Chapter 10

Candice

“Candice Eloise Bryan!” Knox’s voice fills the alcove as he enters the front door. My heart starts to race. Mick has been gone a total of two hours and I’ve gotten Lottie to her mate’s place for a playdate Caroline had arranged, just in case they were back later than anticipated and I needed to go home. The fact they’re home extremely early and Knox just middle named me means I’m in trouble. I wrack my brain and let out a breath. They know. They have to know because Mick being here is the only thing that would invoke this type of a reaction. But the question is how do they know? I know they have a security system but the one above the kitchen has been out for months. Unless they got it fixed. I’m so stupid.

“Who was at our house last night?” Knox storms up the three steps from the front door to the living room where I’m sitting. I’ve been watching Netflix and enjoying toast, trying to do anything but smile about last night. It had been one of the best nights I’ve had in a while. Caroline follows closely behind them. Both of them look like they barely slept. They must have left quick to get back here to confront me. Now facing Knox and Caroline, I wish he hadn’t shown up here at all.

“Uh—” I start.

Knox cuts me off. “Just in case you were wondering, there are photos.”

“Photos? Where?” My eyes go wide.

“Paparazzi, Candice! You should know this by now. Mick was seen sneaking out of our house,” Knox growls.

“It’s not what you think,” I say. Great, they think I shagged him at their house last night! An overwhelming feeling of wanting to smother myself with the decorative pillow that’s resting against me permeates in my bones.

“See I told you.” Caroline touches Knox’s arm. She’s the only thing that can calm him down.

“He just stopped by when I told him I wasn’t going to this rooftop party.” My eyes dart back and forth between them.

“You know what the worst part is? You have no idea what the tabloids are saying. Maybe Google him and see what comes up,” Knox says.

I take out my phone and start to scroll. My stomach clenches when I get to a news article which throws me through a loop. “Oh. He was making out with some model last night.”

There it is, clear as day, Mick is exactly who I thought he was.

“Are you all right?” Caroline asks.

“What? That’s not what I meant,” Knox says and grabs the phone out of her hands. “This is what I meant.” He hands it back to her.

“Oh my gosh Caroline. I am so sorry!” I say. On the front page of the tabloids, there’s a photo of Mick sneaking out the back gate and a headline says Caroline and Mick are having an affair.

“Knox took care of it.” She sits down beside me and squeezes my arm.

“It’s not okay.” Knox shakes his head. “This can’t happen again. I know Mick seems real charming but he’s an asshole and you deserve better than him.”

“We’re not doing anything. I swear. We only talked and then we fell asleep on the couch while watching a movie,” I say. Now whatever illusion he had spun in my mind is now gone. He’s just like Felix.

“I believe you.” Knox’s tone softens. “But you’ve finally got a job you’re excited about. Don’t let anything jeopardize that.”

“I won’t—wait did Rick see this?” Instantly the anxiety brews in my chest. Shit, shit, shit.

“Who do you think told Caroline to check Google?” Knox says.

“Am I in trouble?” I ask, making eye contact with Caroline.

“No. Just try not to get into any more trouble...” She rubs her face.

“Thank God.” I let out a huge breath.

“And another thing. How do you think Felix is going to feel? He knows you were watching Lottie last night,” Knox says. All the relief I felt a second ago is now gone. Felix is definitely going to see this.

“Knox, I love you but get out now.” Caroline stands and puts her arms around his shoulders to guide him to the stairs.

“What?” he frowns.

“Go upstairs or to the kitchen. I need to talk to Candice without you,” she says. If I could kiss her right now, I would.

“Caroline…” he starts but she cut him off.

“No Caroline, anything. I say this with all of my love but go,” she says as she places her hands on her hips. His brows furrow but he does as he’s told and leaves us alone.

“Are you okay, Candy?” Caroline asks as she takes a seat beside me again.

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” I give her a brave smile but she’s not buying it.

“Because of the first news story you read out.”

“Oh, I don’t care what he does.” I avoid her gaze, but she knows me better than anyone.

“Candice.” She grabs one of my hands.

“Okay. I’m a little upset. We had a great chat. We played twenty questions and he was actually honest—or so I thought.” Had I really been so stupid to believe Mick? To believe he was being genuine?

