A SECOND CHANCE AT FOREVER Chapter 24: CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

ASHLEY

“No way we’re watching that,” I said, narrowing my eyes at the screen as the opening credits of a cheesy rom-com flickered to life.

Violet was already sinking into the couch, popcorn in hand, grinning like a mischievous cat. “Come on, it’s a classic! You can’t say no to this one. We’re spending the whole day together, Ash—just let loose.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t hide the smile tugging at my lips. This was the first time she’d ever come to my apartment, and I had to admit—having her here, away from everything that came with my chaotic lives, felt… nice. I’d be leaving for Germany soon, so I didn’t want to miss this time with her. Not after everything she'd been through.

"Why am I even friends with you?" I muttered, grabbing a handful of popcorn from the bowl between us, though I knew full well that I was already sucked in by the ridiculous charm of the movie.

“Because I’m your best friend,” Violet said smugly, grabbing another handful of popcorn and making a show of tossing it into her mouth. “And because I’m the only one who would drag you out of your comfort zone for a movie marathon.”

I snorted, leaning back into the couch as the opening scene rolled by. “Fine, but I’ll be judging you for the next two hours.”

“Oh, I’m counting on it,” she grinned, flicking a kernel of popcorn my way.

Two hours later,The movie finally finished, the credits rolling across the screen with the usual over-the-top romantic music. Violet sighed dramatically, slouching further into the couch, hands cradling the popcorn bowl.

“Well, that was painful,” I said, tossing a kernel into my mouth. “But I’ll admit, it wasn’t as bad as I thought.”

Violet shot me a sideways glance. “You say that now, but you know you secretly loved it.”

I gave her a look. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

She rolled her eyes but grinned. “Okay, okay, maybe you’re right. But seriously—how messed up was that character’s life? She deserved better, right?

I raised an eyebrow, still nibbling on the popcorn. “Yeah,  really did. That whole ‘I’m a mess but I can fix it with love’ trope is exhausting.”

“Sure the guy messed up by cheating but they should have ended up together. They were so perfect”. She paused for a moment, her fingers still wrapped around the bowl of popcorn, but her gaze had shifted, far away, lost in thought. “But… am I the only one who feels bad for him?”

I blinked, caught off guard. “What? Who?”

Her eyes flicked to mine, a shadow of something unspoken clouding her expression. “Kyle…”

The name hung between us like a weight. My chest tightened, a familiar knot forming in my stomach. For a split second, I thought I misheard her, but there was no denying it. She wasn’t joking. She wasn’t talking about some movie character.

“Kyle?” I repeated, my voice barely a whisper. “What do you mean?”

Violet let out a long sigh, shaking her head like she was trying to make sense of her own thoughts. “Okay, I know I must sound crazy right now. Trust me, it’s not just post-birth hormones talking, and Nina’s sleeping now, so don’t go accusing me of that.” She gestured towards the crib where Nina, her newborn daughter, lay peacefully sleeping. “But Kyle… It’s been years, and I’ve had time to think. Maybe he’s changed.”

I stared at her, unsure if I was hearing things correctly. “Uhm… I’m pretty sure you didn’t come all the way to New York to spend time with me just to talk about my ex-husband who cheated on me?”

Violet threw her hands up in mock surrender. “Of course not! That’s not why I’m bringing him up. It’s just… well, Ryan told me a few things.”

I raised an eyebrow, confused. “And?”

She shifted a little, her tone becoming more serious. “If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that Kyle loved you. I mean, really loved you. Right from high school. We all saw it—everyone could see it, even when he was acting like an idiot. And I hate him so much for cheating, I really do. But… he did it to save his business. I’m not saying that makes it right, because it doesn’t. It’s not justified. But I don’t know… I just feel for him.”

She paused, her fingers tightening around the edge of the popcorn bowl. “He still loves you. He arranged that trip to Vermont with Ryan, just to be near you.”

“I saw it, too,” Violet continued softly, her gaze now distant, almost reflective. “When he found out you were sick, the discomfort in his eyes was impossible to miss. I don’t know, Ashley. I just—maybe he’s not the same person he was. Maybe he’s changed.”

