowed when he noticed she wasn’t carrying a suitcase.
“You need me to grab your bags from the car?” he asked.
Sinai stopped walking and slowly turned around. “I’m not going, Carter.”
Carter reared his head back. “What? Why?”
Sinai dropped her hands to her sides. “Carter...” She paused, trying to find the right words. “It’s time for us to go our separate ways.”
Carter closed the door pensively. “What’s this about?”
Sinai chuckled. “I know you’ve been super busy lately, but you couldn’t have been so busy that you didn’t see this coming.” She stepped closer to him, rose on her toes and kissed him.
Carter kissed her back but was still confused. He stepped back and studied her brown eyes. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s been a few months now and we have not progressed as a couple at all. I feel like I’m just a friend and you have no intentions on making me a true girlfriend. The other night made that painfully clear.”
The other night? Carter wasn’t sure what she was referring to. He scrunched his face. “The other night?” he asked aloud.
“Dinner the other night...” Sinai tilted her head. “You don’t remember,” she said matter-of-factly and shook her head.
Carter tried to think of what had happened.
“While we were at the table, my friend London asked about what’s next for us. Your response was, ‘We’re just having fun.’ It’s been almost six months, Carter.” Sinai’s hand flopped against her thigh. “I want more than to just have a little fun. You’ve invited me to join you in Fiji but I’ve never met a single family member of yours. It feels awkward to meet them for the first time at your cousin’s wedding and you have no desire to commit to me in any way. I don’t want to experience Fiji like this.”
Carter opened his mouth to say something.
Before he could speak, she smiled softly and held up her hand. “Let me finish, please. This isn’t easy for me.” Sinai paused a moment before speaking again. “You avoid any conversation that touches on a future when it comes to us. I’ve ignored these signs for a while but now I understand you don’t want more. You’re content. This...” Sinai waved her hand as if presenting the space around them. “This is fine with you.” Sinai paused again. “But it’s not okay with me.” She placed a hand across her heart. “I want more, Carter. I deserve more.”
Carter opened his mouth. Realizing he had no rebuttal, he closed it.
“It’s okay, Carter. Really.”
She was right. She was like a friend with benefits all this time. He liked her but didn’t see being with her for the long haul. His inviting her to Fiji was about having more fun. It wasn’t about taking anything to the next level.
“No hard feelings, Carter. I’m a big girl. I get it and I’m okay. At least now I am. At one point I hoped things would change but I have to do what makes me happy.”
“I’m sorry.” Carter quietly acknowledged the reality they were standing in.
“I’m sorry, too. It would have been nice.” Sinai touched his face. “Going with you to Fiji wouldn’t make sense for me if nothing is going to change. I hope you understand.”
Carter looked at the ceiling and then back at her. “Is there someone else?”
Sinai tilted her head and grinned. “No. There’s no one else.”
“Oh,” Carter said. He wasn’t sure what else to say. This was unexpected.
“I really enjoyed our time together,” Sinai said.
“Me, too.” Carter touched her face. He stared at her for a moment. “So this is really goodbye?” Carter tried to absorb what was happening.
Sinai took the hand that Carter gently placed on her face and planted a soft kiss in his palm. “Yes.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “This is goodbye.” She smiled again. She blinked and a lone tear rolled down her cheek.
Carter’s chest tightened. He felt bad but he didn’t want to mislead her. He wiped her tear with his thumb. “You deserve the best.”
“Thank you. I agree.” She giggled. More tears fell. “You’re a good dude, Carter. Maybe one day you’ll come to believe in love.”
Carter let her words bounce off him. There was too much happening in his head for him to think clearly. The one thing he knew was that it was time to let Sinai go. It was only fair.
“Goodbye, Sinai.”
Sinai puckered her lips. Carter lowered himself to meet her. Their kiss was brief and sealed the fate of their relationship.
Sinai grinned, patted his chest and said, “Enjoy Fiji.” With that she left, leaving Carter to absorb the moment and her absence.
Carter watched Sinai leave. He stood unmoving, stunned by what had just transpired. Sinai’s words played over and over in his mind. Maybe one day you’ll come to believe in love. She was the third woman in the past year who’d mentioned his apparent lack of belief in love. Admittedly, he was more interested in his career. That came first. He looked around his beautiful home. Suddenly, it felt empty. Carter brushed off the coolness that had settled over him.
There was too much to do. He had to pack. He faced major business decisions. Work was demanding. A relationship would just have to wait.
Three
The entire bridal party traveled together except Ethan and Zoe Blackwell. Zoe was expecting a baby and wasn’t feeling well before the flight so they opted to change their departure so she could see her doctor before leaving.
As a gift to the bridal party, Savannah and Jaxon invited them to arrive a few days early to party and bond prior to the wedding. It was a token of their appreciation for agreeing to travel halfway across the globe on just a few months of notice.
Phoenix strolled through the hotel lobby and out the back to the area where the villas stretched out over the water. The grounds were lush and vibrant, with beautiful tropical plants lining the walkways. The colors were more vivid than the images the resort boasted on their website. She entered her villa and reveled in the breathtaking views of the ocean right outside her room.
The flight from New York to Fiji was more than fifteen hours. Then their group boarded a seaplane for another forty-five-minute flight to the private island where they would stay for the next ten days. Phoenix helped Savannah with last-minute preparations the night before leaving so she hardly slept. She was especially happy to see that her sister’s veil had arrived in time. When Phoenix got back to her house, she packed and repacked several times to make sure she had everything she needed. Despite how exhausted she was, she didn’t sleep well during the flights. Maybe it was the excitement of everything that kept her from getting rest.
