One More Chance by Jaycelle Rodriguez

Chapter 188: What is going on?

"Hmhm... and | love you so much!" | could no longer find my tongue when she suddenly stood up and kissed me

on the cheek as she grinned widely at me.

"Ahh... | love you too, my sweet bunny," | pulled her into my arms and kissed her on the forehead. | even gave

her the sweetest smile | could have ever given that night but deep inside, puzzlement was swirling in my head.

It seemed like they were hiding something from me. | tried looking around for any clues and even stared at my

best friend who I'm sure knew what was going on that night. Her lips were twitching and she kept biting them... a

sign that she was anxious over something or maybe she was just trying to hold back her laughter... whatever!

"Why?" she asked when she foundlooking at her but | just raised an eyebrow and gave her an even more

intent look. "Whoa! Why are you looking atlike that?" she asked again, grinning. "I don't remember doing

anything wrong to you,"

"Tss! Yeah, really! But | know you!" | replied without even batting an eyelash.

"Oh, gosh, Sam?"

"I've known you for so long that I've already memorized how many times you fart even when you're sleeping!"

"Jeez! Samantha!" her eyes widened as her face turned quickly into crimson red.

"So, | don't believe you! | know you're not tellingthe truth!"

"But"

She was about to say something but was cut off when we heard my mother's voice on the stage again.

"In this new path you will be taking, | want you to know, my sweetie, that your Daddy and | will always be here,"

Mom said causing my eyebrow to knit and my face to crumple. "Jeez, Mom! Why are you saying all these things

all of a sudden?" | asked her even though | knew she couldn't hear me.

"| also want you to remember that even then until wherever life takes you, we always have your back... we will

always have your back... just as always," Dad added with a wink.

My jaws dropped as a burst of an awkward smile left my lips.

"Wait a minute, why do | have a feeling this is my wedding or that I'm going to get married any minute from

now?" | asked again as | continued to watch them on the stage. "Yeah, that's just a normal feeling," Jack said

behindbut since | was too focused on what my parents were blabbing about, | missed it.

The only thing | heard was her last question because she pattedon the shoulder to get my attention.

"Sam, why didn't Luke attend Mom and Dad's wedding anniversary celebration?" A frown instantly crept across

my forehead when | heard her question because if | remember correctly, she had already askedthe same

question earlier before the party began. But then again, | just chose to answer it also for the knowledge of the

other guests who were listening to our conversation.

"Well, he said he still has an important meeting and they have a new client, and | think it's one of the biggest

real estate companies in the Philippines so, he decided to stay there for a few more days or maybe a week to

help his team."

"Ohh... | see," she said with a nod. "So he's going to stay there for a week, huh?" she smiled widely.

Jeez-- she better thank God that we were at a party because otherwise, | sure as hell would have punched her

and vanished the mischievous grin that kept irritatingto the core!

"Yup," | nodded, stretching a smile after heaving a sigh.

| wanted to ask her why she had to askthat question again but seeing my brother smirk next to her made

my eyebrow lift in no time. But then again, | chose to keep my annoyance inside and decided to wait for the

party to get over and swear to get back to them no matter what.

| was about to turn my eyes back in

front when suddenly, a loud 'eherm' coming from the person on the stage got our attention. The spotlights were

all focused behind him and were so bright that were almost blinding so we couldn't get to see his face or even

his body.

"Is that a singer, dancer, or what? Why do they have to put a lot of spotlight behind whoever that person is?" |

asked waiting for the performer to sing or do something on the stage. But then my breath suddenly caught in my

throat as what | thought was a performer spoke again.

"Good evening, everyone,"

And suddenly a quote | read in one of the books that | was reading a few days ago cto my head.

*...Sometimes the heart feels what the eyes cannot see and knows what the mind cannot understand...* -'Is...

that... Luke?'- my heart screamed inside my ribcage.

"Good evening, Mom, Dad, my lovely daughter, and everyone who is here tonight"Good evening, Mom, Dad, my

lovely daughter, and everyone, The first set of words that person uttered but enough for my little traitor heart to

jump and squeal inside my chest.

Because this heart knows it's him!

Then the spotlights slowly turned off and the person who I thought to be a performer who was just going to

entertain us tonight finally revealed himself and he was none other than... Luke Marcuz Williams. "Luke!" |

unconsciously uttered, looking at the dashingly handsman standing on the stage.

Now the question is... what is he doing here? When | thought he said he still had to stay in the Philippines for a

week? But that thought hung in mid-air when he called my attention and our eyes met.

"And of course, to my girlfriend and the mother of my child, Sam." He paused and stared atintently.

"Sweetheart..."

| gulped. I noticed my hands were trembling. If earlier | could still count the beats of my heart, now it feels like

it's going to explode at any moment due to the surprise, excitement, and nervousness creeping altogether in my

chest.

"I know there are a lot of questions running through your head right now, but | promise to answer them one by

one later. For now, lettake this opportunity that I just asked your parents for a moment,"

"Yeheee!" | heard my best friend

squealing from the back and | slowly

turned to her with a death glare wanting to snap at her the words 'Is this why you have been grinning like crazy

since earlier?’ but she was fast to defend herself even though | hadn't even spoken a single word.

"I'm sorry but I'm not sorry," she only said with a wink and my lips twitched.

And before | could even utter a word, the sound of the guitar interrupted my thoughts and was now heard

throughout the venue. | turned around only to see Luke holding a guitar and was now getting ready to sing on

the stage. -'What is going on?'- | asked in my head and looked down to see my daughter as she squeezed my

hand.

She didn't say anything. She just smiled and then turned her eyes back to her father.

"Hooray!"

"Yeah, that's my boy!"

| just chuckled when | heard Dale and Jack scream behindat the stwhen Luke started strumming his

guitar.

"I was good at the gwhen | had nothin’ to lose, then you started playin’ it changed all of the rules. I stole my

share of good hearts in the night, then vanished before the dawn. And for the first tin my life, | know exactly

what | want..."