One Wild Night

Candace looked up when Jade offered her a handkerchief and she took it from her, "Thanks," she said with a sniffle, and Jade gave her a nod.

"You must think I'm crazy for crying over a man I desperately wanted to kill," Candace said, but Jade shook her head.

"I don't think anything. Our feelings and emotions are not entirely within our control," Jade said, and Candace gave her a shaky smile.

"It's crazy. I resent him for everything he did to us, but at the same time a part of me feels so sorry for him. A part of me that also remembers some of the good moments I shared with him wants to go there and care for him until he dies. I know it's crazy, but I can't help it," Candace said as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I can't tell you how to feel, Candace. I believe you loved him at some point in your life. It would be crazy if you didn't feel this conflicted," Jade said, feeling sorry for her.

"Do you mind stopping the car?" She asked, and Jade looked at her curiously before finding somewhere to park the car.

"I think I should go back there and be with him. If for nothing, for Jamal's sake. He did all sort of evil things, but I have Jamal thanks to him. I can live knowing that he's not dying just because of his other crimes, but he's dying such a painful death because Cassidy is punishing him for what he did to Andy. He didn't go scot-free. I can live with that," Candace said, but Jade didn't say a word or try to stop her as she got out of the car.

Jade watched until she flagged down a cab and got into it before driving off. She thought about Todd's betrayal and wondered if she would have been willing to stay by Todd's side at the hospital if he survived that accident and she found out he had been about to marry another woman.

Although the nature of Todd's offense was different from Jero's offense, she wasn't sure she was as forgiving or kindhearted as Candace. She would never have wasted a second of her time taking care of him. Although she didn't support crime or murder, she thought Jero deserved to be poisoned.

Once Jade got to the hotel, the receptionist informed her that someone was waiting for her at the lobby, "Who?" She asked with a puzzled frown.

"He refused to say. He's the one hiding behind the magazine," the receptionist said, when Jade turned to take a look at the people seated at the lobby.

Jade's brows pulled together as she approached the man, wondering who it was. Was it possibly Bill? Perhaps he had come to deliver Jero's package to Candace? She hoped that was the case.

"Hello! I was told you are waiting for me?" She said, and immediately the person looked up at her.

Seated there with sunshades on and a hat over his head, which she believed he was wearing to disguise his identity, was Matt. She tried to hide her disappointment when she realized it wasn't Bill.

Thankfully it worked since she was more surprised to see him than disappointed. She had completely forgotten that she had called him the previous evening to intimate him on all that was going on so he could talk Candace out of her plan to harm Jero. Now he was here without knowing that Candace's plan had changed already.

"Matt!" She exclaimed with a wide smile as he stood up and embraced her, "How long have you been waiting? Why didn't you call?"

"I couldn't leave immediately you called. We had to film all through the night, and in my rush to leave after my shoot in the early hours of the morning, I left my phone," he explained, and Jade raised a brow.

"You could have told the receptionist who you were or simply..."

"It doesn't matter. Where is Candace?" He cut in as he looked around for her.

"Why don't we find somewhere private to speak and I will bring you up to speed on what has happened?" Jade suggested, and Matt dumped the magazine he had been reading on the chair he had just vacated and they both walked away from the lobby and headed for the suite.

Immediately they walked into the suite, Jade turned to him, "Do you care for wine or should I order breakfast?"

"Nah. I'm alright. I just want to know what's happening. Why don't I see Candace around?" Matt asked as he looked around the suite.

"She is at the hospital," Jade said, and he looked at her in alarm.

"Hospital?"

"Relax. She is fine. She went there to look after Jero. He's hurt," she said, and Matt blinked in confusion.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked, not sure he had heard correctly. He had come running because Jade told him Candace was determined to out an end to Jero'd life even if it meant her going to jail, so what was Jade talking about?

Jade quickly summarized everything to him, and when she was done, Matt frowned, "So she went there to take care of him?" He asked, and Jade gave him a nod.

"It's crazy, but yeah. I'm sorry I made you come all this way for nothing," Jade said apologetically.

"Did she say how long she was going to be there with him? How long does he have left?" Matt asked, and Jade shook her head.

"She didn't specify how long she's going to stay there. And I don't know how long he has left either. But his condition is pretty bad," she said, and Matt looked at her thoughtfully.

"Can you give me directions to the hospital?" He asked, and Jade looked at him curiously.

"I suppose you are ready to talk to her now?" She asked, but Matt said nothing as he waited for her to give him directions to the hospital.

"You can give me a couple of her personal stuff she might need while she's there," Matt said after she had given him the direction to the hospital and Jero's room number, and Jade looked at him with a slightly raised brow.

"You don't feel upset or jealous that she is taking care of her baby daddy?" Jade asked, and Matt shrugged.

"I'm not in a competition with him. And I think she is doing what she believes she ought to do in order not to leave room for regrets," Matt said reasonably, and Jade gave him a nod as she walked over to Candace's room to get some extra clothes and whatever else she believed Candace would need to stay at the hospital.

