Chapter 17

Cody

When Cody walked out of work on Thursday night, there was only one place he wanted to be. Things had been different the few weeks before, and he wasn't happy about it. It was Julie. She'd been more tired than usual. She was helping her sister with the new baby and had a full load of classes to teach, so he knew that was part of it, but there was more to it. There had to be. When they talked on the phone each night, things weren't the same. She seemed distant. When they'd go out, she'd be tired and ready to go home before dinner was over. When he showed up at her place, she'd fall asleep before they could get through one movie. Things had changed, and Cody couldn't take it, not one more minute.

As he walked up to her apartment door, with pizza boxes in his arms, he had no idea if he'd made the right decision or not, but he didn't care. They needed to talk. Cody shook his head, as he thought about how pathetic he probably looked. Not once had he ever been as unsure as he was in that moment. He'd been through millions of dollars worth of deals with huge companies, and not one of them had him as nervous as he was right then. Was she pulling away from him? Was there someone else? Was there ever anything between them at all?

The door in front of him opened, and he jumped, but he wasn't the only one.

“Shit!” Julie yelled out, as she collided with the boxes that were in front of him before looking up from her phone with a smile on her face.

She hadn't been paying one bit of attention, and that irritated the shit out of him. That smile, what the fuck was that about, he wondered? Who was on the other side of that phone?

“What the hell are you doing?” he snapped out, unable to hold back one second longer.

“Me?” she asked, finally taking her eyes fully off of her phone.

“Yes,” he growled out from deep in his chest. “You came out, closed the door, and started walking without once ever looking up from your damn phone. Someone else could have been out here. Do you know what could have happened?”

“Seriously!” she snapped out at him. “I haven't done anything to piss anyone off, so I'm pretty sure my front door is safe, but I could ask you the same question. What the hell are you doing?”

“I brought pizza, but it seems you already had plans,” he said, as his eyes moved to her phone before moving back up to her eyes. “I'll just go.”

Before Cody could turn all the way around, he felt her hand on his arm through the jacket of his suit.

“No,” she said. “I was just going to run out and grab something for dinner. You saved me a trip. Thank you.”

“You sure,” he said, as he narrowed his eyes at her. “No hot date?”

She shook her head and laughed.

“Definitely not,” she said, as she looked down at her t-shirt and jeans.

Julie turned around and opened the door quietly.

“Jessie is rocking the baby to sleep,” she whispered, as she grabbed the pizza boxes from his arms and walked toward the kitchen. “Can you go tell her you brought dinner?”

Cody nodded as he kicked off his shoes and headed down the hall. When he got to the baby's room, he quietly opened the door and took a step forward, but he stopped the second he heard Jessie's words.

“You look just like your daddy, baby girl.”

She was standing with her back to the door. Cody knew he should walk in or announce himself, but he couldn't do it.

“I wonder what he would say if he saw you,” she said, as she kissed her little girl's head. “I wrote him a letter. Do you think he read it?”

Before Cody could stop himself, a noise escaped him, and Jessie stopped. She turned slowly and her eyes widened the moment she saw him.

“Cody,” she whispered in warning.

“I brought dinner,” he whispered back. “Julie asked me to tell you.”

“How long have you been standing there?” she asked, with worry in her eyes.

“Not long,” he said, as he stepped into the room. “I thought you didn't really know him. She said you couldn't contact him.”

“Cody,” Jessie said. “Please.”

“You lied to her,” he said. “You do know.”

“It's not like that,” she said, as she quickly placed her daughter in the crib before turning back to him. “You have to believe me. You can't tell her, Cody. I'll tell her. I just need some time.”

“If he answers?” he asked, and he didn't miss the hurt look that flashed across her face before it was gone again.

“Please,” she said, in a pleading tone.

“Okay,” he said. “You'll tell her though, right? You'll tell her that you know where he is?”

“I will,” she answered.

“Are you coming?” Cody heard Julie quietly ask from down the hall.

“Don't make me regret this,” he whispered, and Jessie nodded. “I won't lie to her.”

Cody turned and walked out of the room, and as he walked down the hall toward Julie, he couldn't help but wonder why Jessie would hide who the baby's father was from Julie. It just didn't make sense.