I felt a strange tug at my heart, a mixture of confusion and sorrow. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand where Violet was coming from. I knew the kind of strain Kyle had been under in recent years. After high school, things spiraled for him. His father’s business, Blackwood Enterprises, had been on the verge of collapse, and no amount of desperate measures could prevent it from crumbling under the weight of bad investments and poor decisions. 

Kyle had watched his father go from a man with power and influence to someone barely scraping by, trying to salvage whatever they had left. It wasn’t just the business that fell apart—it was his father’s dignity, his pride. And Kyle had been there, trying to hold it all together, to salvage the scraps of what was once a thriving empire.

Ryan and Jack were there  to support him though, to help him navigate the mess his father left behind. Kyle had always been proud, unwilling to ask for help, but in the end, it wasn’t enough. The business went bankrupt, and the life he once knew slipped through his fingers.

Yet even through all that, I knew it didn’t excuse what he did to me. What happened between us—his betrayal—was never something I could forgive. No matter how much sympathy I had for him, the pain from those years still lingered. So that wasn’t enough for me to run back into his arms.

I forced a tight smile, swallowing the lump in my throat. “That was a very heart-touching statement, Vi,” I said, trying to inject some lightness into my voice, though it came out flatter than I intended. “But can we talk about something else?”

Violet shot me a glare, her eyes narrowing into the classic ‘Wow, fair play’ look she reserved for moments when she knew I was dodging the truth.

I ignored her, shifting my gaze to Mochi who was perched lazily in her oversized cat bed, staring at us with the blank, indifferent expression that only cats could master. Her eyes were half-lidded, devoid of thought, as if the complexities of human emotions were beneath her.

For the first time in my life, I was jealous of a freaking cat.

If only I could ditch my earthly worries and spend my days wagging my tail—wait, cats don’t wag their tails—okay, flicking my tail dramatically and eating overpriced gourmet tuna straight from a crystal bowl. Mochi had no idea how good she had it. No heartbreak. No complicated exes. Just naps, treats, and the occasional laser pointer existential crisis.

“So…” I cleared my throat, desperate to steer the conversation away from the emotional landmine we’d just stepped on. “How’s the writing going? Are you working on your fourth book yet?”

Violet didn’t respond immediately. She gave me one last squinty glare before sighing, clearly deciding to let me off the hook—for now.

“Yeah,” she said, leaning back into the couch, her tone shifting back to casual. “I’ve started outlining. It’s going to be different from my last ones. Darker, maybe. Less romance, more… existential dread.”

I snorted, grateful for the shift. “So basically, you’re writing my autobiography.”

Violet chuckled, tossing a stray popcorn kernel at me. “Exactly. I’ll call it ‘The Woman Who Avoided Feelings and Lived to Tell the Tale.’”

I scoffed, catching the popcorn kernel mid-air and popping it into my mouth like the dramatic diva I secretly am. “Wow, sounds like a bestseller already. Do I at least get a dedication page? Something like, ‘To Ashley, whose emotional repression inspired millions.’”

Violet grinned, shrugging. “Oh, for sure. I’ll even add a footnote: ‘She never cried during sad movies, but give her a video of a cat hugging a dog, and it’s over.’”

I gasped, clutching my chest. “One time, Violet. One time! And it was an emotional dog. He had backstory!”

She laughed so hard she nearly knocked over the popcorn bowl. “Right, because emotional dogs are your Achilles’ heel. Got it.”

Rolling my eyes, I leaned back into the couch. “Well, at least my weakness isn’t sobbing over fictional characters who make poor life choices. ‘Oh no, he’s a brooding billionaire with commitment issues, but I can fix him.’”

Violet’s jaw dropped in mock offense. “First of all, that trope is iconic. Second of all, you’re just mad because you know you’d fall for the brooding billionaire in real life.”

I pointed a finger at her. “False. I’d fall for his personal assistant. Less drama, better snacks.”

She snorted, nearly choking on her popcorn. “Honestly, same.”

The room fell into a comfortable silence for a moment, the movie’s end credits rolling lazily on the screen

I didn’t want to admit it out loud, but I was going to miss her more than I thought.