NEW CHANCE

***JAX***

Marie didn't give up. Her fingers flew over the display as she continued to track the cell phone signal. The numbers and coordinates on the screen kept changing until a sharp beep finally provided the crucial clue. She paused, her heart pounding in her chest.

“I've got it!” she called, her voice filled with a mixture of triumph and tension. ”The signal is coming from a small lakeside house on the outskirts of town.”

A frosty shiver ran down my spine as the meaning of her words sunk in. Damian was there. With Celine. The thought pierced my mind like a glowing thorn.

“Are you sure?” I asked, even though I knew that Marie's abilities had given us the decisive advantage so many times before. Her eyes narrowed, an expression of determination as she looked at me.

“Absolutely certain. The coordinates lead directly there.”

The lake house lay quietly, hidden between dense forests and the restless surface of the water, which glistened in the weak moonlight. It was small, inconspicuous – the perfect place to hide. Why hadn't we found it before? This thought gnawed at me as I looked at the dark outline of the house from the shade of the trees.

Celine had asked me to come alone. She wanted to talk to Damian, to come to terms with the past. Her words still echoed in my head, every word like a reproach reminding me why I had left back then – and what I had left behind.

“Jax,” she had said on the phone, her voice trembling but determined, ”I need this chance to explain everything to Damian. He deserves it. But you have to come alone. It's about the three of us – no one else.”

I had promised her. How could I have done otherwise? But now, here in front of this damned lake house, every fiber of my body was tense. It was dangerous. Marie had been right when she said we knew nothing of Damian's plans. He might have men there, it might be a trap. But that wasn't the worst of it – the worst of it was that I still wasn't sure I could face Damian at all without making things worse.

The silence of the lakeside house was oppressive as I approached the door. Every movement, every step seemed harder than it should be. The thumping of my fist echoed through the solitude of the place, and then I heard footsteps approaching the door. A moment of tension before the door opened slowly.

“Jax!“ Celine stood before me, her face marked by a smile, but I could see the fine edge of insecurity behind it.

“Celine...” I pulled her into an embrace, held her tight, maybe too tight. “Are you okay?” I asked, and my gaze wandered over her, looking for any sign that Damian had done anything to her.

She nodded quickly, almost too quickly. “Yes, Damian took good care of me,” she said, her voice calm, but something about her posture made me stop.

“Did he?“ I asked skeptically, my eyes narrowing.

“Yes, he did!” She replied with a hint of insistence before opening the door further and letting me in.

I entered the small living room, which smelled of old wood and stale air. Damian sat at the small table, his eyes fixed on me, cool, ruthless, but also curious. Without a word, I pulled up a chair and sat down opposite him. Celine followed us, her movements nervous, but she forced a smile.

“Okay, guys,” she began, her voice a little uncertain but full of determination. ‘First of all, thank you both for agreeing to my request. It means a lot to me.’ Her eyes flicked back and forth between Damian and me, and I could feel the tension in her gaze, as if she wanted to reassure us both at the same time.

Damian folded his arms, leaned back and looked at me with a mixture of skepticism and anger. “Celine,” he said softly, his voice dark, “what exactly are you trying to achieve here?”

“I want answers,” she said directly, her voice suddenly firmer. She turned to me, her eyes full of questions and pain. “Jax, I want to know... why you just left back then. Explain it to me.”

I took a deep breath as the memories hit me like a storm and I felt my stomach clench. Celine deserved the truth, and so did Damian, but saying the words was harder than I expected.

“Celine... our father... he was a bad guy,” I started slowly, my voice rough. “He did terrible things to Damian. And... he made me watch. But that wasn't all.”

I looked at Damian, whose eyes hardened and his jaw muscles tensed. “What did he do, Jax?” he asked, his voice icy, but I could hear the pain in it.

I paused, swallowed hard and continued. “What he did to you... he forced me to do with my stepmother. After he was done with you.”

The words froze the air in the room. Celine put a hand over her mouth, her face pale, and Damian stared at me as if I had just cut off his air.

“You never told me that, Jax,” Damian finally said, his voice low but trembling with anger and disbelief. ‘So he used you the same way he used me?”

I nodded slowly, my hands clenching into fists on the table. ’It got worse, Damian. Do you remember that night when he had a gun?”

His eyes narrowed, a dark shadow crossed his face. “Yes... I remember.”

“He threatened me,” I continued, my voice almost breaking, “and forced me to do with you what he usually did. But... I managed to knock the gun out of his hand. And then I just ran, Damian. I was so scared.”

The words hung between us like poison. Damian stared at me, his face incredulous, his hands pressed on the table. “You went through all that, and you never said anything?” His voice was louder now, full of anger. “Why, Jax? Why did you let me believe that you just ran away because you couldn't take it?”

“Because I couldn't bear it!” I cried, my voice breaking under the weight of the emotions. ”I couldn't bear to see you like this. I couldn't bear what he had made of us! And I thought... I thought if I ran, at least I was saving myself.”

“But you left me behind,” Damian said, his voice a cold whisper that made my heart squeeze. ‘You left me with him.”

I looked at him, my chest tightened, and I knew that no words could undo what had happened back then. ’Damian... I'm sorry. More than you can imagine. I was young, I was a coward. But I didn't know how to help you... I couldn't go back into that house!”

“And what am I supposed to do with that?” he asked, his voice quiet but full of pain. ”What's the point of sitting here now and digging up the past?”

