Destined To Collide

The Collision Expands - Chapter 44 - The Boys

The next day in Portland; at the airport;

Derrick- I'm sitting here in an all too familiar scene; me waiting at the Portland airport for Linnie. My phone starts ringing. I look and I see it's Candace (I refuse to call her Candy anymore). I don't know what number is by of many times she tried calling. Despite what she says, the nature of her relationship with Chris isn't how it appears but I'll explain soon. I think I'm actually going to answer her this time,

"Hello?" I ask in my most monotone voice

"Oh finally, Derrick, I've gotten you," she says, "why have you been ghosting me?"

She knows full well why, she's just convinced herself of what she's trying to accomplish. I don't answer her question, instead I ask one of my own.

"Why are you calling, Candace?" I ask

"'Candace?' what happened to 'Candy?'" she asks

"Candace, I'm really busy," I say,  "I'm in Portland and waiting to pick Linnie up from the airport, so would you please tell me what you want?" I intentionally leave out why I'm here.

"Portland?" Candace questions, "I thought we agreed on North Carolina so you can be close enough to us if something happens. And what are you doing there with Linnie. More importantly, why isn't Donny with her?"

That part I actually don't know yet but when I called to tell her about her mom, she sounded like she'd been crying

"We agreed," I say, "no, no, no. You decided. Now you have three seconds to tell me why you called or I'm hanging up." I start counting.

"I need more time with Chris, Derrick." She blurts out. And there it is.

"'More time?" I repeat

"Yeah, I think I'm making progress with him," she says and I'm shaking my head, "there's good in Chris, I know it. He wants to be better. He's getting his Nazi tattoo removed and he's started a friendship with your friend Daryl."

Daryl's barely an acquaintance and that's definitely a cover for arranging some deal between them. I don't say anything for a couple minutes. I can't believe this is the same woman I told my biggest secret to.

Alright, I this is a good a place to finally reveal that secret. When I was living in LA, I had a very committed relationship with my girlfriend, Kelly (a black girl). A some point we found out that she's pregnant. I proposed marriage shortly after and she accepted. However, when it was time for the baby to come, something happened. My wife suddenly had trouble breathing and she died, The doctors did their best to save the baby but it was too late. Both my fiancé and my child died at the same time. That's why I hate hospitals and especially pregnancy wards.

"Derrick, are you still there?" Candace asks

"Yeah, I'm here." I say

"So what do you say," she says, "could you hang in there just a little while longer?" I snap

"What world are you living in, Candace." I say pointedly

"Huh," She responds, "what do you mean?"

"What do I mean," I repeat, "are you serious right now? I know you convinced yourself that this was my idea and it never was. When Donny's sister warned us about Chris we could have found a way to make this work like monitoring him. I don't need to be kept safe, I'm a big boy. Your son is in no danger either because there's Donny and Linnie and Chris is probably trying to brainwash him just like he's succeeding in doing now.

"As far as I'm concerned, we were broken up, for real the moment you started dating him." I say, "And now he's manipulated you into thinking he can change and you have feelings for him. I get that you didn't know about his true colors in your first run with him and you felt bad. And despite you learning what he said about me, you still had feelings for him. You were dead set on doing this whether I protested or not."