Candy Ever After (Hot Candy 2)

Haven’t talked to him about the nightmares, though. No reason to worry him again. The fucking nightmares will pass. They’re only echoes of memories and they will fade away.

“Hi Riddick.” Brylee waves. “You can have my cookie if you want.”

Candy chokes on her tea. “Bry.”

“I’d love your cookie,” Rid says easily, steps closer and smiles when Brylee hands it over without another word. “I’m starving.”

I’d laugh if I wasn’t worried about what he wants to talk to me about. “Come on, Rid. Let’s leave the girls and their cookies.” I lean in to drop a quick kiss on Candy’s lips and drag Riddick out of the kitchen. “Time to talk.”

***

“So, spill.” I stand by the bed while Rid wanders to the window, munching on Brylee’s damn cookie.

Okay, this sounds all kinds of wrong.

He takes his time, twitching away the curtains, checking out the view outside. There’s not much to see, let me tell you, just a few lit-up windows from across the street and a sliver of night sky.

Then he leans against the wall, still staring outside.

“Did something happen?” I ask impatiently. I wanna blame it on the bad night and the headache, but I’m mostly just worried. “What do you need?”

“Nothing.” He won’t look at me, I realize. He’s not even really looking outside, his gaze fixed on nothing. “I don’t need anything. I just…” He clenches the cookie so hard in his hand it crumbles. He doesn’t seem to notice. “I just wanted to talk to someone.”

I rub a hand over my face. “Rid. I’m here for you. You know that, man. You’ve helped me out before. What’s on your mind?”

He turns to face me, his gray eyes wide. “It’s Xavier.”

Oh fuck. “What happened?”

“I’m not sure. He’s not… okay.” He lifts his hand to scratch at his temple and finally notices the crumbling cookie. “Shit.”

I point him to the trash can in the corner of the room and he sighs as he shakes his hand clean.

I wait until he’s done, my shoulders aching with tension. “Tell me what’s wrong with your brother.”

“I told you. I’m not sure.” He shakes his head, frustration written all over his face. “He goes out all night, locks himself up during the day. Barely eats, barely sleeps. He looks like hell, and I’m scared…” He clenches his hands into fists. “I’m fucking scared, Jet, that he’s doing drugs or some shit like that.”

Fuck. “But you don’t know that for sure.”

He shrugs. “No, I don’t. Hell knows I’ve tried talking to him. He’s never been one for talking anyway, but lately he’s gone. Just

gone.”

I sink down on the bed. I’ve known all along that Xavier had trouble dealing with the situation at home, even back when I lived with them. Their parents never beat them or anything, but every day was a shouting match from hell. Their mom has been on antidepressants and all sorts of medication since forever, and their dad has a temper.

That’s a mild way of putting it.

“I thought he’d gotten better since you guys moved out of your parents’ home.”

“Yeah, I thought that, too.”

I study his face. “Is there anything else you’re not telling me, Rid?”

“Nah, that’s all. I swear.”

Not sure I should believe him. He really looks like shit. He’s so thin I feel an urge to invite him for dinner, and normally the one obsessed with feeding people is Joel.

“We were going to order some take-out,” I say, giving in to the urge. “Wanna stay for dinner? Meet Joel and Candy properly, too.”