There was a point in her life that Candice Clarke could read Valerie Wood like the back of her hand. It was familiar - but why did 2 months feel like a lifetime. She was familiar yet… at the same time not. As if they were almost different people… as if they had both grown so much in the time apart. And maybe they had. Maybe the problem was that Candice Clarke had changed and Valerie had too - but part of CC would always know Valerie. She was and would always be a part of her… even if it wasn’t as easy to read her as it was before. Candice found her hands moving on top of Valerie’s. “If you’re upset… I wouldn’t blame you. God Valerie, I wouldn’t blame you if you hated my guts but I just… I thought I was doing what was best for me… but also what was best for you. I just… I never wanted you to be caught in the cross fires and I wanted to tell you that night at prom… but it was so much easier for both of us if you just… hated me. Which… is why I said what I said that night.” Candice muttered. She knew she was completely exposing herself… but if there was one person who Candice wanted to know the whole truth - it was Valerie Wood. It would always be… Valerie Wood. Her best friend. Her partner in crime. Her person.
A soft sigh left her lips when Val continued with the question of When. When was she going to tell Val? “I…” Candice sighed. “I needed to wait… for both of us to be in a good place before telling you but… I was planning on telling you in a year. One year of me figuring everything out; my new life, everything. But god Valerie… I couldn’t even stop myself from checking up on you at least once a week I don’t think I would have probably been able to hold off much longer.” C- sighed; recalling the messages she had sent Val the morning of her funeral… through an unknown account she had created on a whim.
CC had caught the smile that reached Valerie’s lips when she mentioned Daniel and it only caused her to raise her eyebrows in slight confusion… though she didn’t say anything about it as Val continued on with Dan not being a bad guy. In retrospect, CC had seen it in person; he hadn’t really asked anything in return for the faking of her death. And he was… ironically worried about her safety but did C mistake this as him being a fully good person? No; she’d be a fool to do that with everything he had done over the past eight years of going to same school as the man. Perhaps if they were the same two people they were before she… died… CC would have prodded the girl about it. The sly smile at the mention… even the defense of him when Val clearly hated the man before she left. But instead… she stayed quiet. Until the next question.
“I’m back… and no, I’m not leaving. There’s no point in running away again and I just… don’t think I could do that with you here… and Maverick… and Delilah. God, it was hard enough to leave the first time,” C whispered. “I just… I need to figure out everything. Talk to a lawyer about getting a restraining order against my mom and talk to Daniel about… well… reviving me from the dead. I don’t know everything but I know I’m not leaving Val… well maybe to come with you to NYC like we always dreamed about when high school is over,” C smiled. “And as of right now; I’m staying in my dad’s condo downtown and… as for where I was… my dad let me stay in his place in Italy after I told him I was alive,” Candice revealed.
“Look… I know this is a lot and I don’t… I just want you to have a second to process everything but… do you want to come over tonight to talk some more in a place that’s… not the changing room at a fashion show? I’ll buy our favorite Chinese takeout and we can binge some sh!tty movies?” C questioned. “And if you need time I… I get it… here,” Candice said - sliding Val’s phone out of her hand and typing in the girl’s code that she had memorized since she was 11. She then put in her new number and handed the girl back her phone. “Just… text me or call me; you know where to find me… I should probably go find Delilah. I… have something I need to talk to her about since she was probably the only other person who knew I was alive. Blue Royalty kind of f*cked that one up too but I think we’re in a better place now,” Candice added before hesitantly getting up and opening the door.
“Val… I love you okay… and I just want you to know how sorry I am.” she whispered softly before walking out of the room alongside Val and looking for her sister. Though there were eyes on her; Candice quickly found her as Dorian opened the door to reveal Delilah inside. Walking towards the girl after Dorian left; C sent her sister a soft smile… well until her eyes caught sight of the broken glass and the subtle expression on Delilah’s features. “Hey… is… are you okay?” Candice questioned, pulling the girl in for a hug without her saying anything. The two had been talking back and forth for the last few weeks through text and face time - being as careful as they possibly could… though if there was one thing that came out of it, it was the fact that CC finally had an actual sister. Or… it was at least getting there.
She didn’t wait for Delilah to ask what she was doing there before pulling the text back up and showing it to the girl. “I didn’t have much of a choice,” C whispered - looking at the girl awaiting her response.
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