Tangled Hearts

Chapter Seven

Hearts On Hold

The morning light filtered softly through the window curtains of Tamara's hotel room, casting a golden hue across her half-packed suitcase. She sighed, folding another dress into her bag before reaching for her phone. With a few taps, she dialed Tiffany.

"Hey girl," Tamara greeted, trying to hide the weariness in her voice.

"Finally! I was about to call the Charleston police to look for you," Tiffany teased.

Tamara laughed, relaxing a bit. "It’s been a whirlwind. I got in, spent time with my parents, met this guy named Candace… He’s... actually really cool."

"Wait, wait! Who is Candace? You didn't mention any Candace before," Tiffany gasped. "Is this a vacation romance?"

Tamara chuckled. "Nooo, not like that. Well, I mean... okay maybe. He’s smart, funny, and we have a lot in common. But we both came to Charleston just for the holidays. He lives out of state."

As she spoke, her phone buzzed with a new message from Candace.

Candace: Can we meet at our usual spot later? There's something I want to tell you.

Tamara read it aloud.

"He totally wants to tell you how he feels!" Tiffany squealed on the other end.

"Please, don’t get your hopes up," Tamara muttered. "We’re just friends. And besides, I can't do long-distance. You know that."

Tiffany clicked her tongue. "Says the girl still low-key obsessed with Mr. Mysterious One-Night-Stand. What was his name again? Jay?"

Tamara groaned. "Don’t remind me. Speaking of love, Patricia seems to have found hers. She’s dating a super-rich guy. Young billionaire, apparently. But she never introduced him to anyone."

"Suspicious," Tiffany hummed. "What’s his name?"

"She didn’t say," Tamara said carefully. She left out her nagging suspicion and the strange coincidence of his name being Jason.

That evening, Tamara met up with Candace at their usual spot, a quiet bench overlooking a small garden terrace near the pool. He looked nervous, rubbing his palms together as she approached.

"You okay?" she asked, sitting beside him.

He nodded. "Yeah. Just... I need to say this while I still have the courage."

Tamara turned to face him fully, curiosity sparking in her eyes.

"I like you, Tamara," Candace confessed. "Not just as a friend. Since we met, it’s felt easy with you. Natural. And I know we live far apart, but I think we should give this a try. What do you think?"

Tamara hesitated, heart thudding. "Candace... I like you too. You're amazing. Truly. But I'm not sure I can handle a long-distance relationship. It’s not about you, it’s just... I’ve tried before, and it never ends well."

Candace gave a small smile, clearly disappointed but respectful. "I get it. Really. It sucks, but I understand. Maybe we can still stay close? See where things go, no pressure?"

Tamara nodded, feeling both relief and regret. "Yes. I’d like that."

They spent the rest of the evening laughing, sharing childhood stories and favorite songs. For a moment, everything felt light again.

Back at the hotel, Tamara had barely changed into her pajamas when her phone dinged.

Mom: Come to our room. We need to talk to you and your sister.

Moments later, Tamara and Patricia were sitting across from Catherine and Raymond in their suite. The room glowed warmly with soft lights and remnants of cake and wine from earlier.

"We want you girls to come home for Christmas," Catherine began, eyes gleaming. "Both of you. To Summerville."

"Of course," Patricia said.

"And bring your partners," Raymond added with a knowing smile.

Tamara nearly choked. "Partner? I don’t have a partner."

Catherine raised an eyebrow playfully. "What about Candace? The charming young man you’ve been sneaking off with. You think we didn’t notice? He’s quite the gentleman. You two would make a lovely couple."

Tamara flushed. "We're just friends."

"Bring him anyway," Raymond said with a wink. "For support, if nothing else. Unless you want Patricia to have the spotlight all to herself with her man Jason."

At the mention of that name, Tamara froze. Her mind spun, hurtling back to that night. Jay. Jason. Could it really be him?

She forced a smile, but inside, her thoughts tumbled like dominoes. If Patricia's Jason and her Jay were the same person, it would be more than awkward. It would be devastating.

She pushed the thought away as they wrapped up the conversation, but the name echoed in her head like a whisper she couldn’t ignore.

Jason.

Jay.

What if they were the same person?