Parting Chances (Fighting Chance #1) Read online

  “It’ll be okay,” he said, placing a kiss on my hairline. I didn’t trust my voice, so I only nodded. My fear was that I wouldn’t be able to talk to her again before she passed. I just hoped she’d be awake at least once while I was home. I didn’t want to miss the chance to say goodbye.

  ***

  After dinner, I escaped to my room. I couldn’t recall the last time I went to bed before ten on Christmas Eve, but I couldn’t put on a happy face anymore. The whole pretending everything was okay wore on me. And though I didn’t feel like I was going to cry, I really needed to be alone. My phone sat on the nightstand, blinking at me. My heart picked up at the thought of talking to Eli. When I swiped the screen, I saw I had missed texts from both him and Kyler. I thought of reading them, but really, all I wanted to do was hear Eli’s voice. It probably would have freaked me out how much I needed him, but the day was exhausting, and I wanted my bubble. I scrolled to his name and hit the little phone instead of the envelope. It rang in my ear as I took deep breaths to calm myself. I talk to Eli all the time. This time was no different. But my heart wouldn’t stop its massive slamming in my chest.

  Calm the eff down, Hales!

  “Hales?” Eli’s voice came through the phone before I could talk myself into hanging up. I didn’t know why I was so nervous calling him tonight, but as soon as his voice hit my ear, my heart calmed.

  “Eli,” I breathed.

  Damn him and his calming effect over me.

  “Haley? What’s wrong?” His voice was full of concern, and I heard him shuffle around before hearing a door close. The squeaking of what I could only assume was his bed followed.

  “Um…nothing. Nothing is wrong.” That didn’t even sound convincing to me.

  “Okay, nothing is wrong. So what’s up?” Eli asked. And I think I fell in love with him a little bit by his obvious conversation shift.

  “Oh, you know. Christmas stuff mixed with wedding stuff.”

  “Wedding stuff?”

  “Shoot! That’s right. I forgot to call you the other night.” My heart started pumping faster at the thought of what I was going to ask. “So my brother got engaged in August, remember?”

  “Yep, to the girl he just met.”

  “Right,” I continued. “They decided on a date.”

  “That’s great!” He sounded genuinely happy for them.

  “Sure. The wedding is on Friday.”

  “Friday? Like, the day after Christmas, Friday?” he asked.

  “That would be the day. It’s all because of Mom, and I get it, I really do. And they are perfect for each other. So really, if they are sure, why not, right?” I was rambling, putting off the question for as long as I could.

  “Right…” Eli sounded confused now. “So do you still need a ride back?”

  “About that.” I paused and sucked in a deep breath. “Would you like to be my…date to the wedding?” My heart pounded so loudly that I was positive he could hear it through the phone. The pause coming from his end was so long, I was ready to just hang up and pretend this whole conversation didn’t happen.

  Eli cleared his throat and finally responded. “Haley…are you asking me out?”

  Oh god. Where is the nearest rock I can crawl under?

  “Um, yes?”

  Eli chuckled lightly into the phone. “Are you asking or telling me?”

  “Oh jeez, just forget I asked.” Now I was beyond mortified. I’d be walking back to my apartment now.

  “Oh no, I won’t. It caught me off guard. That and I wanted to ask you out first, you know, where you actually accepted,” he said quietly.

  Well, that caught me off guard. “Oh…well…sorry?”

  “Don’t be. And I would love to be your date. What time do I need to be there?”

  “The wedding is at two, so any time before that. There is a small dinner afterward. Then we can head back home.” I leaned back into my bed, finally relaxed with this conversation. And my pulse returned to a steady beat, Eli’s calming effect once again washing over me.

  “Okay, I’ll be there at noon. Does that work?” he asked.

  “Yeah, that’s perfect.” I heard a pounding come from his end of the phone and a muffled voice yelling through the door.

  “Hold on!” he yelled. “Sorry about that. Look, I have to go. I promised my brother we’d watch a movie together tonight. I’ll see you on Friday, though, okay?”

  I heard the shifting of his bed again as he stood up.

  “Have fun. Goodnight. See you soon.”

