Page 10 of Hard Candy Christmas

“Some things change, Chase. Not always for the better or for the worse. It just is, what it is.”

“But it’s not your only mark?”

I looked at him, my head cocked to the side. I wanted to walk away, wanted to avoid this. Because, no, the one on my face was not my only one. It’s just the one that was visible. It’s the one that caught anyone’s eye and let’s anyone know what a fool I was.

“Chase, please let it go, it doesn’t matter.”

“Belinda, all I’m trying to do is understand you. Understand what you’ve become. You were never the woman to be a punching bag for anyone and yet, here’s the proof that you were. You left without a word, without an explanation, you got married to some asshole that beat the shit out of you, and then you waltz back into town, as if everything is fine. Well, it’s not fine.”

“Clearly. I can see you still harbor hurt feelings over this. But let me tell you, Chase, I didn’t want to leave, but I had no choice. The same thing I told you ten years ago. It’s not my damn fault that you can’t get over it.

“I did what I had to do, as did you. I did what I could to survive. You don’t need to know my life story because you stopped playing a part in it ten years ago. And Westover is my home, just like it is yours. If you don’t like that I’m back, well go fuck off. You don’t have to see me, and I don’t have to see you.”

I huffed, wanting to punch this man. How dare he keep bringing up what happened ten years ago! I was over it; I can’tkeep rehashing it. We weren’t going to date, or get married, so why we broke up just didn’t matter.

“Yeah, I don’t think this friendship is going to work out,” he said.

“I’m with you on that one.”

“Which is even better, because I don’t think I could date this woman that you’ve become. You used to stand out, now you just stand back. You’re not the same bright woman I recall, you’re just a shell.”

“You don’t get to fucking tell me that, Chase! You don’t know my life and you can fuck right on off thinking that you do. You’re right, you wouldn’t want to date me because I sure as hell don’t want to date you. In fact, I’ll be just fine if I never talked to, nor saw you again!”

With that, I turned my back on him, willing the hurt to go away.

I had to be done with Chase Montgomery. I had to remember that the night I left was the night our love died.

And I had to remember that nothing could ever come of that.

I was cutting him off and cutting him out.

Chase Montgomery was out of my heart, for good.

Chapter Six

Chase

Iwatched from the front porch of my place as Bo made a left into the driveway of Carmichael’s place and then climbed out. Here we were, two days later, and he was taking her out. I shouldn’t be fit to be tied, but I was.

And I had no right to be.

Everyone knew that. Hell, I knew it. But it didn’t matter. It still bothered me immensely that he was taking her out and I refused to examine why that was.

I frowned as he walked up to her door and knocked, his hat in his hands as if he was some kind of good ‘ol boy. We all knew the reputation he had, and it wasn’t a good one.

“Look, I’m not one for spyin’, son, but this look doesn’t suit you. Why not go out as well?”

“You mean watch them?” I asked my dad, looking over at him as he sat down.

“Damn it, Chase, don’t be stupid. Anyone with a pair of eyes, or hell, a pair of ears, can tell that you both still have feelings foreach other. That it’s not doing either of you a lick of good to let this shit slide and fight it.”

“We don’t, Dad.”

“Right. Sure. Keep telling yourself that, Chase, and you might start to actually believe it while the rest of us around here will live in the real world and watch you two knuckleheads wait it out.” He sighed and ran his fingers through his graying hair. When did my dad get older on me?

“Dad,” I started, but he waved me off.

“Chase, you aren’t a young kid anymore. And I ain’t like your mother. We both know that the woman getting into that car is the one that got away for you. And that’s fine. But you’re getting a second chance, son, don’t be stupid about it.”

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