Second Chances: Novella One Read Free Page A

two-year course in fashion merchandising at FIT in New York and Florence, as well as raising a child aged under three, before embarking on her own fashion label.
    As well as her own birthday, it would also be Ava’s and Keely’s that same week.  Since they were kids they had always celebrated the three events in one go. This year, however, the group dynamics would be rather different. Keely was in Rome and would not be able to get to Yorkshire due to work commitments, so the gathering would be just Ava, Cameron, Millie and Evan.
    Millie was the saner of Cameron’s two sisters and the only one Layla could bear; in fact, if the other one had been coming, she wouldn’t be, simple. She thought Caggie Barker had ruined her life and planned to scratch her eyes out if she ever met her again. It was going to be enough of a strained atmosphere seeing Evan again without her presence too.
    Layla hadn’t seen Evan since the night before her niece’s christening, nearly eighteen months earlier, and the ultimate reason why she thought Caggie had ruined her life. Layla intended on making her pay for it. The familiar voice of Adele setting fire to the rain broke through her thoughts.
    Recognising the ringtone she’d allocated to Ava’s caller ID, she retrieved her smartphone from her bag and hit the ‘Accept’ button. "Shouldn’t you be on a plane?" Layla asked, pressing the handset to her ear. By her reckoning, Ava should still be in the air for several more hours.
    Instead of her sister’s voice coming, Layla heard an anxious-sounding Cameron. "Layla, there has been a change of plan. We flew back early as there’s been an accident. Ava has broken her leg quite badly and had an operation. They’ve had to place a metal pin inside to clasp the bones together. I’ve arranged for you to be met at the airport by my driver, who will bring you to the hospital."
    A feeling of dread flipped over in Layla’s stomach, knowing how much Ava hated hospitals since she’d spent a big part of her childhood in and out of them. "Is she okay? Can I talk to her?" she asked. Ever since the traumatic birth of her son, Layla always panicked whenever a member of my family went into hospital, even for the simplest of check-ups.
    "Yes, they’ve made her comfortable. She’s sleeping at the moment. The doctors say there is nothing much to do now except to wait."
    Taking a breath and trying to sound composed, Layla replied, "Okay, I’ll see you at the hospital once I land. Give my love to her." With that, she ended the call and stared blankly out of the car window.
    The close brush with death that she had experienced with her son haunted her. Pull yourself together, she chastised inwardly. Cameron is her husband, and he won’t let anything happen to her. It’s a bone break, not life or death.  
    A short time later, Layla was being shown to her seat inside the sparsely filled first-class cabin by an immaculately dressed stewardess, who seemed to have every hair in place. Sitting down, she couldn’t help noticing a familiar-looking woman sitting across the aisle from her staring in her direction. But, with all the flights she’d notched up between Europe and America every year since the age of eighteen, Layla often recognised passengers who did the same route on a regular basis.
    Sighing, she acknowledged the woman with a brief nod before glancing away and trying to look engrossed in retrieving some invisible item from her handbag, to prevent a dialogue starting. Normally she didn’t mind chatting to other people on a flight, but the mood for chit-chat just wasn’t there today. It seemed to work as that initial conversation line never materialised.
    Upon closing her eyes, Layla’s thoughts rushed back to Ava’s predicament. If her sister remained in hospital, it would make staying at her place awkward. Layla wasn’t due to move into her new house with Bennett for another week, but she didn’t want to be a burden. She even considered telling