  “Goodnight, Hales. Sweet dreams.” His voice fell husky, and he hung up.

  Oh dear, my heart. I’d never get tired of those words. I placed my cell back on the nightstand, exhaustion settling in from the running around and massive emotions I had today. Without going through my nighttime routine, I fell off into a blissful sleep, dreams about Eli already under the surface.

  ***

  Christmas morning is usually one of my favorite times of the year. Dad makes a big breakfast, we open presents, then sit around the fireplace listening to music and just being with family. When I woke up that Christmas morning, I feared the unknown. I knew nothing was going to be the same, and part of me just wanted to stay in my room until morning passed so I wouldn’t have another tradition ruined. But I sucked it up, crawled out of bed, and made my way into the bustling living room. Once again, I was the last person up. I stopped in the doorway, taking in the beautiful sight that was sitting in the armchair.

  “Mom,” I whispered, drawing the gaze of everyone in the room. She was bundled up in blankets, and the dark circles around her eyes were so pronounced it almost looked like someone had punched her. Her skin was pale and void of much warmth. But she still managed a smile when she saw me, and her eyes lit up for a second. I rushed over, dropping down in front of her and burying my head on her lap. Tears I hadn’t even realized I was crying were now soaking the blanket, but she only ran her hand up and down my back, soothing me.

  “You’re awake.” I lifted my head and brushed the tears off my face. “You’re awake,” I whispered again.

  She cleared her throat before speaking. “Of course I am. It’s Christmas.” Her voice was weak, barely above a whisper and didn’t hold her usual melody to it. As happy as I was that she was awake and I got to talk to her again, everything was different. Mom tucked her arm back under the blanket and leaned back into the chair. The IVs around her bed had followed her out into the living room, so I assumed we didn’t have a whole lot of time before she needed to sleep again. And by the agony she tried to cover up on her face, I could tell she was trying to bear through the pain so she could be a part of Christmas morning.

  I stayed in my spot at Mom’s feet throughout the gift opening. Emma’s parents had joined us this year, but instead of it feeling awkward, they were the one thing that kept us all feeling normal. They had gone to make breakfast, so we could spend the time around the fire listening to music as a family. It wasn’t long after that Mom needed to lie back down. Dad lifted her with ease and carried her back into the bedroom with Caleb wheeling the IVs behind them. Her nurse, Meg had begrudgingly taken the day off. It was Dad’s orders that she spend Christmas with her family, and being the amazing nurse that she was, she didn’t want to leave Mom’s side. But Dad promised we would take perfect care of her for the day.

  After Mom was tucked away sleeping peacefully, we enjoyed our large Christmas breakfast. The rest of the day was spent lounging around, watching Christmas movies on TV and playing board games. By the end of the night, as I crawled into my bed, I had a smile on my face. Today was a good day, a great day because Mom was awake for a little part of it. And even though I didn’t want to think about it, I felt like maybe we had created a new Christmas tradition, and maybe our family would be okay once she was gone.

  Friday afternoon I was stuck in my tiny old bedroom with Emma and her mom. Though it was a completely untraditional wedding, Emma still wanted to be the traditional bride and not see Caleb
until she was walked down the aisle—or well, the hallway as the case may be. She even slept in my room last night and forced me to kick Caleb out this morning so the chances of them seeing each other were nonexistent. He had arrived about an hour ago, hence the reason why we were all hanging out in the small room. I suppose we were also busy getting the bride ready. Hair and makeup were done by her mom, while I was like her gopher—anything she needed I’d rush out to get it. Truth be told, I was ready for this wedding to be over with.

  My phone buzzed next to me on the bed. Eli’s name flashed across the screen. My finger slid nervously across the phone, and I put it to my ear.

  “Hello?” I was both relieved and nervous that he was calling. That meant he was probably here. So, I could finally have an excuse to escape from the room, but I’d also have to introduce Eli to the family.

  “Hey, Hales. I’m here.”

  I held back the stupid squeal that was about to escape and jumped up to look out the window. Sure enough, he was slowly making his way up the walkway to the front door.

