A SECOND CHANCE AT FOREVER Chapter 67: CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN

ASHLEY

If I had to describe Kyle Blackwood after I came back to New York, self-sacrificing wouldn’t even make the list.

The man was ruthless, calculated—always putting his business first, always prioritizing power, always chasing the next deal.

But abandoning his work? Leaving his empire unattended? That wasn’t just out of character; it was unthinkable.

Yet, over the past few days, I had to admit I might need to reconsider. Because against all odds, Kyle had been here. Patient. Focused. Entirely dedicated to me—not as a possession, not as a past mistake he needed to fix, but as a person he refused to let sink.

Literally.

Instead of sitting in some high-rise office making billion-dollar deals, he’d spent his time guiding me through a series of visualization and meditation exercises, coaching me through my first real attempt at swimming.

And when I’d asked why—when I’d pointed out that surely Blackwood Enterprises wouldn’t run itself—he’d simply said, “It’s a matter of priority.”

Like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

And if you’d told me three months ago that I’d be visualizing and meditating with Kyle freaking Blackwood, I would’ve laughed in your face. Hard. Maybe even insulted you for being delusional because if there was one person I swore I’d steer clear of for the rest of my life, it was him.

But sometimes, reality is stranger than fiction.

And you know what? The exercises actually helped.

I’d started small—closing my eyes, imagining myself near a body of water, and using deep breathing techniques to steady my nerves. At first, even picturing it made my pulse race. The sound of waves, the vast emptiness of deep water—it all sent panic clawing up my throat. But Kyle had been patient, walking me through every step, grounding me whenever my breathing hitched.

We began with controlled environments—visualizing pools, then small ponds, working up to lakes. And it wasn’t just theory. Kyle had started taking me to real bodies of water, easing me into the environment at my own pace. I’d stood near the edges, letting my toes skim the surface, feeling the coolness seep into my skin. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

I wasn’t cured—not even close. The fear was still there, lurking beneath the surface, but for the first time in years, I could think about water without feeling like I was drowning in my own mind.

And today?

Today was the real test.

The first day I would step into the pool.

The pool stretched before me like an unspoken challenge, its surface shimmering under the soft afternoon light. It was quiet—too quiet. No waves, no ripples, just an expanse of still, endless blue that made my stomach twist with unease.

Kyle stood beside me, his presence steady and unwavering. He wasn’t rushing me, wasn’t pushing. He was just there, his hands in his pockets, watching me with a patience I wasn’t sure I deserved.

I exhaled slowly, my fingers curling into fists. “This is stupid.”

“It’s not.”

“I feel stupid.”

“You’re not.”

I shot him a glare. “Do you have an answer for everything?”

His lips twitched. “Pretty much.”

I huffed, my eyes flicking back to the water. My heart was pounding—too fast, too loud. My body had already decided it was in danger, even though I hadn’t taken a single step forward.

Kyle must have noticed because his voice softened. “You don’t have to do this today.”

I let out a humorless laugh. “If I don’t do it today, I’ll never do it.”

He didn’t argue, just let me take my time.

I swallowed hard. My body screamed at me to back away, to turn around and pretend this had never happened. But I was so tired of being afraid.

I took a deep breath. Then another. Then, before I could talk myself out of it, I stretched my foot forward—

And stepped in.

Cold.

That was the first thing I registered. The water was cold against my skin, a shocking contrast to the warm air. My breath hitched, my muscles locked up, and for a second, I thought I was going to lose it right then and there.

Kyle moved instantly, stepping in beside me, his hand hovering near my arm but not touching. “Breathe,” he said quietly. “You’re okay.”

I wasn’t sure if I believed him, but I forced myself to take a breath anyway. Then another.

The water lapped against my ankles. It was fine. I was fine.

Kyle studied me for a long moment. “Do you want to go deeper?”

Every instinct in me screamed no, but I gritted my teeth and gave a short nod.

An inch at a time, I moved forward, letting the water climb up my legs. My breathing was shaky, but I kept going until it reached my knees.

Kyle was still beside me, close enough that I knew he’d catch me if I panicked, but far enough that it was still my choice. He wasn’t holding me up. I was doing this on my own.

