my weight, but when you have as much stress as I do the weight naturally falls off.” I say that like it’s funny. It isn’t really.
“I know what you mean. What do you do in Rhode Island?”
“I want to be a therapist. I work at a therapeutic clinic.”
She looks impressed. “Wow, that sounds amazing.”
“Thank you. It took me awhile to work out what I wanted to do but I have. If all goes to plan though, I’m hoping to move somewhere I can have a fresh start.”
“Where did you want to go?”
“Anywhere, just not there. I enjoyed college and I love my job, but Rhode Island has too many bad memories.” Like Eric’s death.
Russia has my mother’s death and I don’t wish to go back there either. As to whether I might feel different in the future is my guess. Right now it’s how I feel.
“I hear you. I’m almost, almost like that with LA. Although my bad memories aren’t really linked to the place.”
“What do you do in L.A?” I ask.
“That’s a really good question since I think I’ve been in a state of flux for some time. Right now I guess I’m an assistant to the brothers at their company.”
Again I realize that I don’t know much about Tristan, and I’m not sure how much to ask Candace.
“That’s good. You seem close to them.”
“We’ve known each other since we were children. I’m probably one of those friends who hung around that you can’t get rid of,” she says with a laugh but I can see a dullness in her eyes. “At least I make myself useful by working. Today though I thought what the heck, we’re here on this beautiful island, might as well enjoy it.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “It’s a truly beautiful island.”
“It definitely is that. Tristan surprised the hell out of me. You can marvel at most places because of the natural beauty which of course this does have, given it’s an island but he designed everything that makes it striking,” she explains and my eyes widen.
“What do you mean? He actually designed the place?” He never told me that.
“From the house to the waterfall and all the gardens around. He and Alyssa were crazy together when they were kids. They used to come up with all sorts of madness when we were growing up. Like the island with a castle on it that no one could find but them. This island is their fantasy. Every single part of it.”
Alyssa…
I guess that was her name. Tristan’s wife. Candace must have thought I knew about her.
I steady my breath and try to look nonchalant and as impressed as I should be but I’m not so sure I do such a good job. Right now I think I might fail at not looking jealous, which is completely absurd.
“That’s impressive,” I say with a little smile. “He must have truly loved her.”
She seems to sense the uneasiness in my voice.
“Yeah he did. I’m sorry … I shouldn’t talk about her. You look upset which is understandable.”
I shake my head. “No… it’s okay. It’s beautiful to hear about love like that. It’s me who shouldn’t talk about her though. It was my father who was responsible for her death.”
“That doesn’t make you guilty.”
“But I’m here because of her, right? I’m guilty by association. I know things have changed but it’s true.”
“No it’s not. I don’t believe in guilty by association. I think that’s a concept that wanting revenge creates. You aren’t your father Isabella and while you can feel sorrow for the things he’s done, you can’t feel guilty because blood doesn’t define who you are.”
Her words mean a lot.
“Thanks. I appreciate that,” I say and she gives me a curt nod. “I’m not like him. I was never like him, and honestly I don’t know how it was my mother ended up with a man like him.”
“Sometimes we’ll never know the reasons for things our parents do,” she replies. It’s another wise answer I agree with.
I’ve never been able to understand either of my parents and both their decisions led me here to a place where I’m plotting my father’s death.
Chapter Thirty-One
Tristan
I open the door and smile when I see Alfonse standing on the other side.
He marches into my house the same way Pa would and has a stern expression on his face. He’s been edgy since yesterday.
The edginess skipped over me and I’ve been filled with rage.
“Must you boys head out again?” Alfonse asks.
“Yeah. We need to,” I reply.
“Do