Little Things (Second Chances 1)

“You’re not going anywhere. I won’t let you just walk out of here with nowhere to go. Please, trust me. I can keep you safe. Listen, how about we stay here for the night and then head up to Long Island for a while? My parents own a home there and we can lay low there until Derrick is found.”

“Derrick can’t be found. He has a safe house. He told me.”

“He did? Where is it?”

“I don’t know. He was going to take me there until…until West stopped him.”

“Okay, I’ll call Davis in the morning and let him know that we’ll need to leave. He can keep an eye on Melanie for me.”

She continues to tremble in fear and I pull her into me. “We will get through this, but you have to trust me. You have to have a little hope in us, Raya. That’s all I’m asking for. Trust me.”

“I want to, I really do. It’s just…it’s just—”

“I know, Raya. I know.”

I continue to rock her until her crying subdues. I look at the time and realize it’s past eight o’clock.

“We didn’t even eat dinner. Are you hungry?”

“No, I just want to lie down.”

I let go of her and begin to walk out until she calls to me and I turn to look at her.

“Can you stay with me? I don’t want to sleep alone”

“Of course I will. Let me go change and grab an extra blanket.”

After we wash up and change, I head into her room and make my place on the floor next to her bed. I whisper goodnight to her and stare at the ceiling, thinking about everything she told me earlier that night.

As I think, she whispers, “Are you still awake?”

I smile, “Yeah.”

“I can’t sleep. I’m too scared to close my eyes. If I close them, I feel like when I open them I’ll be right back in that dungeon. What if this is all a dream, Duke?”

I get up off the floor and sit on her bed, “It’s no dream. I’m real.”

“My mind’s not playing tricks on me?”

I shake my head, “No, I promise.”

She reaches her hand out to me, “Duke, can you stay here and sing to me until I fall asleep?”

I smile, “Of course.”

I scoot over next to her and take her in my arms. “Any requests?”

“No, hearing your voice always soothed me. Sometimes I used to imagine you singing to me whenever I felt alone and scared.”

I squeeze her gently and start to sing, Keep Holding On by Avril Lavigne. She hums along to the music and tears fill my eyes as I hold on to her. I sing the lyrics with as much truth and intensity as I can, hoping that she’s listening to them. I need her to stay strong and believe. With that, we can fight and make it through anything.

Raya

The warm sun shines on my face and fills the room with bright light. My eyes squint at the light as they slowly open to welcome the day. I glance around the room, checking to see if Duke is with me. His blankets are off the floor and he fixed up his side of the bed. I stretch my arms and yawn, letting out the last bit of sleepiness. I hear the clang of pots and pans as the aroma of bacon fills my nose. My stomach immediately growls and my mouth salivates with desire. I flip the covers off of me and sit up, ready for the day.

There’s a pink daisy placed in a small vase resting on the end table with a folded piece of paper. I climb out of bed and pick up the note, noticing it has my name on it. I unfold the paper and read the contents: Every day is a second chance.

I smile as I read his words and a hint of hope fills my soul as I bend down to smell the daisy and inhale its natural, sweet scent. It’s as though my senses are brought back to life by its pure essence.