  “I’ll meet you at the door!” I didn’t even hide the excitement in my voice. I hung up, put the phone in the pocket of the dress I already had on for the wedding, and gave Emma and her mom a wave before bolting from the room. Eli had already knocked before I had gotten out of the hallway, which resulted in my dad opening the door. I skidded to a halt a few feet behind him and caught Eli’s expression. The poor guy looked so off guard, I couldn’t help the chuckle I let out.

  “Hi, sir, I’m Eli, Haley’s—”

  “Something more,” Dad interrupted. My cheeks flamed to life as he brought up what we had discussed the other morning. Eli and I hadn’t even had that conversation yet, but now he knew what I was thinking. I had thoughts of sneaking back to my bedroom and hiding there for the rest of eternity, but Eli had caught my eye. Damn it. After talking my feet into moving forward, I managed to come to a stop next to my dad. He was blocking the entryway and was trying to give his best fatherly glare, but I knew him better than that. I bumped him with my hip and reached for Eli’s hand.

  “Hey, Eli, welcome to the Cavanaugh home. The man giving you the evil eye is my dad. He’s harmless, promise.” I tugged on his hand, pulling him into the house and out of the crisp winter afternoon. Eli stuck his hand out to my dad, who looked at it as a slow smile spread across his face. Dad finally shook Eli’s hand, and then much to our surprise, pulled him into a hug. Dad whispered something into Eli’s ear, something I was not privileged to hear, but Eli listened to what he had to say. When Dad finally stepped back, Eli nodded.

  “My pleasure, sir,” Eli said, then flashed me a grin.

  “Well, I’ll leave you two to…catch up, or whatever it is you need to do,” Dad said. As he walked away, he pointed to his eyes than to Eli and back again. As if he wasn’t already embarrassing enough.

  “Oh my god, I’m sorry.” I laced my fingers through his and led him through the living room and down the basement stairs. It was the only empty and quiet place in the house. We sat on the couch, and he draped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close.

  “Hi,” he said into my hair.

  “Hi,” I mumbled into his shirt.

  “You look amazing,” he breathed.

  And I was going to melt into a puddle right here.

  “Thanks,” I muttered, a blush creeping up my neck.

  “So, I think your dad likes me.” His chest rumbled as he laughed.

  “Oh yeah, was it the evil glare he gave you when you arrived or his finger pointing death stare when he left us alone that gave it away?”

  “It was when he told me thank you for looking out for his little girl.” Eli revealed what my dad had whispered to him.

  “Oh, well…” I was too shocked at his ease with all of this. He pulled me tighter and placed another kiss in my hair.

  “So something more, huh?” He let out a loud belly laugh at my groan.

  “Please, just forget everything you hear today,” I said while burying my face deeper in his chest.

  “Not a chance.”

  ***

  We spent the next two hours curled up on the couch watching a TV movie. No matter how many times I had seen the holiday movies on the Hallmark channel, I still watched them non-stop this time of year. And thankfully, Eli didn’t put up a fight. Though, honestly, I’m pretty sure he fell asleep within the first five minutes.

  Just as the ending credits started rolling and the next movie was already previewing on the bottom of the screen, my dad yelled down the stairs.

  “Guys, it’s time.”

  I sat up off of Eli, and he brought his hands to his eyes giving them a rub.

  “Good movie, huh?” I joked, standing and holding out my hands for him.

  “I don’t have any drool on my mouth or anything?” he asked as he took my hands and let me haul him up. I leaned up on my toes and inspected his mouth, and just as I was going to tell him he was good, his lips hit mine, fast and hard. His hands gripped my arms, holding me in place as his mouth moved against mine. When I parted my lips and he took the kiss deeper, I was overwhelmed with the taste of mint. He always tasted like mint! My hands trailed up his chest and clutched tightly to his button down shirt. His lips trailed kisses across my jawline and to the sensitive spot below my ear. When he hit it, a deep moan rushed from my lips. I felt his smile against my neck, before he placed soft kisses along my jaw and to my mouth. He placed two tender kisses on my lips before pulling back. My body tried to follow his as he put a small distance between us, but he held my arms in place.

  “We should probably get up there.” He nodded toward the stairs, and I finally remembered where I was.

