Chapter 39

The rush of adrenaline Christian had felt once Det. Shaw left him, had started to die down. While he waited for Rose to bring clean clothes as she said when she left in a hurry, most of the morning had passed. The clock on the room wall was saying a quarter to eleven. He worried. Their morning meeting had been hard enough for both of them. Perhaps her confusion had turned to anger. He wished he could explain to her...

The doctor had passed just after the detective left him. He noticed a higher heart rate and commented that he should rest. The visit from the police and the questioning must had been draining. Christian did nothing but nod in agreement. It had been rather an ordeal. However the doctor was happy looking at his wound. There were no signs of infection. He had been incredibly lucky. It could have been so much worse. He could have been dead even. Even when he was sort of blood, there was luck by his side.

The doctor listened to his heart and lungs with the stethoscope. Christian asked him what he meant. Miss White and Mr. Graham had volunteered for the blood transfusion. Actually Mr. Graham had been the same blood group as he. Christian had been very surprised. That day kept bringing unexpected news to him.

When the doctor left him alone, he let his stare rest on the window while the footsteps of the people passing on the corridor outside his room echoed in his ears. It was almost hypnotic. He felt bad the more time passed. Thinking about Terry. The man had been an odd one. Christian couldn't put his finger down whether he had a secret agenda but up till that point, all he did was help. And help he did in a major way. For a lot of things. To find out that he had even given his blood for him...Most of his social friends - actually no, no one had stopped by. Granted, it was the morning yet, but still, when he opened his eyes it was only Rose and Terry there. And he had snapped at him like a prissy prima donna.

There was a certain level of insecurity inside him when it came to Terry. Christian had never felt competition against any man before and neither he had felt challenged. But with Terry...he hadn't met anyone so sure for himself. Not in a cocky way, but in a way that showed that this man despite the young of his age, had passed through a lot of hardship and soul searching. It seemed that he had managed to come through the other end without looking too much damaged. At least on the surface. Of course the acting profession helped. Those thespians always looked so confident, flamboyant.

Was Rose impressed by him? There was certainly an element of something there. Christian had been so preoccupied with the dark side of his life, he realised that indeed, Rose was not entirely unaffected by Terry's presence. What was it that Alice had said to him when she had been at his place...to beware of the actor having his sights on Rose? He smiled bitterly. Perhaps now, it would have been a good thing, if it was true. He had to accept though this to himself. He had been jealous. That was the reason behind the reserved or sharp tongue of his when it came to Terry. But Christian was never an asshole, not knowingly in any case and especially not to people that helped him. Given everything he had heard today, he felt remorse. His thoughts were taking him further into a lull. His body lay heavy on the bed, his mind the same. He had closed his eyes and let the thoughts disperse.

He heard the door open. He lifted his eyelids just. As he peeked through the eyelashes, he saw a figure of a nurse. They were passing frequently to get information on the patient sheet. He let his eyes close again.

Next time they opened, a hand was over his mouth and a sharp blade was an inch away from his neck.

"Should I hear a fucking peep coming from your mouth, I won't hesitate..." The nurse said. The blade felt cold when it touched his throat. He blinked, having fixed his stare on her face. She took her hand off. Hid the blade.

"Like you didn't hesitate last night?" He asked her. He noticed the fire in her eyes. He realised why she was there.

"You just missed the copper visit..." He said.

"That creep...Shaw was here, I know." She said with a stiff voice, having one eye on the closed door. Everything inside her was on alert.

"I didn't rat you out." He said at once.

"Really?!" She said feigning surprise overarching her brows. Her gaze still hard. "And what do you call the word in the street that I did fucking knife you...?" He didn't answer. "Clairvoyance maybe?!" Still no words came from him. She lunged towards him, the blade shining inside her hand. He felt its sharp tip digging under his chin. "Fucking say something or I swear to God almighty..."

He looked at her square in the eyes, his being cold steel grey. "Kill me then! Go on!" He mumbled through clenched teeth. "You'll do us both a favour." Without even blinking he kept his stare frozen on her face. He could see the struggle behind her stare. Didn't waste one more minute and grabbed her wrist, removing the knife threat at once.

"Did Charlie send you?" He asked her, squeezing her wrist.

