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Dedicated to@-Sugar-Kitten- for the support and also for helping me out when I needed it. Means a lot!

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Soundtrack:

Sober by Kelly Clarkson - when they go dress shopping

One More Day by Vast - The talk between Candice and Richard

Baby I Need You by Kim Taylor - The dance scene

In My Bones by Ron Pope - Candice & Chance

"Oh my gosh, Candi, you look gorgeous!" Ava crooned, clutching her hands to her chest and meeting my eyes in the mirror.

"I look like a cupcake," I replied flatly, smoothing down the taffeta skirt of the dress that very much made me resemble a dessert of some description. It was a pretty dress, I had to admit, with its embellished corset and sweeping skirts, but it just didn't scream me.

"But a very pretty cupcake," Jamie supplied as he picked up a turquoise tie and an emerald tie from the wedding boutique's selection. "The prettiest cupcake alive."

Chance just snorted and continued searching through suit jackets. We'd decided to go as an ensemble to try to find our outfits for the wedding, leaving poor Will behind as I couldn't even risk him catching a glimpse in a dress that I might choose. Call me traditionally old-fashioned, but I wanted it to be a surprise.

"You're right," Ava appraised, sighing. "It's like what I've told you from the beginning, Candi. When choosing a dress, taffeta is cheesy."

"I wanna try on another one," I said, stepping down from the pedestal in front of the floor-length mirrors and rustling back over to the racks of gorgeous dresses. Ivory linen slipped through my fingers, and Ava sighed. "Well, I need to find a maid of honor dress, so while you look I'll search. And, for God's sake, Jamie, if you pick the turquoise one, I will personally murder you with it."

Jamie looked flatly down at the shiny blue tie in his hand and put it back dejectedly. It had been a bit spritely, but I didn't have the heart to tell him that. He was a boisterous person, and I thought the tie would match his personality well. I had been pretty lax with the wedding so far, but I did want to make the big decisions myself.

So when Ava turned to me and said, "Oh, by the way, what colors are we doing for the bridesmaids?" I had to think long and hard about the colour scheme of the wedding.

"Uh..." I murmured, trying to think of what color would best compliment our personalities. Wow, we'd really dropped the ball on the whole wedding organization thing. We hadn't even picked colors. "Maybe like an orange-pink?"

She nodded. "Okay."

She disappeared, and Jamie sighed. "There's nothing here. I'm gonna go look around for other ties."

He disappeared, and I slowly picked out another dress, this one with intricate lace detailing in the corseted bodice and a following tulle skirt that pooled around my feet and had small glittery diamonds outlining the skirts.

I made my way into the changing-room with the helping lady, Tamara, who slipped me out of my other dress and tied me up into the corset. I felt my stomach being sucked in, but it was very hard to feel ill because of it. I was far too excited to worry about the ties holding me in.

I made my way out and back up the podium, looking at myself in the mirror. What I saw took my breath away.

It was better than the last dress, which had made me look like a cake with arms and legs. This one was sweeping and grand, without being gaudy and Hollywood-esque. The flowers and swirls detailing the bodice swept into a tight waistline, before falling out in soft waves around my legs and pooling around my bare feet. Not only did it look nice, but I felt beautiful, and it felt right.

"Whoa," someone whispered from behind me, and I turned to see Chance standing there, two ties he'd been debating between in his hands but long forgotten. He was staring at me; at the dress. I felt myself blushing at his gaze, and smoothed my hands nervously over the skirt.

"What do you think?" I asked, fiddling with the ends of my wavy hair for something to do to distract myself from his gaze.

"You look..." he swallowed and tore his gaze away, fixing it on the gray tie he'd picked up. "You look beautiful."

I smiled. "Thank you."

"Oh my gosh, Candi!" Ava cried, reappearing in a dress of her own; this one fell in gentle waves to her knees, and had two thin straps. She looked like a sunrise, and, coupled with her short curly brown waves and large green eyes, she looked wonderful. "You look gorgeous."

"Whoa," Jamie said, skidding around the corner of a few suit jackets and coming to stare at me. "Just... whoa."

"I think this is the one," I told them, an excited grin slipping onto my face. Ava nodded her assent, and Jamie grinned at me. Chance looked, for lack of a better word, star struck, and I wondered what Will would think when he saw me standing there in this dress. The prospect made me excited beyond belief.