  “Oh jeez. They are so going to know what we were doing.” I willed my face to not turn the shade of my dress and walked ahead of Eli up the stairs. When we reached the living room all the attention was on my mom, who was sitting in the chair like yesterday. Blankets were once again piled on her lap, and the IVs were behind her. Mom’s face wasn’t as dull as it was yesterday. Part of it had to do with the makeup someone had applied, but I’m also sure it was an exciting day for her, so her natural glow shone through. Meg was sitting close by her in the other armchair. She was in her usual scrubs, but had thrown a nicer sweater over her top, so she didn’t look out of place with the rest of us dressed up folks.

  Before I could introduce Eli to my mom, or even tell him where to sit, I was pulled away by Emma’s mom. She thrust a bouquet of flowers in my hand and positioned me at the end of the hallway. Emma came out of the bedroom and gave me a breathtaking smile.

  “Thank you so much for everything, Haley.” She took her position behind me with her dad at her side.

  The music started from the living room, playing an acoustic version of “Kiss Me” by Ed Sheeran. Before I could start walking down the small hallway, my dad stepped up to my side and placed my hand in the crook of his arm.

  “What are you doing?” I whispered as he led me down the hallway.

  “Your brother asked me to be his best man. I’m walking the maid of honor down the aisle,” he whispered back. “I’m also walking my daughter down the aisle. Your mom won’t be able to see this on your wedding day, so we’ll give it to her today.” He placed his hand on mine and continued into the living room.

  As I blinked, tears rolled down my face. Of course I had thought about my mom not being around when I got married, but I never thought about all the things she would truly miss in my life. And the fact that my dad remembered and wanted to do this for her was my undoing. I had no idea how I was going to make it through the ten-minute ceremony when I was already a blubbering mess.

  We paused in front of the Christmas tree, and Dad hugged me. “You look lovely,” he whispered. “Your mom is beaming.” When we parted and took our spots on opposite sides of the tree, I looked over at Mom, who smiled at me, life shining in her eyes, mixed with tears. I tried brushing my tears away, but it was useless, more just kept on falling. As I
stared toward the hallway, waiting for Emma to appear, I felt something nudge my hand. I looked down, and Eli was holding out a clump of tissues for me. I gave him a watery grin, my heart falling a little more for him at his compassionate smile. As I dabbed the tears away, Emma appeared in the entryway. I turned my gaze to my brother who was also wiping away a stray tear but was giving Emma the most loving smile I had ever seen.

  Emma made her way to Caleb. After giving her father a hug, the two turned, hand in hand, to the officiant.

  Instead of watching Caleb and Emma, I watched my mom. These were the moments I would never get to have. She would never be there when I got engaged or when I planned my wedding. She wouldn’t be there the morning of the wedding to calm my nerves or give me words of wisdom. She’d never stare at me with eyes full of tears as she watched me marry the love of my life. I’m glad she got to experience it all before she passed, but I still couldn’t stop my heart from breaking a little more.

  When I turned back, Caleb and Emma were just ending their kiss. I hadn’t realized I had zoned out for so long, but I was thankful I didn’t have to stand there anymore.

  “I’d like to be the first to introduce you all to Mr. and Mrs. Cavanaugh,” the officiant said. We all clapped lightly as the newlywed couple made their way back up the makeshift aisle. I met my dad in front of the tree again, and we followed. When we got out of the living room, Dad pulled me into a hug. And I lost it.

  “Shhh, Haley. It’ll be okay. Everything will be okay.” Dad whispered the comforting words in my ear, but they just made me sob harder. I felt him lead me down the hallway and heard a door shut as we entered my old bedroom. We sat on the bed, and he held me closer.

  “Daddy, I can’t do it. I can’t do this anymore. It’s too hard. My heart hurts so badly.”

  “I know, honey. Oh, I know.” He rubbed small circles on my back. “It’s almost over.”

  I wasn’t sure if he was talking about the day, or Mom being sick. But either way, the tears flowed faster.

  He held me as I cried it out. Eventually we just sat there, him still rubbing my back and me gaining control of my breathing.