"I'm not his fucking puppet..." She said with a strained voice, while feeling the pain of his grip on her hand. He stayed for a second, wanting to believe her. "I'm here on my own..." She added. He let her go. She jumped back, rubbing the red marks on her wrist. "He wanted to end you but I had to hear for myself what you had to say..."

"It was Ophelia..." He said back to her, "She heard your voice when we argued in the room."

"Fucking bitch!"

He lifted his eyes. "I too..." Anger flashed inside her hazel eyes.

"Bastard!" She said and rushed again with eyes full of rage. "I'll gut you right here!" He was sitting upright by then and grabbed her arm, twisted it behind her back. She was forced to turn and fall on him. She heard his groan. He too was in pain. He wrapped his right hand over her neck. "Not before I snap you neck." He said slowly. "I'll let you go if you promise to hear me out." She heard his voice almost a whisper, his breath caressing her ear. She could nothing else but concede. He eased his grip and she got up.

"You should do something about that temper of yours." He mocked her.

"Fucking twat." She cursed through her teeth. "I'm listening and make it quick."

"There's nothing much to say." Christian explained. "That actor you warned me about before." He said. "Drove me to the hospital and apparently I did mention a woman to him..."

"Apparently?"

"That was his statement according to the copper."

She looked not convinced. "I don't remember a fucking thing..." He said. "I did excuse it to the copper that I must had been delirious." There was still silence from her part. "Because I saw no woman last night." Her eyes were shifting from his face to the closed door. She had to leave. "I'm telling you the damn truth here!" He said.

"Listen..." She finally spoke. "I need to go." She looked at the door. "I believe you."

She saw relief on his face. "Charlie though..."

"You should leave London for a while, hide."

"The actor is a bit of a problem."

"You leave Graham to me, he has no clue." He stopped her. It was true. Terry had no idea, and Christian wouldn't have an innocent pay for his own sins.

"OK...if you say so."

"I do! You promise!"

"I promise!" She exclaimed. "Cross my heart and hope to die..." She added. "You find a way to disappear." She half opened the door and turned one last time towards him. "Be careful...and thank you..." A second after, before he could even say anything back, she had left. He heard her quick steps in the corridor.

Terry came in the living room of his suite, trying to button the top buttons of his shirt, when the door knocked. It was the bell boy with the breakfast trolley. He came in and left it by the dining table. Terry gave him a tip and left. "Bloody buttons!" He cursed while he struggled again to finish up the job. Candy have a chuckle. She was also quite hungry she had realised.

"May I help?" She said and approached a frustrated Terry.

"By all means!" He exclaimed.

"I better sit down..." He said to her when he saw her trying to balance herself. She smiled. Terry sat down and faced her. She looked better than before. He raised his chin a tad for her. Examining her face as she was buttoning the last couple buttons on his shirt. He felt an overwhelming desire to kiss her. So intense it was, it ached him.

"There..." She said, looking flustered herself.

He cleared his voice. "We should eat..."

The covered plates contained full English breakfast, fresh orange juice and steaming coffee. There was also a teapot should they wanted to have tea. Candy felt her stomach rumbling. Everything looked very appetising. Terry observed her discretely as they were eating. Colour had definitely returned to her cheeks.

"Will I spoil it, if I asked you what happened in the hospital?" He finally said.

The clutter of the cutlery on the plate stopped. She looked at him, still chewing the last bite she had from her eggs. His question was done in earnest. She had involved him by driving her everywhere, he had driven Christian to the hospital when time was precious. He had given him his blood. Every time, he never hesitated to help her in any way he could. To say she was in his debt, it would have been an understatement. Christian was still alive because of him. Surely, he was owed something back. She wiped her mouth with the napkin.

"Let's say Christian isn't himself Terry..." She said. He saw the sadness spreading inside her eyes again. She sighed. "He blamed himself for what happened...he said he's brought me trouble..." Tears started swelling inside her eyes. "I deserve better...That's what he told me." She concluded. Her eyes searched for his cigarette case. He picked it up and offered her a cigarette. Her confession left him surprised, dumbfounded even. Christian didn't make sense.

"I am sorry Candy...I didn't mean to pry." He said back. He felt he had to apologise once he realised why she wasn't letting anything out. This was indeed deeply personal for her. And if it had been surprising and confusing for him, then for her it should have been...

