Neil looked somewhat lost, and Candy realized she had been too hard on him. She shouldn't have said such words, even if he hadn't been eavesdropping. Even if he deserved it. After all, there were some good qualities inside of him, as in any person…
"Neil, I…" Candy tried to make an excuse, but Legan stopped her with a gesture.
"Don't say anything, Candy. I see your point now."
He saw her point, although it was too late. It was ruthless truth that he didn't want to know, hear, understand. He thought that everything Candy said to his face was part of a woman's coquetry, the ritual of attention. But today he heard the truth – Candy was serious, she meant it. She's not one of those people who say what they don't think, oh, no!
Neil had already decided not to see her again, he wanted to go away right now, but the fact that Candy was still in hospital, kind of in his care, madehim back-pedal. It was tormenting him.
Legan was looking outside, where the sunbeams were twinkling on the jets of a small fountain within the hospital's territory. The silence had become almost sinister.
Miss White dropped her head.
"Neil, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" the girl made another attempt to start the conversation, but Neil turned around abruptly.
"Candy, it's okay," he said in the tone that showed that nothing was quite okay. "Don't be sorry, you didn't step on my foot, after all. You spoke your mind, and I got it."
Candy realized he would never come to her again. Ever. She felt it. It was evident that Neil was thinking of a way to get rid of Candy right now, and it was true.
"So, you feel better, right?" he asked with a calm and cold voice.
"Yes, and I…"
"I'll pick you up in the evening and drive you home."
"Neil!"
He silently closed the door and walked away.
Candy put her head on a pillow and closed her eyes. Why was she so sad? She was finally able to get rid of him. She sort of won. Now he wouldn't haunt her, and she could live a happy life. Yet she felt miserable. Why?
Proposal, favourite flowers…
She would never see him again.
His fragrance and kisses. A penetrating glance of his dark eyes, filled with passion.
Never again.
Wasn't that what she'd wanted?
…The girl spent the whole day lying on the bed, feeling sick, although her leg and arm almost did not hurt.
In the afternoon, the nurse brought her dinner, and Candy barely managed it – she had no appetite. When Martha asked her, Candy referred to a headache and took aspirin in the hope of falling asleep to forget about everything, but the sleep wouldn't come.
Soon it would be evening, and Neil would come to drive her home. And that would be it.
The dragging feeling in her stomach grew stronger, as if something bad was going to happen. What should she do?
Candy dressed herself and sat on the bed with her head down. What's wrong with her? What was she going to do?
There was a knock at the door, and he came in. Neil. Her heart started beating fast, as if out of startle… or anticipation?
"Neil, I…"
"Let's go," his voice was cold and strange, his face impenetrable.
She walked past him, he let her through a door. She wanted to cry.
Neil opened the car's door, and Candy got in. Legan tried not to look at her. He stepped down, and the car dashed along the road.
"Neil, you know…"
He kept silent.
The ride to her place seemed like a couple of seconds as she was mincing the words along the way. Neil bent over her to open the door, and the girl felt his warm body near her and smelled his fragrance.
He waited. Candy got out of the car.
And then Neil left.
Miss White was standing in the street, following the red car with her eyes and grasping her cloak in the trembling hands.