One More Chance
Chapter 89: Nice to finally meet you

~~~Sunrise, time flies, feels like a dream. Being close, inhaling, hard to believe. Seven billion people in the world, finding you is like a miracle only this wonder remains. Softly, slowly, love unfolding, could this love be true? Could I love you anymore? Could I love you

anymore?~~~ -Reneé Dominique-

SAM's POV: 'Ding...'

A smile crept into my lips and I got up excitedly from the couch to open the front door when I heard the doorbell ring. It's 8:30 in the morning and I was waiting for David for over 30 minutes as he promised to come with me to the coffee shop near my best friend's old apartment where he currently staying.

In a few hours, that coffee shop will be owned by me and Jack as today we will be receiving the keys from the former owner. We have already completed all the necessary papers and requirements and today is the official handling of all the legal documents. But that smile faded instantly and was replaced by surprise when it wasn't him but Luke who I saw standing at the front door. He's holding a bouquet of red roses and a large box of pizza in his hands and has a wide smile on his lips.

I suddenly held my breath when his familiar scent hit my nostrils. It made my stomach churn and for a few seconds, no words formed in my head. I was just staring at him and I gulped when he speaks. "Hi..."

My eyes moved from his lips to his eyes that were staring back at me at that moment.

"Good morning."

And that's only when I was pulled back to my sanity.

"W-What are you doing here?" I asked avoiding his gaze and went back to the living room. The thought that he's my daughter's father slipped out of my head, so I asked him that question.

"I came to greet you good morning." I heard him say and I knew he followed me behind. "I bought a pizza and some flowers for you."

I turned to him, my eyes held a silent question before a light chuckle left my lips. And then I remember, our daughter.

"Cali's still sleeping, but if you want you can just ask the maid to put the pizza in the kitchen. And as for the flowers, you can take them to her room, so when she wakes up---"

"These are for you." He interrupted me and I raised an eyebrow.

"Those are for me?" I asked him, repeating what he said and he nodded. I sighed, long and deep. "Well, thanks, but you don't have to. You can ask the maid to put them on a vase and bring it to Cali's room.

I didn't miss the disappointment that was suddenly written in his eyes after hearing my words. There was a pinch that I felt in my heart seeing how I hurt him by those simple words, but my mind loudly screamed at me 'it's the right thing to do and right words to say'.

I sat back to where I was sitting earlier before he arrived while he chose to sit across my seat. Silence filled the atmosphere for a few seconds and although I was embraced by awkwardness, I chose to stay quiet and checked the time on my wristwatch again. I silently prayed that David would come and save me from that awkward situation.

I felt his intense stares but I acted oblivious until he spoke.

"You seemed to be waiting for someone."

"Yeah, I'm actually waiting for my boyfriend." I smiled at him, emphasizing the word 'boyfriend', hoping to kill the awkwardness that was dancing in the air.

"Your boyfriend." He repeated and I widened my smile.

"Yes, he arrived last week from New York." I shrugged, little did I know that he already knew about it. "Anyway, Cali has been waiting for you these past few days, she said you haven't called her."

I noticed how his mouth agape before giving me a deep sigh. He stared at me with an emotion I couldn't read that swirled in his eyes. He seemed to have something to say but was trapped between the urge to tell them or keep them. But in the end the only answer he gave me was...

"I was busy. I took care of some personal matters."

I don't know, but suddenly I couldn't explain the feeling I felt upon hearing the words 'personal matters. It seemed to me that the meaning of those words was 'he's busy with his girlfriend', but little did I know that what he meant was that he was busy following me and David from the day he arrived in the country. He follows us every day and watches our every move without even knowing it. And because of that, he hadn't had time to visit and call his daughter.

"Hmm... I see... you took care of personal matters---"

I didn't get the chance to continue what I was going to say when I saw David enter the house.

"David."

I immediately stood up and walked over to him. The first thing I noticed was the way he looked at Lukecand

the flowers that were now resting on top of the small table.

The two men played a staring competition, but what I was confused about was the familiar look that David had given Luke. It's the first time they see each other... (well, that's what I thought)

... but they seemed to have known each other for too long.

"Babe," I uttered, caressing his arm and that was only when he glanced at me.

"Hi, babe." He said almost a whisper before capturing my lips in not just a quick kiss, but a hungry one that took me by surprise.

And since I was shocked by his action and at the same time, I remembered that we're not only the people in the living room, I slightly pushed him.

Shock, confusion and hurt registered in his eyes simultaneously when he looked at me, but he immediately flashed them and smiled as if nothing had happened.

"I'm sorry, I got carried away

and

forgot that there's another person in the living room beside us." He said brushing my lower lip with his thumb, but the way he mentioned the word 'another' didn't slip my ear. I'm not sure if it was sarcasm that I heard from his voice.

"It's alright," I said, nodding. "By the way, babe, this is Luke, Cali's father---" I hadn't finished talking yet when he spoke.

"Cali's father," he repeated, not looking at me but at Luke.

"Yes, I'm Cali's father," Luke said returning David intense gaze.

I felt how the tension began to fill the air.

"And Luke, this is David, my boyfriend." My eyes shifted from Luke to David when he smiled and took a step forward, offering his hand for a handshake. "Nice to finally meet you, Luke. I've heard a lot of stories about you."

I frowned. I have no idea what's going on in David's mind.

Luke glanced at me before accepting David's hand. "Really?"

"Yes, Cali used to tell me about her father."

It took a few seconds for them to let go of each other's hands.

-'Whew!'- I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding and grabbed David's arm.

"Ahem!" I cleared my throat to get their attention. "Anyway, babe, I think we should go. The event will start at 9:30 and we can't be late."

"Okay, let's use my car, babe." David shrugged, putting the loose strands of my hair behind my ear.

"Ahm, Luke, we'll go ahead and please take care of Cali. You can go upstairs and enter her room if you want."

"Yeah, that's what I would do," Luke said, his face devoid of emotion.

We were about to take our steps to the door when Luke called my name.

"Sam..."

I stopped and glanced at him with a deep frown painted on my forehead.

"Take care." I gulped not because of what he said, but because of the unexplained emotion, I felt at that moment. "Take good care of her, David."

"Of course! Honestly, man, you don't

have to remind that thing because that's what I've been doing since I met her and even until now... taking care of her and at the same time, love her which I know she hasn't had experienced in the past."

My hold in David's arm tightened as soon as he said those words. Luke clenched his jaws but didn't say anything which I thanked God in my head.

"Babe, let's go." I put my hand on his chest to get his attention back to me. And when he did, I whispered lowly as I looked him directly in the eye... "Let's go." And the way he let out a sigh, I know it was a sign that he was tense.

I just gave Luke a small smile before letting David take my hand and headed for his car.