‘She wanted something else, something different, something more. Passion and romance, perhaps, or maybe quiet conversations in candlelit rooms or perhaps something as good as not being second.’ - Nicholas Sparks.

Chapter Forty-Four: Second Choices

Have you ever felt like you're going to burst out of happiness yet at the same scared of that very same thing? The horrible feeling of your throat closing up, but despite that, you still enjoy the sensation?

It was 6:30 already, and Char felt like she was almost drowning in a big pool of anxiety. Waiting for Daniel was one of the most   nerve racking experiences of her life.

Thirty minutes and he would come knocking on her door. For her date. Their date.

She sat in her living room, her small purse by her side, as she fidgeted with the hem of her dress. Arrgh! The wait was killing her.

She raised her hand to run it through her hair but decided against it when she remembered the pain, time and effort she put into making it presentable.

Still, she waited.

She was terrified. Terrified of what could happen. Of what could go wrong. Terried of the future. But still she would continue despite that. For she was even more frightened of the adventures and experiences she might miss if she allowed fear to rule her life.

Char didn't know what would be the outcome of the night but whatever it would be, she was sure she would face it head-on.

The bell rang some minutes later. She hopped up from the couch and practically bolted for the door.

“Hi,” she said the minute she drew it open. Right in front of her was Daniel. Dressed in blue button up shirt and black jeans, he gave her one of his breathtakingly dazzling smile and her knees buckled.

“Hey,” he said, taking in her appearance. The nude dress she wore was beautiful. It clung to her body and complimented her curves perfectly. He felt himself getting hot just by looking at her.

“On any other day, I would spanked you for wearing something so...provocative, but, seeing as you're only mine and you look so beautiful, I'll let it pass.” he whispered against her lips as he kissed her.

Char felt her cheeks go on fire. “That's some Christian Grey shit, huh?” she whispered huskily. She had to admit, it was turning her on.

“That dude is mental,” Daniel chuckled.

“And let's face it, Fifty Shades of Grey is only romantic because the guy is a billionaire. If he lived in a trailer, it would have been an episode of Criminal Minds.” she added.

Daniel let out a laugh and Char could see the tension leaving him. This was how it always was with him. Easy and simple. She smiled widely.

“Are we going to keep talking about hot guys or are we going to get this over with?” she winked at him, making her way to the car. She got in, but not before seeing the angry scowl on Daniel's face.

“You gonna tell me where we're going?” she asked him as he got in, fixing up his self belt and turning on the ignition.

“Nope,” he answered, as he sped away from the Winston's residence.

                                    ***********

It was an Italian restaurant, Char noticed as they drove into the carpark. It had taken them exactly thirty minutes to get there, and Char couldn't wait to get into the restaurant.

They walked into the restaurant and found the perfect spot. At one far corner of the room. They could see everybody perfectly from this angle but it would be hard for everybody to see them.

Perfect. Just perfect.

They sat, and Char noticed the way Daniel tensed on his seat. His fingers continuously drummed on the table and Char followed the movement with her eyes. What was wrong with him?

“Is something wrong?” she asked wearily, raising a brow.

His eyes snapped to her. “Me? No, of course not.”

“Uh Uh,” she nodded absentmindly as she studied him. He looked so tensed it wasn't funny. If he hardened any further, he could have just popped.

She raised her hand and draped it over his on the table, squeezing in comfort. “I'm here,” she said to him.

Was he nervous? She knew it was their first date, but if anyone should be nervous, it was her. It just made her heart melt.

I still can't figure out how I can sit across from you, and not be madly in love with everything you do.

He smiled at her. She smiled back. He kissed her. She kissed back. Everything was just perfect.

Then all of a sudden, life decided to prove her wrong.

Char felt the hair at tge back of her neck shoot up. Her eyes snapped up and her worse nightmare appeared in front of her eyes.

Abby.

She walked towards them gracefully, her hips swinging with each step. She stopped with a scowl when she noticed Char at the table.

The entire atmosphere dampened.

Seriously, nothing brightens up a room like her absence.

“You're here,” she snarled.

Here we go again. I have to manage my anger cause people can't mange their stupidity.

Char gasped in mock horror, her hand flying to her chest as she clutched it. “What an excellent observation of the obvious,”

Abby rolled her eyes in response, then face Daniel. “Why is she here?”

Char looked at Daniel, “Yeah, why is she here?”

“Um.. It's simply really,” he gestured to Abby. “Take a seat, Abby. Uh.. Char, Abby invited me for dinner and I thought of bringing you because I didn't want to come alone. Amazing, right?” he let out a shaky laugh as both women glared at him.

Char felt her heart break a little at that little piece of information. Daniel had used their date as an excuse to accompany him to have dinner with his ex. How stupid was that?

“I won't eat at the same table as...that,” Abby said, throwing a scowl at Char.

“Then you're welcome to leave. I, for one wouldn't object in anyway.” Char smiled. It was a fake smile.

“I was talking to my husband, you slut. Shut it,”

“Ex. Ex husband. Don't forget the ‘ex’. It's essential.”

“Shut up, the both of you! I just wanted the three of us to have a civil conversation as adults so stop being childish. I am sick of this!” Daniel raised his voice a little but that didn't deter the raging women. Instead, it fueled their anger.

Char was seething. How dare he? How dare he bring her to meet his ex? She never objected to them meeting, not because she trusted Daniel, but because she had faith in him and yet, he did this to her? How dare he?

It was at that moment Char realised what Abby was wearing. It was a brown strapless dress and it hung to her body like a second skin, practically squeezing the life out of her. How she could breathe in that tight piece of fabric was beyond Char's understanding. That wasn't even the worst part. It was the cleavage. Abby's breasts were practically popping out. How could anyone be comfortable in that?