The realization hit me like a quiet, powerful wave.

I was doing this.

For the first time in my life, I was standing in the water—not drowning, not frozen in fear. Just standing.

A small, unexpected laugh bubbled up in my throat. “Holy shit.”

Kyle arched a brow. “Good holy shit or bad holy shit?”

“I don’t know yet,” I admitted, breathless.

He grinned. “That’s progress.”

I let out another shaky laugh, my grip on my fear loosening just a little. Maybe, just maybe, I could do this after all.

Kyle waded deeper into the pool, the water lapping at his waist, and turned to face me with an easy grin. “You’re not running for the exit yet. That’s a good sign.”

I rolled my eyes. “You act like I just climbed Mount Everest.”

“For you, this is Everest,” he said simply. “And you’re already halfway up.”

A reluctant smile tugged at my lips, but I quickly masked it with a scowl. “I still don’t like it.”

“Yet.”

I exhaled sharply. “God, you’re annoying.”

“And yet, here you are, trusting me to teach you how to swim.” He smirked. “Deep down, you like having me around.”

I splashed water at him without thinking. It was a reflex—one born out of irritation and pure instinct.

The moment the water hit his chest, I froze.

Kyle blinked at me, his smirk fading into something more calculated. “Did you just—”

“I didn’t mean to!” I blurted. “It was a mistake.”

His expression turned downright wicked. “Oh, Freckles,” he murmured, shaking his head. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

My stomach dropped. “Kyle, no—”

He didn’t give me time to protest. In one swift movement, he sent a wave of water splashing toward me. I barely had time to react before the cold hit me square in the face.

I gasped, sputtering. “You asshole!”

Kyle was laughing. Actually laughing—deep and unrestrained, 

Something about it caught me off guard.

I didn’t think. I just retaliated.

I scooped up as much water as I could and threw it at him, but he was already moving, dodging the worst of it. “Nice try,” he taunted. “But you’re gonna have to do better than that.”

“Oh, you’re dead,” I declared.

Before I could launch another attack, he lunged forward and scooped me up with ridiculous ease. I shrieked, instinctively grabbing onto his shoulders as he spun us both in the water.

“Kyle!” I gasped, my grip tightening.

He was laughing again, the sound vibrating through his chest beneath my palms. “Still scared?”

“Yes, because you’re a menace!”

“That’s not what I asked.”

I scowled at him, but he was right. I wasn’t thinking about the water anymore. I wasn’t frozen in fear or hyper-aware of the fact that I couldn’t swim. Instead, I was caught up in this—the ridiculousness of Kyle carrying me like I weighed nothing, the way my body had reacted instinctively to hold onto him.

And the fact that, despite the water surrounding us, I wasn’t panicking.

He slowed, his grip loosening just enough that I felt grounded but not caged. I was still in the water, still waist-deep, but I wasn’t afraid.

His expression softened. “See? You’re doing better than you think.”

I swallowed hard, my heartbeat uneven for reasons that had nothing to do with fear now.

Kyle and I weren’t supposed to be here—not like this. We weren’t supposed to be laughing together in a pool, teasing each other like nothing had ever gone wrong between us.

But for some reason, in this moment, it didn’t feel so impossible.

I cleared my throat. “You do realize I’m still gonna get revenge, right?”

He arched a brow. “Revenge? You? Please.”

I smirked. “Watch me.”

I caught him off guard, pushing off his chest with just enough force to send a proper splash of water right into his face.

Kyle sputtered, blinking water from his eyes. Then he let out a slow, dramatic sigh. “Freckles, you just declared war.”

I grinned. “Bring it on, Blackwood.”

And just like that, the pool was a battlefield.

We threw water at each other with reckless abandon, laughing like we hadn’t in years. It was childish. Silly. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like myself.

Not the version of me that had been hurt, or scared, or running from the past. Just Ashley.

And Kyle? He wasn’t the man who had broken my heart. Not in this moment.

Right now, he was just the man who had once been my husband. The man who had made me laugh until I couldn’t breathe.