Page 81 of Kiss Me Ever After
Fiancée?
This was getting worse with every single word which came out.
My eyes dropped to Candace’s left hand, conveniently hidden inside the sleeve of her jumper. I grabbed the cuff and pulled it up, immediately spotting the thin silver band with a tiny stone on her wedding finger.
“When I knew she was having my baby, I proposed. Didn’t seem right to bring a child up without two parents.” The guy babbled on and I only really caught half of what he was saying. His words echoed the exact same reasons I’d chosen to stick by Candace. Why I’d chosen her over Lennon.
But none of it was true for me.
I held up my hand. “Great story and all that, but I’m really interested to hear what Candace has to say right now. Why she told me the baby was mine.”
“You did what?” The guy’s frown deepened.
In a strange way, I had some sympathy for him. It seemed I wasn’t the only one Candace had strung along. “Can you give us a few minutes?” I asked.
“Would you mind, Grant? I need to sort this out.” Finally, Candace spoke, her voice thin.
Grant nodded. “Sure. I’ll be outside.” He kissed her forehead and disappeared, leaving us alone in a hospital corridor.
For a good few moments, neither of us spoke. We stood there, staring at each other.
“Is it true?” I said at last, unable to stand the silence any longer.
A single tear slid down Candace’s cheek. I didn’t make any effort to wipe it away. She didn’t deserve my sympathy.
“Well?” I hissed.
“She always gets everything she wants, doesn’t she? Even this summer when it had all been taken away, she still ended up withyou. I wanted her to know what it was like to have nothing and no one.” Candace spoke through gritted teeth, as though trying to keep the tears at bay.
“What the hell are you talking about? Are you saying this is all about Lennon?”
“Every summer she came here, fluttering her eyelashes, pulling you into her world. The absolute Queen Bee, able to fly in, have everyone fawn over her and then disappear.”
“But nothing ever happened until now.” I shook my head, trying to understand Candace’s warped logic. “And you’ve got Grant, you’re marrying him for Christ’s sake, having a child with him. How fucked up must you be to tell me the baby was mine? I even went to antenatal classes with you, you introduced me as your partner! You’re seriously warped.” I forced myself to take a breath. “You wanted to hurt Lennon and all you’ve done is end up hurting me.”
Candace flew at me, fists beating against my sore chest. “You don’t understand.”
I pushed her away. “You’re right. I don’t and I have no real desire to. You’re toxic. I hadn’t honestly realised how much.”
Disgust flooded through me. It was hard to get my head around what she’d done and why she’d done it.
Playing with someone’s future like that.
My future.
Lennon’s future.
“I hope Grant knows what he’s let himself in for.” I had to walk away before I said or did something I’d regret. “Don’t ever contact me again, Candace.”
Relief mixed with anger washed over me as I walked back to where Amber, Alex and Sonya waited. How could one person be so twisted?
As I passed Grant, I caught his arm. “All the best, mate. You’re going to need it.”
I walked out to the car park, feeling the sun warm my skin.
Now I knew the truth, I had to tell Lennon.
Perhaps there was a way to salvage something from this mess.
