Free Everyone Deserves a Second Chance by Alyssa Shannon

leaving."
    She grabbed one suitcase
and then another and shoved it into the trunk of her car. From
inside the car she could still hear Garrett screaming and crying.
    "The motel isn't
cheap."
    "Who said I was
going to the motel?" She snapped as she slammed the trunk
closed. With an angry huff she opened the drivers side door and
got in. As she pulled the door shut and started the car Marcus
crossed the distance and stood directly in front of her car.
    Annoyed Lindsey rolled
down her window. "What are you doing? Get out of the way."
She snapped.
    "You're not going
back to him."
    "Marcus get out of
the way or I swear I'll run you over." Her eyes flashed fire
and she put the car into gear.
    "You're not gonna
run me over."
    "Wanna bet?"
She could feel her foot itching to hit the gas pedal.
    "You came to me for
help." His voice was soft yet pleading.
    "I…don't—don't
wanna go!" Garrett sobbed from the back seat. He pulled at
his seatbelt and cried harder. "I—wanna stay here!"
    "He'll do it again,
you know he will. That's why you came in the first place. Don't
try to fool yourself. I know how much he scares you. You would
have blown my head off if the shotgun were loaded."
    Lindsey drew in a shaky
breath. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes. The cold
sense of terror she'd felt that night was again spreading
throughout her stomach. When the tears started to stream down her
face she put the car in park and turned it off.
    As she got out of the car
Marcus was suddenly before her. He took her face in his hands and
wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. Finally he
pressed a kiss to her forehead before he pulled away. "Thank
you."
    Lindsey could only nod as
she wiped at her face with her hands. She watched as Marcus
pulled open the back seat and took Garrett into his arms.
    "Shhh, its okay
buddy. How about we go inside and get some hot chocolate? You
like hot chocolate don't you?" Marcus asked as he shifted
the boy to his hip and followed Lindsey back inside.
    Garrett nodded as his
sobs subsided into drawn apart hiccups and then a watery smile.
    "Good."
    In the kitchen Marcus
bent to set Garrett down in a chair but he immediately started
screaming and held tighter to Marcus's neck.
    "Okay, okay. It's
all right. You're not going anywhere." Marcus soothed the
boy as he sat down on a chair and held him closer. With a hand he
wiped away the tears streaming down his face.
    "I guess I'll make
the hot chocolate then." Lindsey said with a sniff and went
to rummage around the kitchen. Within minutes she was handing the
steaming cup to her son and warning him that it was hot as she
took a seat at the table across from the two of them.
    Garrett took a few sips
of the drink before he let Marcus set it down on the table and
curled closer to his chest. His crying continued to slow until it
stopped. Within minutes he was asleep, his head pressed against
Marcus's shoulder.
    Lindsey sighed at the
picture the two of them made. Sadly she stood up and took
Garrett's cup to the sink. When she'd washed and dried it she
turned to look at the two of them again. Marcus was watching her.
    "He should have been
yours." She said in a near whisper. It was true that Garrett
looked a lot like Marcus. They both had the same dark hair and
intense eyes. Watching the little boy sleeping in his arms only
made her heart ache harder.
    "Look Lindsey. About
upstairs—"
    "I'm sorry. It won't
happen again." She said quickly cutting him off mid
sentence.
    "Let me finish."
Marcus continued, looking down at the little boy in his lap and
then back up at her. "You have a life Lindsey. You have a
husband, even though he's filthy as scum, and you have a great
son. You have a whole life without me. It has to stay that way."
    "I shouldn't have
come here. This was a mistake." She fretted, wringing her
hands together and then pressing them to her forehead.
    "No. You needed to
come. I think we both needed it." Marcus sighed. Lindsey
could see the warring emotions in