Nothing's Sweeter than Candy (19 page)

Candace held it up to the light and studied the intricate design. Brice had paid attention to detail. It was an exact replica of her ankle bracelet, made of several fine links of chain mesh, silver, and gold entwined together into a braided length. There were three little gold hearts spaced out over the length of it.

“It's beautiful. But don't you think this is going a little overboard?”

“No, I don't. Nash's behavior is textbook erratic. His past activities show a pattern of escalation after each incident, and the lack of repercussions has made him reckless. He's played these kinds of games for so long he believes he's unbeatable.” Brice paused for a moment. “According to Rick, in his current state of mind the logical progression could be an attempted abduction. Because anything is possible, I want you to be prepared. Nash has always been an asshole, but now he's a dangerous asshole.”

“Has he ever done anything like that before?”

“No. Not that we know of.”

“Then what makes you so sure he'd do something so out there now? Kidnapping is a serious offense. He could go to jail for a very long time.”

“We're not dealing with a rational person here, Candace. He crossed the line when he sent you that package in the mail. Rick and I think he's more fixated with you than he's ever been with anyone else, and he's angry. In his mind, you must represent a failure of some sort. Like a mark on his record. You're a strong woman, something he's never encountered before, and he's determined to break you. He needs to prove to himself, and you, that he's stronger than you are. His ego won't allow him to do otherwise.”

“Shouldn't we call the police? If he's that dangerous, wouldn't they protect me?”

“And tell them what? The police won't act on allegations alone; they need proof. All we have are suppositions and circumstantial evidence, nothing concrete. We're on our own here, and we have to do what we can to protect ourselves. As long as we expect the unexpected, we're already a step ahead. With Rick's help and expertise, I think we'll be okay.”

“This is all so surreal. I'm sorry, but I just can't imagine that Nash would do something that stupid. Harassing calls and vandalism are one thing, but kidnapping? It sounds too farfetched. I'm sure you and Rick know way more about these things than I do, but I still can't wrap my head around the concept.” She dropped her head in acceptance as she fastened the bracelet on her wrist. “I guess I'm just going to have to trust you.”

“Is that such a bad thing? Haven't I earned your trust, Candace? Have I ever done anything to make you doubt me or my intentions?”

“No. Of course not. I didn't mean anything like that. I meant I'll have to accept that the two of you are more experienced in things like this and you know what you're talking about, that's all.”

“Are you sure? Because lately I get the feeling you're pulling away from me. Things have been different ever since the morning you slipped out of bed without saying goodbye. You've barely made time for us. When we are together, you can't look me in the eye, and even worse, you try to pick fights. Are you trying to push me away? We both know something happened that night, that things changed.”

“That's the problem, Brice. I don't want things to change. I like our relationship the way it is. Why jeopardize what we have? Why can't we just be friends who happen to enjoy sex together?”

“Sometimes friendship has unexpected consequences,” he replied coldly. His jaw tightened and a chill slowly crept into his eyes. “Change is inevitable, Candace. You're an intelligent woman. How could you not know this?”

“Look, Brice, I get it. Maybe you think you're in love. But really, how could you possibly know if you've never been there before? You have nothing to compare this to.”

“I know that you matter to me.” He took her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it lightly as he stared into her eyes. “Besides my mother, no other woman has ever meant more. I'm not a child, Candace. I'm a grown man. I'm no expert, but I know what I feel. And when I'm around you, I feel happier than I've ever been.

“You make me feel excited, interested, captivated, and eager to know everything about you. When we're not together, even for a day, I miss you. I feel an ache. Here.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “I get this twisting feeling in the pit of my stomach simply at the thought that I might never see you again. A few months ago, I never imagined such a thing was even possible. I can't lie. The idea of falling in love scares the hell out of me. It's new territory, and the thought of losing everything I am to another person scares me. But the idea of being without you scares me more.”

Candace gently pulled her hand from his grasp and clasped her hands together briefly, then nervously fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist.

Brice crossed his arms. “It would seem that we've exchanged places since our first date. If I recall, I was content to settle for average, while you were the adamant thrill-seeker. What happened to that woman who loved the excitement of dancing on the edge and playing with fire?”

“Nothing's happened to her. She's not stupid. She knows her boundaries and doesn't work without a safety net or a fire extinguisher.”

“Damn woman, you're a hard nut to crack, but no matter how much you want to avoid the conversation, we are going to talk about this.”

“There's nothing to talk about. We had an agreement. No expectations beyond our arrangement. Having a change of heart doesn't negate the agreement.”

Brice leaned forward and put his hands on the table. “Am I missing something here? Was this imaginary binding contract ever signed? Because no matter what your mouth is saying, I know I'm not the only one here whose feelings have changed.”

“Imaginary or not, changed feelings or not, it doesn't matter. We had an agreement,” she doggedly repeated. She was getting irritated. “I knew it. I knew getting involved with you was a mistake from the start. I told you, nice guys always want more.” She crossed her arms and gave him an angry scowl. “I should have stuck with the assholes.”

“What does that mean? I'm being penalized because I'm a nice guy? Are you saying you
want
to be treated like shit the rest of your life by men like Nash?”

“Yes, maybe I do,” she nearly shouted in defiance. “It's what I'm used to, and I'm okay with that.”

“That's bullshit, Candace, and you know it. No woman in her right mind wants to be treated that way. You're using your fear of relationships as an excuse.”

Brice's own irritation showed as he pinned her with an angry glare. “I'm on to you, Candace Brown, so don't expect me to believe crap like that. I may not have ever been in love before but I've seen the effect a broken heart can have. I know what lengths one will go to avoid more pain. Don't try to feed me bullshit and expect me to swallow it without question. If you want to walk away from this, you're going to have to give me a better reason.”

