Romance: The Second Chance - Contemporary Romance (Romance, Contemporary Romance, Suspense Romance Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

him about it. He wasn't. He was a coward, and hated how these lies haunted him. He didn't go looking for them but they found him anyway, and now they were stuck, papered over by other words like hero and brave and the gold leaf on the medal with his name on it. Scratching and clawing to find a way out. He couldn’t let them, though. The cost would be too severe.
                  Beyond that he had only a few posters. Some classical, some of nice cars, and one of Michael Jordan in mid flight from the free throw line. On the other side of the room sat his dresser, and on his dresser sat a single picture. A woman. His wife, Hannah. It had been nearly three years since she’d passed but some days he still struggled to believe she was really gone. They had been so happy together. So perfect. So in love. He’d imagined his whole life in front him, spending every waking moment with his best friend. His soul mate, and now that dream was gone forever.
                  It was like trying to put a huge jigsaw puzzle back together, only to find he was missing a few pieces. They might not have seemed like much in the grand scheme of things, but they kept his life from ever feeling truly finished. It lacked just enough to satisfy, leaving him frustrated and angry, even though he’d given up trying to find those pieces a long time ago.
                  Besides the dresser, posters, and medal, there wasn't much else in Eli's room. It was simple, quiet, and neat. Just the way he liked it. These days he needed order, not more turmoil, and his room was a perfect place to give himself that comfort. Everything in its place; everything for its purpose. Nothing left to chance.
                  Usually he'd already be up and about, dressing, combing his hair, having breakfast. Granola with a little milk, the same thing every day, eaten fast enough not to have to taste it. Hannah had used try to get him to eat it, for his health, and since she died it had become one of his favorite meals. Then he'd be off to Splash to open up. But today was Tuesday, and was usually the slowest day of the week. The regulars would show up, sure. But Kirsten could handle them on her own. She’d been wanting more hours anyway, and Eli thought he'd try easing her in to see if she could handle the place by herself for a few hours. He’d take Rudy for a walk in the morning, maybe to the beach, and then once lunch time rolled around he’d head in to help with the grill and fryers, since they could get a line during lunch even a slow day. Kirsten was driven, but got distracted easily. Eli had been more than aware of this when she approached him looking for a job right out of high school, since she’d constantly interrupted the conversation to point out the most random of things. A wave crashing in the sea, or a bird flying overhead. She meant well though, and was fantastic with the customers. Her upbeat personality was a real hit with the locals, even if it meant waiting in line a little longer while she chatted with the people in front of them.
                  Ricky, on the other hand, was Eli's ace. He had been there from the very beginning, four years ago, back when Hannah and Eli moved to Treasure Bay, and decided to flip the run-down old café. In fact, he’d been an instrumental part in resurrecting the place. His heavy Mexican accent and quick wit always brightened up Eli's day, and he was about the only one who’d truly been there for Eli when Hannah passed. It was Ricky who’d waited for hours and hours with Eli in the hospital while the doctors did their tests. And it was he who Eli had collapsed into when he finally got the news. He’d been so dazed he’d only picked out a few words, but they were enough.
                  B rain cancer... inoperable... three weeks....
                  He hadn’t slept much at all, those last weeks. Their last moments together. Even when