ONE MORE CHANCE

KARIMA HEART

Minutes later, Malcom finally stepped out of the room—probably done sulking. I didn’t bother glancing his way. I just kept dishing out a bowl of spaghetti at the dining like he wasn’t even there.

He pulled out a chair gently, as if tiptoeing around my mood. I held back a smirk. He was either stalling before apologizing which would mean surrendering or trying to act cool until the silence broke him.

I slid a bowl of food and a glass of juice in front of him.

“Thank you,” he muttered.

And then, of course, Mr. Annoying strolled out of his room, hand-in-hand with Mrs. Sassy. My eyes narrowed as she clung to Owain’s arm like she couldn’t breathe without him.

Seriously, where did she think she was? A hotel suite? Or maybe Owain’s house, acting like she owned the place just because she could hold his hand in public.

She tugged him into the seat across from Malcom and parked herself in the chair directly facing me.

I served them both. God knows it took all the self-control in me not to drown Owain’s spaghetti in salt.

“Excuse me, but can I get a smoothie instead?” Yasmin said, already tying a napkin around her neck like she was dining at a five-star restaurant instead of someone else’s house.

I shot her a glare. Owain leaned in, whispering something to her, but clearly, she didn’t care.

“No, Owain, you know I like to take smoothies with my pasta.”

Malcom cut in before I could respond. “It’s okay. Karima will make you one. You’re Owain’s guest… so, you’re mine too.”

I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they might fall out. Was he being serious right now?

“Please, Karima,” Malcom said, turning to me. His voice was soft and gentle. Too d*mn gentle. And his eyes? Begging to the state of surrendering.

With a sigh, I turned toward the kitchen to make her d*mn smoothie.

"You can add some avocado, if you have it," she chimed in like she was placing an order at some five-star spa.

The nerve.

No 'please,' no 'thank you', just vibes and entitlement. But for Malcom’s sake, I swallowed the eye-roll bubbling at the edge of my soul.

Hell knows, I nearly turned around and said, “How about you make it your d*mn self?” But no, I kept it together.

A minute later, I returned with her precious smoothie, then finally sat down to eat my now-cold spaghetti.

Just as I took a bite, she started up again.

“So… you’re the famous Malcom I’ve heard so much about from Owain?”

Malcom offered his usual polite smile. “That’s me. Though Owain hasn’t mentioned you.”

She twirled some spaghetti, then looked back at him.

“That’s because he doesn’t talk about his girlfriends. He never sticks with them long, so it'd be a hassel introducing a new one every time. But I’m different. We’ve been together for three whole months. it’s a record for him.”

Owain coughed. A fake, awkward one. He shifted a little in his seat.

“How about we just finish eating, Yasmin?” he said, his voice slightly tight.

“Right. Because talking about how you change girls like shirts is such a sensitive topic.”

She went back to eating like she hadn’t just slapped him with words.

The silence returned... and God, I loved it. I wasn’t in the mood for chatter and it wasn’t like I even joined their conversation. I didn’t have to. But I just wanted the evening-peace to continue.

My phone buzzed.

It was a text. I sighed inward.

"PLEASE PICK UP MY CALL, KARRY"

F*cking Nathan.

I locked the screen and went back to my food.

I had ignored his ten missed calls, and now an SMS? After what he pulled on campus?

What was he gonna say? That I wasn’t supposed to catch him screwing her in a hotel room?

Or maybe explain how screwing her in a hotel was just an accident?

My stomach tightened, and suddenly the cold spaghetti in front of me looked like rubber.

“You're still in college, right?” Yasmin piped up again.

Jesus! Does this girl ever shut up?

I pretended I didn’t hear her, but it was obvious who she was talking to. But still, I held onto to the silence for a long second.

“Yes,” I mumbled eventually.

“Got a boyfriend?”

“Yasmin, stop,” Owain said sharply—not yelling at her, but close.

“What? I’m just asking. If she doesn’t wanna answer, she won’t.”

And for some dumb reason… I answered.

“Yes. I do.”

Where the hell that came from? I had no clue. It just flew out.

I stood up, scooped my plate, and walked it to the sink.

The bell rang just as I picked up my juice.

“I’ll check it,” I said, already heading for the door...

And boom!My mouth dropped open.

Nathaniel Lancaster???

I instinctively snapped my head back to check on Malcom. Thank God, they were still knee-deep in whatever pointless conversation Yasmin had started again.

I stepped out, shut the door behind me, grabbed Nathan by the wrist, and dragged him outside the gate.

The second we stopped, I turned to him with a glare that could’ve cut glass.“What the hell are you doing here, Nathan?”

“What do you mean? You ignored all my calls. I didn’t have a choice but to come here.”

“For what?!” I barked.

“I just want us to talk. You can’t keep avoiding this like we’re kids.”

Was he serious right now?“ I get to decide if I want to talk about it or not. That’s my choice, not yours. And this is the last time you’re showing up at my house. You hear me?”

I spun around to walk off, but he grabbed my arm...And d*mn it... I felt it.

That warmth, that soft pull in my chest.I hated it. I hated that I still felt anything at all for him.

This guy had cheated on me with my d*mn best friend. And he hadn’t even bothered to deny it.

Still... my body remembered him.And I hated that more.

I shoved his hand away and looked him straight in the eye.“We’re done, Nathan. OVER. So stop calling me, stop showing up, and stop acting like we’re still anything. I mean it.”

He scoffed, like I’d just told the world’s funniest joke.“No, you don’t. You might’ve walked away, but I never said I was done.”

“F*ck you, Nathan.”

He dropped to his knees right there, his eyes locking with mine.

I ran a hand through my hair, pacing back and forth, barely able to contain the shaking in my chest.

“I messed up, I admit it,” he said. “But I’ll make it right. Just give me one more chance.”

“I gave you that a thousand times, and you ruined every single one. We’re done.”

“Fine. But at least see Juliet. She’s been crying nonstop. She just wants to see you, just once. I promise. This’ll be the last favor I ever ask of you.”

I hesitated.God, of all things he could think of, it was his sister he decided to use on me.

“I can’t. Just tell her we’re over. It’s not that hard.”

“It is. You know it is. You can’t walk away from her like this.”

I exhaled slowly and shifted my gaze.

“Okay. Just this once.”

“Thank you, Karry.”

Then he smiled.That same smile that used to melt every bit of resistance I had.

“I’ll go grab my purse,” I said, turning to head back inside...And froze in my step.

Owain had just stepped out the door.

I locked eyes with him for a second, but his gaze first looked me down before moving to Nathan.

“Hello, Nate,” he said coolly.