Chapter 8
Candy
“Sorry Colt, I really have to take this.”
“Is it your fiancée?”
He didn’t sound so happy at the prospect of the caller being Jax. When I told him that it was my friend Lisa, it seemed to lower his stress level. I didn’t want him to think that he was getting over on me. There was a big part of me that knew that he was, but I wasn’t ready to admit it yet. I motioned for him to go and he asked me if he would see me again tonight.
“I don’t know. I might grab some more wine in a bit.”
Colt smiled my way and then left down the hallway. He went into one of the adjoining rooms and I closed the door as I went back in. I answered the phone and Lisa asked me where I was.
“You would never guess if I told you.”
“I have a pretty good idea. I talked to Jax a little while ago. He’s been trying to call you.”
“Yeah, I know. I meant to call him back, but I’ve been in the middle of something.”
“And yet you can answer for me?”
“Whose side are you on?”
I was starting to feel a little defensive and I had a feeling that it was because
I was far too worried about what I was doing wrong. I had feelings for my husband that I wasn’t supposed to have and the mention of Jax, reminded me that I was wrong to feel this way.
“I am not on anyone’s side. I just don't know where your head is right now. Jax told me that you went to go see him, but that can’t be true, right?”
I should have been happy to hear from my oldest and dearest friend, but I can't really say that it was that way at the moment. I didn't want to talk to her about Jax, I wanted to talk to her about Colt and what was going on here, how I was feeling. I realized then that I couldn't. While she said she hadn't picked a side, it was quite clear that she had, and it wasn’t my side that she had chosen.
I wanted to tell her about the fact that I had to be here and that was the only reason, even if it wasn't the truth. But the fact of the matter was that I knew for some reason that she would go back to Jax to tell him. I didn't want him knowing that I had lied to him. I had known that it would be a bad idea, but I wasn't able to come out with it before.
“Yeah Lisa, I am just here long as I have to be. I need to get him to sign the papers so that the divorce will be final. It is the only way that is going to happen before Christmas.”
“What a mess Candy.”
“I can't say that I disagree with you. I sort of wish that I never would've went to that Bachelorette party. Or if I would of went, I wish you would've been there too. You would have kept me from doing something stupid like this.”
“I don't know about that, but at least I would've been right there next to you. At least we would have remembered the next day if nothing else.”
I smile to myself and was relieved that she was back to being my friend, and not another inquisitor for Jax. I’d talked to a lot of those in the last week since the wedding.
“So, I have to talk him into signing papers.”
“What is he like?”
“I don't know. He seems nice enough, a lawyer. I don't really know him all that well, and I don't even remember him from before. It was just a crazy night that when a little too far. It should be a crime to have so many little chapels to get married around here. They know that everyone is here to party, so anything that happens here, shouldn't be pushed. It has been so long that I can't get it annulled, so we have to do it this way.”
“I wish you would've told me because I would've come with you. I've never been to Vegas before.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, something always came up. I'm starting to think that maybe it was a good thing that I didn’t go with you for that one.”
We talked for a little while longer and I hung up with mixed feelings. It had been good to hear from her, but at the same time, I still had a lot weighing on my shoulders that I couldn't share with anyone, not even her. That bothered me.
I went back downstairs to the kitchen to get another glass of wine. Talking to Lisa had me thinking about Jax and the real reason that I was here. I shouldn’t have needed that boost, but apparently, I did, because I only started to feel better when I realized that I was going to figure it out. I had been momentarily sidetracked, that’s all.
“So how is your friend?”
“She is good. I left pretty quickly, and I didn't get to say goodbye to anyone. We had some plans for this weekend that I forgot about.”
“I am glad you are here Candy. It really is good to see you after all this time.”
I didn't get where he was coming from and I was trying to understand. His house was beautiful and huge. He had a driver, butler and most likely a maid as well. Colt with handsome and it was easy to imagine that he had plenty of women at his beck and call. It made no sense why he was holding on to this between us. It had happened so long ago, I just didn't understand it.
“Why have you missed me? We were only together one night.”
“Well, I think we actually went to bed around five or six in the morning. By the time I woke up it was afternoon and you had left. So, it was more like one night and early morning. And to answer your question, I don't know why I miss you. I don't know why I have thought about you all these years, even though you never showed back up. I don't know why I never divorced you. I mean sure, I had no desire to get married again, so it wasn't really an issue, but I should have. I've made a lot of money since we got married and if you were the certain type of person, you could take it all. So, it made no sense for me to keep things the same. But I did, and I don't know why.”
When he talked like that, I wasn't sure how to react. He talked about us in a sense that we were meant to be together or fated in some way, but I didn't believe in fate. I never had and certainly wouldn’t have believed it with him.
I believe that people made their own fate and even though I thought that what me and Jax had together was perfect. I knew in the end that was because we made it that way, not because of any pre-destined life that we had.
“I don't know why you haven't forgotten me either. I think it's the red hair. It's such a strange color that it just sticks out with people. Most people don't remember my name, but they remember my hair. Silly huh?”
I was babbling for the simple fact that I didn't know what to say and looking at him was impossible, and I had to turn away.
“I remembered more than your hair Candy. With a name like that I don't know how anyone could forget it.”
My name has been forgotten many times and it was more of an insult to injury because of how easy it was to remember. Before Jax, I started to think that I was never going to find the one that I was looking for. My true love.
“I have to admit, you do have a good memory. You even remember what I told you about Dylan. It's kind of funny though, I realize now that Dylan was small potatoes. I can see now that I was naïve to think that it was going to be the worst thing that happened to me.”
“What about the man you have now? The one that you were about to marry? Is he the one for you?”
I felt like I had to justify Jax, and I didn't like the feeling at all. While Jax was perfect, he did have his faults as well. We all did. Perfection was not always perfect, it was a feeling and knowing that no matter what, it didn't matter.
“I think that he is the one for me.”