Chapter 8

A month had gone by. I hadn't gone to church, even a different service afraid that I was going to bump into them. I didn't even read the news paper, or watch the news because I didn't want to hear anything about Olyvia and Jason. Shelly had texted me saying things were a little chaotic at the mansion and palace. I was making donuts, small cakes, small pies, and cookies. I had gotten a lot of business. I had turned down a news interview afraid that Jason would find out where I was. I got a visit from Richard and Mike every once in a while. They hadn't said anything about Jason or Olyvia. Richard didn't push being in a relationship with me at all. Which I was grateful for. I didn't want to have to turn him down. It was close to closing time. I had taken to baking on Sundays with the shop closed. It was hard being only me but it worked out. I baked the donuts fresh in the morning and made coffee so the business people enjoyed the fresh morning coffee and donuts. I smiled, joked, got to know a lot of the people around but at night, I laid in my bed looking up at the ceiling crying all night long. I had taken to putting foundation under my eyes so that the customers wouldn't see that I was indeed crying myself to sleep. I was wiping down the windows on the case when the bell above my door sounded. I was wearing your typical bakery outfit. Black tight jeans with a T shirt that said "Dough me" and an apron with front pockets. I stood after picked up a random piece of cookie the little girl had dropped early, tossed it straight into the trash can and turned with a smile only to die on my lips as I was looking straight in the blue eyes that had haunted my few hours of sleep a night I was able to get. His hands in his jacket pocket as the weather had even changed to winter. I held the cloth in front of me, folding my hands as he stood by the door looking at me. I dropped my eyes not wanting to look at him.

"Hello, Jason."

"Hello, Candi." He said low. I looked up at him as there was no expression on his face. Before the tears began I walked behind the counter as he walked closer. His feet making noise on the tile that I had placed down. He looked around the shop as I placed the towel in the trash gathering the bag up. "Nice bakery."

"Thank you." I said low. I didn't want to look at him. I didn't want to fall back in love with him knowing that he probably made some excuse for his mother and Olyvia and was still on talking terms with them. I sat the bag down and tied it, setting it in front of the sink as I grabbed the broom, sweeping first along the corners. He back up as I did so. He watched me as I locked the door and turned the sigh to closed. He didn't say anything witch I was expecting a lecture from him. I then turned, looked up at his empty blue eyes holding the broom in my hand. "How… did you find me?"

"Candi Bakery." He said, grinning. Damn it! How can I be so stupid as to use that nick name he had always used when we were younger. I mentally slapped my forehead. "Besides, a lot of torture towards Mike, Richard and Shelly got me this far."

"Wasn't a punch in the nose enough torture for poor Richard." He shrugged.

"Apparently men in love do stupid things."

"I am sure Olyvia was glad to hear you say that to her." He chuckled.

"I didn't marry Olyvia." I watched him as he switched his weight from one foot to the other. "How can I when I was in love with a mystery stranger?" I felt my heart race when he said that. No. Don't get back into that dream. It wasn't worth the heartache all over again. "Mother went against a royal law when she threatened you. Olyvia was cheating and I refused to see it. I never loved her but I didn't want to believe that someone that claimed to be a virgin would turn around and sleep with my now ex treasurer." I tightened my grip on the broom as I looked down at the tile flooring. "Mother was stripped from her title. She had used her power to be little someone with less power. That was one rule my father was sure to enforce. She was a fool to think that I wouldn't so the same. She has no say so about what goes on in the country now."

"Not quit. I am still searching for that stranger that made me see that loving someone was more important then what others wanted from me."

"She's not here." I said low. He chuckled.

"I know she is. Because my heart says so." I looked up at him as he walked towards me. "Remember when I told you, at the dance, that I had felt that I had known you forever. In a past life maybe." I nodded. "I had no idea that it was you. If I had, I would called everything off right there and then rather mother wanted me to or not."

"I didn't want to risk being turned away by you." He shook his head.

"I've loved you since you were ten." I shook my head. "I never said anything because of the age difference. I am easily six years older then you. My mother saw it clear. Told father that he didn't want you to marry me. As you can tell she had made that completely clear as of recent. I didn't know you felt that way. You were always keeping yourself away. At arms length. Then mother decided to bring Olyvia around. I was going to marry her, forget what being happy would be like, and do what a king should and produce heirs for the country to carry on. I didn't listen to what you guys were saying because I didn't want to listen. I didn't want to believe. Then she attacked you when you were speaking the truth. I would never have set my mother to do such a thing. Candice, I love you, I have for so long." I felt the tears fall as he walked to me, his arms moved around me as I dropped the broom grasping his jacket.

"I love you so much Jason." I said through the jacket. He lifted my chin to look up at his cloudy blue eyes.

"Then, lets stop this mystery and start a life." I nodded.

"But what about my bakery." He chuckled.

"You can still have it. It's rather cute." I laughed as he dipped his head to my lips. He kissed me but only briefly. I heard a knock on the glass door as I turned. Shelly waved as she was accompanied by Richard and Mike. I opened the door as they came in. I locked it behind them.

"I knew it!" Shelly said as her arms came around me. "Now we can be official sisters!" She sounded more excited then I felt.

"I haven't asked yet?" Jason said.

"Oh stop fooling yourself! You asked a month ago in the office. You just didn't realize it!" Shelly said. Richard and Mike shook their heads. "Now lets all go out to eat. We need to celebrate." I nodded.

"Let me shower and dress. Come up stairs, take a look at my apartment. It's rather cute." I said to Jason as he smiled when I criticized his cute comment about my bakery. Shelly let me go as Jason gasped my hand. With the broom still on the floor we all went up stairs. I knew then, that I was not dreaming.