“He can be—charming? I don’t know. I’ve never seen that side of him, but with the number of girls who love him, I’m assuming it’s true. But you have to remember he doesn’t have the best reputation.”

“I know. I’m so daft. I think I’m just missing the security of a relationship. Going home to an empty house all the time—it just feels depressing.” It didn’t matter what Felix had done, he was my best friend and now he’s gone, there’s a hole where he used to be. I miss not having to go to bed alone. I miss being able to tell someone everything too. I want what Knox and Caroline have.

“I get it. I don’t know what I’d do without Knox so I can only imagine how you’re feeling. Stay here again tonight. You don’t need to go home. We have plenty of space.” She squeezes my hand.

“No, it’s okay, Caroline. I can’t do that,” I say. Over the past few months, I’ve spent so much time here I must be driving them crazy.

“Yup you are. You’re going to go home, pack some clothes, and come back here. We’re also going out tonight,” she says. My heart swells. Caroline is the best sister a girl could have ever asked for.

“Is Knox going to be okay with it?” I ask.

“I think so. He can watch Lottie and I think he wanted to finish some songs with Felix anyway. Don’t worry, I’ll tell him to invite Felix over after we leave.” She smiles.

“All right let’s do it,” I say.

“Awesome. I don’t remember the last time I’ve gone out. You may have to help me pick out some clothes,” she says.

“Can do! I’ll bring you something from my closet.” I already have the perfect idea for this green dress which would be beautiful on Caroline. It might be a bit risqué, but I won’t mention it yet.

“Nothing too slutty. Remember I’m a mom.” It’s as if Caroline is in my head. “Where are we going to go?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll find something,” I say and stand up. I slide my shoes on and grab my weekender that’s sitting at the front door.

“Okay be back by three,” Caroline says. “Also, get Pete to drive you home. I know you like to walk and it’s not far but with the number of paps outside, I’d feel better if our bodyguard is with you.”

“Will do.” I give her one last nod before heading out the door.

Tonight is going to be good. I’m going to forget Mick Davies exists.

********

“I can’t wear this.” Caroline groans from her closet.

“Yes you can,” I reply.

“I’m a mother remember?” she says.

“I’m well aware.” I chuckle. She comes out of the closet, and I gasp. The green dress I picked out looks absolutely stunning on her. It’s tight, strapless and comes just above the knee. Her long blonde hair is down with slight curls.

“I’m changing,” she says.

“No, you’re definitely wearing it. You look flippin’ amazing.” I smile.

“Of course you’d say that. I look like you.” She turns while looking in the mirror.

“Could be worse! Here put these on.” I hand her black high heels. I stand beside her and look at myself in the mirror. The tight royal blue tube dress I’m wearing is almost the same as Caroline’s but it’s a little shorter—okay, a lot shorter. My hair is also down but it’s completely straight.

“What is the plan anyway?”

“Dinner then going to this sweet private party Nadine told me about.” Nadine always knows about a good party, and I need to blow off steam before this tour. Things with Mick are so complicated that I want to forget he even exists tonight.

“Is Nadine going?” She frowns. Caroline has never been a Nadine fan. It could be because the first time Nadine met Knox, she hadn’t realized he and Caroline were married. I quickly corrected her, and Nadine and I became friends after. She’s not the most reliable friend but hell, she’s fun.

“Yeah, she is.” I sling my black Chanel over my shoulder as I head out of her bedroom. “Come on, Caroline.” I walk down the stairs.

“Can you even call that a dress?” Knox asks as he walks into the hallway.

“Thanks! I know I look good,” I grin and turn to look in the mirror they have hanging by the door.

“You sure do,” I hear another voice and I freeze. It’s a voice I know well and one I was definitely not expecting.

“Hey, Felix,” I say.

“Hey, doll.” He smiles. Two long months of progress ruined in one second. I ripped the Felix Band-Aid off and now it’s almost as if the wound has been ripped wide open again.

“I’ll give you two a minute.” Knox backs into the living room. He ignores my pleading look.

“You look fantastic.” Felix looks me up and down. He looks the same, not that a few months would change anything. His black hair was a little longer but slicked back as usual. I look over his muscular arms trying not to smile at the familiarity of his colorful tattoos.

“Thank you.” I give him a small smile. It’s weird to be so uncomfortable around someone you used to be in love with. It’s almost like he’s a stranger to me.

