“You’re a brave girl,” she said that night when I laid back down. “Brave and beautiful. I admire you.” Miss Cane wasn’t much of a talker, I knew, so when she spoke, I had reason to believe everything she said was honest. With those words, I went back to sleep that night and woke up peacefully the next morning.
Still, the nightmares weren’t as bad as when I was without him. Being with him made me feel much more alive.
“Don’t be sorry,” he said, his voice calm. “I understand.”
“But you need it. Me.”
At that, he laughed, a deep, heavy chuckle that made my belly clench in the best way possible. “Fuck yeah, I need you, but I’m patient. I’ll be ready when you are.”
I picked my head back up, placing a kiss on his lips. After I was done, I said, “Maybe I should put my new wardrobe to use for the trip, huh?”
“You and Lora spent over $2,500 on clothes. Hell yeah, you better put that wardrobe to use.” I giggled as he latched his fingers behind me, locking me in. “You do know that I love you, Kandy? Right?”
“Yes, Cane.”
“And that I will do anything for you?”
“I know you will.”
“I mean it, baby. Anything.”
“You’ve only told me, like, a million times,” I laughed, then kissed him to shut him up. I knew he would do anything for me. His guilty heart always compelled him to spill that truth, but there was no need for him to feel so badly anymore. I’d forgiven him a long time ago. It was time for us to move forward now. Time for us to go back to being the Kandy Cane we used to be.
We didn’t have to hide anymore; we were free to do what we wanted, when we wanted, and all I wanted to do was enjoy our freedom.
Chapter Seventeen
CANE
“It’ll be a three-day trip,” I said as Neo drove toward the private runway. “I have to be back by Sunday afternoon. Cora will handle most of the stuff that needs to be handled at the office, and I’ve already signed some contracts, so I should be okay for our trip.”
“Cane,” Kandy said, a smile riding her lips. “Relax, okay? I’m sure you have it all handled, and even if you don’t, work can wait for once.”
“Okay. All right.” I held my hands up in a small surrender. “I just want you to know that for the next three days, minus the two calls I have to make, I’m all yours.”
“And I’m okay with that.”
She grinned, looking ahead at the jets parked on the strip. She looked so much better than she did a month ago. She’d lost a lot of weight after the accident. I could see it every time she changed clothes around me, and it pained me. I’d never been able to see her ribs before, or so much of her hip bone. I made sure Mama was always around to make her breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Of course Mama didn’t mind. She loved cooking for us when she could. I was glad Kandy didn’t make a big fuss about it, either. She ate every single meal Mama made and loved it.
Her hair, which was frizzy and untamed when she arrived, was shiny and healthy, braided into two neat cornrows, courtesy of Lora. Not only that, but as the morning sun poured through the sunroof, she looked like she was glowing. Her lips were glossed, her face makeup free. Eyebrows freshly arched. She looked like an angel.
I vowed to never let her get that low ever again. She’d lost confidence in herself. She stopped caring. She’d lost herself completely. I was sure she was still trying to find herself after what had happened and after the bad news she’d found out, but she was coping well—better than I expected. Still, I noticed the sadness in her eyes every so often. She’d stare off sometimes, like she was deep in thought, and when I would ask her what was wrong, she’d shrug it off and say it was nothing. But I knew it was something.
Her parents.
Her future.
A lot had changed for her because of me.
She needed a distraction from reality, and I was ready to give it to her.
* * *
We landed in New York with decent timing. It was just around noon when we got to the hotel she’d been dreaming about.
“Oh my gosh,” she gasped as soon as she was out of the car. “It’s even better in person!” She swept her eyes all over the building, gawking while the driver took our bags out of the trunk, making way for the sidewalk with them. Car horns blared, and there was nothing but noise and chatter and ringing cellphones surrounding us. New York City wasn’t one of my favorite places to visit because of how damn busy it always was, but it was lively and energetic and there was a lot to do here.