Second Chance

A man agreed

Marcus slammed his cup on the table, shouting, “What an i***t! Who does she think she is?!” His buddy chuckled at his outburst. “Come on, man, chill out. Did you really think she’d stick around after you two broke up?” he replied.

Marcus quickly poured himself another drink. “I had no idea she was pregnant, Jack!” he said, downing the tumbler in one gulp.

Jack sighed, finishing off his own drink. “Honestly, you look so miserable. You can’t expect her to stay with someone who has feelings for her best friend.”

Marcus shot back, “What about the baby?” He was furious, grabbing the bottle to refill his glass again. He poured until the liquid started to dribble over the edge; the bottle was finally empty.

He tossed the bottle onto the cupboard and scratched his head as Jack looked at him with a mix of disbelief and disgust. “Let’s change the subject,” Jack suggested. “You know I’m always on the hunt for girls to paint—”

“Wait a minute,” Marcus interrupted, clenching his fists. “You should be helping me come up with a plan to win her back!”

Jack chuckled at his friend's comment, saying, “Isn’t it obvious? Just go find her!” He flashed a grin. Marcus, clearly irritated, shot back, “Alright, I’ll find her. But how do I convince her to come with me?”

Jack got up, sauntered over, and gently poked Marcus in the chest, whispering with a smirk, “You need to drop to your knees and plead.” With that, Marcus shoved him, sending Jack tumbling to the ground in laughter.

“Come on, man! What do you expect me to say?” Jack teased, still giggling. Meanwhile, Marcus rested his chin on the table, his frustration growing. “I shouldn’t have to tell you anything; you should be the one giving me advice!” He clenched his fists, clearly agitated. “Inviting you over seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Jack sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. “For someone who’s known me for nine years, you sure don’t act like it.”

“You’re the only one who hasn’t let me down,” Marcus said, staring at his glass. Jack examined him closely and smiled. “I just haven’t gotten into the right mindset yet.”

Marcus rested against the chair, gazing up at the starry night sky. "Jack, do you think I'm the issue here?" he asked. After a moment of silence, Jack shifted his position and replied, "Honestly, most of the time."

Marcus let out a laugh. "You’re as brutally honest as ever."

Jack looked down at his feet, rubbing one against the other. "No point in sugarcoating things; that only creates more trouble. But I believe the messes you make usually have simple fixes." Marcus turned his attention to Jack. "What do you mean?"

Jack continued, still staring at the stars with a look of disdain. "Most of them could be resolved if you'd just say you're sorry. Although, this one’s a bit trickier."

Marcus felt like he was sinking under the weight of his own thoughts. Was he really the villain for wanting her to stick around? He moved over to the bar and grabbed another bottle. "Lavish & Stones," he read aloud, still trying to wrap his head around what it really meant.

"Ready for another one?", He showed the bottle to Jack who shook his head in horror. "No thanks, I wanna get home tonight", He joked looking at the clock opposite him. Marcus scoffed, "More for me then".

He took a small sip of the drink, his tastebuds confirming it's worthiness to see if he would take another. "I might take your advice to heart, Jack", He added.

Jack smiled, "Should I be thrilled or worried? I’ve never heard you speak like this before." He raised an eyebrow, curious about what had triggered this unexpected shift. "I've been doing some soul-searching. It seems people are happier when I’m not around," Marcus said, taking another sip and pausing to reflect after each one.

Jack typically found evenings like this frustrating. Watching Marcus drink himself into a haze while blaming others for his issues wasn’t exactly his idea of a good time. Yet, Marcus always reached out whenever he felt lonely, and Jack's disdain for these nights only seemed to grow.

But tonight felt different.

"You’re not a bad guy, Marcus. You’re just a bit lost on how to be a good one," Jack remarked.

"Then show me," Marcus urged. "Teach me how to be a better person."

Jack chuckled softly, "There’s no magic formula. Just take a good look at the mess you've made, sort it out, and then feel free to ask me again."

Marcus stretched out his arms and legs as he got up. "You sticking around tonight?" he asked, still in the midst of his stretching. Jack shook his head, replying, "I told you I want to head home. Your place just reeks of alcohol, and I'm not up for that."

"Well, you'll have to deal with it for now... until I sort my life out," Marcus shot back. Jack playfully slapped him on the back and laughed, "That’s my guy! I knew I could count on you." Marcus chuckled and returned the playful hit.

"You mentioned something about a girl you were going to paint," Marcus said as he took the glasses to the sink. Jack propped his leg on the table and exclaimed, "Oh yeah! I was at this café and saw this girl..."

"I can hear you, you know," Mrs. Derson said playfully, giving him a light tap with the pan. He smiled back, taking her hands and pulling her closer. "I’m really sorry, my love. Someone just got under my skin."

Abigail, who also went by Mrs. Derson, settled beside Mr. Derson, gently running her fingers through his hair. "Luca, sweetheart, don’t entertain such dark thoughts again, okay? You're a lawyer," she added with a giggle.

He leaned his head against her shoulder, grinning. "I promise I won’t, darling... unless it’s for you. I wouldn't hesitate for a second if I had to protect you," he said, tenderly cupping her cheek.

Abigail felt a rush of warmth and playfully pushed his head away. "Stop it, Luca! You’ve got to ease up on the flirting," she said, averting her gaze to hide her now tomato-red cheeks.

Mr. Derson chuckled and took her hand. "Alright, alright, I’m sorry," he said with a grin.

Abigail beamed and stood up, saying, "I really have to head home now; my curfew is 10 PM." She picked up her bag from the bed.

Mr. Derson groaned playfully and hugged her tightly. "Already? I can't wait until you turn 18 so we can skip this whole curfew thing. You could just stay with me all the time!"

Abigail returned the hug with a smile, adding, "Honestly, I wish more people understood that the age gap between 16 and 45 isn’t as huge as they think."