Worth the Chance

I manage to find my way back to Delilah’s, which is a feat, considering I’ve only been there once and my propensity for getting lost. She looks exhausted and stressed, although after hearing Vi

“Can I come in?”

“Of course, is everything okay?” Stepping aside, Delilah looks past me, expecting someone to be with me.

“Everything’s fine. Well, no. That’s not true. Everything isn’t fine. Vi

“I know what you mean.” Her shoulders slump in defeat. “He was here earlier.”

Jesus, I hadn’t even thought of that. What if I’d come by and he was here, or walked in while I was sitting talking to his mother? I’m not even sure why I’ve come…there’s no way I could have explained myself to him. Surely he’d think I was working, trying to glam more for my story.

“Is he upset?”

“Angry. He’s very angry.” Tears well up in her eyes. “All I’ve ever done to that boy was let him down. I just know I’m going to lose him for what I’ve gotten him into this time.”

“I’m afraid I’ve lost him already.” I look at his frail mother. Time has not been kind. She looks older than her years, not healthy, way too thin. We come from different places, yet the two of us have a bond in the moment. Two women, loving and hurting the same man. A lone tear falls, I don’t have the energy to even try to stop it. I’m just so emotionally drained.

“Oh no. I’m sorry honey, I didn’t realize you two were having trouble.” Reaching over, she gently takes my hand into hers, “I saw the way he looked at you. Whatever happened, I’m sure you can fix it.”

“I’m not sure he can forgive me.”

“Forgive you? What could you possibly have done?”

I guess he didn’t tell her that I was the reason he found out in such an awful way the truth about his father. “It’s a long story.” I exhale loudly. “But I was the writer assigned to write the story about his real father.”

“His what?” Her already pasty face goes stark white, every bit of color disappearing almost instantly.

I spend the next hour telling her everything. Spilling my heart out. The Senator, Jax, the fight, the newspaper. All of it. I leave no stone unturned in my confession. I’d thought she just didn’t know about my role in the story, but it turned out, she didn’t know any part of the story. After the shock of her dark past comes to light, she looks sad, yet something in her also screams relief. Carrying around such a big secret for twenty-five years had to have been difficult.

“But I’m confused, if you didn’t know about the secret coming out, why were you so concerned about losing Vi

“I dragged him into something horrible. There was this guy I trusted. I introduced him to some bad people…” She trails off.

“Jason?”

She nods and does her best attempt at a smile. “Well, they found him.”

“That’s great.” Might be the first piece of good news I’ve heard in days.

“Not exactly.”

For the next hour, it’s her turn. She fills me in on what they’ve been through the last two days. I feel sick thinking of the choice before Vi

Leaving even more drained and tired than I felt when I arrived hours earlier, I stop as I get to the door, remembering one more unanswered question. “Whose dog tags does he wear every day? He thinks they’re his father’s.”

Not thinking it could get any worse, her answer betrays even me, sorrow oozing from her voice. Her face. Her every being. “Bought them from a used bin at the Salvation Army.”

I drive downtown and walk for hours. Getting nowhere, aimlessly thinking in circles. Finding myself in front of Nico’s gym, I decide I’m more afraid of the consequences of my inaction than the reaction I might receive. Trembling inside, I will myself steady and open the door. The guy at the front door has a face full of cuts, bruises, and bandages, and turns away quicker than I can get my voice out to speak.

But I don’t need for him to tell me if Vi

“What do you want?” he asks, his words scathing through gritted teeth.

“I wanted to see if you were okay.”

“I’m fine. Is that it?” He folds his arms across his chest, feigning indifference, although I know better. He’s hurt and in protective mode.

“I’m sorry, Vi

“You’ve said that. Anything else?”

“I never meant to hurt you.”

“You didn’t.”

I lower my head. I feel ashamed for what I’ve done, but I have no shame in telling him how I feel. I need him to know. “I love you.” A tear runs down my face.

“If you’re done, you can get the hell out, Liv.” He turns his back and storms away angrily.

Chapter 49

Liv

Whoever said that time heals all wounds obviously never met Vince Stone. I didn’t expect him to call me, certainly not come ru

“When are you telling Sleezeball?” Ally leans over the back of the couch, her arms dangling as she talks to me while I pack things up from the kitchen.

“The article is due Friday. So I figured I’d see him then. Don’t want to give them any time to do any of their own digging. The story was supposed to run in the paper the day after the fight.”

“What about your trip to D.C.?”

“Flying down Friday night. If all goes well, I’ll be back to Chicago by Saturday afternoon.” I sigh. “I really do want to see his fight. I know he doesn’t want me there, but I want to be there anyway.”

Picking up the vase of dried wild flowers I’d set on the counter the afternoon Vi

I’ve been packing for a week. My job in New York starts in seven days. I couldn’t save Vi

“What am I going to do without you?” Ally sprawls onto the couch in an overzealous display of drama, one arm thrown across her face theatrically.

“You mean who’s going to drive you places?” I tease.

Sitting upright, her response reminds me just how much I’m going to miss her. “Well, with you in New York, at least now I’ll be bicoastal!”

“You do know Chicago isn’t on a coast, right?”

“Whatever.” She waves her hand at me like the details are just not important.

Friday morning, Summer smiles at me as I come out from Sleezeball’s office. Actually, it’s less of a smile and more of a gloat. Oddly, I feel a sense of relief telling the paper that I wasn’t able to co