“I need to be in there with her!” I bellowed, but the nurse shook his head and pointed back to the waiting area. He was talking but I wasn’t listening. I didn’t give a damn what he had to say. Before it could sink in, a security guard was escorting me back to the waiting area.
My heart hurt so fucking much, my eyes tight as I fought tears. This was my fault. If I’d gotten rid of Kelly the right way, this never would have happened. If only I’d taken a step in front of Kandy instead of standing there like a fucking idiot.
“Fuck!”
Everyone in the waiting area stared at me as I turned swiftly to punch the nearest wall. I didn’t give one single fuck. Not even five minutes later, as I paced the area, Derek rushed into the building. He panted like a wild bull when he spotted me. “Where the fuck is my daughter?”
“She’s with the doctors now.”
He seethed, glaring at me. “Why would Kelly do this? Why would she hurt my little girl?”
“Because she’s fucking crazy!”
Derek started to charge me, but a security guard came toward us, stopping him in his tracks. “I’m going to have to ask you both to leave,” he ordered. “Right now. You’re making the guests feel uncomfortable.”
Derek eyed me for a long time before snatching away and storming out of the hospital. I followed after him, but made sure to keep my distance this time. The last thing I needed was another black eye and a blackout.
Derek walked until he’d reached a shaded area. He marched back and forth in front of a tall tree, fists clenched, eyes focused on the ground.
“As if I didn’t want to kill you already! Then this shit happens! Why the fuck would Kelly just flat out stab her?”
“I broke it off with Kelly several weeks ago. I told her she couldn’t show up at my house anymore. Told her to pretty much leave me the fuck alone after finding out some shit about her. She disappeared for those few weeks but then she showed up in my house today and saw Kandy. She already had a knife in her hand, like she was coming for me, but saw Kandy, and changed her mind.”
“Fuck!” Derek’s voice broke and he stopped his pacing to run his hands over his head. “I knew I should have kept my family away from you! I knew it! All you’ve done is tear us apart! My wife won’t even look at me and my only child distanced herself from me to be with you, and not even a day fucking later, she’s hurt! She could be dying because of you!”
“She’s not going to die!” I snapped. “She won’t!”
“Cane…man.” Derek shook his head, dropping his arms and letting them sag at his sides. “There’s blood all over you, man. All over you. That’s her blood. Too much blood.”
“She is not going to die,” I growled.
“You know what—fuck off, alright? Stop pretending you love her and just let her go. All you’re doing is ruining her fucking life.”
“Oh, I’m ruining her life? Really, D? Instead of being like Mindy and accepting the fact that your daughter loves me just as much as I love her, you had to be a stubborn asshole and watch her leave? I never held her back from you! Not once! Kandy made all of those decisions on her own and I never influenced them! You think I don’t know she deserves better? Trust me, I fucking know! I’ve told her repeatedly that I’m not a good man. She knows it, but she loves me anyway and your head is too stuck up your ass to accept what she wants! I’m sorry to fucking tell you, man, but it’s not up to you anymore. She’s grown now, and if she pulls through this, I am still going to be here for her, whether you like it or not.”
He grimaced at me, jaw clenching repeatedly. I didn’t give a fuck if he hit me this time. At least he knew the truth, and if he felt the need to hurt me for giving him facts, then so be it.
Fortunately, the sound of a car door shutting behind me made him look away and Mindy rushed toward us in nude heels, her blond hair bouncing and her eyes stretched.
“Where is she?” she demanded.
“They’ve taken her back. We can’t do anything but wait right now,” Derek grumbled.
“Oh my God!” she cried, fixing her eyes on me. “What the hell happened Cane?” She rushed my way, getting in my face. “You said Kelly did this? Why would she stab my daughter? We’re friends! She wouldn’t do that to me! What did you do?” Mindy shoved a hand into my chest. They were both angry and they had every right to be, but Mindy’s fury shocked me. I suppose that day, she was unleashing all of her pent up frustrations on me and that was fine. Perhaps she needed the outlet.