New Year Second Chance

“Can I have a moment with him?” I ask.

He must recognize me, too, because he leaves with the other nurse. I draw a deep breath and approach Walt’s bedside.

When he sees me, his eyebrows furrow. “Who are you?”

I push my glasses up my nose and manage a nervous smile. “I’m Jenna. Jenna Holt. I was here yesterday with Dax.”

Walt snorts at the sound of Dax’s name. “Didn’t that bugger already leave?”

I don’t answer that. “I’m here because there’s something I want to tell you.”

I open my purse.

“You’re not going to ask me for money, are you?”

I take the picture of him with my mother and give it to him. He brings it closer to his face and squints. Then his eyes grow wide.

“Bloody hell.”

Just as I thought, he recognizes himself from the picture. I don’t feel the least bit thrilled, though.

“The man in that picture is you, isn’t it?” I ask to be sure.

Instead of answering, he lifts his shirt to show me his tattoo.

A lump forms in my throat. I swallow it.

“The woman in that picture with you – do you remember her?”

Walt grins. “Sweetheart, I remember every woman I’ve ever been with.”

So he was with my mother?

“Helen Caulfield. Am I right?”

Was that the name my mother gave him? Her maiden name? She didn’t tell him she was married?

“Yes,” I answer in a voice I try to keep from trembling. “So you had a relationship with her?”

“Yes.”

My chest tightens.

“Why?” Walt asks me. “Do you know her?”

Tears brim in my eyes. I wipe them away. “Yes. I wanted to tell you that she… passed away.”

Walt sighs. “There goes another one.”

I draw a deep breath. “And that… she’s my mother.”

He looks at me but says nothing.

I fidget with the zipper of my purse. “I guess that means I – ”

“Do you want money?” Walt asks me. “Is that why you’re here?”

My eyes grow wide in disbelief. I shake my head.

“No. I’m not here for money. I – ”

He hands me back the picture. “Get out.”

My jaw drops. What?

“You heard me. Or do I have to shout?”

From the corner of my eye, I see the nurse approach. I take the picture and stuff it into my purse before I leave.

“What happened?” Chloe asks me as soon as I go out the door.

I ignore her. I try to hold back my tears as I go down the steps two at a time. My chest hurts so bad I can barely breathe.

I don’t know what hurts more – knowing I can never be with Dax or being rejected by my own father. I feel like I’ve just lost everything.

Well, at least I still have Shanna, I think as I run down the corridor towards my room.

As soon as I’ve packed my bags, I’m leaving. I’m going back home to my dad, the man who loves me, and Shanna, who I love as my own daughter. They are my real family and I never should have left them in the first place.

There’s nothing more for me here in London.

Chapter Seventeen

Dax

“What do you mean Jenna’s gone?” I ask Victor after he tells me the fact.

After some drinking and much thinking, I realized I was a fool to fight with Jenna over my father. Hasn’t he dealt me enough damage already? A lot of crap in my life happened because of him. I’m not going to let him drive Jenna and me apart, too.

I asked Victor to go back to the mansion and deliver a letter to Jenna so we could meet later. Now he’s telling me she’s gone?

“She left the house,” Victor tells me. “A maid said she didn’t look good. I’m guessing she took a cab to the airport.”

Fuck.

I knew there was a possibility Jenna would go back without me, but I didn’t seriously think she would. If she does, we’re over.

I grab my coat. “Get me the car now.”

~

As soon as I arrive at Heathrow Airport, I begin a frantic search for Jenna. Victor helps me. We check the ticketing counters, customs, the pre-departure areas, the gift shops, the restaurants. I even check the first class lounge while Victor asks around.

Finally, we catch her on her way to a check-in counter. I run over to her.

“Jenna!”

She stops and turns her head. As soon as our eyes meet, I feel a swell of relief in my chest. I’ve found her.

She doesn’t look happy, though. She turns away and tries to ignore me.

I don’t let her. I run up to her and grab her arm. “Jenna.”

She shrugs off my arm and keeps going. “Just let me go, Dax.”

“No.” I grab the suitcase that she’s been dragging behind her. “I’m not letting you go, Jenna.”

She lets out a sigh. “Give me back my suitcase, Dax.”

I ignore her. “I know you’re mad at me, Jenna. And you have a right to be. I’m not proud of the way I behaved yesterday. I was just upset because it felt like you didn’t have my back, but I know you were just doing what you thought was best for me. Right?”