“Oh, baby,” I breathed on her mouth, her forehead pressed to mine. “You’re here. You’re here.”
“I am,” she nodded. “I’m here, Cane.”
I kissed her once more and then placed her on her feet, but I didn’t let go of her. Fuck that. I refused to let go again. I tangled my fingers in the hair at the back of her head, bringing her mouth to mine again. She held on tight, curling her fingers in my shirt like she was afraid to let go. God, I missed that. It made me feel like she actually needed me.
“Ahem!” someone said behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder, spotting Lora walking to the door. “How about you two save all that sloppy kissing for the new bedroom, huh?”
Kandy laughed.
“No one told you to watch,” I countered.
“Hey, don’t get smart with me!” She pointed a finger at me. “If it wasn’t for me, she wouldn’t even be here.”
“Lora, all you did was drop the letter off for me. Don’t get cocky.”
“But that’s not all I did for you. See, guys are stupid. You didn’t provide enough for her to go on. Right before I gave the letter to her, I got a new envelope, opened the old one to take your letter out, and then put it in the new envelope with your new address written inside of it. I also wrote her name the sloppiest way that I could, to match your shitty handwriting.” She folded her arms with a smirk. “I knew she wouldn’t come right away. Girl thing,” she shrugged. “And unlike you, I wanted to give her another option, so I gave her money, too.”
I frowned at her. “You better not have read it,” I grumbled, annoyed that I hadn’t thought about Kandy’s financial situation myself.
“Oh, relax. I didn’t want to read your sappy letter, lover boy.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
Kandy tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, putting on a small smile. “Thanks, Lora.”
“Hmm.” Lora smiled at her before giving me a smug grin. “You owe me even more now, bro.” She pranced off, and I looked at Kandy again. She gave me a coy smile.
I still couldn’t believe she was here.
My Kandy.
Chapter Fifteen
KANDY
After what felt like our one-thousandth kiss, Cane helped me walk inside.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come with Lora,” I said as he shut the door behind us. “I didn’t want to leave from home like before.” I dropped my eyes. “Telling my parents this time around was ten times worse, though.”
“Worse how?” Cane asked, voice low.
I looked up, and even though my heart was still beating with joy because of our moment on the porch, my eyes still prickled. I couldn’t even form the words. What Dad said really stuck with me during the entire bus ride and even on the Uber ride to Cane’s house. I kept thinking about how hurt he was—the anguish in his eyes. The rage. How many times was I going to break my father’s heart?
“It just was.” I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “Dad is…well, you know how he is.” I sighed. “I thought about everything that happened, and I know it wasn’t your fault that Kelly attacked me. The only reason I didn’t answer the phone, or text back, or even come to see you was because I was scared. I still am scared—and—”
My statement was cut short.
Cane cupped my face in his hands—the hands I’d missed for weeks. He held me for a long time, staring into my eyes. “You have no reason to be sorry, and every right to be worried. What you went through was my fault, and I take full blame…but you don’t have to be scared anymore, Kandy. You’re here. I’m here. I’ve always been here for you, baby.”
A sob caught in my throat, but to stifle it—as if he saw it coming—he pressed his mouth to mine, with my face still in his hands, and kissed me again. This time it was slow. Careful. I don’t think I’d ever felt him kiss so gently. His mouth was just as I’d remembered, tasting like mints and cigarettes. My fingers scrambled to hold onto him—any part of him. I curled them into the single pocket of his black button-down shirt, and we both groaned.
He parted his lips, and I did the same, letting him taste me. When his tongue swept over mine, it triggered something inside me. The pit of my belly warmed up, blazing like a million watts, and then the feeling built up into a fluttering frenzy.
He groaned, wrapping a hand around the back of my head, slowly breaking the kiss. I opened my eyes to meet the cool, half-gray eyes that were slowly becoming a warm pool of green.
“I missed the hell out of you,” he whispered, pressing his forehead to mine. “I’m glad you came.” I closed my eyes, melting into his grasp. He held me close for several seconds and then planted a kiss on my temple before letting me go. Picking up my suitcase with one hand, he grabbed my hand with the other and started walking down the hallway. “Come on. Let me show you around.”