His Second Chance

His Second Chance

Excerpt

Prologue:

"She's gonna hurt you, you know?" Lennie whispered.

I looked at Kayla's little sister with a smile. She was such an adorable little kid.

"How’s that, Lennie?"

"Can't you ever call me Kellan? That's my name, Beckett."

She was the only person to call me by my full name. Everyone else called me Beck. Including her big sister, my girlfriend. Who I was waiting for. It was prom night. It was also the night Kayla said we could go to the next level of our relationship. We’ve been together since freshman year.

This was our senior year. I got a full ride to UT for basketball and she planned on going there to get a degree in Pharmacy.

Did I see a future with her? Yes. She was the perfect counterpart to me.

I was standing there at the end of the stairs waiting. We were late. As usual. But then, Kayla liked making sure everything was perfect before she went out. So I didn’t mind. Lennie was keeping me company. There was an eight year age gap between the two sisters and they were like night and day.

Kayla was all extrovert. Friendly. Outgoing. Social with everyone. Went to all the parties and school functions. Although Lennie was still really young, she was a quiet girl. Kept to herself and I never saw her without a book in her hands.

“Alright, Kellan. Why do you think Kayla’s gonna hurt me?”

Her face blushed a bright red and the freckles surrounding her face were like flowers blooming. Very prominent and outstanding.

“Because she doesn’t love you. She’s just using you.”

“Lennie, stop bad-mouthing me. I would never hurt Beck. You just say that because you have a major crush on him. Why don’t you go play with your dolls?”

We both turned to see Kayla step down the stairs in a vision of light blue silk and mesh. Damn. She looked perfect. Her blonde hair curled to one side. A strapless gown with beads and sparkles.

“That’s not nice, Kay.”

She stepped up to me and turned to look at a teary-eyed Lennie.

“She didn’t mean it, Lennie.”

I went to try and pat her shoulder, but she yanked away. The book in her arms clutched tight to her chest.

“Lennie?”

I’ve never seen her look so upset.

“Don’t worry about her, Beck. She’s had a like the biggest crush on you since the first time you came over when she was eight. Told me you were the ‘cutest boy she’s ever seen’. AH!”

Lennie was running up the stairs, having stepped on Kayla’s foot.

“Brat. Let’s go, Beck.”

“Maybe I should make sure she’s-

“No. We don’t have time for that. She’ll be fine. I’m ready to start tonight. Aren’t you?”

She tugged me towards the door where her parents told us to have a great time and just as I shut the door behind us, I looked up the stairs to see Lennie and the tears falling from her cheeks. I did the only thing I could do at that moment.

I mouthed, ‘I’m sorry.’

She shook her head and turned away.

⤖

“I’m pregnant.”

No way. This wasn’t happening. And in front of our parents. No wonder why Mr. and Mrs. Matthews told me to bring my parents. My father was in the Army and my mother was a stay-at-home wife. This couldn’t be happening. It was a month before we started college. We were supposed to be moving out there in two weeks.

Now this.

This couldn’t be real.

“Son. What do you have to say?”

I just looked at Kayla. I loved this girl, but how could she be pregnant. I used condoms every time. Of course they weren’t fool proof, but her being pregnant changed the course of our future.

“I-uh. Don’t know what to say.”

“Well, we aren’t going to raise this child for you Beckett. You need to provide for yourself, Kayla and your baby.”

Yeah. I knew what my father was saying. The only way to provide for them was to go into the military. I can definitely say that’s where he wanted me anyways. Our family had a line of Army personnel in it. I didn’t want that life. That’s why I worked so hard to get a full ride in basketball. It was the one thing I was good at. That and I planned on getting into the Criminal Law program at UT.

“Yes, sir.”

“Yes. I believe this will be good. Kayla, you made your bed. It’s time to grow up. I know you want to go to college, but you have a baby on the way. You need to focus on that.”

“But-

“No buts. Like the Langdon’s, we aren’t going to raise this baby. We will love it and help in anyway, but as far as taking responsibility, well. That’s up to you two.”

I felt my bright future fade and dwindle. There wasn’t a chance in hell I could go to college, play basketball and have a job that took care of us and a baby.

Fuck!

I got up and walked away. I couldn’t believe this way happening.

“Beck!”

I didn’t want to hear it. I needed some air. Like now.

“Leave him for a moment.” I heard my mother say as I walked out the back door and into the hot summer heat.

A baby? Fucking stupid. I didn’t want a baby. Now I was stuck. I was never going to get my life back.

“Beckett? Don’t cry, Beckett.”

I turned to see Lennie walk up towards the porch. She sat down next to me. I hadn’t realized there were tears falling from my eyes.

“Fuck. Crap. I’m sorry, Lennie. Today just isn’t a good day.”

She took and held my hand and said, “I know. A baby is a miracle though. It might not look like it now, but I know you’re going to be a great daddy.”

“Thanks, Len.”

She squeezed my fingers and let go. She walked inside and I couldn’t believe my world, my future was crashing and burning right in front of me.

⤖

“Don’t you think you should get out now? I mean, it’s been two years. You’re never home, Beck.”