“Because we have to end it,” Celine said suddenly, her voice strong and penetrating. She stepped between us, her hands outstretched as if to bridge the gap that separated us.

Damian and I looked at each other, our eyes full of unspoken words, and I knew that this was just the beginning of a long road – but it was a beginning.

Celine stood between us, her eyes glowing with determination as she looked intently at us both. Her hands were clenched into fists, but she kept her voice calm, though I sensed the emotions behind it – pain, anger, hope.

“We can't let that bastard of a father destroy what we have,” she began, her voice breaking slightly before she regained control. ”He's already destroyed enough. Taken enough. But he won't take us away from us anymore. I won't let him.”

Damian and I exchanged a glance, but we remained silent. The words lay heavily between us, but Celine was not finished.

“You must understand,” she continued, and her voice became more insistent, ”we only have each other. We are family. And if we don't stick together, then he wins. Even now, after all these years. Is that what you want? Do you want him to control us, to keep us apart, any longer?”

Damian lowered his eyes, his jaw muscles tensed, and I could see how her words worked on him. I knew she was right, but the scars our father had left were deep, so deep that I didn't know if I would ever be able to overcome them.

“Please, boys,” Celine said, her voice softer, almost pleading. ”Stop this. Stop blaming each other, hurting each other. You've both been through so much. But you can't do this alone. Support each other. Take care of each other. Finally get the help you need to live. Really live.”

Her words hit me like a blow, and I felt my facade begin to crumble. “Celine...” I started, but she interrupted me with a gesture.

“No, Jax,” she said firmly. ”No excuses. No blame. You both didn't choose this. But now you have a choice. You can put all this behind you, but only if you work together.”

Damian raised his head, his eyes met mine, and I could see the pain in them – and maybe a hint of understanding. “She's right,” he finally said, his voice low, almost a whisper. “We've destroyed ourselves enough, Jax. Enough.”

I nodded slowly, my throat feeling dry as I tried to speak. ”I'm sorry, Damian. For everything. For what happened and for what I did.”

He looked at me for a long time, his eyes searching for something, maybe for honesty, maybe for hope. “It's time we started helping each other instead of hurting each other,” he finally said, his voice still hoarse. “But I won't forget, Jax. You can't expect that.”

“I don't expect it,“ I said softly. ‘But I want to do better. I want us to do better.”

Celine exhaled audibly, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her, and a weak smile played around her lips. ’That's a start,” she said, her voice full of relief. “If you work together, you can achieve so much. But don't destroy each other. Not anymore.”

The silence that followed was heavy, but this time it felt different – not like an abyss, but like a bridge that was slowly being built. And for the first time in a long time, I sensed that we might actually have a chance.

A slight smile crept across my face..

“I...” I paused, nervously running my fingers through my hair and trying to find the right words. ”I've met someone.”

Celine raised an eyebrow, while Damian just tilted his head slightly, as if he wasn't sure if he really cared. But I didn't care. I had to say it.

“Her name is Marie,” I continued, and I felt how her name alone evoked a feeling in me that I couldn't quite grasp. ‘And she is... indescribable. Different. She makes me feel things I don't want to feel. But at the same time...’ I paused, biting my lip before continuing. ”At the same time, I don't want anything else.”

Celine leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Different how?” she asked, her voice gentle but full of interest. “Tell us about her.”

I smiled weakly, my eyes dropping to the floor before I looked up at her again. “Marie is... she's strong. She doesn't mince her words and isn't afraid to challenge me. She sees through all the crap that I keep pushing aside. And she... she won't let go of me.”

Damian looked at me with an expression that was somewhere between skepticism and curiosity. “Sounds like she's got you pretty well under control,” he said dryly.

I laughed softly, but it was a bitter laugh. “Maybe she has,” I admitted. “But it's more than that. She's... she's good. Too good for someone like me. And that's what scares me.”

Celine put her hand on my arm, a gentle gesture that meant more than words could express. “What exactly are you afraid of, Jax?” she asked softly.

I took a deep breath, feeling my heart beating heavily in my chest. “I'm afraid I'll mess it up,” I finally said, my voice barely more than a whisper. “I'm afraid I'll lose her before I even really understand what I have in her. And I...” I paused, feeling the words heavy on my tongue. “I want it to work out. Do you understand? I really want this.”

Damian looked at me for a long time, his face expressionless, before speaking softly. “Jax, if she really is as special as you say, then you should show her. Show her that you're serious. But don't hide behind your fear. If you really want it, fight for it.”

Celine nodded in agreement, a gentle smile on her lips. “And stop talking yourself down so much,” she added. “You may not be perfect, but nobody is. If she sees you for who you are and still stays, then she deserves you. And you deserve her.”

I closed my eyes, letting her words resonate within me. It was so easy to say that, but so damn hard to believe it. Yet somewhere deep inside me, I knew they were right. Marie was different. She was worth it. And I had to make it, not only for her, but also for myself.

“Thank you,” I finally murmured, looking at them both, feeling their support even if they didn't say it directly. ‘I'll do my best.”

Damian nodded, his look hard but honest. ’You'd better, Jax. Because if you mess up, it's your own damn fault.”

Celine smiled, her eyes full of warmth. “And remember, you have us. No matter what.”

I took a deep breath, feeling a hint of hope for the first time in a long while.