Wanting Mr. Cane (Cane 1)

It was hard to do, but I let my thoughts of Cane and last night go, focusing on the fact that I was finally where I actually needed to be: at the hospital, about to see my mom and dad.

13

KANDY

Once I had the room number, I took off for the elevator, pressing the up arrow when I reached it. I smelled Cane’s cologne before I could look over my shoulder and see him meet up behind me.

He wasn't looking at me. He was focused on the digital numbers above the elevator instead.

We boarded in silence.

Being in such a confined, tight space, alone with him, was torture. The scent of him overwhelmed every single one of my senses. He was too close. Too much. I could hear him breathing lightly, but still, I kept my shit together and pretended his presence didn't bother me—that I was on a mission and he was the last thing on my mind

As soon as the doors drew apart, I rushed out, scurrying down the hallway until I found Dad’s room number. I opened the door to his room, and as soon as I stepped inside, Mom sprung out of her seat. Her eyes were tired, but when she saw me, they lit up.

"Mom," I breathed, and a rush of relief washed over me as I dashed her way and threw my arms around her neck. I hugged her tight, like this hug would help me forget about what happened only hours ago with Cane—make me forget about the phone call she had to make and the reason we were here. I hugged her like everything would go back to normal.

But it didn't.

Everything was still the same.

I pulled back a fraction to look at my dad.

He was laid on the bed, his head propped up on pillows, wearing a green hospital gown. A bandage was wrapped around his neck and a small amount of blood had leaked through it. I drew in a sharp breath, pulling my eyes away and planting my forehead on Mom’s shoulder. I couldn't look at him like this. He wasn’t Mr. Strong-O, the man I admired more than anything. He was frail and tired.

"I know, sweetie," Mom cooed, rubbing my back. "I know. But guess what?"

I looked up at her, meeting the brown eyes that were identical to mine. "What?"

"He's going to be okay," she chimed with a soft breath, but I could tell she wanted to scream. I could tell by the smile plastered on her face that, despite his current condition, she was happy. So, so happy.

"He is?" Relief struck me. "Oh, thank God! I was so worried!"

"Me too, honey. But the surgery went well. The bullet that hit his thigh didn't damage too much. He’ll still be able to walk but he’ll need some physical therapy. And the wound on his neck was just a hard graze. He's going to be a little sore when he wakes up and will probably have to spend a few more days here, but he's going to be okay." She reeled me in for another hug, and I squeezed her tight.

I was crying now, and I shut my eyes, soaking it all in. In that moment, last night didn't matter. Cane didn't matter. My dad was going to live. That was all I could have asked for.

A throat cleared behind me, and Mom pulled away, looking over her shoulder and smiling at Cane.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Cane," she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "I didn't even acknowledge you when you came in. Rude of me.“

"It's okay. I understand what you're going through." Cane took a step forward. "That's great news about Derek. I'm glad he's going to be okay," Cane murmured, glancing at Dad. "I was really worried about him, too."

"I know you were." Mom took a step away from me to pat Cane on the shoulder. "Thank you for taking Kandy in last night and watching over her."

Cane's eyes slid over to me, and I fidgeted, but didn't look away from him. I saw the guilt flash in his eyes, but he covered it with a soft smile and said, "Of course. Anytime." He changed the subject then, lifting the cup holder and showing off the coffees. "Brought you a pick-me-up. Figured you might need it after pulling an all-nighter."

"Oh, yes please," she laughed. "Thank you. That was really nice of you." Mom accepted the coffee and then came back to me, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. "Do you have to be anywhere?” she asked him. “You can stay a while if you want to. The doctor said he should be waking up soon."

Cane flipped his wrist to check his watch and then looked up. He looked at me first before focusing on Mom. "Don't have to be anywhere important for another three hours. I can hang out here until then."