"It's ok Terry." She blew the smoke out. "You deserved an explanation of my behaviour."

He didn't say anything back.

"I'm at loss of what to do next..."

"You should talk with him." He advised her. His words startled her. He saw that on her face. "Or I could beat him up..." He said and gave her a soft smile, reminding her of his old self. She had no words for him. She stubbed the cigarette in the ashtray. She had realised how much this man had surprised her with his behaviour since they had met in the Gallery. Terry had matured beyond his years. She felt her heart fluttering inside her chest, when she compared him with the Terry she knew when they were teenagers. Behaving like a tiger in a cage. And now...he couldn't put a foot wrong. She felt overwhelmed but for a reason she couldn't explain. It wasn't the events from last night, nor Christian's behaviour. It had to do with the man in front of her. The tears that came down her cheeks, were impossible for her to stop.

"I hope you're not crying because I said I could beat up Christian..." He joked. She burst into laughing. Her whole face laughed and it lit up the room. He joined her and they felt tension releasing like storm clouds released the rain.

"No..." She said once they caught their breath. "You have been so different Terry."

"Different as in I'm not looking to bite people's heads off?" He quizzed her.

"Yes!"

"I'll spare you the decade drama Candy...but I've had plenty of time for reflection..." He said.

Nostalgia filled the air, and it tasted bitter between them. So much so, both tried to change subject. "Will you come to the Hamlet premiere?" He asked her.

"I don't know Terry...with Christian recuperating..."

"It's in two days." He said back, "And it's not as if you'll be away all day..."

She looked at him, thinking. She wouldn't miss it for the world if he was on stage, but he'd be with them. On the other hand, to watch Shakespeare together with Terry...she could have him explain the scenes, make her see things she hadn't understood before.

"It'll do you good."

"I promise to think about it Terry..."

Nothing more was said. And even everything looked settled between them, nothing was, because their feelings flowed and ebbed and swelled, like the tides of the sea, eternal but forever changing. There was nothing simple and then everything was simple. On those brief moments, they touched each other, everything took meaning, and made sense. For now...after a decade apart, they were learning how to be friends, even if they were something more before.

Terry drove Candy back to the hospital. He also had to be at the theatre. She opened the door of his car and came out, holding the bag with Christian's clothes. Her eyes dived inside his. She remembered how they affected her, and made her lose her words.

"Thank you..." She said feeling emotional again. "For everything Terry."

"It's nothing Freckles." He replied.

"You'll pass by later?" She asked him.

He nodded. "I'll be here..."

She turned before everything turned too much for her, and promised to herself to get a grip, despite recognising that what they had been through was anything but normal. The past twenty four hours were...inevitably her mind sought to find anything similar and the only thing that popped in the mind was the retched night in the New York hospital...only then she realised, how both nights mirrored each other in a lot of things.

Terry looked at Candy going up the stairs of the hospital again. He felt relief he actually was heading to the theatre. His mind desperately, more than ever, sought to put some distance to what he had lived through for the past day.

The police officers greeted her. Terry turned the engine on. She stopped just as the door opened and a nurse was coming out. The two women stood for a moment and stared at each other. The standoff didn't take long. The nurse continued walking down the stairs, keeping her head down. She straightened her posture when she reached the pavement. Her stare crossed paths with Terry's. A faint smile was drawn on her lips. Before he questioned himself whether they knew each other, the woman started walking down the road with hurried steps. His eyes followed her till she turned the corner. He looked back at the hospital door. Candy had already gone in. He pushed the accelerator. Time to get back to where he felt himself. He headed for the theatre.

Her mind was full of thoughts but the moment her eyes were drawn on the face of this nurse, she forgot everything. The woman stopped momentarily. Her face was completely void of emotions but there was some disquiet about her. Candy kept frozen on the ground. She looked familiar...

"Is there anything I can help you Miss...?" The woman said with a hoarse voice. Even the voice...she felt she had heard before. Candy shook her head. She was tired and was imagining things.

"No, it's ok, thank you Nurse." She replied and smiled.

She moved on, leaving the woman behind to go wherever she was heading. She tightened the grip on the bag she was holding. Her heart squeezed in her chest, knowing in a minute she'd face Christian again. She hoped with everything she had that he had turned back to normal. No more self-sacrificing. She had already experienced a lot of that in her life.

