Chapter 28 A Second Chance

Anna chocked on the coffee and cookie in her mouth and stared at him amazed. She had known him since high school and even though he had liked her it had never happened. Now here they sat as adults, one of them married and one about to be and he was bringing up the possibilities now?
“Can’t say I ever did.” She said quietly as she met his gaze.
“Not even once?”
“Well there were times in high school that I might have wondered, but like I said things work out for a reason.”
Anthony reached over and put his hand on hers and squeezed her fingers. “I think that running into you today was a sign, we don’t see each other in years and now we run into each other out of the blue just when I’m doubting everything with Seline, It seems like fate.”
“I think you are putting too much into this, it was nice to see you again, and it’s always nice to catch up with an old friend.”
“An old friend? don’t you remember when I kissed you senior year? I definitely felt something.”
Anna smiled as she remembered his drunken kiss at a party senior year. John had been furious and had wanted to beat Anthony to a pulp. Anna had assured him that nothing happened except a drunken mistake on Anthony’s part. John had always been wary of Anthony ever since.
“You were lucky you didn’t feel John’s fists, it was thanks to me that you didn’t. If I hadn’t assured John that it was a drunken mistake on your part he would have kicked your butt.”
Anthony crossed his muscular arms over his chest and smiled brightly. “He could have tried, but can I tell you a secret? It wasn’t a mistake, I wasn’t anywhere near drunk when I kissed you.”
Anna looked at him in shock, she was sure he had been drunk when he’d kissed her. Now his smiling face told a different story.
“What? I can’t believe you pretended to be drunk just to kiss me!”
“How else was I going to do it without getting killed if it didn’t work out?”
“Anthony! I’m not sure if I should be creeped out or flattered.”
“I’m hoping you are flattered,” Anthony said with an apologetic shrug “I also hope it gets you thinking about what we both might want now.”
“Anthony I’m married, you know that right?”
“I know,” he sighed as he took a long draw of his coffee “I saw the announcement when you guys got married, I wanted to say something before the wedding but I wasn’t sure if it would matter.”
“So why say something now?” Anna asked in a panic as she looked into Anthony’s eyes. “What would make you think things are different now?”
“Hearing Seline mention his morning that Isabel was moving into the cottage on the estate really made me think. I spent the whole ride over to Minx thinking about how it must be hell living there.”
“How is this your business?”
Anthony slid into the seat next to her and wrapped an arm around her chair, leaning into her space. “I saw how miserable you looked when you came into the store today. You didn’t look happy.”
Anna opened her mouth to answer but he cut her off with a swipe of his hand “If I don’t say this now I probably won’t ever get a chance to. It may seem kind of old romance novel cheesy but there is no other way to say this.”
“Say what?” Anna said leaning back as far as possible.
“That I love you, I’ve loved you since we were kids. I’ve tried pretending that I don’t but it hasn’t worked. I can lie to myself all I want but the truth is I’ve been bouncing from girlfriend to girlfriend since I heard you got married, hell even before if I’m honest.”
“Anthony,” Anna said trying to halt his speech “ You know John and I have been together since middle school and you are engaged to Seline.”
“Seline,” he huffed pulling back “I really wanted to defend you more at the store, I’m sorry I didn’t.”
“But why are you engaged to her then if you don’t love her or even like her?”
“A modern-day arranged marriage is the easiest way to explain it. I didn’t protest too much at first because the woman I really want is already married.”
“Anthony…I” Anna began but Anthony silenced her as he moved closer.
“I’ve wanted to tell you forever and I feel like a total loser saying this to you when you are married but I have to. Anna If you were mine I would worship the ground you walk on, you would never want for anything, no one can love you the way I do.”
“What about John?”
“Anna, I want you to divorce John and marry me.”