Before anyone could say anything more, Tamara swept me away to take measurements talk of any additions or subtractions I wanted to make of the dress. Not wanting to mess with perfection lest I ruin it, I told her I wanted nothing to be changed, and she took my weight and bosom size, as well as my waist and thighs and shoulders and everything else. We talked of undergarments and garters and veils and skirts and trains and hair and jewelry, and everything was a whirlwind of activity. The wedding was drawing ever nearer, and finally everything was slipping into place. She gave me an envelope of business cards and told me to look around at the jewelry and think about my hair and makeup, and I could go for my final dress alterations in two weeks-that'd leave me a month to spare to watch my weight and make any final adjustments should I think of them. It still seemed sort of far away, but I knew it would come quicker than I could ever expect.

I waddled back into the room to get zipped out of it by Tamara, and then threw on my shirt and jeans, feeling much more comfortable when not tucked neatly into a tiny dress and being appraised by a whole bunch of people. I liked being in jeans better, and, if I had the chance, I'd probably just get married in them. Ava would have a fit, but I was more than certain Will would be totally fine with that, and would even offer to wear them, too. However, we only got married once, so might as well make the most of it while we can.

I made a deposit on the dress, feeling my stomach sink as I felt my credit card screaming in protest. I was trying to avoid using as much of the Winchester money as I could, wanting to show I didn't need their financial assistance to live their life. I wasn't much of a spender, so I had a fair bit of savings, considering how well working as a chef at Rive La Belle paid. After that, I only had rent, utilities and food to pay for, so I had a little bit in the bank. Not a lot for the kind of Hollywood wedding I was sure the Winchesters were expecting, but enough for a small gathering with friends. And hopefully this dress, which was very expensive.

I'd already been warned there would probably be the press pestering me as the wedding drew closer, considering how famous his parents truly were. News cameras and journalist would be at the event, but I didn't mind. As long as they didn't ruin anything, they could go for it. When I'd first started dating Will I'd made it into the gossip magazines. I'd really underestimated just how famous Will and his family was, and considering I was the first serious relationship a Winchester boy had been involved in, I was the highlight of the gossip society for about three months. But I'd take it all if it meant having Will.

Once the others had reserved their suits and ties-Ava had not found the perfect dress for the occasion and vowed solemnly to come back hunting with me later (kill me)-we emerged into the air.

"You know what this party needs?" Jamie asked as we wandered along, enjoying the wan English summer sunlight streaming down through gray clouds.

"What's that?" I asked.

"A celebration," he replied. "What do you say we head out tonight to a bar and paint the town red? You can even invite your boy toy along."

"He's working," I told him. "But luckily for me, I'm not. Sounds good. We'll have a few drinks, play a few games of snooker, and maybe, just maybe, I can kick your ass at cards again."

"Key word being 'maybe'," he retorted, sniggering.

I shrugged at him confidently, knowing that when I wanted to, I had quite the poker face, and Jamie never won against me.

It was just one night, I thought. What could possibly go wrong?

~ * ~

It felt almost like old times as we walked into the bar later that night, like our college days spent at Joe's playing pool and downing beers like there was no tomorrow-to hell with age restrictions and hangovers. But this time we were legal, we were older, and we were aching to get a beer or two into our system and kick back.

After ordering a few drinks, we sat down at a booth, laughing over meaningless jokes and downing tequila shots and beers. The atmosphere was alight with motion, people playing games and laughing and sharing complimentary pretzels from a communal bowl. We chatted about life and the future and everything people talk about, laughing over anecdotes and funny stories-mostly supplied by Jamie, who was an endless supply of entertainment.

He'd just finished telling a story involving a rabid dog and a cheerleader when suddenly I saw something out of the corner of my eye; just a flash of color that caught my attention.

I turned my head to the side and saw something that made my mouth go dry. This place wasn't exactly a popular haunt for people like us, but I liked it for the cozy atmosphere, which broke like a dam in that moment.

"Oh, my God," I whispered, staring at Robert Winchester as he took a seat at the barstool with a woman in a tight black dress and blood-red stilettoes. He grabbed a bottle of beer and took a swig, laughing at something she told him.

She wasn't all that young; maybe ten years at the most younger than Will's father, and she had coiffed auburn hair and a slender, oval face. She was thin and petite, and totally entrapped in Robert's stare, which held her like a fly to honey.

"What's up?" Chance asked, cutting Ava off from her interjection as he followed my gaze.

