Fighting Destiny (22 page)

All of the fight ebbed
out of Candasee as she looked at the desperate look on Julia’s face.  Julia was right, she had pledged her help to these young people this week and they needed her. She couldn’t go running off every time she felt betrayed by someone she thought should know better. Running never solved anything, she should know that more than anyone else right now. Besides she was being pretty hypocritical about betrayal wasn’t she?

“Julia, I’m sorry, you are right, I can’t leave, not now and not like this! How do you feel about Eve coming back to the class?”

“Candasee frankly all I care about is that you are there. I’ve been ignoring her because I see what I want in front of me and I am giving it my all, injury or no injury.”

Julia’s words pricked something inside of Candasee.
This young girl was stronger than she looked and somehow she felt that she was now the one in need of advice. Again she was reminded of just why she was doing this. It wasn’t for the money, it wasn’t for the recognition, but because she loved it and she could help people just like Julia to find their expression.

Candasee reached out and hugged her and they laughed together at what was almost a disaster for the dance class. Over her shoulder Candasee could see Nathan speaking angrily to Eve
as he paced the walkway near the door slowly rubbing his temples with his fingers. He stopped just before she reached him and the look of torment in his eyes caused her to inhale deeply. She had a secret and it was obvious he did as well.

“You guys go back inside, I have to speak to Nathan for a moment!”

“Let’s wait inside guys, you too Eve,” said Julia with a forgiving smile.

Candasee was so proud of the mature way in which she was handling herself.
Eve even sullenly followed her inside. Julia would be a real leader someday.

“Nathan, I will say one thing, I don’t know what is going on here but
these students need me and I can’t abandon them mid-way. I don’t agree with your decision but I will work with it for the others, not for Eve,” Candasee stated flatly.

“Candee, my hands are tied on this one! I know you have your reasons but there’s nothing I can do. I spoke to Eve and warned her about her behaviour and she promis
es to be respectful from now on.”

“
I don’t like the way we are relating to each other Nathan. It felt like you were talking to a stranger just now, not me.”

“Candasee let’s talk about this later, I’m not letting you walk away from me or from us like this!
You don’t get to throw away what we have over a stupid misunderstanding,” Nathan retorted in exasperation.

“
Fine, back to class then but sooner or later we are going to have to talk,” and with those words she swept back past him and resumed the class session.

“Okay class, we have a lot of work to do so let us get back on track. Dominic you are up first then, Lisa, let’s get started!
” said Candasee clapping her hands.

Nathan looked at her through the doorway for a few moments longer as the pain in his head became real fear that Candasee was really seriou
s about what she said in anger a few moments earlier.

Darius
was relieved to see Candasee return and she was smiling again. It was time to find out what Nathan was hiding. He might not want to tell Candasee the truth, but he had ways of finding out exactly what he was up to. He made a quick phone call to his private investigator.

“Mitchell, it’s Darius, I need you
to do something for me immediately. Run a background check on Carthswright Arts Academy in Barbados, I want the names of the board members, their financial situation, their programs, anything you think is noteworthy.  I want a rush on this one so make it a priority and use your entire team; you know I will pay you whatever you want!”

Nathan was hiding something and in his experience, whenever someone was getting
unfair preferential treatment it always screamed blackmail. It seemed that Eve was absolutely untouchable and he wanted to know why!

Later that evening as Candasee prepared to leave for the party, Nathan began to have serious misgivings once he saw her in her outfit! She was always beautiful in whatever she wore, even in a sweatpants and jazz shoes. But now, she looked like an otherworldly goddess with her hair now upswept into a riot of curls and her emerald gown shimmered like it was covered by an array of tiny stars. Her breasts swelled like dark orbs within the neckline and the colour of the gown was the perfect jewel tone to offset her unusual eyes!

“I’ve changed my mind, I’m not letting you go anywhere with your ex
and his family, looking so excruciatingly sexy!” said Nathan standing behind her as she stood at the mirror putting on a pair of diamond tear-drop earrings.

Candasee had to admit that she forgot how she looked in this particular dress and Nathan was right, it was one of her more mind-blowing dresses. She had to admit to herself as well that she did look like herself when she was Darius’ wife. They attended many posh social events and she always had a new dress for each occasion which made her the belle of the ball. Maybe she should have taken Darius’ advice and tried it on first to remind herself of the fit!
But that was definitely too late now. Besides after what happened this morning, undressing in his room would’ve probably taken their actions even further.

“I’m not going anywhere with Darius, I’m going to see Marianne
. I told you that already Nathan,” Candasee replied feeling conflicted as she stood there. She almost changed her mind about going several times that day. There was no way she could face Darius tonight after her shameful behaviour. How would she also explain to Nathan that she just simply changed her mind without him becoming suspicious and how could she disappoint Marianne? She’d called her that afternoon while she was on her search for shoes and was very excited that she would be attending the party. She just wanted to curl up in the bathtub and hide and wait out the next few days until she could get back on a plane to Barbados and end this madness.

Nathan wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close against him and buried his nose into the nape of her neck where she’d applied some of her perfume. The back of this dress plunged in a daring V almost all the way past her slender waist and
the bodice fit her as snug as a glove outlining the sensuous curvature of her body. The skirt flared slightly at the hipline falling around her ankles in soft rippling waves of green silk. Instead of leaning back into his warmth, he felt her back stiffen in resistance.

