The Final Chance by Cait Marie
Beth Ann
Beth Ann stared across the dark room, unable to sleep. Dylan’s breathing had slowed, and she could see his outline in the city lights leaking in through the thin curtains. She turned to face the wall in an attempt to pretend he wasn’t sleeping five feet away.
It didn’t work.
Her heart fluttered at the thought of him being so close, despite the anger she was desperately trying to hold on to. Because if she wasn’t mad at him, she’d just get hurt again. She had no doubts about that. No matter what, even if she forgave him, he’d leave soon. He wouldn’t be in New York long, and opening her heart again was like asking for him to break it when he went home. Eight hundred miles away.
She wanted to forgive him. His friendship meant the world to her. He was her opposite in so many ways, but he balanced her out. He’d comforted her when she found out her best friend had cancer—held her through the night as she’d cried after returning to Summersville. They’d sat together at the edge of the lake, watching the paper lanterns float away into the distance at the party for Lila, and she’d felt it. Something shifted that weekend between them.
But even after the surgery, even after Lila recovered and Beth Ann flew back to New York, Dylan hadn’t stopped. They had texted each other every day, and eventually, those texts became hours-long phone calls and video chats. He listened to her ramble about her classes and how excited she was to be in New York just as much as he let her tell him about her parents and the struggles she’d faced growing up. She’d never opened up to anyone about that. Lila knew some—enough for her and her parents to always offer Beth Ann a place to stay—but she didn’t understand just how much Beth Ann dreaded ever going home.
The only reason Beth Ann’s feelings changed for the holidays was because of her friends.
And Dylan.
Mostly Dylan.
He’d promised to be there for her the entire time and had followed through, even as she tried pushing him away.
He said he explained everything in his texts… Sighing, she pulled out her phone. Turning down the brightness, she opened her settings and looked for the blocked numbers section. With a twinge of guilt, she clicked Dylan’s number and unblocked it, but she’d never know what all he sent.Unless…
She held out her phone as a light, trying to make sure he was really asleep. His phone sat on the floor beside the bed. Beth Ann bit at her bottom lip. She shouldn’t snoop, but the messages were for her anyway.
Carefully, she slid from the bed and grabbed his phone as she sat on her knees. Her mouth twisted to the side when it prompted for the password. She entered his birthday. Nothing. She tried various numbers and dates, but it still wouldn’t unlock.
“What are you doing?” his sleepy voice asked.
Her eyes snapped up to his gleaming in the light of the phone. “Um… I…”
He reached down and took his phone. “Why are you trying to get into my phone?”
She didn’t have an answer. At least not one that wouldn’t hurt him. And despite everything, she couldn’t bring herself to do that. He couldn’t know she had blocked him and didn’t get any of his messages.
“I was curious.” It was a lame excuse, but it was all she had. Pushing herself to her feet, she climbed back in bed.
“About what?” He turned on the lamp between the beds as he sat and faced her.
Beth Ann closed her eyes and flopped back onto the pillow. There was only one answer that would shut down this conversation. “Sarah.”
“You don’t believe me?” Hurt laced his words.
She couldn’t speak. Instead, she rolled over to face the wall, pulling her blankets up and acting as if there was the slightest chance she might fall asleep.
* * *
6 Weeks Earlier
“Just go talk to him.” Lila laughed and tossed a pillow at her.
Beth Ann grinned. “Fine, fine. I’m going.”
Hopping up out of bed, she slid on her shoes. After ringing in the new year and celebrating with their friends, she and Lila had crossed the joined yards to collapse in Lila’s bed. In truth, she hadn’t wanted to leave Dylan at Gavin’s, but she needed time with her best friend. And Lila’s dad had made them promise to return—only letting them have the party next door as long as they came home to sleep.
Not bothering to change out of her pajamas, Beth Ann pulled on her coat and wrapped a scarf around her neck. As she reached for the door, Lila yelled after her, “Tell my boyfriend to wake up and get over here while you’re at it.”
Laughing, Beth Ann agreed and headed downstairs. Gavin’s mom had let them throw the party at her house while she stayed in the Westons’ guest room. They’d been allowed to celebrate as late as they wanted so long as anyone who left was alert and sober. Beth Ann pulled her phone out to see it was already eleven, but with the lack of sound throughout the house, she assumed Mrs. Miller and Lila’s parents still slept.
She shoved her phone back into her coat pocket and made her way out the back door. Snow crunched beneath her feet as she walked across the yards, and she couldn’t fight the smile growing across her face as she thought about the night before—about the small flakes falling around her and Dylan.
When she’d gone to find him out on the back deck, she hadn’t intended to kiss him again. But he’d pulled her close with gentle hands. Yet, his hold on her was tight all the same. Like he’d wanted her in his arms for too long.
Reaching the Millers’ back door, she didn’t linger outside. She wasn’t an idiot. She’d seen the way Dylan acted around her the past couple years. They weren’t close in high school, but Dylan seemed to be friends with everyone. With Lila’s grudge against Gavin the past seven years, Beth Ann had avoided him and Dylan as much as possible. But Gavin had always shown up places seemingly just to annoy Lila. And while they had their bickering matches, Beth Ann and Dylan had come together as the sideline best friends.
And just as they’d grown tired of their friends’ fighting, she was sick of pushing Dylan away. The distance terrified her, but the night before, as he kissed her under the stars, they’d agreed to stay friends. No matter what. She didn’t want to be just friends though. For the first time ever, she thought maybe they could figure it out. Even if that meant just having fun together on her breaks from school.
At the top of the stairs, she creaked open Gavin’s bedroom door. She shook his shoulder gently.
He mumbled in his sleep and rolled over. Blinking up at her, he asked, “Beth Ann?”
Before she could say anything, he sat up with wide eyes.
“What’s wrong? Where’s Lila?”
“No,” Beth Ann said, putting a hand back on his shoulder. “I’m here for Dylan, but Lila told me to wake you up and send you over.”
Gavin let out a relieved breath and fell back onto his pillow. Lila’s surgery was six months ago, and the doctors said it was successful, but she knew he still feared the worst. Because so did she. Every time one of them called, Beth Ann was scared to answer. And she knew they’d feel like that for a while.
“She’s fine. Really. She told me to send you over,” she repeated with a wink. She moved toward the door. “I’m assuming Dylan’s across the hall?”
“Yeah, he’s in the guest room,” Gavin mumbled as he started getting up behind her.
Beth Ann almost skipped to the door diagonal from his. She turned the knob and crept inside.
Behind her, Gavin said, “No, wait!”
But it was too late. Dylan sat upright, eyes wide with horror.
Because he wasn’t alone.