I tossed and turned, grunted and groaned, until finally a small haze took over me.
I succumbed to that haze, clinging to it and letting it lull me to sleep, but before I let go, one final thought hit me.
Kandy’s biggest fear was gone. We would be at peace again—no longer living on edge, wondering which day we’d get a surprise from her. Despite how it all went down, my girl would be content again—safe—and to be frank, that was all I ever wanted for her.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
KANDY
I hate saying it, but when I woke up the next morning, I felt…free.
The sensation hit me full force, beaming inside of me, almost like a church choir was singing in my heart, letting me know that the majority of my worries were over. Yes, there was still Cane’s dad, who could show up at any given moment, but Cane didn’t seem so worried about him. He’d handled him before, and was certain he could handle him again. There were also my parents, who I had yet to speak to properly since leaving, but I would. The timing had to be right for that to happen though.
Sunlight had just spilled over the horizon, and Cane was resting beside me. I rolled onto my side carefully, trying to keep my movements minimal so I wouldn’t wake him up. I studied my man as the sun crawled up his inked chest. I drank him all in, and it was impossible to stop the gush of warmth that coursed through me. My heart began to race faster as my eyes swept up and down the length of his body.
Cane was an imperfect masterpiece.
He was mine.
There was no longer a target on our backs as heavy or as menacing as Kelly…and with that thought alone, I curled into his chest. With a heavy groan, he wrapped an arm around me, and in the safety of his arms, I drifted back into slumber.
* * *
“Kandy,” a deep voice called. I felt a tap on my shoulder, then my hair was pulled back, a gush of cool air hitting my face. Lips pressed to my ear, the warmth of breath running on the shell of it and down my neck. “Kandy, wake up. I want to take you somewhere.”
“Where?” I groaned, rolling over. I peeled an eye open, looking up into Cane’s gray-green eyes.
“It’s a surprise, but it’s a bit of a ride. Come on,” he smiled softly. “Get dressed. We’ll stop somewhere, get some breakfast first.” He grabbed my hand and helped me sit up.
“What do you mean it’s a bit of a ride? Where exactly are you taking me?”
He smirked, releasing my hand. “Keep laying in that bed and you’ll never find out. Let’s go.” He walked to the door. “I cancelled a meeting for this little trip with you. Don’t stand me up.”
He winked before walking out, and I bit back a smile, climbing out of bed. After getting showered, I tossed on one of the maxi dresses Lora had picked out, styled my hair, put on some jewelry, and walked out the room.
Miss Cane, Lora, and Cane were in the kitchen. Lora had a mug of coffee in hand and a sleep mask printed with the words “Fuck Off” pushed up to her forehead. Cane was standing beside her, wearing dress pants and a short-sleeved, button-down shirt. His hair had been trimmed, which meant he’d gotten a haircut sometime this morning after I’d fallen asleep again. His beard was neat, and looked so damn good on him.
“Morning, Kandy!” Miss Cane chimed. For the first time, she wasn’t making breakfast.
“Good morning. No breakfast today?” I asked.
“Nah.” She waved a hand. “Cane told me he’s taking you out for breakfast, and Lora and I are getting manicures and then catching a matinee.”
“Oh, that sounds nice. By the way, I got your friend request last night. I added you.”
Her smile spread even wider as I gave her a small wink.
Cane came up to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “You ready?”
I nodded, draping an arm around his midsection. “Yeah.”
* * *
We caught breakfast at a restaurant called Le Blanc Château, which was clearly one of Cane’s favorite restaurants in Charlotte because he knew exactly what he wanted, pronouncing each French word smoothly, like he’d said the words many, many times before.
We’d arrived just around the middle of brunch hours, and I decided to go with a bacon and cheddar quiche, which was beyond delicious. We ate and sipped mimosas, but not once did he bring Kelly up in a conversation. Not that I minded. I still wasn’t sure how to wrap my mind around what I saw, and being filled in about the truth was an even bigger pill to swallow. Plus talking about it would have killed our vibe, and at the moment, we were chill.