She knocked the door of his room and entered it. He turned to see her. She looked apprehensive and the awkwardness was palpable between them.

"I brought you your clothes." She said. She gave him a polite smile.

"Rose..."

She put the bag on the chair and turned to see him.

"Has the doctor passed yet?" She asked, ignoring his effort to speak to her.

"Rose..."

She didn't speak. She only went towards the window. "Do you mind if I open it a little bit more? It is quite warm today."

"Rose!"

The raised tone of his voice, the demand it carried made her shut up and turn her eyes to face him. Whatever he was going to say, they wouldn't accept it.

"I am sorry..."

She came closer to him. A deep frown had been chiselled on her forehead, between her brows.

"You've said too many sorry's in one day Christian." She said. Finally anger started rising inside her. She could feel it in the heat on her face, the glimmer inside her eyes, the breath that came out rushing and warm from her lungs. "Sorry when you woke up, sorry before I left, sorry now..." She tried to steady the tone in her voice.

"But what you haven't done is to explain yourself..." She said.

She left him speechless, this determination that came out of her. "If you haven't noticed, in this relationship you are not alone."

"So you don't get to take decisions on your own or throw a bunch of apologies and be done with."

"You don't understand..." He said. "I'm not good for you." He repeated what he had said to her before, even if everything revolted inside him.

"Shouldn't I decide that for myself?" She sat next to him on the bed. Her bare face mirrored her feelings.

Silence...

"Have you grown tired of me...?" She pushed on, despite sounding hesitant. It wasn't easy for her to ask this, no knowing what answer she might get

"Perhaps you feel you won..."

He looked confused.

"You accomplished the challenge Christian."

"What challenge?" He asked her, his eyes searching through the green valleys of hers.

"Of making me fall in love with you and now you're ready to move to another poor soul..."

Her suspicions were utterly unfounded. Not only that, but they sparked anger inside him too. How the hell could she think that?!

"Is that what you think of me Rose?" The thoughts and his feelings were reflected inside his words.

She challenged him. "I don't know...convince me otherwise..."

He wrapped the back of her neck with his hand, brought her face in a breath's distance from his own. She saw the flicker of the anger her words had sparked inside him. "Do you think I stopped loving you...?"

His fingers were lost inside her hair, they grabbed them. She felt the coolness of his left hand resting on the warmth of her cheek when he took her lips in a kiss that didn't leave any space to doubt. It was frustrated, it was angry and emotional, wanting to say so much. Things that had been hidden. She responded under its conviction. Took his face between her hands, feeling its unshaven coarseness prickling her palms. She let his tongue taste her in a kiss that was deepening, pushing them fall inside a dark hole, breathing inside each other, holding one other.

"I never stopped loving you Rose..." She heard his voice between breaths. Tears were welling up, wetting her eyelashes. She whispered his name.

"Let's go someplace, just you and me..." She suggested once they stopped catching their breaths. Her face glowed. "Once you're well..." She was held still deep inside his eyes. He was holding her face, with his thumbs caressing her cheeks. He had fallen in love with the light in her eyes from the first night she showed up in his life. Perhaps he could escape the storm brewing all the while stronger inside his life. She would give him strength and he'd keep her safe.

She covered his hands with hers. "Remember your painting...the one from that little Scottish island?"

"I do..." He said with a low voice, feeling like kissing her again.

"Let's go there Christian...the two of us." She managed to say before he swallowed her words in a second kiss, mellower, softer. It had been a long time since they were so close.

"You're willing to leave the London scene behind for me?

"It'll be hard..." She teased him.

"Let Marion eat Graham alive?" He asked in return, with equal tone but his eyes didn't let hers.

He saw them widen on the spot. "What?" She asked back, her voice having lost its playfulness.

She straightened her body on the bed, and put some distance between them. "Why should I care about what or who Marion does?"

Christian let his back fall back in the pillow. His eyes were still smiling although he found her reaction a bit excessive. He decided to dig further.

"Oh...I don't know...because you always had a fascination for the theatre..." He said, registering her reactions.

"And Graham seems to tick you off more than other just the odd occasion..."