She glared back at him, her eyes filled with fury and brimming with unshed tears, her face flushed. “I don't owe you a ‘better reason.' This is my life, and
I
choose how I live it. Don't go on about other people's feelings and act like you know what you're talking about, because believe me, you don't. Standing on the outside looking in doesn't make you an expert. It makes you a spectator. So, forgive me if I question your authority on the subject. You have
no
idea what it takes to get over a broken heart.”

“You can rile all you want, but the circumstances remain the same.” His voice softened. “Neither of us are experts, but one of us has to have an open mind. Shutting down and refusing to entertain other points of view only makes us both losers. I'm trying to convince you to look beyond the pain. There's a whole other world worth exploring, and I'm asking you to take a chance. I promise you, you won't regret it.”

She didn't have to listen to this. Abruptly, Candace started gathering her things—her cell phone, keys, and purse in one hand, and the gift bag in the other. She pushed herself back from the table and stood. “You know what, Brice? It's been a long day, and I'm tired. Would you please take me home?”

• • •

They rode in silence as Brice drove. Candace sat rigidly and stared out the passenger side window, while he stared straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel tightly with both hands. Her anger had receded and given way to defeat and resignation. When they arrived at her place, Brice parked at the curb and shut off the engine, then turned and gave her his full attention.

“This isn't over, Candace.” His voice was low and filled with quiet conviction. “You may walk away from me now, but I'm not letting you walk out of my life without a fight. There's too much that's right between us to let it go to waste, just because you're afraid to take a gamble. I don't know what it will take to change your mind, but I'm not giving up until I do.”

She touched his chin gingerly with the tips of her fingers and stroked his jawline to soothe the tension and soften his icy stare. Her stubborn resolve had deserted her and left her stranded in a place filled with fear and uncertainty. This man both fascinated and confused her. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to let go of the past and embrace the present, but its hold on her was too tight.

“Who are you, Brice?” she asked, soft and low. “Sometimes when your eyes grow cold and your face turns to stone, I don't know who you are. It scares me and makes me think I'm not good enough ... that I won't measure up to your expectations.”

“You know me, Candace. You know me better than you think you do. I don't expect any more from you than I would from myself.”

“That's what scares me. You're perfect. I can't live up to perfection.” She leaned into him and placed her head on his shoulder. “I'm a mess, and we both know it. I've jumped without looking too many times in my life, with nothing to break my fall. Each time I had to pick myself up and start all over again.” Her voice wavered, and she sobbed into his shoulder. “I'm tired, Brice. I'm tired of starting over.”

“Babe.” He put his arms around her and pulled her in closer. “You're not a mess. You're just afraid, and you have every right to be. But life doesn't come with guarantees; we have to take our chances and let whatever happens happen. All I'm asking is that you let it happen with me. Take a chance on me, Candace. I love you, and I'd never hurt you. This time, if you jump—I promise I'll catch you.”

She pulled away from him and gave him a sorrowful look, her eyes brimming with tears and filled with an unfathomable pain. “I can't.”

She grabbed up her things, and, clutching her purse to her chest, she got out of the car and practically ran up the walkway to her townhouse.

All her anger had deserted her somewhere between the restaurant and the drive home. In its place were the aching feeling of emptiness and an overwhelming sense of loss. It had taken everything she had in her to walk away from him, telling herself it was for the best. It was a lie. Her heart was breaking, again, and this time it was her own fault. She'd arrogantly believed she was in control, ignored the warning signs, and found out too late that she was in over her head. There was no such thing as being in control. It was an illusion.

She was forced to face the truth and finally admit to herself that she was in love with him, but it didn't matter. How could she love when she was so afraid to fall? She would let him go. It was for the best, because she wasn't strong enough or brave enough to keep him.

With such sorrowful revelations weighing heavy on her heart, Candace pulled off her shoes and crawled into bed. Still wearing her street clothes, she pulled the covers over her head and wept into her pillow.

“Hey, Brice. This is a surprise,” David greeted him warmly as he opened the door. “What brings you to this side of town so late in the evening?”

“I was on my way home when I decided to make a detour. Are you busy? I need to talk.”

“No, not really, come on in. Sarona and I were just video chatting.”

“Oh, geez man, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. We can do this another time.”

“No, no. It's perfectly fine. We were just about to say goodnight anyway. Come on in and make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back.”

Brice entered the house, went straight to the refrigerator, and took out an ice-cold beer, before taking a seat. He hadn't actually planned to stop by. After leaving Candace at her door, he'd driven around aimlessly until he found himself parked in front of David's place. Somehow his car had made its way there completely on autopilot. Even though it was his nature to remain tight-lipped about his personal affairs, something inside of him must have realized he wouldn't get through this on his own.

He'd shamelessly laid himself bare and handed over his heart, giving Candace complete knowledge of the power she wielded over him. And it still hadn't mattered. It wasn't enough.

He needed help. He needed another perspective. David, too, had suddenly fallen in love, so maybe he could offer some advice. It hadn't been easy for him either, but somehow he'd managed to convince Sarona to give him a chance. Brice needed to know his secret.

“So, tell me, man. What's up? Why the long face?” David also grabbed a beer from the fridge and plopped down next to Brice on the sofa.

Brice took a quick drink from his bottle, and then bent forward with his arms draped over his knees. “I'll give it to you straight, so you can get the urge to say ‘I told you so' off of your chest. I met a girl and fell in love, but I can't get her to admit that she's in love with me. She's stubborn, unbending, and dead set on ignoring what's happening between us. Basically, I've been beating my head against a stone wall trying to figure out how to change her mind. I'm here because I need some advice. What can you give me?”