Page 11 of All For You Duet

“Cade.”

Your voice makes me smile, even when you’re pissed off. Sorry. Not sorry.

“Like ‘Candy Cade’?”

I was pretty damn clever with that joke. Back then, you liked it too.

“Yep.” You licked those red stripes, and I was fascinated by your tongue. “What’s your name?”

“Redix.”

“What kind of name is that?”

“Don’t know. It was my granddaddy’s name.” I crunched the cane, not able to take my eyes off you. “What kind of name is Cade?”

“My first name is stupid, so I make my mama use my middle name—Cade.”

“Your name is ‘Stupid Cade’?”

“Funny.” You hit my arm. I liked it. “No, it’s ‘Magnolia,’ and I hate that name.”

“I like magnolias.” I hit your arm back. You smiled. “They’re fun to climb.”

We sat beside each other and didn’t need to talk.

That’s when you became my best friend.

“Thanks for the candy.”

“You’re welcome.” That’s when your smile became my sunshine. “I got plenty to share.”

You opened your Hello Kitty purse and showed me your constant stash.

I swear, Candy Cade.

How you don’t have cavities and how you still have that sinful body, I don’t know. I never met someone so addicted to candy or someone who tasted as sweet as it, either.

But I get it.

Because you became my addiction that day, and I tried replacing you with everything else.

That failed.

And now I’m back.

I’m trying to fight that demon that makes me find a bottle in my hand or a pill in my mouth without even thinking about it.

I’m doing my steps. Every damn day, sometimes hour by hour, I fight to stay sober. And I can do it.

But I lied to you tonight.

I do have a motive.

It’s you.

I came home to find us again.

The first thing I did when I got out of rehab was get an ice cream cone.

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