Love's Second Chance novel Chapter 4

Jonathan parked outside the restaurant that couples frequented.

The two were about to exit the car and enter the restaurant. That was when Zara took out the phone, which had been inside her pocket the entire time, and handed it to Jonathan. "I brought your phone out for you."

Jonathan hummed in acknowledgment, then instinctively glanced down at it. A few seconds later, silence filled the space around them.

Zara's heart sank deeper into her chest. "What's wrong?"

Jonathan put away his phone and spoke impassively. "Something came up at the company. I don't think I can join you for this meal. You'll have to eat alone. I'll go with you next time, okay?"

That sank Zara's heart into the pit of her stomach. Her lips tugged as she questioned, "Is it that important? Can't you go another time?"

"Yeah, it is." Jonathan probably felt guilty because he leaned in to kiss her cheek. "I'll go with you next time, Zar."

After saying that, he drove off.

Zara watched him leave, her heart sinking deeper until it vanished entirely. As expected, she saw several new posts on Harper's Instagram that afternoon.

Harper's nine latest posts were pictures of delicious food and her trip to the amusement park. One of the pictures showed a man's hand, which Harper had deliberately posted.

Nobody knew that hand better than Zara. That hand caressed her face, hugged her tight, and held her hand numerous times.

That hand in the picture kept reminding Zara that her boyfriend of eight years had turned down their date to accompany another girl to the amusement park.

…

Zara sat in her quiet bedroom. She shut her eyes, thinking that perhaps she and Jonathan should have a proper chat this time. She waited until the sky darkened, but Jonathan never came home.

Instead, Zara received a call from Jonathan's friend, Cole Hoffman.

"Zara, Jonathan's at the race track and is racing against someone with his life on the line. Please hurry over and convince him not to do it!" Cole sounded beyond anxious.

A frown marred Zara's face as she headed out.

Jonathan used to participate in racing. However, he promised to cherish his life and stop racing after they started dating.

Zara rushed to the race track at lightning speed but was too late. Jonathan had already driven onto the track.

A group of people gathered around the spectating area. Even a teary-faced Harper stood aside and watched.

Zara grabbed the arm of one of the men. "What's going on? Why is he suddenly racing?"

Cole met Zara's eyes but was hesitant to speak.

Harper's choked-up voice then rang out. "It's my fault. I insisted on watching a race, so Jonathan brought me here. We bumped into a guy, who tried to ask me out, but Jonathan said no. So, they started arguing…"

The pieces finally clicked in place for Zara. She figured out that Jonathan didn't want another man to steal Harper. Because of that, Jonathan forsook his past promise to her about never racing again.

Zara glanced at the familiar car on the track and heard its recognizable roaring engine. All at once, it was like she had been time-traveled back to eight years ago.

Back then, this was the place where Zara opened her heart to Jonathan and agreed to date him.

He brought her to this race track, boldly raised his chin at her, and made a bet. He declared, "Zara, you'll agree to be my girlfriend if I win two rounds against my opponent in this race."

Zara accepted that term, thinking Jonathan couldn't win.

To her surprise, Jonathan acted like he couldn't care less about his life during the race. He won in the end. That said, he drove so quickly that his car flipped over, and he suffered severe injuries.

Jonathan nearly lost his life that day. At the time, he lay on the hospital bed with a full body of injuries, yet he held Zara's hand tightly. "I won. You're now my girlfriend."

He was willing to risk his life for her.

Zara felt an indescribable sensation. Yet, deep down, she believed that Jonathan might be the man for her in this lifetime.

She didn't believe in love and would only dare to share her sincere affection with someone if they showed her their utmost love. It just so happened that Jonathan was the man who could risk his life to be with her.

The Zara from before would never think that Jonathan would risk his life for someone else in the future.