Mom let out a breath. She looked at me like she had so many questions, but didn’t want to overwhelm me with them right now. Not yet anyway.
Truthfully, with Dad lingering in the background brooding, I wasn’t up for talking about Cane anyway.
“Well, go up to your room, get settled in, then meet me back down stairs.” She rubbed my shoulders. “We can talk—just you and me. Okay?” She whispered the last part.
“Sure,” I muttered.
She walked to Dad. They both went into the kitchen, Dad’s eyes staying back a little longer than Mom’s. It seemed he had a lot to say too, but was saving it for dinner the next night.
I went up to my room and showered, but I didn’t have it in me to go back down and talk to Mom. If she came up to my room and wanted to talk, sure, but I didn’t know what to tell her that I hadn’t already said.
I think it was pretty obvious why I’d gotten back with Cane again. I wanted him. I loved him. Plain and simple…they just refused to understand it.
To my luck, Mom didn’t come back upstairs. I curled up in my bed, which was freshly made by the way. Apparently, they were looking forward to my arrival. That was good to know, at least. They loved me enough to want me there.
Cane sent me a text around midnight. Thankfully I was still awake.
Cane: It won’t be easy, Kandy Cane.
Me: I know.
Cane: Hopefully things will be okay tomorrow.
Me: I hope so too…my dad is looking at me weird again.
Cane: Try not to let it get to you…
Me: I’m just ready to see you tomorrow. Prove to them that it’s real.
Cane: We will.
I shut my phone off, eyelids getting heavier.
I hoped everything would go back to the way it was before.
I hoped Cane was right. Everything needed to be okay. Not just for my parents’ sake, but for ours too.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
KANDY
I’d spent the morning helping Mom prepare food for dinner. She and I had gone grocery shopping, cleaned potatoes, meat, chopped broccoli, and seasoned it all throughout the day.
Of course she asked about school, and wanted to know what they’d told me at the hearing. Mom believed there was a way I could take it to court, seeing as it was such short notice that they revoked my scholarship, and refused to take it to court and give me a fair chance to talk to an attorney, but that was her lawyer side speaking. It was better to just let it go. Plus, I had a feeling Coach Carmen wouldn’t have wanted me around anyway. Imagine if I’d won the case and still had my scholarship, the school would have grown a disdain for me. I would have been the talk of the campus. It was better to start fresh somewhere else.
I told her all I could remember about the hearing, and even told her and Dad about Brody and Sophie, and how I dumped my drink on him and smeared a slice of pizza in Sophie’s face. Mom found it humorous. Dad didn’t. Of course he was still upset. Definitely on edge, probably ready to confront Cane and try to squash it all. Or worse, tell Cane to leave me alone out of respect for him.
Ugh.
To be fair, my parents didn’t speak much of Cane, and even though Dad walked around with a bit of an attitude, it felt like home again somehow. Not a complete and happy home, but home nonetheless.
Before I knew it, dinner was getting started.
I had gone through the same routine, almost like I was a teenager again, meeting Cane for our usual weekend dinners. I styled my hair and wore a more conservative black dress that stopped at the knees just so I wouldn't piss my dad off anymore than he already was. When I heard a car door shut, my heart skipped a beat.
He’s here.
I finished up rapidly, hoping to answer the door before my parents could. They were out back, by the grill. When I made it down, my parents were nowhere in sight. I could hear things rattling in the kitchen and the patio door sliding open and closed. I glanced over my shoulder once before focusing on the door, gripping the knob and twisting it.
When I pulled it open all of my worries seemed to subside, because there he stood, and when his eyes found mine, I smiled.
“Hey,” I breathed.
“Hey, Kandy Cane,” he murmured, scanning me with his eyes. “You look great.”
I gave him a small laugh. “You’re lying. This is one of my modest dresses. Wore it because I don't want to piss my dad off.”
When I said that, Cane looked over my shoulder, his smile slowly fading. “Where is he anyway?”
“He's probably out back. He's grilling steak tonight.”