"Excuse me?!" She got up from the bed and paced in a circle around the room, having crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Oh...come on Rose...!" He exclaimed smiling widely to her, "I've noticed how chivalrous he is with you..."

She thought her face was on fire, thinking of the entire day having spending it with Terry. How taken she was with his behaviour. How for a moment she kept staring at his lips when he was talking to her during breakfast...Her breath stood at her throat. She realised and her stare widened like two full moons on her flustered face.

"Oh my good Lord in heavens!" She exclaimed all of a sudden.

Christian looked at her waiting to see what she was going to say.

"Christian Blake..."

"Are you..."

"By any means..."

"JEALOUS?!"

It was his time to feign surprise.

"Don't be silly Rose! Me?!" He raised his voice so, she had to shoosh him. She laughed.

"Terrence Graham?! The odd ball?" He added having lowered his voice, not believing Rose's words.

"He's not an odd ball Christian!" She protested.

"So you're defending him..."

"Oh poppycock!" She said sounding annoyed.

"It's called good manners if you must know and you didn't show any of those this morning towards him." She said, having found an opportunity to finally discuss that. It had bugged her since the morning, but with what had followed, this one along with a lot of other things from the night before, it was forgotten.

"I am sorry..." He said, his face turning more serious again. His attitude towards Terry was something he had thought about too and the more it went around his mind, the more he disapproved.

"He'll be here later if you want to tell him that." She let him know and sat back on the bed, watching him. She asked him to lower the bedsheets. She wanted to see his bandages.

"Graham is coming here?" He asked her sounding surprised.

She lifted his vest, pressed gently around his wound. His abdomen felt normal under her touch. "Has the doctor passed by yet?"

"Rose...?"

"Hmmm...?" She asked him as she tried to peek under the bandage.

"You're avoiding my question."

She turned her head up and looked at him. "Yes, he is coming here Christian." She admitted. "I asked him if you want to know." She added deciding to tell him the whole truth.

"What for?" He asked her, raising her eyebrow, while pulling the bedsheets up, stopping her from snooping around, especially when she was using it as an excuse not to pay attention to him.

"Because I owe him...you owe him...he gave his blood for you..."

"I know..." He stopped her. "The doctor told me."

She smiled. "So you know..." She said back. "And you have nothing to worry about ok?" She added. She got up. She had to go. It was lunch time. The nurse would be here soon. She put her palms on his cheeks and kissed his forehead. He took her hands and brought them towards his chest, pulling her down. Kissed her again, told her he loved her.

"I love you too Christian..." She said and her eyes shimmered. "I have to go, will take lunch with Archie and Isabel, and I need to pass by the Good Samaritans later...God knows I haven't been there for long and I need to do something to keep my mind occupied. I'll be back later ok?"

He looked apologetic. "It's not your fault, don't worry." She added.

"The nurse will be here with your lunch I'm assuming soon." She opened the door and stopped for a second. "Funny nurse I met at the front entrance..."

His eyes darkened to the sound of her observation. "What do you mean?"

"We sort of crossed paths," Rose said, "Our eyes met sort of speak and she just stood there..." She said and brought her brows together,

"She asked me if I knew her..."

"Really?"

"Yes..." Rose said and then smiled. "That's why I need to go to the Samaritans..." She spoke as if she was talking to herself more than to Christian. And then she turned her eyes back to him who looked worried. "I was so tired, I start to confuse people..." She gave him her brightest smile and left.

He stayed there, thinking about her. Her crossing path with Alice erased the smile off his face. Despite the determination behind his unspeakable behaviour when he came round early in the morning to cut ties with her, she hadn't let him insist on the ending of their relationship. Kissing her made him desire her more than ever. He loved her. The warmth of the new day made him optimistic. He would have to get off that bed and go find MacDonald before his men came to find him.

It was 7.30 in the evening when Terry went in his car, heading back to the hospital. To be honest, he had no idea why he was going back. Christian had behaved like a dick in the morning and if Candy wasn't present, he'd equally reply in a tone he deserved.

All that he did was for her. Painful at times, he'd have to admit it, frustrating at others, but when he made her laugh...The moments he saw the girl in her with who he had been madly in love all those years ago...He could endure anything for those moments. They were theirs, and no one could take that away from him. The connection he had with her then. Like that morning at his room. Or the night before waiting to hear about Christian. He drove through the streets of London, with his mind full of those moments.