“I don't know if you know, but your boobs go in your dress.” she adviced with a fake smile, and gave herself a pat on the back when she saw the deep scowl on Abby's face.

“You know, I like that you try to compete with me—at least you have a goal. Unrealistic and unattainable, but it's a goal.” Abby gave an evil smile and Char blinked as she realised something.

How far could Abby actually go to get what she wanted?

“I'm right here you know, and I'm not a price.” Daniel piped up. He'd shut up when he realised that none of the women were paying any attention to him.

“You're the reason nobody likes you. You think everything is a competition and that's your problem.” Char said to Abby, keeping her chin up. Maybe life didn't want to leave her with nothing afterall, as all her smart comebacks didn't fail her this time.

“Jealous because you know you can't beat me?” Abby smirked.

“How about you slip into something more comfy?” Char gestured to Abby's dress, “Like a coma?”

“You can talk all you want, the fact still remains that Daniel is mine.” she let out a strange laugh. “I've swallowed so much of his DNA that we now might be related.”

Char grimaced. She didn't even want to know what that meant, “Fuck you,”

Abby threw her head back in laughter. “Daniel has done a lot of that. You should ask him for some tips,” she winked.

At that moment, Char felt utterly disgusted. She knew her resolve was breaking. She looked at Daniel, his hands were on the table, his head between them. She knew he was lost. This wasn't what he wanted at all.

“You're making him suffer,” she whispered to Abby, hoping to talk some sense into her. Maybe she wasn't as evil as she seemed. Maybe she could actually see some sense.

Abby leaned on the table, closer to Char, “The only person making him suffer is you. Just let him go already,” she frowned.

Apparently not.

“I've been in forests less shady than you,” Char snarled at her, shaking her head in disgust. How could someone be so vile?

“Yeah, yeah, I'm a bitch. Nothing I haven't heard before,” Abby waved it off like it was nothing, “Take a shower honey, you smell like failure.”

“I think you've got a severe case of ‘fucking spoiled brat’.”

“And there goes the last fuck I gave,” Abby smirked.

Char swallowed. Some people just suck the nice right out of me.

“Can't you see what you're doing is affecting him? You can't just come back after a year when you ruined his life and expect him to be okay with it. He is a human being, for Christ's sake! Give him a break, will you?” Char took a deep breath after her long rant and looked Abby straight in the eye.

Yep, still a bitch.

Something snapped in Abby's eye and she leaned closer to Char, as if trying to whisper something, but loud enough for her to hear. “You're still in love with him, aren't you?”

There was nothing evil in her eyes this time. It was pure wonder.

She knows.

At this, Daniel's eyes snapped to Char faster than she could say Kim Kardashian. His eyes held so many emotion; astonishment, immense shock, pain. She couldn't hold the gaze long enough as she pulled her eyes away.

It was out. Her secret was out.

As quickly as she could, she slipped out of her chair. “Excuse me,” she said in a small voice, as she made her way to the washroom.

How did evening fall apart so quickly? Char asked herself this question so many times it confused her. Everything was upside down. Now Daniel knew she loved him, a secret she'd kept for ten years.

She wouldn't cry. No. She wasn't going to give Abby that satisfaction. She was a strong woman. She had eight years of constant pain and torture to prove it.

As Flip Winston once said, you can't expect to hit the jackpot if you don't put a few nickels in the machine. This was just the price she had to pay for love.

Yeah, that's right. So go out there, face that bitch-faced twat waffle head-on, and take your man. Don't hold back.

She repeated it continuously in her head like a mantra, but all that went to hell when she stepped out of the bathroom.

They'd chosen a spot at one of the far corners of the restaurant and the bathroom was also at one far corner which made it easy to see all the corners perfectly.

Her heart broke.

She was tired of being the second choice when she realised she wasn't even an option.

Daniel. He was seated in the same spot. Abby. She wasn't. She stood, leaning over the table as she engaged in a hot liplock session with him. With Daniel.

Her Daniel.

That didn't sound so right anymore.

And from where she was standing, it looked to her like he was kissing Abby back as fervently as she was kissing him.

Char felt her whole world crashing down on her. It was happening again. History was repeating itself. He was leaving her again. This was exactly what she was afraid of.

It was amazing how much destruction one person can cause.

Char couldn't breathe. She held a hand to her neck and tried to take steady breaths but all it did was make her knees weak. She couldn't stay here anymore. No. Thank God she'd taken her purse. She didn't think she was strong enough to face either of them.

She had to leave. And fast. She had to be free. Yet her feet stayed glued to the spot. She wanted to know what would happen next but at the same time, she didn't.

There comes a point in your life when you realise that nothing will never be the same, and you realise that from that moment, time will be divided into two parts; before this, and after this.

She ran. She ran out of the restaurant like her feet was on fire. Everything she worked so hard for for the past month was gone. Just like that. With no warning at all. How cruel could life get?

She didn't know when she exited the building until she heard her name.

But she didn't want to stop. Yet, she wanted to.

“Char!” she stopped at how hard the voice was. Turning around, she came face to face with Daniel.

Choose me or lose me. I'm not a backup plan and I'm definitely not a second choice.

“She kissed me first, I promise,” he said, pain evident on his face.

And finally she gave up, dropped the fake smile as a tear ran down her cheek and whispered to herself, “I can't do this anymore.”

——————---—————

There it is my lovelies. Please comment! I want to know what you guys think of this chapter. And Abby. I actually enjoyed Char and Abby's bicker quite a lot...lol!

What do you think will happen in the next chapter?

Till then,

Gift.