I debated whether to tell them or not. On the one hand, I needed to share it with someone; get some advice on how I should deal with the situation. But on the other hand, I knew it was the Winchester's business, and though of course I had to tell Will what I'd seen, I didn't know if he'd want his personal problems to be blurted to my friends.

And, plus, maybe they were just business partners or old school colleagues. Just because they were sitting together drinking, doesn't mean there was anything romantic about the situation.

As if to contradict my thoughts, the woman leant forward and whispered something into Robert's ear, which made his lips curl up in a devilish smile not unlike the ones Lochie wore, and he chuckled. I felt my stomach flip and resisted the urge to throw up-even if Genevieve and I were on shaky terms, she didn't deserve this-and prayed I could just evaporate or disappear through the cracks-anything to hide away from what I was seeing.

Just then Richard turned to look at something to the side, and his eyes met mine. The color drained from his face as his jaw went slack, and without even thinking, I slipped out of the booth and started making my way angrily from the table, needing air and a minute to just think about what it was I as seeing.

"Candice!" I heard someone call from behind me-Richard, I knew-as I exited, obviously chasing after me.

I emerged into the cold air, forgetting to have brought my jacket with me upon my sudden exit, and shivered in the cold.

"Candice," Richard said, appearing behind me. "It's not what it looks like."

I spun around accusingly, trying to keep my calm-after all, he was going to be my father-in-law in a matter of weeks. "I'm trying to be calm about what I saw in there, Mr. Winchester, but I'm going to need some kind of explanation."

"Her name is Lorraine," he told me, sifting a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. For all of his faults, I could clearly see the remorse and regret in his eyes.

"Are you together?" I asked.

He shook his head, seeming torn. "No! Well... yes. I mean, no. I don't know."

"I think you'll forgive me if I'm a little confused," I said icily.

He blew out a long breath and looked away at the star-speckled sky, searching for words. "I didn't mean for it to happen. We met at a function I was hosting. We hit it off. It all happened so quickly."

"How could you do that?" I asked.

"I've been wanting to tell Genevieve ever since it happened, but there was never a good way to do it," he said. "There was never the right time. Our marriage has been crumbling for a long time."

"I understand that," I told him, because, really, it wasn't hard to imagine a marriage to the controlling Genevieve Winchester to get somewhat tiring. "But if your marriage is failing, you get a divorce. You don't cheat on her!"

He looked down. "I know. I'm sorry you had to witness that, but you have to promise not to tell Will."

I felt like I was on a never-ending rollercoaster, and his words were like a harsh slap to the face. I shook my head wildly. "No, you can't ask me to do that."

"if you love my son, you won't tell him," Richard said. "It will just break his heart."

"I'm going to tell your son because I love him," I argued. "Because that's what people do when they're in love. They confide in each other and talk it out like civilized human beings."

"I know how it must seem from the outside, but consider it from my viewpoint," Richard said calmly, ever the bargaining businessman. "A marriage with my wife is failing with no conceivable way out. A woman comes along who makes me feel young and happy again. I can't divorce my wife because I need her in my own way, but I haven't loved her like I love Lorraine for a long time. Think about what that's like."

"I know what that's like, Mr. Winchester," I told him. "I know what it feels like to love two people at the same time and feel like you have a loyalty to both and none at the same time. But if you truly love someone, you know. And you would never put them through that kind of pain."

"Just give me a chance to make it right," he begged. "Give me a chance to rectify things. You can't tell my wife."

I sighed. "You think I want to be the reason for an imploding marriage? I'm willing to give you a little bit of time to sort things out, but I hope you'll make the right decision and tell your son as quickly as possible. Because I will not keep it from him."

"I'll pay you!" he said, as if he'd just had a light bulb moment. "I'll pay for your wedding. Your honeymoon! Just don't tell them."

"I don't want your money, Mr. Winchester," I told him. "I want your son's happiness."

"If you want my son to be happy, then you can't tell him about Lorraine," Richard argued. "It will destroy him."

"I won't lie to him," I said, shaking my head. "I know things seem like they're really hard right now, but I'm about to make it real easy for you. You tell him the truth, or I do."

I walked past him and stormed back into the bar, eager to be rid of this vapid conversation. I hated giving ultimatums out like that, but I had to. I had to make Richard see the error of his ways and rectify them. I didn't want to be the one to tell Will, but I would if I had to. I had a duty as his fiancée to tell him the truth.

