Chapter 707 Birthday Gifts
Although it was past midday already, Candace lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling and feeling unmotivated to do anything else.
She had gotten out of bed earlier to cater to Jamal and to prepare breakfast for her dad, but the moment she finished she had returned to her bedroom.
She just wanted to be alone. She had been feeling a persistent dull ache in her heart since her fight with Matt on Monday night.
At first she had wanted to simply ignore it all and move on as she had done the last time they had fallen apart after he found out she lied to him, but she couldn't understand why she was feeling so heartbroken.
What was the difference between now and the last time she had pushed him away? Why was she feeling so sad and scared at the thought of losing Matt? Was it just because of the great sex they had in the last couple of days?
She had kept hoping that he would call or text to check on her and tell her how he was doing but with each passing hour she realized that he meant all he had said and was probably waiting for her to call him after making up her mind on what she wanted.
Now she tried to go over their conversation again in her head so she could see what she could have said to hurt his feelings or get him so upset.
She replayed their conversation at Tom's dining in her head and she had to admit that she had been sort of harsh and curt with him. She had acted like a brat and he had every right to be upset. She would have felt and reacted almost the same way had she been in his shoes.
She pursed when it occurred to her that she did not apologize to him despite talking to him the way she had done. She also remembered exactly what he had said. He had not asked that they end anything. All he had said was that he wanted her to acknowledge his love and feelings for her when they were alone together.
That wasn't too much, was it? So, why was she here wasting time and waiting for him to give her a call when she could easily call him and apologize first? She mused.
She quickly picked up her phone and dialed his line. It rang for some time but there was no response. She called two more times and her brows pulled together in a concerned frown when it didn't connect.
Was he too upset that he didn't want to take her call, or was he just busy? She wondered and decided to send him a text.
There was no way he would ignore her text even if he was ignoring her call, and if he was busy, she was sure seeing her missed calls and text would let him know how serious she was and he would give her a call.
[I'm sorry for being such a bitch. I never should have spoken to you in that manner or showed up in your bedroom and acted like a spoilt brat after upsetting you. Give me a call as soon as you can talk.]
Candace reread the text a couple of times before clicking on the send button.
Just as she dropped her phone, a knock sounded on the door, and she sat up, "You can come in," she said, knowing it was her father.
The door opened and Aaron walked in, looking at her with interest, "Are you okay?" He asked with concern, since he had noticed she had seemed upset since she got back from Tom's place the previous day.
He had no doubt that her mood had more to do with Matt than it had to do with Lawrence Hank's death.
Harry had told him on Monday night that Matt was also spending the night at Tom's place, so he knew that Candace and Matt has been together.
He had expected her to come back home in a cheerful mood, but she since her return she had been usually quiet and withdrawn.
"Yeah. Sure," she said, and watched as Aaron sat on the edge of her bed.
"So, what's happening?" Aaron asked and Candace looked at him in confusion.
"What's happening with what?"
"With you. You've not been yourself since you got back yesterday. Want to tell me what is on your mind?" He asked and she shook her head.
"There is nothing to worry about. I'm just not feeling too well. I will be fine," she said, but Aaron did not budge.
"What's wrong? I could go get you drugs," Aaron offered even though he doubted whatever was wrong with her was related to her health.
"I don't need drugs. Don't worry about me," she assured him.
"How would you feel if Jamal was unusually quiet and moody?" He asked and Candace raised a brow.
"How am I supposed to feel? I will do all I can to find out what's wrong and try to make sure he's fine, of course," she said matter of factly.
"Good. That's what I'm doing. In the same manner Jamal is your little boy and you can't stand to see him upset and moody, that's the same way I feel about you being this way. I'm your father and you can't ask me to not worry about you. You might be all grown up, but to me you're my little girl. So, you can either tell me what's wrong right now or I can just stay right here with you until you decide to tell me what the problem is," Aaron said, and as though to prove the point he lay down on the bed, and Candace's lips twitched in amusement as she watched his adjust the pillow.
"I should go and keep an eye on Jamal," Candace said as she started to rise but Aaron turned to her.
"He's in my bedroom having his nap," Aaron said and Candace sat down again.
"What if I don't want to say anything?" She asked when Aaron shut his eyes.
"You will, eventually, when you get tired of having me in your face," Aaron said without opening his eyes.
Candace said nothing as she stared at him for a while and then she lay down beside him, and Aaron reached for her and pulled her close so that her head was resting on his chest.
Candace sighed as she snuggled closer to him, and Aaron patted her back but said nothing as they lay there in comfortable silence.
After some minutes Candace let out a sigh, "You are really bent on staying here until I tell you what's wrong?" She asked as she sat up so she could look into his face.
"That's right," Aaron said as he sat up as well and faced her, "So, are you ready to talk now?" He asked and she smiled.
"It's nothing serious, I assure you," Candace said and Aaron nodded.
"Alright. So, how is Matt doing?" Aaron asked casually and Candace raised a brow.
"Why are you suddenly asking me that?"
"I just randomly thought about him. Why don't we invite him over for dinner tonight?" Aaron suggested and Candace scowled.
"He's no longer in Ludus. He left yesterday," she said and Aaron chuckled.
"Ah! I see," he said with a nod.
"Why would you say that? I didn't even know the man personally apart from the fact that he was one time president," Candace said "You see what?" Candace asked and Aaron grinned.
