Second Chance : A Rare Opportunity

Chapter 8

Sophia

I stood in front of him and screamed his name, “Daniel”.

His hands stopped in the air hearing my voice. I saw an unfamiliar emotion flashing on his face for few seconds.

“Are you going to kill him or what?” I shouted at him. He kept staring at my face. His expressions softened a bit.

I tried to take the chair from his hand and slowly said, “It’s enough now. He is just trying to infuriate you and see, he is enjoying it”.

I took the chair from his hand and he gave it to me without any struggle which he was doing against his friends.

I looked in the direction of Jack and his friends. I told them to take him away. And thankfully this time he didn’t say anything to increase Daniel’s anger and left quietly.

I glanced towards Daniel one last time and started walking in the direction of the table where I was sitting, to take my bag.

I have caused a big trouble this time and I don’t know how I am going to take myself out of it.

I took only one step when he held my wrist and turned me around to face him. His another hand made it’s way to my lips and I flinched because of the pain.

He said softly, “You are hurt. We need to treat it”. I removed my hand from his grip.

“It’s oka……” I could not even complete when he again held me by my wrist and started walking out of the cafeteria.

I don’t know why but for some unknown reason, I followed him without arguing or struggling.

His friends had shocking expressions on his face and almost everyone here was confused to see him like this.

He took me to medical room and made me sit on the bed. He then started searching for something and when he found it, he came and sat beside me.

He looked at my lips and took ointment on his finger. He started applying it on the cut on my lips. I flinched a little when it stung. He started blowing slowly.

All the while my heart was pounding so loudly in my chest as if it would pop out any time as soon as it gets chance to.

Since earlier my heart was behaving in such a way that it never did before. What’s wrong with me?

For the first time I noticed how handsome he is. His brown hair are covering his forehead. His emerald green eyes are most beautiful eyes I have ever seen.

Everything about him and about this moment seems perfect.

He lifted his eyes and our eyes met. In an instant my eye lashes dropped. He caught me staring at him. Heat rushed to my face due to shyness.

What… shyness…. Since when you started getting shy Sophia?

I looked up and my heart skipped a beat when I found him staring at my face intently. I again averted my gaze.

But a frown made it’s way to my face when I realized something. I again looked up and saw his forehead was bleeding.

My hands reached to his forehead even before I could stop them and removed his hairs, to take a better look. He flinched when my hand touched his wound. His forehead was bleeding.

But when did he get hurt. I never saw Jack or his friend hitting Daniel. He didn’t even let them punch himself once.

Again realisation hit me and I remembered the moment Jack’s friend tried to hit me with the chair. Daniel was holding broken chair in his hand when I turned around.

Does that mean he took the hit for me? I looked into his eyes and he was staring into mine.

I wanted to ask him why he did it but I didn’t.

I took the ointment from his hand and started applying it on his forehead. The side of my face was burning due to his intense gaze.

He was staring at my face continuously causing butterflies in my stomach.

To lessen the awkwardness I asked him, “Why did you take the hit?”

He shrugged his shoulders and replied, “He was being coward, attacking from behind...." he paused and again an unknown emotion flashed in his eyes.

His gaze softened when he said, "And also my heart wanted to protect you”. My heart again skipped a beat and I looked away.

I didn't want to ask but to confirm my doubt I asked, “Did you stopped my suspension, like what people are saying?”

He didn’t reply for a good minute so I looked up to find him still staring at my face.

“Daniel….” I called him.

“I love it……. My name in your voice” he said taking me off guard.

I ignored his comment and again asked, “Did you cancel my suspension?”

This time he answered, “Yes, I did”.

I nodded my head and took band aid from the first aid kit and put it on his wound.

“Won’t you ask why I did it?” He asked and I replied, “No”.

“Why? Aren’t you curious?” he asked again.

“No I am not” I said and got up from my place to make my way out of the room.

I stopped in my tracks when his next words fell on my ears.

“It’s because I don’t want you to go away, I want you to be here. It’s because I think I like you”.

I didn’t turn around and walked out of the room ignoring his words, making my way into girls washroom. I stood in front of the mirror and put my palm on my heart. It was hammering against my chest.

He said he likes me? Do you believe him, Sophia? So easily?

You don’t right? Then why is your heart fluttering like this? He didn’t mean those words, my mind was blabbering like this.

“But I guess he was being genuine” I said to myself.

“Don’t let your guards down so easily. There is no way he will fall for you so early. You beat his friends to pulp, he is just trying to get close and then take his revenge” my mind said to me.

“Yes, you are right. I should not let my guards down. I have to think using my mind and not my heart”

Saying this words to myself I decided to stay away from him and his friends.

(Flashback end)

The door of the elevator dinged and door opened making me come out of my thoughts.

I wish I had listened to my mind at that time and stayed away from him, then I wouldn’t be in such a situation.

