Hope's Chance(15)

“I made breakfast. When you are done getting, yet another shower, you should come eat. Who gets that many showers anyway. You need to get laid so you can start acting normal.” She announced as she left. I heard the door slam as the water started getting warm.

As I started to relax my body, the shower curtain came flying open and Chance came climbing in. “Hope?”

I was crouched down in the bottom of the tub, soaking wet and naked, and he was too.

“Sorry, I heard her coming in and had to hide.” I confessed.

We were both still in the shower. He didn’t even seem like he noticed. I stood up and faced him, but when I reached my hand out to touch him, he backed away. “What’s wrong?”

“You need to leave Hope. You can’t be here.”

“But last night?” I said.

“Was a big mistake.”

His words crushed me.

Last night had been the best night of my life and those three words destroyed me. I hugged my chest and climbed out of the shower. “Let me just grab some clothes and I will call my friend to meet me down the street.” I said as I headed out of the bathroom.

Within seconds he was standing behind me in nothing but a towel. “Hope please understand. We can’t do this. We should have never done this.”

“I understand perfectly clear Chance. I am so sorry that I threw myself on you. I thought we liked each other.” I confessed. I wanted to kill myself for saying that.

“I’m sorry Hope.” Was all he said, and it was enough to break my heart.

I threw on clothes I found on the floor and went running out of the back of the pool house. When I made it into the neighbor’s yard behind my father’s, I kept running. I didn’t want anyone to stop me. I pulled the cell phone out of my small clutch purse and started dialing Rylee.

By the time she picked up I was a mess. I couldn’t even get the words out.

Slow down Hope. I can’t understand you.

I need you to come get me.

What happened to you last night?

I will explain everything when you get here.

Where?

I gave her directions to the entrance of my father’s community as I started walking in that direction. If I ever came back here again it would be too soon.



I felt like it took forever for Rylee to pick me up. When she did, she couldn’t believe what she saw. I was soaking wet, and in someone else’s clothes, without a bra. I wasn’t as wet as before, but since I hadn’t had time to towel off, things were pretty wet.

She had a million questions, but once I climbed inside the car all I could do was cry. I had never felt so humiliated before.

I should have never agreed to her stupid plan last night.

“Where did you go Hope?” She asked when I finally had calmed down.

I looked at her. “Obviously I ended up going home with someone.”

“Oh my God Hope. I had no idea. Some hot guy came up and said you needed to leave. I told him to tell you to wait in the car if you were unhappy. The next thing I knew the bar was closing and you were nowhere to be found.”

I couldn’t believe she was turning this around on me. “It was around ten. The bar didn’t close for hours. Did you really expect me to wait outside alone that long?”

“I should have just given you my keys. Tyler would have dropped me off later.”

I cringed. “You hooked up with that strange guy?”

“Don’t you dare go preaching to me Hope. You obviously did just as much as I did last night.” She said as she continued driving.

“He wasn’t a stranger.”

Rylee pulled the car onto the shoulder of the road. “What do you mean he wasn’t a stranger? Who the Hell was he?”

“It doesn’t matter.” I mumbled.

“You better spill. I am not moving this car until you do.” She threatened.

I told her all about Chance. How we met. How he saved me. And, how he took me home. She didn’t ask for details about what happened last night. She knew from the look of me what had happened.




Chance

Last night had been one of the best nights of my life, but I couldn’t let Hope know that. I couldn’t give her any reason to want to start a real relationship with me. If she knew what I had done, and what everyone thought I had done, she never would have been with me last night.

I couldn’t stop myself. She was so beautiful. Her skin smelled like honey and I couldn’t get enough of it. When I woke up and found her gone, I felt sad and alone. I had never expected to talk to her like I had this morning. I saw it in her eyes. I had crushed her with my words.

How could I be such an insensitive bastard to her?

I tried to get my mind off of her. I took another cold shower, and started folding clothes, but when I found the dress on the floor, I lost it.

I had to call her and apologize. I couldn’t live with myself knowing I had hurt her. Even if she didn’t want to ever see me again, she deserved to know the truth. I put the clothes away and walked into the house. My plate was in the microwave like always. My sister and Mark were in the family room glued to the television.

“Hey guys, what’s up?”

They both turned to face me. “Chance, where did you go when you left the bar?”

“I came home.” I took a bite of bacon. “Why?”