A Second Chance, Not With You

, the afternoon Austin sun making it har

it? Just a break?" Liam asked, his voic

ng to sound more enthusiastic than she

m? This guy I know?

smile. "Sure, 'so

eaty from a motocross ride. He caught the tail end. "Need

ed, not wanti

ting your best years on him. Six years, and he hasn't

right. It was a

iam," Ava said, changing the su

g the wedding plans for you and Noah. He's a great guy, Ava. Stable. Succes

. Noah Evans. A doctor.

to the wedding. He put you up for a few years when

unch. Invite Ethan to her

her voice. "Ethan... h

to the living room, toweling hi

asked, looking from th

indow. "Nothing, just... a fam

, his scent of sweat and bike oil filling th

tell your brother about us, did y

"You always said to keep i

, you know Liam. He'd probably try to kill me if he knew I was sleeping with his

o her waist, pu

always seemed to hold a hint of recklessness.

er. I take you to all my races. You write songs about me, or at least,

y, but Ava turned her head. "I s

al. "Okay, shy girl. Later then." He sauntered off

mall, nagging worry for years, but lately, it had grown louder, harder to ignore. She felt a deep ache in her chest, a familiar sadness.

e she attended the music program at the university. Ethan was older, already a local motocross legend, and Ava had been instantly smitten. He was all wild e

one night, he'd crashed his bike during a practice run. Nothing too serious, but he was laid up for a week. Ava had taken care of him, bringing him food, changing his bandages.

ton kept trying to set her up on blind dates whenever she visited, pushing her towards "suitable" young men. Ava always refused, telling them she was focused on h

Ava, you remind me so much of Chloe when Ethan first fell for her... he's always tried to find that spark again." Chloe Vance. Ethan's high school sweetheart.

en Ethan's heart when she moved away years ago. He'd never gotten over her. His subsequent girlfriends, Ava now realized with a sickening clarity, all shared certain traits with Chloe – a particular way of la

That was when she'd finally, truly, decided. Liam's talk of an arranged marriage, of Noah Evans, suddenly didn't seem so bad. It seemed like