“So, are you meeting your new boyfriend out?” he asks and sits on the stairs.

“I don’t have a new boyfriend,” I reply.

“Mick Davies?” he asks. Here it comes.

I’ve been waiting all day for him to text me to ask. Felix knew Knox and Caroline were spending the night at a hotel. He knew I was here with Lottie. “Mick and I are not dating. I work for The Talons. That’s it.”

“Why did he sneak out of here this morning then?” Felix asks. I cross my arms and he holds up his hands in defeat. “I just miss you.”

“I miss you too,” I admit and my eyes close. There is so much history between us, there’s a small part of me that wants to jump back into his arms.

“Candice?” I open my eyes and see Caroline staring at us. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah, I am. Good to see you,” I say to Felix.

“You too.” He sighs and heads into the living room.

We grab our coats and open the front door. “Thank you,” I whisper to her when I’m just outside the alcove.

“No problem. Good timing, I guess.” Her hand is on the doorknob, and she calls out. “Knox? We’re leaving.”

A faint bye comes from the living room, and she closes the door behind us. We walk up to the car, and I see flashes going off. We hop into the waiting car with Caroline and Knox’s bodyguard, Pete. I’m so thankful to have Caroline in my life for the obvious reasons and more. She’s kept my secrets from Knox even when I know she tells him almost everything.

“Is there something on my face?” Caroline looks at me.

“No. I was just lookin’ at ya. You look gorgeous.” I smile.

“Thank you.” She adjusts her dress, trying to pull it further down her legs. “You do too, as always.”

“Duh.” I stick my tongue out at her.

“You are a cocky shit.” Caroline rolls her eyes.

“Do you think we’re going to get paparazzi stalked tonight?” I ask.

“With this morning’s news? Absolutely.”

“Do you ever miss being a regular person?” I turn my legs so I’m directly facing her.

“Everyday. I would never give up Knox or my life but sometimes it’d be nice to look terrible for a day and not have it splashed over the newspapers. Or that Knox could just hang out with a girl and not be accused of sleeping with her,” she says. “Do you miss it?”

“Definitely. I miss being just Knox’s sister who was in the magazines maybe once in a blue moon instead of Felix Norton’s ex-girlfriend,” I say. Knox and I have eight years between us. My parents thought they couldn’t have any more children and then bam! I showed up. Before Felix, I was just related to Knox but after dating Knox’s best friend, I became Felix’s girlfriend. For once, I’d love to just be Candice.

We pull up to the Italian restaurant I picked out and climb out of the car. When we get inside, the overwhelming scent of meat sauce and garlic bread makes my mouth water.

“Caroline Bryan and Candice Bryan?” the hostess says to us. She can’t be more than fifteen and she looks a bit in shock.

“Yes.” Caroline smiles.

“I think you’re so amazing.” The girl directs the compliment to Caroline then looks over to me. “You too.”

“Thank you,” Caroline replies and she shifts on her heels.

“Your husband is so great. He’s perfect actually.” The hostess guides us to our table.

“Thanks. I’ll let him know.” Caroline gives her a polite smile then takes a seat. I sit down across from her.

“Your husband is perfect.” I giggle.

“I hate that. It’s one of those things where you don’t know if you should say thank you or tell them to back off.” She laughs. “All right. I want enough lasagna to burst out of this dress.”

The restaurant is dark and lit up by candlelight. I can see a ton of couples around us and I feel a pang of sadness.

“Hey, stop,” Caroline says, looking up from the wine menu.

“What?” I ask.

“Pouting. No pouting.”

“All right, all right. I’ll stop.”

“Wine?” Caroline asks.

“God yes,” I say.

The server grabs our wine order, and we also pick out our food at the same time. I hadn’t eaten much today and with the incredible aromas, there’s no way I could wait any longer.

“So tell me more about last night,” Caroline says while pulling apart a piece of bread the server had just left.

“I’d love to tell you I hated it, but it was nice. It felt comfortable. Like we had been friends for a while.” A small smile tugs at the corner of my lips.

“That’s good. Maybe when I need him to do something I can just ask you,” she laughs. “He hates me and Knox. It’s interesting he’s so nice to you.”

“I think it’s because he wants to get into my pants,” I say.

