“Eh, I don’t know about the learning part,” she teased. “Really though, I’m super laid back. As long as you don’t touch or eat my shit, we’re cool.”
“Cool,” I laughed.
“Wanna catch dinner? Maybe Gina will be out and I can introduce you guys. Have her show us around a little?”
“Sure. That sounds good.”
“Okay, cool. Let me hit the shower then I’ll be ready to go.”
She left the room with her shower caddy in seconds. I sat on the sofa and smiled.
My roommate was awesome, and my call with Dad didn’t end with lashing out and bad words. I was having a surprisingly good day, despite the guilt that lingered, and I should have been grateful for that, but the longer I sat there alone, the more I realized something was missing.
I wanted to hear Cane’s voice—tell him how things were going. I wanted to fill him in on every single detail but this was my reality now.
This was life. It was unfair and sometimes cruel. Life could throw a bucket of ice water in your face and you’d have no choice but to dry yourself off, warm back up, and keep it moving.
As I sat in my new room and took a look round, that’s what I promised myself I would do.
Keep moving. Find myself. Forget about the past.
Even if forgetting meant hurting every day.
Chapter Eleven
CANE
As soon as I was told I could check out from the hospital, I called a driver and had him pick me up first thing.
Of course, Kelly was still around. I was so fucking sick of her and she had no idea just what kind of shit I could pull out of my sleeve. She thought she had me backed into a corner but she was sadly mistaken.
My driver, Neo, pulled up to the hospital in no time. When he opened the door for me, Kelly asked, “Do you want me to meet you at your place?”
I grimaced over my shoulder. “Why the fuck would I want that?” I growled.
“I’ll be over later,” she declared, ignoring my remark.
“Don’t bother. I have a few stops to make first, then I’m going by the office. I won’t be home.” I got into the car and Neo shut the door. He got behind the wheel, but of course Kelly knocked on my window. I let out an agitated sigh, cracking it slightly.
“Call me when you’re home. We have a lot to talk about, Cane.” Her eyes were narrowed but serious, her lips pursing after her sentence.
I glared at her through the crack, while a smile spread across her lips like she had no fucking care in the world. “Don’t you have some work to do somewhere? Or did you lie about that too?”
She smirked. “I took a week off to take care of you, Quinton.” She stood up straight. “I’ll see you tonight.”
I rolled the window up and looked away, telling Neo to go. I needed to distance myself from her immediately, before I did something I regretted.
“Where to, sir?” Neo inquired.
“I’ll text you the address.”
When I sent it to him, I rested the back of my head on the headrest, which gave me a clear reminder that maybe I shouldn’t have been going to the place I had in mind. I had to make things right, though, even if it felt like it was too soon.
As soon as Neo pulled into the driveway of Derek’s home, I felt my stomach clench. I’d forgotten what it was like to be nervous about an outcome. I was so confident with my job and my life lately, that feeling anxious had never fazed me.
Maybe this was why all of this had happened. It’d knocked me down a notch, shortened my ego. Right now, I was in a sticky bind, not only with my best friend, but with my company too. It was on the line, thanks to Kelly and her bullshit.
I’d lost a big deal and Zheng refused to speak to me again after witnessing the horrors of that night. If I couldn’t make my work life better, I at least had to try with my personal life.
With a heavy sigh, I pushed the door open and stepped out. I faced the familiar house, taking it in for a moment, before lowering my gaze and focusing on the black pick-up truck in the driveway. He was home.
After knocking, I waited. And waited. I could hear the TV playing, definitely some kind of sport with all the whistles and yelling happening. “Come on, D,” I called. “I know you’re in there. Open up please.”
Several more seconds ticked by before the lock clinked. The door drew open slowly, and there he stood, a tight frown on his face and his lips pinched tight. “What the hell are you doing here?”
I straightened my back, holding his eyes. I couldn’t back down—refused to back down. Unlike my father, I was a man. A man who faced his problems instead of running away from them. “I’m here to apologize, D. In person.”