The three of them sat at the kitchen table while they ate pizza. Cody couldn't miss the tension filling the air around them, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he just watched. Jessie had a nervousness about her. Cody already knew why, so that didn't surprise him. Julie, on the other hand, was confusing the shit out of him. She had a smile on her face one moment and a nervous look the next. He knew something was going on, and he wanted so badly to ask, but he didn't have to. When she'd turned her phone on for the third time, Jessie broke the silence.

“What the heck is so interesting on that phone?” she asked.

Julie looked up and over at Jessie.

“What?” she asked.

“You've been looking at that thing like it has the answers to all of your questions,” Jessie said.

“I have not,” Julie said defensively.

“Yes you have,” Jessie said, and Cody almost choked when her next words came out. “You have another man Cody needs to worry about?”

“No,” Julie said. “Not that Cody would be worried anyway.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” Cody snapped, before he could stop himself.

“Nothing,” Julie said. “It has nothing to do with a man. I'm just waiting on an email. It's nothing important really.”

“Is it about tomorrow?” Jessie asked, and Cody saw her whole body tighten as she did.

“What's tomorrow?” Cody couldn't stop himself from asking.

“Um,” Julie made a noise, as she sucked the corner of her bottom lip between her teeth. “I actually wanted to talk to you about that.”

“Oh yeah,” Cody said, clueless to what she was talking about.

“I have to go somewhere tomorrow, and I was wondering,” Julie began, but stopped herself.

“Spit it out, Woman,” Jessie said, with a smile. “This is going to be good.”

Cody looked over at Jessie, and she nodded her head at him.

“What is it?” Cody asked Julie, as he looked back to her.

“I was kind of hoping you'd want to go with me,” Julie said.

“And there it is,” Jessie said, with a laugh. “Run, Cody.”

“What?” he asked, feeling even more confused than before.

“You might as well take him,” Jessie said. “You're with him all the time anyway.”

“Shut up,” Julie snapped out at her sister.

“Are you seriously asking him?” Jessie asked.

“Yes,” Julie answered. “What's wrong with that?”

“Really?” Jessie blurted out. “Did you seriously just ask me that?”

“What am I missing?” Cody asked.

“I have to go home tomorrow,” Julie said.

“You do?” Cody asked, feeling as if someone kicked him right in the gut. “For how long? What about school?”

“For the weekend,” Julie said.

“Wait!” Cody said, surprise filling his words. “You said go with you.”

“Forget it,” Julie snapped.

“No,” Cody said. “Are you asking me to go home with you?”

“I was,” she said, as she looked down at her plate, “but I can now see that it wasn't a good idea. Can we just forget that I ever said it?”

“No,” Cody answered, as he leaned over and lifted her chin so he could see her eyes. “How long will we be there?”

“I'm going tomorrow after class, and I'm coming home Saturday night,” Julie said. “It's been six months since Jack died, and they're having something for his parents and his sister. I'm going, but Jessie won't. We usually spend time together on the weekend anyway, so I thought maybe you could go with me.”

“To your parents' house?” Cody asked.

“I said forget it,” Julie said, as she pushed back from the table and stood up. “Thanks for dinner.”

Cody was on his feet with his hands on her arms before she could get out of the room.

“I'll go,” he said.

“Are you two crazy?” Jessie asked.

Both Julie and Cody looked over at her, and she shook her head.

“I said I'm going,” Cody said.

“Whatever,” Jessie said. “Don't say I didn't warn you.”

Cody stood, with his eyes on Jessie's, wondering what exactly she meant by what she'd said. Then he looked back at Julie. What was she doing? Why had she asked him to go? Was it because she wanted him there, or was she using him to piss off her father? He didn't care. Either way, he was going to be there with her. He was going to protect her. She'd let out a few of the things her father had said to her. She'd also talked about her brother, her father, and the business. She wanted to be a part of what her dad had built, but he'd ruined that. He was also super pissed that she was teaching and not with him. Cody knew she was nervous about going home, he could see it written all over her face. There was no fucking way she was going alone. He wouldn't let her. In that moment, Cody didn't care what it was he'd be walking into. He was going to be there. He was going to make sure her father treated her with respect. The man could talk shit about Cody all he wanted, but he wasn't going to disrespect Julie, his own daughter. Cody was going to make sure of it.

