“Brody, how did you even find out where I was?” I asked.
“Oh…I, uh, looked into that Cane guy. I saw he had moved his office to Charlotte a few months ago, and I figured he still kept in touch with you after everything. I thought if I could get through to him, I could reach you.”
“Reach me? To apologize?”
“Yes.” He did a long blink. “But…I didn’t reach him at first. I got his assistant instead. She was persistent with telling me no, but I kept calling. Kept asking if I could talk to Mr. Cane. I want to say it took me a solid two weeks before she finally caved and listened to me, and I told her everything. I told her what I did to you, and how fucked up it was. I told her that you didn’t deserve what happened to you at all, and that you were one of the smartest, nicest girls I’d ever met and that I ruined your life. She heard me out, told me she’d patch me through to Mr. Cane…and he promptly told me to fuck off,” he laughed.
I snorted. I could totally picture Cane telling him to fuck off in the subtlest of ways.
“But I got to him before he hung up. I told him I wanted to apologize to you and him in person. He told me there was no need to apologize to him. He’d settled the score long ago. But he said there was still a chance for me to ask for your forgiveness.”
“When was this call with him?”
“Two weeks ago.”
“So, you’re here because you’re miserable, is that it?” I demanded. “You think that by coming here it will solve all your problems?”
“No, Kandy, I swear…that’s not it. I mean—what I did to you was foul, man. I—I think about it all the time. Even when I was in the clear, after you got kicked out, I kept thinking about it, but I kept drinking and snorting and smoking, hoping I would get rid of that guilt. When I got kicked out, all of that stopped, and I was left with no choice but to be swallowed by the guilt. Listen, I’ve never done anything like that to anyone. I was in a very low place in my life and listening to the wrong people. I let my anger take hold of me and almost ruined the future of a girl who only wanted to do good things. Because of it, I ruined my future and any plans I had of creating a good, stable life.”
I looked him over before looking away.
“I just…I want to tell you that I’m sorry, that’s all. I mean, I flew all the way from Texas to Charlotte, just to tell you how sorry I am. I made this a mission, because I couldn’t live with the guilt anymore. I couldn’t sleep knowing I’d ruined someone like you.”
His eyes glistened from the lights on the patio. He looked nothing but apologetic, and although a part of me wanted to deny all of it, a better, nicer part of me knew it would have been wrong to do so. As a mother and now a wife, I had to set examples. I had to learn to forgive, and realize that everything happens for a reason. If Brody and Sophie hadn’t done what they did, I probably wouldn’t even have Cane, or Chance, for that matter. I never would have built a bigger bond with Lora or Miss Cane, and I definitely wouldn’t have found my peace in different ways.
I took a step forward. “Brody, I appreciate you coming all this way to tell me that after so many years. It must have really bothered you, and I’m glad you realized just how messed up it was.”
He nodded, lips pressing.
“I have a son now. Did you know that?”
“No way.” He smiled, his eyes lighting up a bit.
“Yep. He’s six months old. He’s a great little human, and one of my goals as a mom is to teach him right from wrong. I want him to learn how to forgive people when they wrong him, even if it hurts. I want him to know that we are all human, and humans are flawed creatures, but if we love and care for one another, maybe it won’t all be so bad.” I sighed, looking past him at the many cars parked in the roundabout driveway. “For that reason and that reason alone, I forgive you. You came all this way, explained your situation to me, so yes, Brody. I forgive you.”
He sighed a big breath of relief, dropping his head. “Thank you.”
I smiled softly. “Does Cane know you’re here?”
“Sure do.” A voice sounded behind me, and I looked back as Cane walked out. He looked Brody over, and Brody straightened his back, watching Cane come out of the door with his chin high.