Chapter 29

Terry's laughter froze mid-air. He knew who the woman with his jacket was. It was enough for his stomach to free fall to his feet. The heart hammered against his chest. This would look pretty bad, he could bet his life on it. He did want to make Candy jealous but finding Marion in the dressing room, wasn't what he had in mind.

Between the concierge's knock on the door and Terry's reply from the other side, an unexpected shyness flourished on her face when she heard his voice, although it had to be said curiosity battled against it. Of course, it wasn't her business but she did wonder who had made Terry to laugh as hearty as he did. Anticipation brightened her eyes as Mr. Norman let her come in.

"Hi Terry." Her greeting as well as her body came to a halt and she stopped on her tracks as if she had run into a wall. Her stare met halfway with Marion's, who in turn looked as taken aback as Candy's face must had looked like with her raised brows, the wide eyes and a wide smile, lips apart with no breath coming out.

"Gosh, Rose!" Marion rushed to the door to greet her. They air kissed while Candy tried to bring herself back to earth because it sure felt like an out of body experience, the whole situation. A rush of blood flushed through her face. She sweated to the roots of her hair. In an instance, the decision had been made. Back to the days when she was a child, she had stepped many a-times on no-good tree branches mistakenly thinking they would support her weight. Instead they broke beneath her feet, leaving her in mid-air. Surprise and fear pumped in her veins and her stomach would jump on her throat. She was falling. She still was learning. She should have learned by now.

She shouldn't have come to the theatre. Visions of a previous life took shape like in a silent film. When once again another woman would claim him. There was no time to ponder much. She needed to make excuses. "Marion!" She exclaimed, her voice going up one notch higher than she had wished.

"Didn't expect to see you here, Rose"

"Oh...It's nothing really..."

Terry had kept silent. Was there anything to say? His timing with Candy was never going to be good. A sense of dread washed over him. Already he knew Marion being there was going to give all the wrong signals to Candy. Was it the same fateful circle all over again? Coming close to the woman he had loved, and then being denied of a future with her. Because certainly, it had looked that way. She already in a relationship. A sea of years between them. Lost time. His stare followed the movement of his head as it turned towards the floor, almost like being pulled by gravity. He hadn't realised he was staring abstractly at the carpet, when he heard his name on her lips.

"Terrence escorted me home last night..." She said. Turned to see him. Met his intense stare halfway. Did it seem apologetic?

"Wasn't feeling very well..." She continued saying while their eyes were locked on each other, "And I didn't want to ruin it for Christian." She finished her excuse while turning back to her friend. Candy felt Marion's examining stare on her flustered face.

"Ah! That's explaining your sudden departure, Terry..." She said, finally realising the reason of his mysterious disappearance from the party.

The sound of Marion's voice, calling him with the name only the people who were more intimate to him, used, grated Candy the wrong way. Annoyance also flashed through his eyes. A wave of anger started welling up inside her. Perhaps she was intruding already. Terry looked annoyed.

"Anyways...you forgot your jacket." She said without much emotion in her voice and stretched the hand which held his jacket towards him. Just enough to show, it was just another chore she had to do during her day. He took it from her, fully acknowledging her anger. However, it seemed a little over the top to be honest. Yes, it wasn't the best of situations, he knew it. But it wasn't that there were doing anything that excused the anger he was seeing lighting her green eyes. Nevertheless, he thanked her with an equally measured tone in his voice. If she wanted to show him, this was just a routine transaction between them, so be it.

A moment of silence filled the small room. Enough for Candy to feel like drowning in it. Took a deep breath. Longing for fresh air, away from there. Away from the both of them.

"Well I must dash..." She said, forcing a smile.

"You won't stay?..." Marion asked straight away. The way Candy looked, it gave her the impression she had stepped unknowingly to some toes she shouldn't have stepped onto.

"No darling..." Candy replied sounding hurried and the "darling" carried more bitter tones than she wished for. It scared her, the way her feelings were jumping out of her like a hot spring. She realised straight away, by looking at the expression on Marion's face. She certainly looked baffled to say the least. "I was on my way to meet Christian..." She said and turned her stare back to Terry. The blue in his eyes had darkened.

"Well...Terence...we'll see you around whenever..." She said, feeling her back stiffening up.

"I'll see you out." He said, pressing his lips into a line.

"There is no need..."

"Oh, but I insist." Terry said back without leaving any room for objections. Nevertheless, just by turning to Marion to excuse himself, Candy had already left the room. A lot of swear words swam inside his mouth but he gritted his teeth instead.