"I will let her know you are coming," Jade said as she returned to join him, but Matt shook his head.

"Don't. I'd rather she doesn't know I'm coming. Let it be a surprise," Matt said, and Jade looked at him hesitantly before giving him a nod.

After seeing him off, Jade returned to her bedroom and after only a moment's hesitation, she dialed Tom's line.

"Good morning, Jady. Sup?" Tom greeted immediately he received the call, enunciating her name for Harry's benefit, and as expected, Harry who was driving the car turned to spare him a glance when he heard Jade's name.

"Good morning, Tommy. Please can you text me Lucy's number right now?" She asked hopefully, and Tom spied at Harry from the corners of his eyes.

"Why? Is there a problem?" he asked curiously.

"Not at all. I just thought I should have her number. You know, as my favorite brother's girlfriend," Jade said, and Tom smiled.

"Alright, I will text it to you after the phone call," he promised, and she thanked him before hanging up.

Even though the call had ended, Tom held the phone to his ear and continued, "Really? You're going on a date with that guy?" He asked with false surprise, and Harry turned to look at him sharply, while he pretended not to notice.

"What guy?" Harry asked before he could stop himself, and Tom hid a grin.

"I will call you back, Jady. It seems like your other elder brother is curious to know about your new boyfriend," Tom said as he pretended to hang up the phone before turning to Harry.

"Jade is seeing someone?" Harry asked with a frown, and Tom shook his head.

"No, she is not. The call ended a while ago so I said that to see your reaction. You are quite the protective elder brother, aren't you? Jade must feel so lucky to have brothers like us who care about her," Tom said with a grin, and Harry glared at him making Tom chuckle as he texted Lucy's number to Jade.

"You're an idiot," Harry said, and Tom laughed harder.

"By the way what lady were you talking about the other night?" Tom asked curiously.

"A lady? What night?" Harry asked in confusion, wondering when he ever talked to Tom about a lady.

"Your father said you mentioned having a lady in your life. What lady was he talking about? Are you seeing someone? Is it the lady Jade introduced to you?" Tom asked, and Harry looked at his suspiciously.

"Why are you asking?"

"What do you mean why am I asking? Don't I have the right to know if my best friend is seeing someone?" Tom asked, and Harry sighed.

He couldn't lie to Tom, and at the same time he couldn't tell him the truth. He knew that if he told Tom the truth about Aurora, Tom would likely tell Jade about it and he didn't want that.

"I'm still getting to know her. You can say we are still in the talking stage. I will let you meet her at the anniversary dinner," Harry said before changing the subject.

Away from there, Aaron waited until he had swallowed the food he was chewing before spoke again, "Yes, Harry told me you both came to check on me. Unfortunately, the sleeping tablets had me knocked out so I couldn't see you," Aaron said apologetically, and Lucy gave him a nod.

"That's fine. I saw you though. I came in to sit with you for some time so that the guys could talk alone," Lucy said as she continued to look at him.

"Really? You must have been bored," Aaron said with a grin, and then his eyes gleamed with mischief as he leaned forward in his seat, "Tell me, did I look handsome while I slept?" He asked, and Lucy smiled.

"You always look handsome," she said, thinking of the best way to ease into the subject. He was yet to take his medication. Perhaps she shouldn't say anything until he was done with his meal and his medicine.

"More handsome than Tom?" He asked, and Lucy giggled.

"Don't even dream of it. Your medication is in your bedroom, right? Give me a moment to grab it," Lucy said as she picked up her phone and rose, and Aaron smiled at her as he watched her walk away.

Once she got into his bedroom, she headed straight for his nightstand where the medicines were kept and she picked them up.

Just as she walked out of the bedroom, her phone started to ring and she received the call when she noticed it was from an unsaved contact, "Good morning. This is Lucinda Perry on the line," she greeted politely as she walked down the passageway.

"Good morning, Lucy. It's Jade. Tom's sister," Jade said, surprising Lucy.

"Oh, Jade! How are you? I'm pleasantly surprised to hear from you," Lucy said in a pleasant tone, and Jade smiled.

"Harry informed me you are at his apartment?" Jade said after exchanging pleasantries with her.

"Yes, I am. Do you want to say hello to his dad?" Lucy asked, thinking that was the reason she had called.

"I will call him later. Right now I need you to do me a favor," Jade said, and Lucy stopped walking.

"What favor?"

"Please, could you go into Harry's bedroom and send me the picture of the lady in the photo frame by his bedside?" Jade asked, and Lucy's brows pulled together in a frown.

"Is Harry aware of this?" She asked, not wanting to believe that Jade was asking her to invade Harry's privacy.

"No, he's not. And I'd appreciate it if you don't let Aaron know about it either," Jade pleaded.

No. She didn't like this. She didn't want to get involved in whatever Jade was scheming, especially if it involved her sneaking around Harry's apartment like a thief.