“I’m surprised he hasn’t given up since you’ve turned him down so much.” She shrugs and thanks the server after he pours her wine.

“It’s an enigma but that’s how I would describe Mick. A broody enigma actually. Anyways cheers!” I raise my glass and Caroline clinks hers on mine.

“God, I missed wine,” she says after she takes the first sip.

“You’re allowed to drink you know.”

“I know but it’s difficult. I don’t want to ever see Knox the way he was—not that I’ll be able to watch him anymore.” She fidgets with the edge of her napkin. I did know this time apart would be difficult for them, but I didn’t realize how much Caroline was worrying about leaving Knox behind. In the last eight years, they’ve been separated only a handful of times. Caroline has just always been there. It’s hard not to wonder if Knox will be able to keep things together without her around twenty-four seven.

“Are you scared he’ll relapse?” I ask her.

“No,” she says. “He loves Lottie too much.”

“And you,” I say.

“And me. There’s just always going to be a piece of my heart that wonders what could happen if he gives into his demons. Then I remind myself I can’t watch over him forever.”

“For tonight let’s not worry about it. You be the hot thirty-year-old Caroline that doesn’t have a kid or a husband. Just be young and crazy like me,” I say.

“Deal.” She giggles and we clink our glasses again.

This night is starting off right.

*****

Caroline and I walk through the doors of the private party at about midnight. After dinner, we decided to go to a little pub down the street which was quite empty. You can’t show up to a party before midnight. Caroline has been yawning since ten. If there is a theme to the party, I am unaware but now getting here everything is decked out in glitter. There’s gold and silver dresses on every woman who passes us, and every guy has some version of silver or gold on their outfit. There’s silver décor all over the tables and even silver flowers.

“I’m going to just drink water from now on,” Caroline says. She raises her voice a bit to carry over the music.

“Why? Pete is here to drive us home,” I say.

“Yeah, but I don’t want to be hungover for tomorrow. I promised Lottie I’d take her to the pier in Brighton tomorrow so she could go on some rides.”

“All right but you can’t leave without me,” I say.

“I would never!”

“Candice! Caroline!” Nadine moves towards us. She must have spotted us the second we got in the door. “How are you, darlings?”

“Great.” Caroline smiles.

“Good. I’m so glad you both made it. This party has been total bollocks till now.” Nadine rolls her eyes. Just then a pair of hands wrap around her waist, and she giggles.

“Ladies.” Tommy nods at us.

“Tommy,” Caroline says then eyes me carefully.

“I didn’t know you were going to be here.” My brows scrunch in confusion.

“Nadine invited me, and I thought why not!” He grins. I can almost read Caroline’s thoughts and I scan the room, but I can’t see Mick anywhere. Thank God.

“Mick get over here,” Tommy yells.

Of course. This is just my luck. He steps out from behind a pillar and nods at us.

“Caroline,” he says.

“Mick,” she says.

“Hi.” He smiles at me.

“Stop smiling. You’ll get a reputation of actually being a nice guy,” I say.

“We’re getting a drink,” Nadine smiles at Tommy and they walk away arm in arm.

“I’m going to go to the bathroom quick,” Caroline says. Before she’s too far she makes eye contact with me and gives me a small shrug.

“You look amazing,” Mick says.

“I know.” I cross my arms. Now that he’s standing in front of me, I’m more pissed he made out with a model.

“You okay, love?” he asks.

“Fine. Actually fantastic.” I grab a glass of champagne from a tray a server is carrying by us.

“Good. I was hoping we could finish our game of twenty questions later,” he says and moves closer to me.

My body clenches. I hate my reaction to him. Even though I’m burning for his hands to be on me I can’t do this. Keep your wits about you, Candice.

“No. I don’t think so.” I shake my head.

“Are you mad at me or something?” He cocks his head to the side, trying to read my thoughts.

“Why would I be mad at you?”

“I don’t know. You seem weird.”

“Nope. Peachy keen.” My eyes narrow but he doesn’t pick up on it.

“If you say so,” he says. “You’re the prettiest girl here.”

“I’m sure you say that to every girl,” I scoff.

“Okay, you’re mad.” He rubs his face. I pull out my phone and send a quick text.

“Just leave me alone tonight.” I take two steps before turning over my shoulder to look back at him. “Oh and check your texts.”