Candy Ever After (Hot Candy 2)

Scream at shock of cold water. Rinse and get out. Curse. Grab a towel, drop it, grab it again, wrap around self and half-stumble, half-slither out of the wet bathroom and into the drawing room in search of clothes.

Pure routine.

I spend the day in classes, unable to concentrate, torn between my concern for Jet, dread about Mom’s request for escort services and…when was Joel supposed to go meet his parents?

I try calling him, and surprise! He doesn’t answer his phone.

What is this, a freaking global conspiracy to keep me from talking to people? Seriously?

“You want to tell us something, Miss?” the Latin class professor asks, looking straight at me, his beard trembling with outrage. “Or can I continue?”

Shit, the whole class is staring at me. Someone is snickering.

“Please continue,” I say magnanimously, waving a hand, then bow my head, pretending to be engrossed in my notes.

After class, as I’m walking between buildings, heading to my next class, I try Joel again and finally get him on the phone.

“Hey girl,” he says, sounding distracted. “What’s up?”

“Hey yourself. I just wanted to ask when you’re going over to your parents. Would you… what if I came with you?”

I cross my fingers at my side.

“I’m… not sure that’s such a good idea, Candy.”

I stop in my tracks. “But…”

“This is something I should handle on my own. Face them alone.” He pauses. “Okay?”

“But I could wait outside. Or just say hi and let you say your piece. I just—”

“I need to do this alone.”

Crap. He’s right. I don’t know why I’m insisting. There’s a lump of ice in the pit of my stomach. “Sure. Okay.” I swallow hard. “See you at home afterward, then?”

“Sorry, girl, I got to go. Boss is here.”

And the line disconnects. I lower my phone and stare at it.

He didn’t say yes. He didn’t say, Yes, Candy, I will see you at home afterward. I won’t run away and never come back.

Don’t be paranoid, Candy. His boss walked in, he’s stressed, and he just hung up.

Okay, deep breaths. My instinct is to drive over to him, grab him, then go grab Jet, too, and hold onto them both tight.

But like I read somewhere, if you love someone, you have to let them go.

Whoever wrote it obviously had no clue.

Chapter Seventeen

Joel

One thing that has struck me lately is that

with true love, comes acceptance

As I stand in front of the door to my parents’ apartment, I kinda wish I’d said yes to Candy’s offer to join me. I wish Jet were here, too, by my side.