Phoenix’s body hit the plush mattress in her villa like a large piece of lead. She needed a nap if she was going to be able to get through the welcome party later that evening. She looked forward to all the festivities despite feeling a bit uncomfortable about having to be around her ex-fiancé, Carter. She was over him, but it still felt awkward knowing they would be in such close proximity for so many days. She managed a small smile and had actually said hello to him when she saw him at the airport. That was the extent of their communication. Their families lived in the same neighborhood and socialized in the same circles since they were children, but since the breakup, they had managed to keep their distance from one another.
Phoenix felt like she was sinking into a cloud of plushness on the king-size bed. She looked at her cell phone. The welcome party would start in a few hours. She rolled over onto her back and studied the leaf-like blades whirring on the ceiling fan, aware of how heavy her eyelids were becoming. Thoughts of how much fun and relaxation she was looking forward to having in Fiji carried her to sleep.
Banging on the door woke Phoenix with a start. At first, she thought the knocking was in her head. She didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep until this moment. She stretched and then sprung from the bed. “Coming!” she yelled through her yawn. Savannah was calling her name.
“Geesh!” Phoenix said when she opened the door. She walked back through the spacious villa toward the balcony with Savannah in tow. “What’s going on?”
“You weren’t answering. I knocked hard because I figured you had fallen asleep. We have a little issue,” Savannah said.
Phoenix whirled around. “What happened?” She was ready to protect her younger sister.
Savannah stopped in her tracks and flinched at how fast Phoenix spun around. “Let’s go sit on the balcony and I’ll explain everything.”
Phoenix narrowed her eyes at Savannah. “Okay,” she sang. “You’re making me nervous.”
Savannah huffed but said nothing more until they reached the balcony. The ladies sat. A slight breeze greeted them. Savannah closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sun. She remained like that for a few moments. Phoenix followed suit.
Savannah exhaled and started to speak. “It doesn’t look like Ethan and Zoe are going to make it.”
“Oh no! Is she okay?”
“The doctor sent her to the hospital. She’ll be there a few days under observation. When she goes home, she’ll be on strict bed rest.”
“Oh!” Phoenix’s hand spread across her chest. “Poor thing. I hope she’s going to be okay. She seemed so excited about this baby when I met her at the engagement party.”
“Yeah. Ethan said she’s pretty scared, but he’s by her side and his mom is staying back so his dad will be coming by himself.”
“Wow. This is so unfortunate. How’s Jax taking the news?”
“He’ll be okay. He hates that Ethan and Zoe will miss everything but he just wants her and the baby to be okay. It would be heartbreaking if they lost that baby.”
“Of course. How about you? Are you okay?” Phoenix asked Savannah.
“I’m fine. Just hoping for the best for them. I’m going to try to speak to her again tomorrow.”
Several moments passed in silence.
“Phoenix.”
The way Savannah said her name made Phoenix raise a brow. “Yes, Savannah?”
Savannah grunted but said nothing.
“Spit it out!” Phoenix admonished.
Savannah closed her eyes and the words rushed from her mouth. “Jax wants Carter to replace Ethan as his best man.”
Phoenix’s entire body stiffened. She tried her best not to show any emotion. This was her sister’s wedding and she refused to do or say anything to ruin it. But something about having to walk down the aisle arm in arm with the man who had walked away from her the night before their wedding didn’t sit well.
“Phoenix?”
She couldn’t say the words running through her mind so she kept her mouth clamped shut.
“Fifi?” Savannah softly called her by her nickname. This time she leaned forward and looked into Phoenix’s face.
“Yes, Savannah?”
“Say something. Please.”
“I told you when you announced your engagement to Jax not to worry about me. This is your wedding. You and Jax have to be happy. I will be fine. I meant it then and I mean it now.”
Savannah threw her arms around Phoenix’s neck. “Oh! Thank you, Fifi! I was so worried. I love you, sis! I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable. Jax went over to talk to Carter. We wanted to make sure you two were okay with everything.” Savannah’s words spilled from her lips so fast she had to catch her breath when she finished.
Phoenix returned her sister’s tight hug.
“Thank you for understanding.” Savannah continued. “I may not be a big fan of Carter, but he and Ethan are not just Jax’s cousins, they’re the best of friends.” She sighed. “I was so worried. I’ll let Jax know. I told him you were over Carter anyway.” Savannah stood. “Let me get back. The welcome reception is about to start and I still have to get dressed. See you there, okay?”
Savannah rambled when she was nervous. Phoenix stood with her sister and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t be nervous. Everything will be fine. See you at the reception.”
Savannah took a deep breath. “Okay.” She went to leave and paused. Turning back toward Phoenix, she asked, “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” Phoenix placed her hand or Savannah’s back gently.
“Say the word, sis, and I’ll tell Jaxon it won’t work out.”
Phoenix waved away Savannah’s concern. “It’s all good. I get it.”
Savannah hugged her sister tightly. Then, she left. Phoenix closed the door and leaned her back against it. She didn’t know how to feel but she couldn’t let on that she was not happy about this new arrangement. Walking down the aisle with Carter at anybody’s wedding would require strength that Phoenix wasn’t sure she could manage.
What else could go wrong? Phoenix slapped her hand across her mouth. She thought it but refused to say it. Every time she uttered those words the universe found a way to show her.