“Candee, I’m sorry about today. I promise that I
will explain it all to you soon, but Graeme is making demands on me that I can’t ignore. I’m actually on your side on this and I hate feeling helpless when I know that I’m doing something that’s hurting you!  I love you, you know that don’t you,” he said kissing her neck softly.

She was still standing rigidly in front of him and he was about to lose hope that they would be able to at least begin to patch things up before she had to leave for the evening.

“Nathan, I don’t like how it felt fighting with you today!” Candasee whispered with a heavy heart. “I want us to be able to trust each other. It feels like we don’t have that as a foundation anymore. Can’t you tell Graeme no to what whatever it is this time?”

“I tried that already and it
’s a no go. Graeme’s threatened to take over the intensive if I don’t comply with his wishes. Candasee, I wish I could say something else to you but I can’t. I can’t live with the thought that this is separating us, not when we just connected with each other on a whole new level. Please try to understand the position that I am in here,” he pleaded.

“I can’t promise you that Nathan, I can’t.
Something feels really off about all of this and I don’t like it.”

Nathan slid his hand down along the curve of her spine eliciting a shiver at the contact of his hand against her skin.  “I don’t want you to go with him tonight Candasee, not when we are like this.”

“We will work this out Nathan. I am coming back to you,” she replied. Tonight she would make it clear to Darius that she wouldn’t be seeing him again for the rest of the trip. No more private meetings, no more chances to weaken her resolve and her character.

“You’d better or I will tear this island apart l
ooking for you!” he growled into her neck. Nathan knew she had no idea just how serious he was about that. They hadn’t been to any black tie events like this one and he could think of one in the not too distant future where her appearance would probably even surpass tonight’s. Their wedding! If only he could get rid of Darius Brogan and the control his own family had over his career.

Nathan turned Candasee around and was about to kiss her when she recoiled.

“What’s wrong?” he asked at her reaction to his advances.

“I’ve already put on my makeup, and I won’t have you smudging it up
again!” she said making up an excuse quickly to avoid getting intimate with him. With that thought, there was a knock at the door to her room.

Nathan decided to see who it was and was met by the sight of Darius dressed to the nines in black tie formal
, carrying a small rose corsage in his hand. He’d meant to have a word with Darius earlier but the intensive demanded so much of his time during the day that he never got the chance.

Nathan stepped forward and closed the door behind him forcing Darius to take a step backwards.

“Look, we need to talk man to man about something here!” Nathan began. “I know you and Candasee have your own history but she and I engaged now and I want you to respect those boundaries tonight. Candasee may not have made that clear to you, but I am. She is going to this party because of your mother Marianne, and not because she wants to be with you!”

Darius looked Nathan straight in the eye and saw the fear of losing Candasee there, but he knew that giving him his word would be a
n outright lie. He had no intention of honouring this relationship which Candasee was hiding behind. Besides, after what he saw on the cameras today, he wasn’t sure that he wanted this man anywhere near Candasee at all. He was hiding something and before long, with Mitchell’s help he would discover exactly what that secret was.

“Nathan
you have every right to be angry but whatever you are trying to build with my wife will never to work. You are fighting against the inevitable here.”

“She is not your wife!” hissed Nathan through clenched teeth as the vein in his jaw pulsed with
barely suppressed anger.

“Okay if it makes you happier, I’ll say Candasee
. But I’m sure that you know if your relationship with her is truly strong you have nothing to worry about right? I’ll admit that I want my wife back and I make no apologies about that. You guys aren’t married yet and that means Candasee is still free to choose who she wants to spend her life with!”

“
You have a lot of nerve showing up here and daring to speak to me like that! I ought to deck you where you are standing right now! How would you like it if the shoe was on the other foot?” Nathan asked, his voice rising to a shout in anger.

At that moment Candasee opened the door and found Nathan and Darius squared off almost like gladiators in a ring!

“Hey you two, will you stop it! I mean it! Stop it!”

At the sound of her voice, both turned to look at her and
both expressions said something completely different. Nathan’s eyes were literally pleading with her not to go, but how could she disappoint Marianne? On one hand she needed some time away from Nathan to think through the events of the day. Being with him right now was more than an uncomfortable thought.  On the other hand, she also wanted to go and see some of the friends with whom she had not connected with in ages. It wasn’t fair of him to try to stop her! She was still free to do what she wanted and she didn’t need his permission, just like he didn’t need hers to keep Eve in her class!

She looked away from his expression to Darius’ who frankly looked stunned as his eyes trailed from her head to her toes in blatant admiration.

“Candee, you look absolutely stunning!” he whispered.

“Candee,
Candee
? Seriously man, you are really pushing it now!” shouted Nathan now reaching the point of exasperation at hearing Darius use the same term of endearment as he for Candasee!

“Nathan, I’ve been calling my wife that
for longer than you have even known her, so relax! She will be safe at the party and I am sure you can trust her!” he said in a cold and almost mocking tone.

Why wouldn’t he stop calling her his wife?

“Nathan, look I know this is hard on you but I have to go,” said Candasee. “You can trust me tonight! When I get back we will talk then, okay?” Silently she wondered if she could trust herself especially with Darius now looking his best and most devastating in his black tux. She would be staying as far away from him as possible tonight and would stick to her plan of letting him know that she wouldn’t be seeing him again. She had to make that clear if she had any hope of moving on with her life.

Nathan
, without another word turned and forced his way past Candasee and re-entered the room closing the door so that Candasee and Darius were left standing alone in the hallway.