Everything was almost ready with the play too. His foot also had healed completely. He really didn't need the cane any longer and part of him wished that he could be Hamlet on that stage. For her to see...But if he had been busy now, the schedule would have been relentless if he had been the protagonist. Standing on that stage, for two performances per day, for the next month or so...Not to mention, those moments he sought to have with Candy would have been even more difficult to get. So that is why he was heading to the hospital. Not for that trouble maker but for her.

Marion had passed by the theatre and had lunch with her, before she would go to visit Christian. She was her usual outrageous flirt and she made him take his mind off things for a while. He gave her a light kiss on the lips when she was ready to leave and she almost squealed. "Will I see you in the evening?" She asked him, full of eagerness in her voice. He couldn't, he needed his rest since the previous night, given that the Hamlet premiere was imminent. He'd see her at the premiere. He had booked the best box for them at the front, up at the dress circle. It was just enough for five people. Marion, her parents, himself and Candy.

For now, he was approaching the hospital. He wondered whether Christian's behaviour had remained the same. He hoped he had changed his tune because after the day he had, Terry really didn't feel like he had much of grace and polite manners left in him to excuse Christian. Moreover he wondered in what state he'd find Candy's relationship with Christian? Was it over then? The reasons although obscure, at the moment was secondary to Terry.

Despite having been affected from Archie's suspicions at the beginning, he had decided that Christian hadn't really been a danger to Candy. He was just an bohemian artist, with not much order in his life, if he had to judge by the state of his apartment when they went with Candy in the morning to pick up clothes for him. It was like a war field. He really didn't go far off from where he stood near the door because he would have to jump and skip his way to the rest of the big room that served as a kitchen, living room and painting studio all at the same time.

What he did see and kept his attention occupied while Candy was putting together the bag of clean clothes was the red velvet sofa. The same sofa where she had been painted nude. All kinds of torturing images had jumped inside his head for those few minutes he was there because he didn't last long. He shouted to Candy that he was going downstairs for a smoke. He had sworn to be her knight in the shining armour when he had left the Gallery but give the man a break. Imagining her on that sofa and the physical love she enjoyed with Christian prior or after the painting, was too much to bear. It just got under his skin and bothered him like an itch he wasn't able to scratch.

Deep in his mind he let everything turn and ferment, hoping that answers will eventually come to him. Why she hadn't told a thing to the ladies in the orphanage? Was he a painful subject to talk about? Were there expectations she was afraid she wasn't able to meet? Or she was too afraid to let her mind dwell too much about him being there? He was heading to Christian's room. The evening visitation time was underway, and the corridors were busy. He noticed that the police officers had changed at the front. Surely the police wasn't leaving matters to luck. At least for the first twenty four hours. Till that time, no one had showed up that would present a threat to Christian's life. He knocked the door and came in. She was already there, sitting next to him on the bed. He had her hand in his.

All's well in her love life again...

The room's pale blue walls opposite the big windows had been crossed with bright orange sunlight just as they were heading to dusk. He suppressed an unexpected wave of disappointment inside him and smiled. She got up to greet him. Put her hand on his arm.

"You're here!" She said. She sounded significantly more cheerful than in the morning.

"Patient looks decidedly better." He said and stared at Christian. There was more colour on his cheeks.

"I'll go to ask Dr. Hart about when he thinks Christian should be discharged." She quickly said.

Terry realised she was doing that, so the two of them stay on their own. Looks like she already had a word with Christian about his morning behaviour.

"I am sorry for this morning Terrence..." He turned and said to him when the door closed behind her.

"Did she put you up to this? You've been scolded?" Terry asked although he didn't plan to sound as sarcastic as he did.

Christian's polite look faded a little, realising that Terry wasn't fooled as easily as he thought.

"She had a small part, yes." He admitted and followed Terry with his eyes as he moved around, examining the room. His description to Rose as him being an "oddball" was correct he thought.

"So, we're trucing for her sake then..." He said coolly and turned to face him, put his hands in his pockets.

"No...I didn't say my apology is all her hand..."

"Then?"