I walked back inside to see Lorraine sitting there with a cocktail, looking lost and confused. I walked over to her and leaned down to whisper almost inaudibly, "That man you're with is taken. I don't care if it's true love, nobody deserves to be cheated on. I suggest you sever contact with Richard Winchester until he has successfully separated from his wife. You deserve more than to just be the cheap side mistress. Goodnight, Lorraine. Your fun's over."

I walked back over to the table and picked up one remaining tequila shot, flicking my wrist back and downing the fiery beverage, wishing to escape what I knew was true.

"I knew you liked soap operas, but I didn't know you lived in one," Jamie muttered taking a long pull of his beer.

"What was all that about?" Ava asked, looking up at me concerned. "One minute you're looking like you've seen a ghost, and the next you're storming out with a silver fox on your tail."

"It was nothing," I lied. "Just a little drama. Let's just drink and pretend it never happened."

I wobbled suddenly, and Chance reached out and caught me, his muscular arms sliding around my waist as he pulled me back up. "I think you've had enough."

I smiled. "Don't be silly. I sober up the more I drink."

Before anyone could stop me, I was at the bar ordering another round of tequilas. I'd come out tonight to have fun, but now all I wanted to do was forget. Why did I always have to be the one seeing these things?

I grabbed the shot glasses and thanked the bartender, before wobbling back over to the table and grabbing two, downing them in quick succession.

"Okay, Candi, let's slow down," Ava said, slowly moving the other glasses away.

"Why?" I whined. "Let's live it up while we're single and young!"

"But you're not single," she reminded me.

"Oh, yeah!" I said, looking down at the gold band on my finger. "That's right! It's sparkly, isn't it?"

"Let's get you home," Chance said, appearing beside me. I shook my head as the music was turned up and someone made a makeshift dance floor in the middle of the bar.

"No, I wanna dance!" I said, grabbing his hand and dragging him onto the crowded dance floor as the lights turned low and the wooden floorboards became packed with tipsy bodies.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Chance replied, glancing around as if to find outside help.

"Why not?" I asked, pouting. "You used to be so much fun! Remember after that fight with Jamie when we were in the apartment alone and I was stitching up your wounds and then we-"

"I remember," he cut me off. "But you're engaged now, so you probably shouldn't be bringing that up."

"Have a drink," I said, handing him a beer that had just been slid onto the bar. "Come on! Just one. Celebrate with me!"

He sighed, but I stared at him imperviously until he finally gave in and took a swig of the beer. "Happy?"

I giggled and started swaying my hips to the music, feeling liberated to the point where I couldn't even remember what had gone wrong in the first place. Why had I been so upset when everything was so shiny and perfect?

He took another long pull of the beer, and I could see from the glazed look in his eyes that he was finally beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol. Good. It was no fun being drunk alone.

We danced for a while, and the more we danced, the thirstier we got. The thirstier we got, the more beers he downed until we were both a laughing mess of flailing limbs and inebriated dance moves.

"God, I've missed you," Chance said, smiling dopily as he appraised me.

"Me, too," I told him. "Can I confess something?"

"Of course!" he replied. "You can tell me anything!"

I sighed. "The truth is, sometimes I look back at those days back in Hamilton when things were easy. When you cooked me breakfast and we kissed on the couch and you told me you loved me on the pier that night. Sometimes I miss just feeling your hair in my fingers and your kiss. Sometimes I just miss you."

"It doesn't have to end if you don't want it to," he murmured, his eyes far too serious for the conversation. Weren't we just goofing off and having fun?

"Yeah, but I'm engaged!" I reminded him with a giggle, holding up my finger where the diamond dutifully glittered in the dull light.

"Just because you're engaged, doesn't mean you have to marry him!" he replied, and I realized we were both slurring slightly. So maybe we were a little more than tipsy. But who cared?

"What do you mean?" I cried in response. "If we're engaged, it obviously means I'm intending to marry him."

"Don't marry him," Chance said, and what he said took my breath away. "Marry me."

"Chance..." I whispered, stopping my swaying and coming to stare at him. Had he really just said what I think he just said? Is it considered cheating if another boy asks to marry you while you're engaged?

"I mean it," Chance said purposefully. "We can have more mornings of breakfast and kisses on couches. A lifetime of love and happiness and laughter. More sunsets together. We could do anything you wanted; be whoever we want to be. We could be happy, Candice. Don't you want that?"