He again started dragging me along with him and now I have stopped struggling because I know it is of no use.

He stopped walking and let go of my wrist when we reached near the edge of the terrace. He turned around with those scary raged expressions.

He is mad angry and actually speaking, it is making me a little scared.

Because nothing can stop him when he is angry. He never sees who is in front of him and does whatever, that you can’t even predict.

‘But he never got angry at you Sophia. Even if he used to get angry he never vented it out on you’, my inner self reminded.

I know. But does he still care for me?

No he doesn’t and he never did in past either. It was all pretense to get my heart and tore it apart.

But now he can be his real self and he will surely get angry at me for slapping him. I was looking at the ground, trying to avoid eye contact with him, in attempt to hide my fear for him.

I came out of my thoughts when his angry voice fell on my ear “How dare you slap……” he stopped in his track and I looked up from the ground and found him staring at my wrist.

My eyes also dropped to check my wrist to see, what is it that stopped him from venting his anger out.

It was the bruise on my wrist. His hold on my arm was painfully tight that it left a brutal bruise. All of his fingers were imprinted on my skin and it was looking ugly.

His eyes softened and he took a step closer trying to hold my hand again but I took a step back, hiding my wrist behind my back. He is feeling guilty.

“I am sorry Sophia, I didn’t mean to…..” I cut him off and asked, “What do you want to talk about that you dragged me here like this”.

I said urging him to cut to the point. He sighed and said, “I just wanted to talk to you, but you made me angry. That is why ……..” his eyes again fell on my wrist.

“Are you feeling guilty? No right? Because it’s not the first time you have hurt me. I know physically you never hurt me in past but the pain you have caused me was much worse, if you don’t know” I said accusingly.

“I am sorry……”

“Just come to the point Mr. Knight. I don’t have much time to waste with you on such a useless topic, and I think even you don’t have extra time” I said now getting impatient.

His palms balled in tight fists at my tone but he controlled his anger this time.

“Okay, So I wanted to talk to you... about Kevin, about us” he started.

“Don’t you dare take my son’s name with that mouth of yours” I said getting angry.

“First let me…..” he gritted but then took a deep breath to calm himself.

He again started, “Please let me talk first. Let me say what I have to first, please”.

I nodded my head. Let me hear what is it that he is going to say.

“I am sorry. And this time I am being genuine. I know I did wrong in the past. I was a jerk I know”.

“And when we met again after so many years, I did so many wrong things to you. I wasn’t planning to hurt you again”.

“But I was jealous to find that you have someone special in your life. I was being stupid. I now know, that special one is Kevin, our son”.

“I don’t deserve to be forgiven but please forgive me Sophia. I love you and I know deep down in your heart you still love me too”.

“Just give me one more chance. I will be good to you. I will be good to our son” he said and a beautiful smile appeared on his lips.

So this is the reason why he is apologizing. This is why he wants to get back with me and I thought in my mind, ‘Only if he knew….’.

I didn’t say anything and he continued, “Please let me be a part of his life too. He also needs a father, he needs a complete family, don’t you think so?”

“And why do you think that he is your son? It could be someone else’s. You know how big of a slut I was in the past” I asked him breaking my silence.

“I am sorry for saying all those stuff Sophia. I know better than anyone that you are not that kind of woman. I was crazy to say all those stuff to you” he paused.

“And regarding Kevin being my son, anyone can tell he is mine. He is exact copy of me when I was younger. His green eyes are proof he is mine” he completed.

“I agree, he looks a lot like you. And you know some of his habits are also like you” I said remembering Kevin’s habits and feeling sad all of a sudden.

“Really?” he said with a wide grin.

I came out of my turmoil hearing his voice. You need to compose yourself Sophia, I told myself.

I braced myself and said, “You are so happy to find him, right? You even apologized, the great Daniel Knight who never accepted his faults in the past is now apologizing and asking for a second chance”.

He was about to say something when I again started, “It shows how badly you want to know and meet your son. You must be very excited, right?”

He nodded his head and said, “I am”. Slowly confusion is taking place on his face upon hearing my words.

“But so bad that I have to break your heart Daniel” I said with a sorry expressions on my face.

“Why? Are you not going to forgive me?” he asked.

I shook my head and said, “It’s not like that”.

“Then what is it?” he asked.

“I am thinking how you will react when you find out the truth” I said.

“Don’t play games Sophia, come to the point” he said now getting impatient with my drama.

“What if I tell you that the son you are dying to meet with is not yours?” I asked.

“What are you talking about?” he asked. I saw hurt flashing on his face after hearing my words.

Yes that’s what I wanted. You should also feel the pain that I have felt since the moment I met you.

To give him more pain I said the words clearly so that he can imprint them in his mind.

“He is not your son Daniel. He is not yours”.