He rushed outside, going after her, shouting her name. Candy wasn't slowing down. All he was looking at was her back. Anger was rising inside him. Like a tide, was rushing, filling every single gap inside him. Candy may had changed as she said, but there was something that she kept the same. She run. Exactly as it was all those years back. Last time she run away from him was when...

The theatre staff kept busy with their tasks but he could sense their side glances. He hated making a scene in front of strangers. She was within his reach.

Candy's brisk walk came to a halt by feeling Terry grabbing her by the arm. He pulled her towards him, forcing her to turn and face him. He really forced himself not to say anything too heavy that would have the potential to destroy all the good feelings he thought both of them had taken away from last night's talk at her place.

She tried to look indifferent but there were sparks of anger inside her eyes. "Can you explain your rush to leave so fast?", he asked her, controlling the frustration in his voice.

She stared at him. Her heart was still banging inside her chest. Air rushed inside her throat. She wasn't going to allow herself look like she cared. And why would she care? Did she have any claim on him? Wasn't she happy and in love as she had admitted to Archie the night before with Christian? The man who had to help and stand by him now more than ever. She knew she made Terry angry. He never was one who aired his private affairs in public. She was aware people were looking. Marion too, wouldn't take long to come out of the dressing room. Her training as a nurse helped her in a big way right at that moment. She calmed down immediately.

"What's to explain?", she replied, sounding confused. "I brought your jacket. You had company and left." She added. "I didn't have much free time to my disposal in any case"

Terry pressed his lips, knitted his brows, tried very hard to not let his feelings show on his face. "This is your excuse then?", he retorted.

"Terry, there is nothing to excuse!" she replied, sounding frustrated. She wanted out and wasn't going to hang about for too much longer. Whatever he wanted to do with Marion, he could do. She wasn't to care about it for one minute longer.

"So you're ok...this hasn't anything to do with Marion being here...", he continued, not letting his eyes move away from hers. Apart from this glance of anger he thought he saw when she turned, she didn't let anything else out.

She fluttered her lashes, in an attempt to understand what he was talking about. Inside, she battled with a knot on her throat. There would be tears soon, but those of frustration. She had to wrap this up as quickly as she could. Such a fool she was...

"Because there is nothing going on with her, Candy" he added, being prompted by her silence.

"Whatever you do with Marion, isn't my concern Terry" she stated. "Now, can I be excused? I'm late as it is and Marion is still in the dressing room. It'll be rude to let her wait", she blurted, in an attempt to let her go.

He didn't comment to that remark of hers. For a moment, he kept still, just looking at her face. Feeling desperate to read her. She repeated his name, making him snap out of this short trance he had fell into. He turned off everything he felt. Like a switch in a room. Switch off, for darkness to spread.

"Suit yourself", he said sounding cold. "Thank you again for bringing the jacket", he added and let her arm free.

It was so stupid but suddenly she felt alone. Empty even. "It was nothing", she said with a quiet voice. He didn't add anything. "So goodbye then", she added before turning her back on him.

"Goodbye Candy" he said back. By the time he said it, she already had taken off, walking towards the door. He took a deep breath. He was still angry. And he would have to deal with the woman in the dressing room. He brought his palms on his face and breathed. Most of all he was angry with his luck again. He wished fate not to fuck up things for him once more. Calmed himself down and walked towards the dressing room.

—

It was late in the afternoon. Despite the fact that half of his life was up in the air, not knowing what could the next day bring, professionally, Christian's dreams were taking off in a spectacular way. Sir Witt had welcomed him in his office. He had even sounded more excited about the success of Christian's exhibition of his work, than the artist himself. They had lunch at the Rules, himself, Robert and a bunch of other quite influential figures of London's art world.

Rose's absence hadn't gone unnoticed. After all, the Scarlet Rose had caused quite a stir. Christian had never hidden the fact that she had been his muse, his inspiration. His mentor had met her quite a few times till that time and was gushing about her. Like with everyone else, she came in contact with, she had charmed the pants out of him. Christian could do nothing more than give excuses. Lying through his teeth. The decision which he had taken, in just a single moment earlier in the morning, had started to hurt. The dust from the previous day's events had settled down and like a cut, that was just fresh on the flesh, everything, including deciding to break it up with Rose, was beginning to feel more painful.

He belonged with her. Everyone was saying so. He knew how fleeting everything was in the circles he frequented, where the aim for all those young and rich kids of London was to have a good time. Nothing else, nothing more. He and Rose were like the hot couple of the moment. But he wanted more than just that. This could have been the woman he could spend the rest of his life with. The easiness with which he had taken the decision before, was dissipating fast like the morning haze in the air.