"But Will..." I whispered, feeling dizzy.

"I heard what you said to that man out the front," Chance said. "I came to find you to see why you exited so quickly, and I heard you talking to him. I heard you say that you knew what it's like to love two people at the same time. Which means you still love me, Candice. So just for once take a chance and be with me. Be happy. I still love you, Candi. Let me show you that."

He leaned forward and crushed his lips onto mine, and it felt like my whole world was spinning out of control. The music and the drunken slurs of other bar-goers and the dancing all went away, leaving only Chance and I.

But something about it felt wrong. It wasn't genuine; we were far drunker than we should have been. And we were engaged... I was cheating on Will! Oh, no, this was terrible!

I pushed him back and wiped my mouth, my eyes going wide at what had just transpired. "What have you done?" I whispered, spinning around and dizzily running for the exit-for fresh air and clarity.

He chased me out of the bar. "Candice, I'm sorry!" he said, running so that he was in front of me.

"Why did you have to come back, Chance?" I asked. "I was so happy where I was; so happy to just be me and love Will. Why did you have to come back and confuse everything?"

"I just wanted to be with you!" he replied.

"But I'm with Will now! I'm happy. Why can't you just take the hint and leave me alone?"

"I thought..." he whispered, looking crestfallen.

Guilt flashed through me. "No, wait, Chance, that didn't come out right..."

"No, I get it," Chance said, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets and stepping away from me. I felt my heart shatter. "You don't want me here anymore, right? I'm just a reminder of a terrible time in your life. A mistake."

"No, you're not a mistake..."

"Then why can't you just admit we belong together?" he asked.

I wanted to make it better, but I couldn't give him false hope. In six weeks I was going to walk down the aisle and marry the man of my dreams, and Chance had made me happy, but he wasn't the one that would be standing on that altar.

What the hell are you supposed to do when either way somebody's heart breaks? When either way your heart breaks?

Who do you choose when either way someone you love is destined to lose?

"I don't know what you want me to say," I whispered.

He looked away, seeming completely heartbroken. "Well, maybe that's the point. Because I have tried to make this work; I've tried to be the guy you need. I've tried to be the understanding boyfriend; the friend you can turn to when no one else is there. I've poured my heart out for you time and time again just hoping that one day you'll realize I'm the guy for you. But there's only so much I can take before there's nothing left. And I can't stand here and pretend everything's okay; I can't pretend that my heart is not shattering for you."

"I never asked you to do those things," I told him.

"You never had to," he replied. "I thought if I showed you I could be there; if I showed you no matter what I would be by your side, you'd finally come to your senses and realize this is what's meant to be. But through our whole relationship together, I have seen you put everyone else before me. Ava, Jamie, Will... No matter how hard I try, I'm never the one."

"Chance..." I whispered.

He shook his head. "No. I'm done being that guy for you. Honestly, lately I'm wondering why the hell you even agreed to date me in the first place! Did you ever even love me?"

"Of course I did," I said. "You were my first. I loved you with my whole heart."

"Then why can't we be together?" he asked again. "Give me one good reason why we shouldn't be together after everything we've been through!'

"Because I'm in love with someone else now!" I yelled back. "I love Will."

He nodded, tearing his eyes away and fixing them on a patch of brick wall. "All right, then I hope you're happy, Candi. Because when you finally realize we were meant to be together, I won't be there for you. I'm done being your rebound boy. I can't do this anymore. Loving you was the worst mistake of my life."

"Chance..." I whispered, but it was too late. By the time I could see through my tears to the outside world, he was already gone.

I hadn't even realized I'd had him until I lost him.

~ * ~

*sobs into oblivion*

So this is my last update for a week and a half while my Internet gets reconnected to the new place - thanks for the well wishes on moving.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter (I told you this wasn't the end for Chandice)! If you did like it, drop a comment, vote, and fan. Share if you want your friends to see it, too!

Once again, if you want to listen to the soundtrack while you read, check me out on Spotify under xxforever_lovexx - it's free, and you can listen to it while reading. You can find it in my playlists 'Just Write' or 'J'adore' - all the songs featured in the book are on there, and you may really get into it more if you check it out. Hope to see you on it.

Until my next update (which will be as soon as I get the Internet back), I hope you all stay save, beautiful and lovely.

Much love. xx