11. Savage
SAVAGE
We waited for over an hour for the nurse to call Candace back.
She looked like a nervous wreck as we made our way back to the doctor’s office and sat down. Her eyes darted around the room as if she was trying to find an escape, but there was none to be had. She was stuck there until we got our answer.
The minutes ticked by slowly, each passing second carrying a mix of anxiety and hope.
When the doctor finally came into the office, he seemed like a nice enough guy.
He sat down in front of us, and I held my breath as he looked down and reviewed her chart.
Seconds later, he looked up at Candace and said, “So, I’ll get right to it...
You’re not pregnant. It looks like you must’ve had a faulty test.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
I could see a glimmer of relief in Candace's eyes as she asked, “So, I’m good?”
“Yes, you’re all good,” he assured her. “I’ll need you to come back in six weeks to make sure your cycle returns to normal.”
“Okay. Thank you, Dr. Stevens.”
Candace looked beyond relieved as we made it back out to the truck. We got inside, and she turned to me with a smile. “I’m okay. I’m really okay.”
“Yes, you are.”
“We should celebrate.”
“Oh? And what do you have in mind?”
“How about a Mocha Frap from The Stir?”
“Yeah, that sounds good.”
I pulled out of the parking lot and drove over to the coffee shop.
Candace stayed in the truck while I went inside.
I ordered our drinks, then took them back out to the truck.
I opened my door and was about to get back in when I got the feeling that someone was watching me.
I glanced around, but when I didn’t see anyone or anything unusual, I got in and drove Candance out to her house.
I pulled up in the driveaway and waited as she gathered her things. She was just about to get out when she turned to me and said, “Thank you for today. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
“You’re all good. It’s not a big deal.”
“It was a very big deal,” she argued. “There aren’t many guys who’d be as cool as you were today, and it means a lot.”
“Glad I could help.”
She smiled, then opened the door and started up the steps. Once she’d gone inside, I backed out and started driving back towards town, and it wasn’t long before my mind drifted to the other night at the bar. Things would’ve gone so differently if Londyn and I had still been together.
I would’ve been right by her side all night making sure that nothing happened to her. But those days had come and gone. I’d made damn sure of that the day I broke things off with her.
I’ll never forget the look in her eyes when I said, “This isn’t working.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Us... You and me.”
I had to look away.
I needed a moment to muster the courage to say what had to be said.
It wasn’t going to be easy. I loved Londyn with my heart and soul. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her, but I didn’t have a choice. It had to be done.
Her eyes, once filled with warmth and adoration, now glistened with a mix of confusion and hurt as I told her, “I think it’s time for us to call it quits.”
“Where is this coming from?” She took a step back and studied me for a moment. “Is this because I went to the graduation party with Misty and Carol instead of coming here to hang with the guys?”
“No, it has nothing to do with the party or anything like that.”
From the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew she was the one for me. She was a natural beauty with long, dirty blonde hair and light freckles dappled across the bridge of her nose and cheeks.
When she was younger, she was a bit of a tomboy, always opting for rough-and-tumble over tea parties and Barbies. Seemed like she was always climbing trees or playing some sport, getting her hands dirty and showing what she was made of, but as she grew older, things started to change.
She slowly started wearing makeup and clothes that complimented her figure, but that untamed tomboy was always there lurking beneath the surface, just waiting for a new adventure. It was what I liked most about her and what led me to ask her to my senior prom.
She agreed, and we spent the next two and half years glued at the hip.
We were into everything from spontaneous road trips to late-night dancing by the ocean. My days with her were a whirlwind of adrenaline, mischief, and teenage mayhem. In my eyes, Londyn and I were unstoppable, a force of nature, and nothing could stand in our way.
I loved her.
And she loved me.
The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her, but her father was right.
There was no way around it and trust me when I say I considered all the possibilities.
I thought about the long-distance thing.
U of O was only ten hours away. We could’ve seen each other on weekends and holidays.
