One More Chance

"Sam, Luke is here,"

I held my breath as I stared at Jack for a few seconds. I was preparing my daughter's chocolate muffins when she walked into the kitchen with mixed hesitation and worry in her voice. "Sam?"novelbin

It took me a few more seconds to speak as I don't know exactly what to feel at that moment. My heart screamed inside in excitement, but then as soon as I remember what he did, anger instantly took over. "What is he doing here?" I asked sternly and gripped the pot holder tightly.

"Maybe he found out you're not in the Philippines and maybe he heard what happened from Dana," she shrugged.

"I don't want to talk to him nor do I want to see him!" I said turning around to face the oven.

"Sam, you still need to talk to him about what happened." she followed me inside the kitchen counter.

"That was what your husband told me yesterday, but my answer is still no, I won't talk to him, Jack! I've had enough of his lies and I can't take it anymore!" I hardly shook my head.

"Okay, fine, but what if all the photos that Lucy showed you in the Philippines were all edited and the newspaper she handed you was fake?"

"It can't be because I saw the same article on the internet the next day after Lucy went to the cafe."

"What if everything was planned, Sam? Are you just going to let him go without knowing the truth?" "Jackeline, I am your best friend and you should be on my side and not him!"

"Yes, you're my best friend, that's why I'm helping and telling you right now to make the right decision!"

I turned silent for a while.

"And what right decision are you referring to? Talking to him? Listening to him? What if right now I asked him the truth and he told me they were all true?"

"Yeah, what if you asked him right now and he told you they were all lies? What are you going to do?"

"Jack!" I exclaimed as she just asked me back with the opposite question.

"He and your brother were now talking, so I ran over here to tell you to at least listen to what he was going to say,"

I didn't say anything, well, I chose not to respond and close my mouth to end the conversation. And when I heard the oven timer, I turned around to get the hot muffins.

I was about to let out a sigh of relief because I thought that since she had stopped talking, she already had left the kitchen, and yeah, maybe what I thought was right, but the next voice I heard was no longer hers and it made me stop and gasp in silence. "Sam," It was from Luke.

I was glued in my spot for I don't know how long, closing my eyes tightly, trying to calm my heart that was now hammering inside my ribcage. Because even though I already felt the anger and dismay in my head, I still couldn't get the excitement out of my heart. It seemed like the more I said that I'm mad at him, that I hate him, the more I felt that I miss him and I missed him damn much.

"Sam,"

But it can't always be like that. I can't always be the submissive type who always gives in just because I missed him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked without even bothering to glance at him.

"Sam, can we please talk?"

"I can't remember anything that we need to talk about," I continued to give him a cold shoulder, but then I heard his footsteps in my direction.

"Sweetheart, please you need to listen to me---"

"Stay away from me!" my voice came a little louder as I turned to him.

"Sam, at least let me explain," he pleaded, the look in his eyes almost making me lose my sanity but I slapped myself mentally.

"Explain? Do you hear yourself, Mr. Williams? I've been waiting for you for the past two months to hear your damn explanation but you disappeared just like that!"

"That's why I need you to listen to me---"

"No!" I exclaimed, placing my hands in front of him which made him stop moving.

And when I heard muffled voices and steps going to the kitchen, I decided to open the door that connects the kitchen to the swimming pool and immediately walked out of the house. I don't want them to overhear and interfere with our conversation. "Sam, wait!"

I heard him call me but I continued my pace, completely ignoring him.

"I'm sorry if I haven't called or texted you in the past few weeks," he said following me outside.

"Weeks? Are you sure it has only been weeks since you stopped calling me since you stopped thinking about me?"

"That's not true! I never stopped thinking about you and Cali,"

"It's been months--- two months, Luke Marcuz Williams!" I screamed, ignoring what he said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want you to feel that way, I never intended to lose contact with you, it's just that, something happened at the site and we had to move there to supervise the ongoing construction. It was a remote area and we couldn't get any signal, so I can't call you---" "Well, I don't believe you! Because if it was true, can't you even find a way to call me or at least send me even a short message?"