I was on leave again. Damn, every time I came home, Kayla did nothing but argue with me. I was getting so damn tired of it.

“This is the only way I know how to make a living where we don’t have to live in some apartment in a bad part of town. We have a nice home, you have a job at the pharmacy and make good enough money to buy whatever the hell you want. All you have to do is take care of Jacob. What do you want me to do? Get out and what? Push fucking carts at Wal-Mart? Waiting tables at a restaurant? I didn’t go to college and I don’t get to until I’m done and officially can get out.”

“What do you mean, ‘buy whatever I want?’ I buy things to make this home pretty. So when your friends come over or our family comes by, they see we made it. And I buy pretty things for me so I look good for you. What’s the problem with that?”

“And Jacob? Does he get anything?”

Kayla’s gasp rang out and I could see tears start to form in her eyes. Somehow, I knew they weren’t real tears. I learned how to tell which ones were fake versus the ones that were real.

“You think I’m a bad mother?”

I wiped a hand down my face. I didn’t want to argue with her. That’s all we seem to do when I’m home. Maybe that was the reason why I usually took any deployment I could. To stay away. I knew that wasn’t fair to Kayla or Jacob, but whenever I saw Jacob, it still didn’t feel real. I didn’t know how to be a dad. I did my best, but Kayla just took it to the limits sometimes.

She always had something to say. I could never get a word in because she always talked about what we could have been if Jacob hadn’t come in the picture. What our friends from our old life thought about us. How our parents were horrible that they just basically fed us to the wolves.

Thing is, I understood why they did. We chose to have sex. I didn’t know how she could get pregnant, but I guess condoms just weren’t what they were supposed to be.

“No. I don’t think you’re a bad mother.”

“I wouldn’t have to be if you hadn’t gotten me pregnant. I mean we could have been in college, getting our degrees. I didn’t want kids either, ya know?”

“Yeah, well. Too late for that shit. And I wore a condom every time we had sex, Kayla. I thought you were on birth control.”

Everytime we got to this part of the argument, she turned mean and sadistic. I don’t know why I go there, but I do anyway.

“You think I got pregnant on purpose? That I trapped you?”

“I don’t know, Kayla. Did you?”

Any tears she thought she could shed disappeared as a sneer took over.

“Yes. Fine. You want the truth? FINE! I didn’t get in to UT. I didn’t want you to leave me. You were so excited to get out of Hanson and go to college. Start your life. You know a long distance relationship would have never worked. I didn’t mean to get pregnant, but it worked out for me. I got to keep you. I hadn’t thought our parents would have went to such extremes.”

Wow. She chose now to be honest.

“You’ve got to be kidding me? You knew how much I wanted to go there. I got a full-ride basketball scholarship and I had to turn it down. And come on. You know my family. They would have never let me go when they knew we had a baby coming. You take the cake. You know that?”

I didn’t know this girl. Not anymore.

I had to get out of here. I couldn’t be around her anymore. I stormed out with Kayla screaming out my name and cursing me. How I was a bad dad. Bad husband. I hopped into the truck and drove to the nearest gym. I needed to get out this anger that was building up and festering.

How could she do that to me? She knew how much I wanted to go to UT. Nothing I could do about it now.

I walked into the gym where a few guys were working out and I went to the punching bag. I nodded to them and took out my anger for a good hour before I calmed down enough to go back home and talk it out with Kayla. I knew I could push her buttons, just like she could push mine. She’s been great throughout this whole parenthood process and I knew she wasn’t playing me.

I was mad that she didn’t tell me the truth, but I understood. It was just the way of things. And she knew I would have never abandoned her if she was carrying my child. My father was a good man. He taught me how to be responsible and own up to the shit I’ve done. And I did that. After finidng out she was pregnant, I had signed up for the Army and we got married before I went to boot camp. I took care of my own. Jacob didn’t deserve this life. For now, it was the only one I knew how live.

I took a shower and made my way home. Turning down our street, I saw blue and red lights flashing like crazy mad. I wondered what happened. I hope they were fine, whoever it was.

As I drove closer, I noticed it was my house they were in front of. Jesus. I braked hard and threw open the door. I ran up to the gate as an officer tried to hold me back.

“That’s my house. My wife and son are in there! KAYLA! KAYLA! BABY!” I turned back to officer, who was looking at me with remorse. I heard a crying sound and looked around to see one of the female officers had Jacob in her arms. I hurried over and took him out of her arms.

“Hey, buddy. It’s daddy.” I looked around for Kayla, but I didn’t see her anywhere. “Where’s my wife? Where’s Kayla?”

“Sir?” I turned to see the officer from before walk up to me. “I’m sorry. But there was a break-in.”

“What? We’re in a gated community. How is that possible? Where’s my wife?”

“She was shot. She didn’t make it. I’m sorry.”

No. My God.

“The shooter?”

“One of the neighbors heard the shot and called 911. They saw a dark figure running out of the house and towards the entrance. One of the security guards apprehended him on the way outside. He’s in custody.

I wrapped Jacob tighter into my embrace. How could I have been so stupid? Why did I walk away? I shouldn’t have left her alone. Them alone.

Now Kayla was gone. The only girl I loved.