"I am truly sorry...you've done a lot for me and I didn't even acknowledged that." He said. His words were sincere and came from him, it was plain for Terry to see. He took a breath, while thinking about the night before.

"It was nothing Christian, really. I'd like to think you'd do the same..." Terry said back.

"I would...but not everyone is the same." Christian observed."

Terry didn't respond.

"In any case...Thank you..." He added.

"Really." He knew Terry would have been suspicious on this turn of his behaviour and although he knew how much Rose disapproved, he also wanted to put across that he recognised when someone helped him. In this case,

"You saved my life."

Terry raised his brow. "I hope you won't go down on one knee, mate. "He said while his lips curled up, giving him a wide smile.

"Bastard!" He raised his voice the same time his handpicked Saturday's newspaper from the night stand and threw it with force towards Terry. He picked it up on the air. The door opened when both men were laughing. They turned both to look at a very surprised Candy. To see them laughing like that...a deep sense of happiness spread inside her, filling every part of her body.

They stayed for about an hour, keeping up the friendly banter, the three of them, till a nurse came to remind them that the visitation time was coming to an end.

"What did our dear Dr. Hart say love?" Christian turned to her, with beaming eyes. Indeed he had enjoyed that last hour very much. It could have been the fact that it had been a long day. Better say the longest two day of his life. It was Saturday evening, and just thinking himself on past Wednesday felt like a year ago. The Gallery opening although it was only a couple of weeks ago, it was as distant as a star on the night sky.

"Well, because of what your injury is and where it is, they need to keep you till Monday at least, just to make sure there is no infection." She said knowing he would disappointed and indeed he was. Hospital stay was not the most exciting thing. He would need to be patient.

"I can bring you books..." She said but there was not an enthusiastic response from his part.

"I can bring you drawing paper and pencils..." She said, having sat on the bed and having his hand between hers. His eyes flashed and widened with excitement. He grabbed her face and planted a big kiss on her lips.

"That is why I love this girl so!" He turned and said to Terry who stood there witnessing the interaction between them. A rosy colour had spread in Candy's face and she looked sheepish even. She chuckled and cleared her voice.

"I shall you leave you both to say your goodbyes...Too much goofiness for my liking." Terry interrupted. "It's goodbye from me, mate." He threw the newspaper back to him. "Don't turn all jackass in the morning again..."

Christian laughed. Terry enjoyed to be the one who threw the last insult. "I promise not..." He said turning more serious. She seemed to want to say something but Terry left before she managed to do so.

"You want to go after him...?" Christian asked her when they remained the two of them.

"Will you stop with this?!" She protested while smiling. "I wanted to ask him if he would escort me for dinner. "You know how I hate to dine alone..."

"Well, go then...he won't wait." He said and kissed her, taking his time, lingering over her lips, almost as if testing her. She surrendered for the moment to his caress. "I don't want to go..." She whispered.

"I better get out of this bed soon...having Graham as your babysitter...I don't know..." He kept teasing her. She hit him with the newspaper Terry had thrown on the bed.

"Stop it!" She said and covered his lips, taking charge of the kiss. He pushed her back after he tasted her mouth. "Go..." He whispered. She smiled and left.

With hurried steps, she came out of the hospital. Terry was just about to start the engine. She stopped breathless next to the car. His face didn't reveal anything. "I was going to ask you if you would mind to share dinner with me Terry..." She said trying to catch her breath. It took him a moment to respond. Almost as if he actually was thinking whether to accept or not.

"Hop in Miss Scarlet Rose." He said wickedly in the end. She didn't give her mind time to thought of his last remark and got in his car. They took off while she recommended a nice cosy restaurant for them to dine.

A big fat full moon was high up in the sky, when Terry switched off the engine of his car, having parked a little further down from Candy's house. Compared with last night's summer storm, this night had not a cloud in the dark blue silver sky. The air was full of the gardens fragrances of mock orange shrubs and rhododendrons. If you stayed in the silence there, under the full moon, inhaling those heavy aromas, you could feel your heart fluttering as if it was flying to heaven.

They had a great time. Food was great, drink was even better. They had finished between them a couple of bottles of wine, not counting the cocktails beforehand. They kept the banter flowing, without touching sensitive issues and enjoyed each other's company without carrying all the baggage that existed otherwise between them. He was fine, despite the amount of alcohol he had drunk. She on the other hand...