"That explains why you've been moody and why you haven't gone out as usual," Aaron said and she rolled her eyes.
"That has nothing to do with my mood," she said and Aaron raised a brow.
"Then I suppose you are mourning Lawrence Hank? You must have loved him a whole lot. What a great president he was," Aaron said dryly and Candace giggled unexpectedly.
"Why would you say that? I didn't even know the man personally apart from the fact that he was one time president," Candace said and Aaron shrugged.
"I've been thinking about it. It's got to be one or the other. You were fine when you left on Monday evening, and then you came back moody yesterday. I know Matt spent the night at Tom's as well, don't even think of denying it," Aaron said and Candace rose a brow.
"How did you know…. Harry! That loudmouth!" She hissed and Aaron chuckled.
"Well, if you must know, we got into an argument," Candace said with a shrug.
"Want to tell your old man about it?" Aaron asked and she sighed.
"All you need to know is that I was sort of rude to him and it upset him. He left without saying a word to me," Candace explained and he nodded, relieved that it wasn't a very serious issue.
"So, you admit you were rude? Have you apologized to him then? Is he refusing to forgive you?" He asked and she shook her head.
"I sent him an apology text shortly before you came in. I guess he's too busy to call back or respond," Candace said and Aaron nodded again.
"Good. As long as you know you were wrong and you're willing to apologize and make amends, I think everything will be okay. Is that all that is bothering you then?" He asked and she gave him a pointed look.
"Telling you this doesn't mean you can tease me or pester me with talks of Matt going forward. He's just a great friend that I don't want to lose and…"
"I'm not interested. If that's all that was bothering you, and you're done sulking come with me, I have something for you," Aaron said as he rose and Candace scowled.
"I knew it was a bad idea telling you about it…"
"Blah blah blah," Aaron said and Candace's lips twitched in amusement as she rose to follow him.
She paused when her phone started ringing and her heart skipped a beat when she saw it was Matt, "I will join you shortly. It's Matt," she informed Aaron, and he gaze her a nod as he walked away and shut the door behind him.
"Hey!" She said awkwardly without sitting down.
"Hey, you!" Matt said easily as he waited for her to speak.
Candace cleared her throat, "So, how are you?"
"I'm good. You?"
"I'm okay. I guess you were busy earlier? You got my text?"
"Yeah. I saw it. I was in the middle of something when you called," Matt said and Candace drew in a shaky breath.
"Can you talk now?" She asked and Matt's lips curved in a smile when he heard the uncertainty in her tone.
"Sure. Go on," he urged her, curious to hear what she had to say.
"I'm sorry for speaking to you in that manner," she said and Matt nodded.
"So, you said in your text."
Candace took a deep breath, "I admit that I haven't been fair to you. I'm going to try to do better if you let me," Candace said and Matt raised a brow.
"Are you saying that you want me in your life and you will give me a chance to love you?" Matt asked and Candace's lips twitched.
"Do I have to spell it out?"
"Yes. I want you to spell it out."
Candace bit her lower lip, "I want you in my life. I will do my best to not shy away from your love going forward," she promised.
"Alright. I guess we are good then," Matt said and Candace raised a brow.
"We are?"
"Yes. Do you mind if I call you later so we can talk some more? I'm still busy at the moment," Matt said and once Candace agreed, they hung up.
Why hadn't she thought of apologizing to him instead of waiting for his call since the previous day? Candace mused with a wide smile as she walked out of her bedroom.
Once she got to the living room, she raised a brow when she saw a large brown box on the floor beside the table.
"What's that?" Candace asked as she joined Aaron who was watching the television.
"That's for you," Aaron said and Candace looked at him uncertainly.
"For me? From who?"
"From me," Aaron said and Candace immediately went to open the box.
The first thing she saw inside was a large red teddy bear wearing a white 'Daddy loves you' T-shirt.
"What's this?" Candace asked as she picked up the teddy bear.
"That is a teddy bear."
"I know what it is. Why are you giving me this?" She asked as she looked from the teddy bear to her father.
"I never got to get you any dolls, and since you're too grown up to play dollhouse now, I figured a teddy bear wouldn't be a bad idea," he said and Candace looked at him in surprise.
"Go on. Check out the rest stuff," Aaron urged her, and Candace looked into the box.
Next she took a personalized diary and then a makeup set.
"I showed them your picture and they assured me this product was very good and it would be suitable for your skin tone," Aaron said as Candace continued to check the box.
Candace's eyes began to tear up as she took out a cosmetic set and then a perfume set, and then a jewelry box.
She looked up at Aaron, "What are all these for?" She asked as heartfelt tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Some gifts for your birthdays which I missed. I couldn't exactly fit in twenty eight years into such a little box, but I wanted to start from somewhere. I didn't want to wait until we returned to Sogal," Aaron said with a small smile.
Candace stared at him speechlessly, unable to bring herself to say anything.
"Every chance I get I'm going to keep making it up to you, Candace," Aaron promised as he went to where she stood and brushed the tears from her cheeks.
"When did you get all these?" She asked and Aaron smiled.
"Jamal and I went out yesterday, and they had it delivered today because they needed to customize some of the items," Aaron said and Candace hugged him.
"You really didn't have to get me anything," she said quietly.
"I needed to, Candace. I want to give you everything. I know I will never be able to make up for all the lost time, but I'm willing to do my best to catch up with it," Aaron said as he patted her back.
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