Chapter 13

Cody

Cody hadn't called or text Julie all day. He'd decided to pull back, and he was damn proud that he'd made it the whole day. He was at home, working in his office, trying his best to keep his mind on his work and off of the sexy woman he wanted so damn badly to text or call. When he heard the ring of his phone, he knew better than to look at it. Every single day, he'd called or text her, except for that day. Part of him wanted it to be her, and part of him didn't. If it was her, that meant she'd missed him too. It also meant he'd have to make a choice. Either he'd answer, and that would mean he hadn't really made it the whole day, or he'd ignore the call, and that would make him a dick. Did he really want her to think that way about him? Not at all. So, that meant he'd answer and be going against what he knew was right.

“Shit!” he spat out, as he grabbed his phone and looked down to find it was indeed her calling.

When he answered and she asked what he was doing, he told her he was working. She seemed nervous when she told him she'd been offered a full load of classes at the school, and he couldn't help the excitement that ran through him, for her and for him. He silently cursed himself for feeling anything when it came to her. She didn't seem as excited for herself as he was for her, and it didn't make sense. He asked her why she wanted to stay, and her sister was her first reason, but he was on the list as well, and that shocked him. Of course he fucked that up and pretty much told her not to stay for him. When he tried to fix his mistake, he was sure it hadn't worked. He'd offended her, but he hadn't meant it. Then she mentioned her dad not being happy about her staying, and it pissed him off. Why was she living her life with her dad in mind, he wondered? It didn't sound like he was thinking of her. Then she mentioned her brother being there with her dad, and he froze. When he asked her to clarify that she meant at work, she said yes. How did she not know? Her brother bailed. Cody had heard about it earlier in the day. If he knew, how could she not?

Cody felt so guilty for not saying something about her brother, but he honestly wasn't sure if she knew that he knew who she was. What a debacle, he thought. Just as she was hanging up, his guilt won over.

“Julie,” he said, so softly that he wasn't sure she'd even hear him.

“Yes,” she said.

He wanted to tell her, but he couldn't. There was no way. Her sister had made it clear how she'd felt when he'd first met her, and he'd come a long way with her. There was no way he wanted to disappoint either of them.

“Nothing,” he said. “Bye.”

Cody went back to working. Was she really going to stay, he wondered? It seemed like she wanted to. Did he want her to? He did. As much as he knew it was a bad idea to spend time with her, he hadn't even made it a whole day. How sad was that?

He'd given up on work and gone to bed. Just as he got under the covers and closed his eyes, his phone dinged.

Julie: You knew, didn't you?

Cody wasn't sure exactly what she was talking about.

Cody: What?

Julie: You obviously know I'm his daughter, and you knew Gavin bailed on my dad. I could hear it in your voice. You knew, but you didn't tell me. How the fuck did you know, Cody?

“Shit!” he snapped, as he sat up straight in his bed and turned a light on. He quickly hit the button to call her, but she declined the call. What could he do? There was no way he was going to lie to her. It was one thing not mentioning that he knew who she was, but something totally different to lie to her, and that was something he wouldn't do.

Cody: Of course I know you're his daughter, but that doesn't mean shit to me. I just found out about your brother today.

Julie: But you didn't tell me. I just got a call from my dad.

“Shit!” he snapped again. Before he could even text her back, his phone dinged again.

Julie: What the hell is wrong with you two? You should have heard the things he said about you on the phone. It was awful. The craziest part of it all was that I defended you. I defended you, Cody. I know you're not the man he makes you out to be, at least I didn't think you were.

Her dad was talking shit, Cody thought. Why would he do that? He had no business attacking him.

“What the fuck!” Cody spat out, as he read her message.

When he got to the part about her defending him, he felt that shit right in his chest. Why was she defending him? He didn't deserve it. She said she knew he wasn't that man, but then she second guessed herself in the same sentence. While he was far from perfect, he was not that man. He sent her a text telling her so, hoping she believed him. When he heard the ding of his phone again and read her message, it hurt. Why was it such a big deal, he wondered? Why would it matter to her if her brother was there or not? She needed to stay for her. What the fuck did she care what her father thought? Cody told her he was sorry. Then he pointed out that he kept his business and personal life separate. The next text came, and Cody felt a small piece of his heart break.

Julie: Really? So which am I? Business or personal?

She didn't even give him a second before she sent another text.

Julie: Don't answer that. I'll talk to you later. Bye!

“Fuck!” he yelled out, into the empty air around him, as he typed.

Cody: It's not like that, Julie. I swear. You need to take that job. That's what you want. Don't let anyone tell you what to do. You have to live for you. Nothing else should matter. What do you want? I'm so damn sorry. Please don't think I was trying to hurt you. It was the opposite actually. I hope you can forgive me.

Cody sat on his bed, staring at his phone, but she never messaged back.

He'd been so sure that he could pull back, but he'd been wrong. Her father had trashed him, and she'd defended him. Julie was special. There was no denying that. He couldn't walk away. He needed to talk to her. She wasn't answering him, and it was taking all he had not to get in his car and drive straight to her place. Why the fuck hadn't he told her? Cody knew how to fix any problem that came up at work. He'd built a company worth millions, and it was growing every single day. He could find a way to talk any client into anything. Why couldn't he figure out how to get the woman he cared for to talk to him? How the hell was he supposed to fix the mess he'd made with her?