The Cane Series: Complete 4-Book Box Set

by Williams, Shanora

  "Oh—the hot, rich guy!” she said, almost loud enough for him to hear. I wanted to strangle her. My face flooded with heat and embarrassment swept through me.

  I stopped and held Frankie's wrists, looking her deep in the eyes. "Play it cool. Is he still looking at me?"

  "Uh, yeah," she laughed. "He took his sunglasses off. Looks like he's ogling you to death."

  I looked back with furrowed brows, and Cane had indeed taken his sunglasses off. His head was tilted now, and he flicked his fingers twice, a silent demand for me to come to him.

  "I'll call you later," I told her.

  "Please do! I want to know everything!"

  She twirled around, meeting up with her boyfriend, Troy, by the flagpole.

  Unease swept through me, a bundle of nerves building up in the pit of my stomach. I walked to him, and my heart was slamming down on my ribcage. My mind was screaming a million different thoughts.

  Thoughts like: He’s so fucking hot. Why does he have to be so damn hot? I hate him, and his stupid, cocky, sexy face.

  "What are you doing here?" I asked, finally meeting up to him. I looked around, meekly tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. Everyone was staring at me. I felt exposed, like everyone knew how I felt about this hot, older man.

  "Your dad called and told me your mother had a last-minute meeting and wouldn't be able to pick you up today," he said. "He's on duty, per usual, and since I don't have any meetings for the rest of the day, I told him I would come get you."

  "Why?" I asked, apprehensive. “I could have caught the bus to my friend’s house.”

  He pushed off the car, grabbing the door handle and pulling the door open. "I wanted to."

  I ran my tongue over my dry bottom lip, peering around. People were still watching our exchange. I guess if I saw a handsome man like Cane parked in front of our school with an expensive car, I’d be staring too.

  I knew getting into his car was the only thing that would spare me from the gaping and gawking, so I slid my backpack off, handed it to him when he extended a hand for it, and climbed inside. He shut the door behind me right away.

  The scent of leather and sandalwood surrounded me, as well as a small trace of tobacco. The car was clean and practically empty, like he hardly spent any time in it. There was nothing in the cup holders but a silver Zippo lighter.

  Cane slid behind the wheel after putting my backpack in the trunk and started the engine. It pulled off, smooth and easy, and he drove with his left hand, checking his wrist for the time.

  "You have a clock in your dashboard, you know," I said.

  He glanced sideways. "Shut it, Bits."

  I rolled my eyes, but my heart doubled in speed. It was already starting. The bantering. Teasing. The inside jokes. My own twisted little version of flirting.

  "Where are we going?" I asked.

  "Since I have you, I thought I'd take you to a late lunch before taking you home. I have reservations. You'll like it."

  I sighed, twisting in my seat. His brows dipped when he glanced my way again. "Put your damn seatbelt on, Kandy. I’m not about to get my ass handed to me by your parents if something happens."

  When he cursed at me, I felt good and bad all the same. He only cursed when we were alone, and it gave me a thrill. Like it was a secret thing only we knew about. Like he considered me older and at his level of maturity.

  I clicked my seatbelt into place and then threw my hands in the air. "There. Happy now?"

  He smirked, but said nothing.

  We were quiet for a few seconds, a song by Elton John pouring out of the speakers, barely discernible.

  "I know why you're upset with me," he finally said. "Why you've been treating me like shit the last couple of months."

  I looked at him. "I'm not upset with anybody. I only see you when you come to the house. How can I possibly be mad at you?"

  "It's because of Kelly," he said, merely ignoring my comment.

  My pulse skittered. He stopped at a red light and looked at me. "When I asked if you were jealous of Kelly, I didn't think you really would be, Kandy."

  My heart dropped to my stomach. Shit, he knows. "I'm not jealous," I lied, palms clammy now. I snatched my gaze away, fire building in my throat. I had the urge to open the car door and roll out—anything that would spare me from the shame and truths right now.

  "You are. You like me. It's obvious by the way you treat me. Cute, honestly. A little crush that I'm sure will pass soon."