And then, the encounter with London's most notorious gang boss lit up in his mind. They already knew too much of his life. If God forbid, something was to happen to her, he doubted whether he could go on living, knowing he was the cause of anything bad that could find her. A battle like nothing else he had experienced was rousing inside him.

With it, his resolve to end every tie with her, though it felt strong before, was shaking within him. His grip on his motorcycle's handles hardened as he sped his way towards home. The thought of their meeting later on made his breath to quicken in his chest.

—

She burst into Archie's office like a gust of wind, unexpected. The door was flung open, cutting his conversation on the phone mid-point. The look on her face made him give a quick excuse to whoever was on the other side of the line to end this phone call.

"And good afternoon to you too Candy." He said to her while putting the receiver down. She was already opening the heavy crystal bottle that stood on the drinks trolley. While pouring herself a couple of fingers of whiskey, she turned her eyes towards him.

"Hi Archie!" She said and gulped the drink down. The heat made her eyes sparkle. If Archie had to be honest, the new persona his cousin had taken since her move to London had him most time lost for words. She knew Candy was not a cold woman. By no means whatsoever. He knew the fire in her heart for everything she felt passionate for. But till now, most times, she had managed to control her feelings. Growing up with Eliza and Neal, she had to control her feelings. Even at times when Eliza's behaviour made everything so difficult in her relationship with Terry, her scheming ways, still Candy had managed to keep it together. Compared with the now, she resembled a hurricane.

"What's the matter Candy?"

He made the question and walked towards her. Examined her face when he came close to her. Troubles were stirring inside her eyes.

"Oh...it is nothing Archie, really." She said and kissed him on both cheeks before turning to take a seat on one of the leather chairs placed in front of his desk. Took her cigarette case out, lit a cigarette and waited for her cousin who poured himself a drink before returning to the desk too. Somehow, he sensed he was going to need a drink too, the way Candy had come in his office. At least, he felt calmer than ever before. He knew that was all because of Isabel showing up once again in his life. Their encounter the night before was one he wasn't going to forget in a hurry. So whatever had happened in Candy's life, he felt ready to hear. Even give helpful advice without adding snippy comments. And he had a pretty good suspicion what the turmoil which she tried to dampen down with the whiskey and the smokes, involved. Or rather who it involved.

"Nothing doesn't make you head straight for the bottle right at the hello." He commented. She kept smoking without a word coming out.

"Candy, I won't judge..." He added, trying to encourage her to offload what was troubling her. She looked at him, straight into his eyes. After everything that went on between them since he had moved to London, she was unsure whether Archie was the appropriate person to open her heart to. But given the situation she had found herself in, there was no other to turn to. Indeed, on her way to Archie's office, a sense of loneliness was spreading inside her, like a puddle that grew constantly till it became a sea she had found herself swimming in the middle of, feeling completely alone. The emotion was so overwhelming, she had to take deep breaths not to let tears start flowing down her face. This wasn't a time for an emotional breakdown. And true, there was a part of her inside that kept asking her whether she was overreacting to the whole thing. So what if the night before Christian's behaviour was more than strange? Even if he did have dealings with other women, wasn't it her who wished for things to be casual? Live for the day? And about Terry...well. If there was a moment she had overreacted, this was definitely the one. He was a very handsome guy with an attitude to match. Marion would have to be blind not to feel attracted.

"I don't think you can help me, Arch." She said and took a drag from her cigarette, before pulling the ashtray close to her to crash it in. He didn't try to tell her otherwise. She blew the smoke out and looked at him again. She slumped back on the chair with a surrendering look on her face. She felt tired. "Ok, it's about Terry." She admitted.

The admission from her part didn't surprise him. Candy had surely changed but the "Terry" subject in her life had remained pretty much a constant and he was so sure about it, he could bet the whole Ardlay fortune on it. Even if she wasn't in love with him anymore, Archie understood pretty much how his presence had unsettled her. There was too much history between them, for her to feel indifferent towards him.

"What about Terry?" He asked and took another sip from his drink. Candy stopped for a moment, and just stared at Archie. "Come on Archie! Don't make me feel worse than I do already."

He took a deep breath, trying not to feel frustrated with her. "Candy, why exactly you came here?"

His question took her by surprise. It was true, what he had asked her. What did she need from him? She hadn't an answer. "What did you want to achieve?" He continued. Seeing her all confused, he decided to go on. "Shall I answer for you?" He asked without waiting for a reply. "But please don't get mad."