It would’ve been fine with me, but Londyn wouldn’t want us to be that far away from one another.
I could’ve just gone with her. And I would’ve, but again, she’d never ask me to give up my life with the club. So, I was left with one choice.
I had to end things.
It was the only way to make sure she didn’t pass on her big scholarship to the University of Oregon and give up her dream to get a degree in environmental law.
Londyn crossed her arms with a huff. “What the hell is this all about?”
“I don’t know how much clearer I can be. It’s over, Londyn.” The lines of worry creased her forehead, casting a shadow over her usually vibrant features. “We aren’t good together. It’s best to end things now before they get any worse.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Things between us are good... really good.
They always have been.” My heart sank when the corners of her mouth started quivering.
It’s what she did whenever she was trying to keep herself from crying.
“I love you, Malcomb. I want to spend my life with you. You know that.”
“Sorry, but that’s not gonna happen.”
Disbelief etched her face as she screeched, “Why are you doing this?”
“We’ve run our course, babe. It’s time to cut our losses.”
“Cut our losses? Are you kidding me?” She shook her head, then froze. “Oh, God... This is all because of that stupid scholarship.”
“It’s got nothing to do with that.”
“Bullshit. It has everything to do with it,” she argued. “It means nothing to me, Malcomb. I don’t even want to go to school there, so you can stop with this nonsense.”
“I wish it was that simple.”
I ran my hand through my hair, signaling to Candace that it was time to put our plan into play.
Taking my cue, she opened the back door and sauntered over to us.
Candace was one of the younger hang arounds, and she played the part well.
Even in the dead of winter, she’d wear short skirts and low-cut tops, leaving nothing to the imagination.
Londyn didn’t care for her.
She never did.
She hated the way Candace looked at me and made it clear that she wanted me to keep my distance—which is why I knew she’d be the perfect choice.
Londyn kept her eyes trained on Candace as she placed her hand on my shoulder and leaned in with a seductive grin. “Hey there, handsome. You ready to finish what we started?”
“Absolutely.” I gave her a wink. “Just give me a minute.”
“Sure thing, baby.” Candace glanced over at Londyn, then leaned in a little closer, her lips brushing against my ear as she whispered, “Don’t keep me waiting too long.”
She ran the tips of her fingers across my collarbone as she turned and started back inside the clubhouse. Londyn glared at me a moment, then asked, “So, this is the way you’re going to end things? You think I deserve this?”
The sound of her voice, once filled with joy and laughter, was filled with pain and disappointment.
It gutted me. I wanted to reach for her, take her into my arms, and tell her that it was all a big mistake, but I loved her too much to do that.
I couldn’t be the reason why she didn’t follow her dream.
“I’m just doing what I should’ve done months ago. ”
Tears streamed down her beautiful face as she spat, “Fuck you, Malcomb.”
“We could always have one last go if that’d make ya feel better.” My voice cracked, and I feared that was all it would take for her to see through my bluff. I needed to make sure she left there and never looked back, so I added, “I’m sure Candace wouldn’t mind if you joined in.”
“I’ll pass.”
“You sure?” The knot in my stomach grew even tighter when her breath caught. “I bet we could have a real good time.”
“It didn’t have to be like this.” She quickly wiped the tears from her cheek as she stood and started for her car. “You did this. You were the one who walked away. Remember that!”
Without saying anything more, she got in her car and raced out of the parking lot.
As I sat there watching her headlights disappear into the darkness, I felt like a piece of me left with her, and I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d made a terrible mistake.
I was still sitting at the picnic table, staring off into the distance, when Candace came walking over to me. “Looks like your plan worked.”
“Looks that way.”
“She seemed really upset.”
“Yeah, she did.” I glanced up at her as I asked, “Did I do the right thing?”
“I don’t know, but I hope for your sake that it was because there’s no coming back from that.”
At the time, I thought Candace was right.
I thought what was done was done, but as I looked at my suit hanging on the back of the door, I wasn’t so sure.