  I sucked my teeth, fuming at his dismissal. "Is that why you picked me up? So you could rub it in my face while my parents aren't around?"

  A grin tugged at the corners of his lips. "No. I'm just being a good friend and feeding you before dropping you off. That's all, Kandy Cane."

  "Don't call me that," I snapped.

  The light flashed green and he drove, taking the freeway. "You are really bitter, you know that? I have no idea why your parents went with naming you Kandy. They should have named you Sourpuss instead."

  "Whatever, asshole."

  He glanced at me through the corner of his eye. "You feel good when you curse at me, don't you? Your dad would have a fit if he knew about your potty mouth," he chuckled, and the deep rumble of his laugh made my spine tingle, and not in a bad way. "What other names have you called me behind my back?"

  "Jackass. Dipshit. Fucker. Asshat. Jerk-face—just to name a few."

  "Amusing." By his tone, I figured he'd found it anything but. "You really know how to break a man's heart, Kandy Cane."

  We were quiet again, only for a few seconds this time.

  "I'm not mad about Kelly," I finally said. "It just caught me by surprise when she showed up. " I admitted.

  "Why did it catch you by surprise? Am I not allowed to date anyone?"

  I avoided looking at him. Would it have been selfish to say he couldn't date while I had a raging crush on him? Probably. "I can't tell you what to do."

  "You can," he said, simply. Blatantly. "But it doesn't mean I'll listen."

  "Exactly, so why should I even bother?"

  He laughed. "Because you're Kandy Jennings. A feisty little shit who doesn't know how to hold her tongue."

  I laughed at that, only a little. "Yeah, whatever." I ran the tip of my thumbnail over a cuticle. "She's not even your type."

  "Oh, yeah? And what is my type, exactly?"

  I thought on it, chewing on my bottom lip. "I don't know, but it's not her. You seem too...harsh for her. She's all proper and prim and chipper, and you're just...Quinton Cane. You need someone who can stand up to you when you're being illogical and unfair. After meeting Kelly, I highly doubt she's the kind of woman to do that."

  "Harsh?" he repeated, seeming delighted. "You think I'm harsh?"

  "I don't call you jackass for nothing."

  He laughed, a smooth warm, rumble that made my body feel warm and gooey, despite the frosty air conditioning. His voice always did that. "You make me laugh, little one." He made a right turn. "Try working for me. Then you'll see what harsh really is."

  "Are you kidding? I would never work for you."

  His eyes twinkled with amusement when he looked at me. "Never say never."

  * * *

  We spent an hour and a half at a seafood restaurant in the heart of Atlanta. Cane told me to get whatever I wanted, so I went with the lobster and clam chowder. He ordered lobster as well, with a baked sweet potato.

  "There's something I want to ask you," Cane said after taking a sip of his water.

  "What?” I asked, digging into my house salad.

  "Your mom was telling me there’s a guy you've been texting. She said you've been very secretive about him and not giving up too many details." Cane quirked an eyebrow. "Who is this mystery boy?"

  I laughed. Why did he even care? "I don't think that's any of your business!"

  There was a guy, but it wasn't that serious with him. His name was Carl Ridley, and he was a running back for my school. We would text here and there, kiss on t
he cheek when we saw one another in the hallways, but nothing more. His father was a pastor and his mom was the assistant pastor, so he refused to kiss on the lips until he actually loved a girl, but I didn't want love with him so I didn't mind it. He was nice and kind of funny.

  "Does your dad know about him?" Cane asked.

  "I doubt it. I'm sure he would have asked me more about him by now if he knew. I'm surprised Mom hasn't told him anything. She put me on birth control and everything because of it. I doubt I’d ever do anything with him though."

  His eyes expanded a bit. "Birth control already? What the hell? That’s insane.”

  “What’s so insane about it?” I laughed. “I’m eighteen, which is way past puberty. I should have gotten it long ago, don’t you think?”

  He slightly shook his head. “It’s just crazy that you’re growing up so fast. I still remember when I first met you as the little girl with pigtails and rainbow socks, running away from me because of stranger-danger.”

