"Yeah, babe. It's fine. Go," she insisted, watching me rush to her door. I hurried down the hall and hustled down the stairs, swinging the front door open to get outside.
I don't remember if I closed it behind me or not. I just remember Cane standing by the passenger door of his car, holding the door open for me, his face pale, and eyes wide with worry. I’d never seen him that way.
I jumped in and the door was immediately shut.
He was behind the wheel before I could even give myself a moment to take a deep breath. He pulled off, gripping his face with his free hand and dragging his palm down.
"Damn it," he hissed beneath his breath.
"Why are you driving so slow?" I frowned at him and then checked his speedometer. The speed limit was 45, but he was going 35.
He kept quiet, not looking my way.
"Cane!" I shouted. "Hurry and get me to the hospital! I need to make sure my dad is okay!"
He stopped at a light.
"Drive through the light! This is an emergency, and he's a cop! If you get pulled over you can tell them who my dad is! I know most of the cops here! Just go!" The tears were like fire in my eyes as I tried to fight them off.
I wasn't in the mood for his asshole-ish ways that night. I wasn't in the mood to pretend-argue, or bicker, or do anything fun and exhilarating with him right now. I just wanted to be with my dad.
He was shot twice. He needed me right now. His only child. His little girl.
"I'm not taking you to the hospital, Kandy. Your mother told me not to."
"What?" I snapped. "Why the hell not? I deserve to be there! He's my dad—"
"Which is exactly why you shouldn't go," he stated, voice harsh. "He’s already at the hospital and going straight into surgery. You’d just be sitting there. Your mother has to be there for him when he makes it out.” He let out a tight breath. “You'll wait at my place until we hear from her. She wants you with her, trust me, but she knows you’ll be better off waiting outside the hospital. I’ll take you there as soon as I get the say-so.”
I scoffed, blazing hot tears sliding down my cheeks. "This is so fucking stupid. I want to be there with him!"
Cane kept driving, not even responding, and when he went past the exit to get to the hospital, I wanted to fucking wail. I bit hard on my bottom lip until I tasted blood. The tears continued falling, landing in my lap, my heart still drumming.
"You can hate me and be mad at me all you want, Kandy. I'm doing what's best for you right now," he murmured.
"You don't even know me. How could you possibly know what's best for me?"
"I know more about you than you think I do."
The speed of his car decreased, and he took a left turn, pulling into a gated community. He said something to the security guard at the box, something I didn't bother listening to, and the gates drew apart.
He drove until we reached a creamy white home with a black roof. Gold lights illuminated the exterior of the house, as well as the trimmed rose bushes in the front. If I hadn’t been so distressed, I would have admired how elegant it was, but in that moment, I didn't care about any of it. I didn't care that I was being selfish. I didn't even care about the fact that Cane and I were alone again. I needed to be with my father.
Cane killed the engine of the car. "Coming?" he asked softly.
"No."
He breathed heavily through his nostrils. "You can't sit out here all night, Kandy.” He was agitated now. I didn’t care.
"Then take me to the hospital! I don't care what she wants! I don’t care if I have to sit there all night! This is what I want!"
"You know I can't do that."
"Well screw you, then," I snapped.
"Are you fucking kidding me?” he bellowed, like he was truly fed up. “Derek wouldn't want you there, Kandy! Your mother told me to keep you here with me, so stop being a fucking brat, get out of the goddamn car, and come into the house already!"
My eyes stretched wide as I turned my head to focus on him. He'd never spoken to me this way before. Yes, he was arrogant, and yes, he cursed often, but not at me. Not like this.
Frustrated and honestly embarrassed, I gripped the door handle and pushed out of the car, rushing for his front door with the same stupid tears still burning the rims of my eyes. I refused to cry in front of him right now.
He followed right behind me, unlocking the door and opening it.