He finished gathering the pills, “How many were there?” He was going to make sure nothing was left.
“Twenty, I think-yeah, I’m pretty sure it was twenty.”
He counted them and then placed them in my hand, “You’re flushing them, I’m watching.”
I was trembling so hard, I could barely hit the opening in the toilet.
“Have you been eating?” he asked as he tried to keep me from shaking.
I shook my head no.
“I’m making you something to eat. Then I’m calling Candace and you and I are going to bed.” He left no room for rebuttal.
A little while later, safe in his arms, I went gratefully into oblivion.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The only problem now was that Ryan was stuck to me like glue. He wouldn’t let me do anything without him being present. Candace was spending a lot of time at my house,and I knew it was because she was missing him terribly and the only way she could get to see him was to be around me. It was wearing on her and I could tell he needed to give her some attention or his whole plan of helping me was going to hurt them both in the long run. I just couldn’t figure out how to shake him loose again. I finally told Candace to stay the night at my house, so she could wile him away from me. That seemed to help because for the first time in a week, he wasn’t focused on me as she teased him into one of the other bedrooms.
I sat on my bed, grateful it worked and I had some breathing room. I was restless tonight anyway because the show was only three days away. We were performing the day after New Year’s, and the two week delay only served to build the public’s anticipation for the finale.
My bruises and marks were nearly healed as I stood in the bathroom and studied myself in the nude. They were light yellowish green now and the bite marks healed to fine pink lines that, hopefully, would fade in time. I filled the tub with hot sudsy water and slid in, letting the jets relax me. I was totally relaxed, forgetting about the show, forgetting about what was going on in the other bedroom, forgetting about Micah, forgetting…
“Ah!” A thought struck me as I inhaled and sat up in the tub. Over the past fifteen days, I had forgotten some things too well. The longer I sat and concentrated on it, the more I began to see things clearly-especially things of God and things of purpose. Wow, what a difference a revelation could make.
I was up before both of them the next morning. My hair brushed, makeup on, and I was in the kitchen putting together a big breakfast. The scent of fresh perked hot coffee drifted through the house and mingled with the tantalizing aroma of bacon, eggs, and biscuits. It didn’t take long for my aromatic wakeup call to work.
They came out together, sleepy faced and puzzled, but smiling as they entered the kitchen and sat at the island.
“Just in time. I’ve got breakfast ready,” I said as I began filling their plates, “I put cheese over the scrambled eggs. I hope you guys don’t mind.” I placed the plates in front of the silent pair, “You two look like you could use some coffee.” I poured two big cups and set them down in front of them with the sugar and cream containers, as I sat down and joined them.
“What got into you this morning?” Ryan asked. “By the way, you look great.”
“You must be feeling-better,” Candace seemed to be having a problem finding the right word.
“I am.”
Ryan looked suspicious now.
“Honestly,” I defended. “I’m okay. By the way, Don called me early this morning and he wants me in studio, at the latest, by Wednesday morning.”
“I can’t believe you’re going to actually finish the show,” Ryan stated. “I’m going with you. You know that right? I’m not taking a chance that he’ll get his hands back on you.”
“He’s not going to bother me in a crowded studio and I don’t plan on being alone. It’s fly out, do the show, fly back the same night and…” I’d almost said a little too much.
“And, what?”
“And then I’m done. It’ll be all over with and I won’t be going back to L.A. ever again.”
“I’m still going.”
I could see the worry spread over Candace’s face. “I have an idea,” I said with a smile. “Why don’t we all go? Candace couldn’t go before because well, you would look like you were into polygamy, but she can now.”
I watched her face brighten.
“No,” Ryan snapped.
“Come on,” I urged, pushing his shoulder. “We won’t be in any danger during the show and we aren’t going to hang around afterward.”
“What if you win? They’ll expect you to hang around for a while.”
“Nope, win or lose, I’m out of there right after I say goodbye to my friends.”
“Please,” Candace asked, finally finding her voice.
He was out numbered and hopeless to turn down the women in his life. “All right, fine. But if I see him coming around, both of you are out of there.”
All the Remake contestants were back for the finale to a packed house. Tonight’s venue was completely different from how the show normally worked. The artists were to be a surprise. We would have less than a half an hour to meet and learn the song. Then we would perform with the artist and band, but we would be the lead vocal.
I wasn’t surprised when I found out what we were singing. They had been hand-picked by ownership. I would sing ‘The Reason’ with Hoobastank, and Sadarius would sing ‘I’ll Make Love To You,’ with Boyz II Men. Micah was either trying to make me remember what we meant to each other or he simply wanted me to breakdown and cry on stage. I wasn’t crying tonight. The song he chose for me had too much meaning now to do anything else but give it my best.
I had drawn the first slot and I went on stage and gave a stellar performance. I looked for him as I sang. I had a feeling, if he wasn’t sitting in his office watching on the monitor, he would be somewhere tucked away from the crowd and the cameras. Just as I was a verse away from the end, I saw him appear in the edge of one of the exit corridors. I knew he realized I’d seen him as he hesitated and seemed to be ready to back away from my gaze, and then he decided to stay as I finished the song.
I took my seat as Sadarius prepared to sing. I watched the whole time to see if he would leave or stay. Sadarius did an incredible job with his song as well; Micah standing off in the distance watching. When we finished our performances, they opened the voting lines and the public had one hour to vote while all the contestants came on stage for a music medley. They played numerous clips from the first show all the way through. I was being careful to avoid Carrie at all costs, but she didn’t seem like her old self, she was actually smiling and happy.
The big announcement had finally arrived as Sadarius and I were called to center stage. I had planned all along if I won I was giving the money to him. He was a decent, moral and kind person who deserved everything this opportunity could afford him. And, if he won, I’d simply be happy for him because he was truly an awesome singer, and I hoped he would get to fulfill his dreams of cutting a record deal after the show.
Our emcee opened the envelope as the lights all around us dimmed and we were the only two remaining in the spotlight.
“By a separation of less than three percent, the winner of season one, Remake is… Sadarius Collins!”
The confetti and balloons were dropping from the ceiling as the crowd rose to their feet. Sadarius was hugging me so tightly, tears running down his face. He kept saying, “I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it!”