  I fought a smile. “Well, I’m not nine anymore.”

  “I suppose not.” He shrugged. “Well, yeah, she told me about the guy you’re supposedly talking to when your dad wasn't around. She thinks I'm a good listener. Good at keeping secrets, too." He sat back in his chair, smirking while focused on me.

  "What?" I asked, suddenly nervous. I dropped my gaze to my plate, but still felt him looking at me.

  "Just make sure he treats you right," he said after a brief silence. "Last thing any of us wants to see is you get hurt.”

  I picked my head up and met his gaze. Our eyes locked, and when they did, my tongue ran over my bottom lip. I wasn't sure if it was in my head, the way he stared at my mouth and hardly blinked, but it almost seemed like he couldn't pull his eyes away from me either.

  In fact, he didn't look away until his cellphone rang on the table. I happened to catch a glimpse of the screen before he picked it up, and Kelly's name was on it. Figures.

  I sighed, shifting my ranch-dressed lettuce around in the bowl with my fork, pretending her name alone didn't bother me. Cane answered, trying to keep the conversation quiet. And when he said, "Yeah, I'll be there in an hour," my heart dropped to my stomach.

  "Sorry about that," he murmured after he disconnected.

  I shrugged like I didn't care. "It's okay. I have a lot of homework to get done tonight. You should probably get me home anyway."

  He nodded. "Sure. Let me get the bill."

  After Cane paid, we were out of the restaurant in a heartbeat. He opened the car door for me again, and I forced a smile up at him, sliding into the passenger seat and clipping my seatbelt.

  What was my deal? I couldn't believe I was so upset about this. Kelly was his girlfriend, and I was his best friend's daughter. He didn't see it any other way—couldn't see it any other way—so how could I?

  Cane finally got behind the wheel, started the engine, and drove away from the restaurant. "Did you like that place?" he asked.

  "Yeah. It was pretty good," I said with another small smile.

  "Good. I'll have to take you to this other spot nearby. Not seafood, but they have amazing soul food." He turned the radio on, most likely to avoid the awkward silence, and when a song by OneRepublic came on, I settled in my seat, putting my feet up on the dashboard. I had to loosen up—pretend I didn't care too much. This was Cane, the only person other than Frankie who allowed me to be myself.

  I never felt judged around Cane. I knew I could get away with things with him that I would never be able to get away with when it came to my parents. Mom was right about Cane—he could keep a secret, and he was a good listener. I needed to appreciate that a lot more.

  I didn't want things to become awkward. It was my first time being alone with him, and I couldn't blow it, so I teased and said, "Hope you don't mind me kicking my feet up in your fancy car."

  He chuckled, and his eyes softened like he was glad I wasn't making things too weird. "Get any dirt up there, and you'll never set foot in my car again, Bits."

  I laughed, collecting my hair in hand and placing it all over one shoulder. When he stopped at a stoplight, he looked at me briefly before sighing.

  "I wasn't kidding about what I said earlier.” His voice was soft, sincere. "Make sure the guy you're talking to treats you right, Kandy. I'd hate to have to come after anyone who breaks your heart."

  "That's what Dad is for," I teased with a giggle. "I'm sure he'd go after the guy in a heartbeat."

  He smiled a little, but it quickly slipped away. "Not if he doesn't know about him. From what I gathered, your mom doesn't plan on telling your dad about the guy until you decide to bring him up."

  I shrugged. "He's a good person, Cane. He's nice, and he doesn't force things. He's different."

  "Yeah," he scoffed, foot pressing on the gas pedal when the light turned green. "That's probably what he wants you to think. He's a teenaged boy, and I know what all boys that age think about."

  I broke out in laughter. "Just for that, maybe I'll make him my boyfriend. That will really bug you, huh?"

  He side-eyed me with furrowed brows. "You don't need a boyfriend," was all he said, but I could tell he wanted to say more.

  "He won't be my boyfriend. Don't worry. Just like Kelly isn't your type, he's not my type either. Maybe it's just a phase for both of us."

  "Yeah." He fought a grin. "I never said she wasn't my type. Now you're just putting words in my mouth."