"Sam... I - I..." He stopped, he hadn't even started what he was going to say.

"Don't you know how worried I was those times?"

And at that moment, I don't know but my tears started to blur my vision, and a few seconds after, they were like a river flowing continuously down my face. Well, maybe because of anger and relief I felt at the same time.

"Actually, I already knew the reason and you don't have to explain anymore," I said and didn't wait for him to open his mouth as I turned around immediately.

"Samantha, wait for me!" He tried to grab my hand but I flinched and pushed him.

"Don't you dare touch me again! I don't want to be your mistress, Mr. Williams, and God--- I don't want to repeat my stupid mistake of loving you even though I know you're already married!"

"Oh, my--- Samantha, those were all lies! Whoever spread that news, he or she just wanted to destroy our relationship!"

"Lies--- then why were you in that article, huh? Why were your names all over the internet and for God's sake, why were you pictured kissing that woman--- that model--- whoever that model was?"

"Honestly, I didn't even know that article, I didn't even know I was on the news. I was just informed when we got back to the city and the first thing I did was to call you in the Philippines and when I couldn't reach you, I tried to call Caleb and there, he told me everything. Even though I really wanted to fix the issue first or to face that f**cking news, I immediately flew to Los Angeles to explain everything to you."

I didn't say anything. I just remained staring at him as I wiped my tears. I don't know but I feel like something was missing in his words... in his emotion as he was saying those lines. I also couldn't understand why my heart seems to be telling me there was something that he wasn't telling me.

"Don't you trust me?" he asked, his eyes pleading as he looked at me.

That question made me ask myself too at that moment. And I looked straight into his eyes...

"I don't know," I shook my head. "I don't know if I can trust you anymore," I replied as I took a deep breath.

"Sweetheart, please---"

"And I'm not sure if I can continue to be in this relationship anymore,"

"Samantha, no, please don't say that! I love you and I promise I will fix this mess!"

"How will you fix this mess when I'm not even sure if you're telling the truth or not?"

"But I'm telling you the truth---"

"You're not!" I shook my head.

"Sam... sweetheart..."

"I have known you for almost half of my life and I can tell whether or not you're lying! And now, I know there is something you're not telling me about!"

"If you're talking about those pictures that Lucy showed you at the cafe, I still could not explain right now how she got them but I swear they were all photoshopped, edited! I never kissed Alisha Vangardia---"

"Oh, so her name is Alisha Vangardia, how nice! And speaking of that Lucy--- bitch, I thought she was no longer working for you. I was just surprised to know when she said she's your PR manager, wow!" "Sam---"

"Oh, no, you don't have to explain that too, I understand!" And I turned around, thinking of going back to the kitchen, but he grabbed me by my elbow and turned me to face him.

"Sam, please, please stop thinking that I cheated on you because I didn't!"

I just remained silent but the next words he said made me gulp in excitement.

"I missed you, I really missed you,"

I feel the same, but I won't give in unless I find out the truth.

"Don't touch me," I said and looked away from him instead of admitting how much I missed him too. Then I slowly took his hands off me.

I looked at him when I didn't hear anything only to see the hurt that registered in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he ran his hands through his hair in frustration as he looked at me with unshed tears in his eyes.

I don't know what was that sorry for... if it was for touching me or for everything that happened. But then he just answered it a few seconds later.

"I'm sorry if I made you cry again. I'm sorry if I broke your trust again, but this time, Sam, I won't let you go even if you want me to. This time I won't go away even if you push me... even if you don't want to see me anymore. I'm sorry but I won't stop showing myself in front of you. Even if you get tired of me, I will be just next to you or two steps behind you because I won't give up. And as for this issue, I hope you can give me time to fix all this. I promise to get to the bottom of this mess and make sure I make everyone involved pay for what they did!" That's it. He didn't even wait for me to speak as he already turned around and left me standing near the swimming pool.

"Luke..."

All I was left to do was to whisper his name with tears streaming down again my face. Seeing his retreating back, I wanted to scream 'I missed you too and I love you' but those words remained in my head until he walked into the house and totally disappeared from my sight.