One Last Chance | Book 3 | Sal Vulcano

Ch. 32

Brian, Joe, and James left to go get ready for ice skating and watching the ball tonight. I stayed to get ready early so I have enough time to go pick up Cameron from his house. I took a quick shower then got dressed.

Since it was New Years and I wanted to look nice but also be comfortable for ice skating, I decided to go casual. I threw on a pair of black jeans with a grey short sleeve shirt. I put my hair back into a French braid. I touched my face up with a little bit of makeup, put on a thick pair of socks, then headed downstairs. I put the dogs into their room, touched up the house, then headed for my winter clothes. I put on a maroon trench coat. I added a black scarf, black mittens, and a black beanie. I put my boots on, slipped my bag over my shoulder, then left the house.

As I walked to my car, I stared over at Sal's house. I imagined him running across the street to meet me at my car. I imagined us getting into the car, and him greeting me with a soft kiss. I imagined his gelled hair nice and slick inside of a beanie with his glasses framing his face perfectly. I imagined his deep green eyes looking into my muddy grass eyes, smiling at me with a smile so pure that it soothes my heart.

I just smiled at myself. Sal was to come home any day now, and I had to face the fact that he wasn't going to be here on New Years. I know he would make up for it, Sal is just that way.

>><<

Cameron hopped into the car and buckled in as I backed out of the driveway. The kids sat at the window waving their father goodbye as we drove away. I thought it was adorable.

"What has Emerald planned to do with the kids tonight?" I asked Cam.

"She's just going to watch Christmas movies before we have to put them away tomorrow. Popcorn, hot chocolate, all that Jazz." Cam responded with a shrug.

"A calm night, just like ours huh?" I asked with a small nudge.

Cam chuckled. "Yeah, that's true."

My phone started to ring, giving me an alert in my car. I pressed the answer button, allowing it on speaker in the entire car.

"Hello." I said.

"Hello my love!" I heard Sal's voice echo in the car.

I smiled. "Hi Sal."

"How are you doing on this fine evening?" Sal asked in a chirpy mood.

"I'm doing great! Heading to the ice rink with Cam." I responded.

"Cam's in the car with you?" Sal asked.

"Yes." I said.

"Hey Cameron!" Sal greeted.

"Hello Sal." Cam greeted back.

My smile grew a bit wider. "Why did you call?"

"Well, first I wanted to talk to my lovely girlfriend." Sal said in a sexy voice. "And also, I wanted to make sure that you still had your plans with the guys. But that's been answered already since you said you were taking Cam to the ice rink."

"That's very true." I said. "Do you have anything planned tonight?"

"Just hanging around until seven until I have to catch a flight." Sal said. I could feel him shrug on the other end.

"That means I will get to see you tomorrow?" I asked, my excitement rising through the roof.

"Correct." Sal responded.

His smiled on the other end was obvious. Even if we were separated for a week, it's still nice to have him around and back home. I say it as if we were living together, which we weren't, but it's still nice to see that he's across the street.

"How many more days until you guys film the show though?" Cam asked.

"We get our last week off after today then we get back on set." Sal answered.

"That will be fun, right? Being back with your crew and the guys." Cam said.

"Yeah, it will be fun haha." Sal light-heartedly laughed. "The fans enjoy it."

"I'm sorry, but we are at the ice rink Sal.
We need to cut your call short." I interrupted.

"Oh okay. Well, I guess I will see you tomorrow then." Sal said.

"You definitely will." I smiled.

"I love you." Sal said.

"I love you too."

Sal hung up the phone as I parked the car. I stopped the engine and looked over at Cam, who just stared out the window.

"I'm going to miss being married." Cam said sadly.

My smile turned into a sad frown. I placed a hand on his arm and started to rub it. "You're such a family guy, Cam. You will find someone to fill in Em."

"I hope so." Cam sighed. "Can we go? I don't want to be in such a depressing mood."

I laughed. "Yes, we can go."

>><<

Cam and I met up with the three guys and Bessy as we headed out for the ice. We were all separated as soon as we started to skate around. Bessy and Joe stayed close to each other, James and Cam skates around the same pace talking, Brian kept hold of the side rails, and I skated on a smooth pace alone. It was nice, because it allowed me to think about everything that happened this year.

It definitely wasn't a good start to the year. I just ran into Joe, Brian, and James while out with an old roommate in Buffalo. Joe brought me home and I avoided Sal with all costs. I remember too that we had broken off a year before that, and I ran away from our problems. Then after rebuilding everything, we finally got back together. Sal then went on the European tour, which put a small bump into our relationship. But we were strong for a few months before breaking off once again. It was such a rough patch, and it's something I thought I would never recollect again.

It seems as though, realizing all of this, that Sal and I just ran away from our problems instead of trying to talk it out. I know for a fact that is not a good thing to do in a relationship, especially since we wanted to try to make things work. But with our lack in trust to each other, we never could hit our problems head on. That's why Sal cheated on me, that's why I blacked out and went to the hospital. That's why we didn't talk for a solid three months. We just wanted to avoid confrontation.

Thinking back on everything made me think about my very small relationship with Brian. How he was a gentleman that sucks you in, and a lost puppy in the relationship. He seems to be very unstable with everything, and absolutely tries his hardest with everything. He definitely knows how to make a girl special, and I wonder why he hasn't gotten a girl yet. I understand the stuff in his past makes him unstable, but he needs to make that an insecurity a girl can love. That he's shy, and doesn't want to make you feel like you aren't worthless.

That brings around Christmas. When everything was fine, then ended to underlying shit. How so many memories could just be lost just because of one accident. And it seems as if I shrugged it off easily, like nothing happened, but it still bothers me. It bothers me that pretty much all of my memories of my mother are gone. That they can never be fixed again. And what Sal and Brian did was foolish and childish.

New Years is supposed to make you forget everything that has happened in the past and make the present better. Sal and I have been dating for a week, and it's been an absolute great week. Brian had given me a great New Years gift at home that will stay up, except for the tree of course. Cam is having a rough start to New Years this year, but I know everything will change quickly. He's an amazing man, and definitely an amazing brother. James has been a closer friend, and my family friendship with Joe has rekindled.

I don't think there would be anything I could change about my life. And watching all my friends, except for Sal, skate around me this day, makes me so happy.