  * * *

  It didn't take long for us to get home. He parked in the driveway, and Mom's car was already there.

  "Would walk you in but I have to get across town," he said. "Want to beat the traffic before it piles up."

  "I understand. Hanging with Kelly." It was a statement, not a question. "At her place?"

  He nodded.

  "Oh, okay. Cool." I pushed the door open when he unlocked it, and he popped the trunk before stepping out of the car. He took my backpack out and handed it to me, smiling when I hefted it over one shoulder.

  "Tell your mom I said hello."

  "I will," I murmured. “See you later.”

  He stopped me with a hand on my shoulder before I could get away. "I'm only a phone call away if you ever need me, little one. Just know you can talk to me whenever you need to."

  "I'll pass," I joked, and a faint smile graced his lips. I turned my back to him and walked away before he could notice how bothered I truly was. "Thanks for the late lunch," I called over my shoulder. "It was awesome."

  "Anytime, Kandy Cane."

  He said that silly nickname again, only this time, I didn't just feel the tingle in the pit of my belly. I felt it between my thighs, on my bare neck, and on my full lips. I felt it everywhere I shouldn't have.

  I reached the door and watched Cane drive away. I watched until I could no longer see him and then I went inside.

  Mom was on a call in the kitchen, so I kissed her cheek as she patted my head, and then I went up to my room, shutting the door behind me, tossing my bag on the recliner, and flopping facedown on my bed.

  I thought about Cane and Kelly—how he would greet her when he walked through her door. How he would probably kiss her, so passionately her toes would curl in her tall stilettos. How they would eat dinner and drink wine together, and he'd tell her it was a great meal. They'd hold hands and chat for a while, and then afterwards, they'd fuck on the table or in her kitchen.

  Thinking about it made my heart ache in indescribable ways. And before I could process what I was feeling, I realized I was crying. I cried softly, for less than five minutes, and then I rolled over and stared at the ceiling, realizing I didn't just have a crush on Mr. Cane anymore.

  I had fallen hard for him, and it hurt so much to want a man I couldn't have.

  5

  KANDY

  May 14th, 2017

  Hey diary!

  It’s been a while since I last wrote to you!! Well, I guess it makes sense. I only write here when Cane comes around. It’s weird, I know. Kinda sucks to
o, because I feel like I’m using you to vent. lol! I guess that’s the point of having you. Writing here also makes me feel good.

  Anyway, let me fill you in about what happened today. So, I got out of school and Cane was waiting for me. It was kind of embarrassing because I felt like, literally, EVERYONE was staring at me, but now that I think about it, I don’t know why I cared so much. He’s really hot, and I want some of the girls to know that I get to hang out with a guy like him. Maybe they’ll think I’m cooler somehow? I don’t know. I guess that’s dumb. I’m a senior now and have a one-year ride to Notre Dame. I shouldn’t care that much about popularity anymore. Dad says I should be super proud of myself and all I’ve accomplished!

  Okay – I’m getting off track. So, Cane picked me up and took me to a late lunch for seafood because Mom and Dad had to work late. The food was UH-MAZING and we shared nice conversations. I always feel so good around him. We could have stayed there longer, talked forever, but of course Kelly called and ruined everything.

  He had to go to her…and ugh. I don’t know… It kind of hurt to know he was leaving me for her. Why does it feel this way? I shouldn’t care that he goes to her, right? She is his girlfriend and I’m just Kandy to him. Plus, he’s my dad’s only real friend. Dad loves him like family. Shouldn’t I love him like family, too? My heart shouldn’t pound so hard whenever he’s near me. I shouldn’t like him or have this whopping crush on him.

  Ugh.

  This sucks.

  Not going to lie, I cried earlier, right before coming to you and writing this. My heart hurts. It hurts because it’s longing for the wrong things. I wish I didn’t feel this way about him.

  I think about Cane so much and I want him soooo bad…but I know that I can’t have him. He doesn’t want me. To him, I’m just a little girl. His best friend’s daughter. He wouldn’t even bother.

  Talk later,

  Kandy

  6

  KANDY