"Oh dear...I'm completely smashed." She said and giggled. He joined her laughing. He enjoyed that very much. He hadn't seen her ever drunk. He remembered how goody two shoes she was back at college. Scolding him for smoking, for drinking. She had been right, mind you, but boy had she been square back then. He had loved her for it. Still, it was really a new experience for him, to compare that girl from back then, with the young liberal woman she had become now.

"Give me your keys..." He said to her.

"Why?" She asked him arching her eyebrows, trying to focus on her bag, giggling nonstop.

"Because you're drunk." He said as a matter-of-fact.

She didn't respond. She only continued the aimless search inside her bag, in the dark. She huffed.

"Here." She said in the end, admitting defeat and gave him her bag. He put his hand in, looking around and found her key. He got out of the car and went over to her side. Opened the door and gave her his hand to help her get out.

She grabbed his hand. The last time she had touched his hands was at the dance they had on the party just after the Gallery opening. Butterflies of giddiness erupted inside her belly. She thanked the darkness for hiding the colour of her face. She could stand just fine, but he gave her his arm to hold on and she took him upon his offer. They walked towards her door.

"I had a great time Candy." He said.

"Me too." She said back and squeezed her cheek on his arm as they walked. It felt so good to be friends with Terry she thought. "I honestly cannot believe that after all those years, you are here and you're walking me home..."

"Yes, but you haven't told Mrs. Pony..." He said revealing to her about him having read the letter.

"You read the letter?!" She exclaimed and stopped walking.

"I'm guilty your Honour, I have read the letter that stood wide opened on the dining table while Miss. White here was taking a shower."

She had lifted her face to look at his. He was so devilishly handsome under the moonlight. His cheekbones, the jawline. His eyes relaxed, sparkled with content. She had to catch her breath.

"I forgive you." She said and tapped her finger on his chest, trying to stop the hiccup that was coming up her throat.

"I didn't tell them, because they worship you..." She begun saying. "You know that."

He rolled his eyes. He had carried fond memories of those two sweet ladies but yes, they were very fervent fans of his. In the best possible way of course, it was just that he never got used to such open exhibitions of affection. "So I didn't want to complicate things...they are complicated enough."

They had reached her door. "Why do you say that Candy?" He asked her.

"Well...I never thought I'd see you again and here you are Terry."

He didn't say anything. Just kept watching her, opening up to him. He didn't want to break that moment. "And I am with Christian..."

"Who you love..." He said and opened the door for her. Gave her the key back.

"Whom I love..." She repeated his words but she kept watching him like hypnotised. Her heart was thumbing on her chest like those big jazz drums. She could swear it had climbed up her throat.

He whispered her name and pushed back a stray curl from her face, tucked it behind her ear. His thumb caressed her cheek. She was the most beautiful woman in the world for him. She had always been. Like a castle built by sand, hit by the waves of the sea, his control was diminishing with his every breath. There was something about that moment, the night, the whole twenty four hours that had thrown like a spell between them and had brought them closer than ever before. And even if she wasn't his, even if her heart belonged to someone else, as she herself said...that wasn't enough for him to keep himself away from her mouth because he leaned over, brought her closer to him, till their bodies touched and his lips hovered over hers with their breaths caressing each other's skin, till there was no more control left in him. He kissed her and feared she would disappear just like it happened million times in his dreams but the warmth of her palms on his chest was not a dream. Nor the moistness of her mouth, sweet like nectar it was. He hadn't kissed her since...he was sixteen. There was a riot of feelings inside him and he tried to push them all back just to give himself in this kiss he knew deep down it was wrong.

It is wrong...

They both seemed to have the same thought at the same time because they stood apart, looking at each other with lost eyes, not knowing what to say...He decided to break the spell first by saying her name. He knew what would follow...She panicked. She looked everywhere except at him, mumbled a hurried goodnight between her lips and went in, leaving him behind in the dead of the night.

With heavy steps he returned to the car. The spell was long gone. With it, everything magical disappeared in the summer night. He cursed himself, the fate, the timing, the alcohol...He turned the engine on. The wheels spun on the road leaving a cloud of dust behind. The midsummer's night dream had well and truly ended.