When She Falls (14 page)
Authors: Jez Strider
Candice took a sip of
her juice, looking at him over the glass. “I’ll try, but I’m not sure you being back will instantly fix my problem. There are bad things out in the world. Bad people.”
“I know, but you can’t hide and live in fear. I’m not going to let the violent act of a psycho make your life less fulfilling.
That would mean he won.”
The day was spent as they’d planned and it was like waking up from a horrible nightmare for both of them. Their time apart and the tragedy hadn’t put a wedge between them. They were closer and more in love than ever before.
When Candice awoke
the next day, it was afternoon. She rolled over to cuddle against Logan, only to find he was gone. Panicked, her eyes flew open. A note was left on his pillow.
Follow the trail to find me. I believe in you.
~Logan
Anger and fear pushed her out of the bed.
Her engagement ring was gone from her finger. She focused on the fury so it would drive her. “That asshole,” were the words that escaped her lips, though they held no real malice. Reading the note, she knew what he was up to. He wanted her to overcome the anxiety that kept her sheltered inside their home.
At the foot of the bed rested a single yellow daisy on top of the thrift store dress she’d worn on their first date. She slipped
the clothing on before tying her hair back in a ponytail. Then, she picked up the flower. When she opened the bedroom door she found a blue daisy in the hallway. Near the top of the stairs was the next flower, a pink one.
“When did he have time to get all these flowers?
Must have gotten up early.”
From the top of the stairs, she could see an orange flower on the marble at
the front door. She made her way down and added it to the small bouquet she was now carrying. Her hand reached out for the lock, for a moment she fumbled, and then she turned the knob, but didn’t push the door open. The stress was already overwhelming because she had no idea what to expect. All she could think of was someone jumping out and yelling, “Boo!”
After about a minute, she worked up the nerve to push the door
open. No one was there to scare her. Down the walkway was another flower, purple this time.
I cannot do this
. She thought, but then the words from the note came back to her. “I believe in you.” She said out loud to motivate herself. “Come on, Candice. You
can
do this. Your fiancé came back from the dead for you, don’t let him down.” It was as good of a pep talk as she’d ever given herself. For the first time in forever, she walked down the steps.
The sunlight nearly blinded her. Her eyes weren’t used to the rays or the vivid blue sky. Even the grass seemed to reflect light back at her. “
Should have worn my sunglasses.” For a few moments, she hung onto the banister and continued to pump herself up with positive thoughts. It was not her specialty. Years of being pessimistic had seen to that.
Finally, she forced one foot in front of the other and made it to the
purple daisy. When she stood back up straight, her neighbor lifted a hand to wave at her.
“Good to see you, Candice.” Mrs. Wallace yelled kindly before disappearing into her home.
Candice raised her hand in a stiff greeting. She had pictured the entire neighborhood gossiping and ridiculing her. Heck, maybe they had, but Mrs. Wallace didn’t seem that scary now.
Looking around, she spotted a white daisy on the mailbox. Finding a little confidence, she made her way down the rest of the path. Another note was taped to the mailbox along with the flower.
Great job. I’m proud of you. Head to the backyard
.
Her bouquet was complete, an exact replica of the flowers he’d sent her before he proposed. She smiled to herself and headed back to the house. The sliding glass door was open, but she couldn’t see Logan
anywhere outside.
“Logan… I mean Sawyer.” She corrected herself when
she realized she was outside and someone might hear her call him by his original name.
Then, he was there. He had stepped out from behind a large tree. From head to toe, he was dressed as h
e had been on their first date. His suit jacket was open down the front, just like he’d worn it at the observatory. His hands were in his pockets. If there had been a doubt in her mind before about which person he was, it was gone. He knew too much.
“Logan…” She whispered breathlessly before taking off running across the yard.
His arms spread for her. And of course, when she tripped over a small tree root on the ground and stumbled forward he caught her. Her face turned red. She thought she’d ruined the romantic moment. His strong arms easily lifted her and her legs went around him.
“How’d you survive without me?” Logan asked quietly, nuzzling his
face against her neck and nibbling on her ear.
“Barely. Just barely.”
Logan supported her weight with one hand while his other went into his pocket to pull out her engagement ring. Candice immediately spread her fingers so he could replace the token.
His mouth met with hers. Slowly, he walked her in a circle as they kissed. A heavy wind blew several of the petals off the flowers she was holding, sending a rainbow of color swirling around them.
The world would always have awful people. There would be bad times in life. Despite it all, Candice knew she would be fine. She had fallen on the floor when they first met, but more importantly, she had fallen in love. He was there to catch her and, she knew with all her heart, he always would be.
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