“I don't need warned,” Cody said sternly. “I'm going, and that's that.”

“Wait a second,” Jessie said, as she held up her hands. “There will be all of the parents, and they are crazy. If that's not enough for you, there is even more crew than parents. Each and every one of them will do anything and everything to protect one of theirs.”

“That's fine,” Cody said.

“You know what,” Julie said, “I've changed my mind. I'm going alone.”

“Bullshit!” Cody growled out. “I'm going with you. Not a damn thing you're going to do about it.”

“It's a bad idea,” Julie said. “I wasn't really thinking.”

“So you didn't want me there then,” Cody snapped, as he took a step back.

“Oh, I did,” Julie said, as she looked at him with the most sincere look on her face. “I do, but I hadn't thought it through when I asked you.”

“Julie,” Cody said, as she took her own step back and crossed her arms over her chest in a protective way that really pissed him off.

When she closed her eyes without responding, he took the two steps forward, reached out, and lifted her chin.

“Look at me,” he demanded.

She slowly opened her eyes, and he saw tears in them.

“Do you want me there?” he asked.

“I do,” she whispered.

“Then I will be there,” he said. “Do you hear me?”

Julie nodded before whispering.

“Do you want to be there?”

“I do,” he said, as he wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close, and held her tight. “More than you know.”

“I'm glad you're going,” Jessie said.

“You are?” Cody asked, as he looked over at her while keeping his arms around her sister.

“I am,” she said. “I know you'll make sure she comes back in one piece.”

“Most definitely,” Cody said.

“Only one more warning,” Jessie said. “Watch out for Jason.”

“Jason?” Cody asked, instantly feeling like his veins were on fire just hearing the guys name. “Who the fuck is that?”

“Julie's best friend,” Jessie answered. “Ever since I can remember.”

“A guy,” Cody said, more to himself than to either of the women. “Her best friend is a guy. How have I not heard this before?”

“No idea,” Jessie said. “He's something else though. The man cares for her with every bit of himself.”

“Does not,” Julie said.

“Oh, he does,” Jessie told Cody. “He races cars too, so watch your ass. He'll run right over it. The man is a monster when he's behind the wheel. He's pretty damn big and scary even when he's not, and he will do anything for Julie.”

“Oh yeah?” Cody asked.

“Yes,” Jessie answered.

“Knock it off,” Julie said, as she pulled away enough to look at her sister. “Don't tell him that. Jason is not like that.”

“He is,” Jessie mouthed in Cody's direction. “Watch out for him.”

“I'm sure I've dealt with worse than him,” Cody said, brushing off Jessie's warning.

“I doubt that,” Jessie said. “I'm telling you, nobody cares about Julie like he does. Don't say I didn't warn you.”

Cody felt the rumble leave his chest before he could stop it when Jessie's words came out. Fuck that, he thought. There was no way some Jason guy was going to do a damn thing to come between him and Julie, it didn't matter how long his ass had been around. That shit was not happening. Cody would make sure of it.

Julie left Cody in the living room while she went to her room for a moment, and as soon as she was gone, Jessie was right there.

“You must be pretty special,” Jessie whispered.

“Why's that?” Cody asked.

“Because she's never once brought a guy home,” Jessie answered.

“What?” Cody asked.

“She's never brought a guy home,” Jessie repeated, making sure to stretch out each word, and Cody instantly felt a tug in his chest.

“Really?” he asked.

“Yes,” Jessie answered. “So, if for some strange reason, you're just fucking with my sister, I am begging you, don't do it. Don't go.”

“I'm not fucking with her,” Cody said, feeling defensive, even though he knew he shouldn't have been.

“Then I meant what I said, Cody,” Jessie said, as she turned to walk away. “Watch out for Jason.”

Then she was gone, and Cody was left feeling more protective of Julie than he ever felt before. Oh, he'd watch out for Jason, he thought. He wasn't taking his eyes off that fucker for a second.

When Julie walked Cody out to his car, he was thinking and feeling things he'd never ever felt before. By the time they reached the car, he couldn't take it. He wrapped his arms around her, turned her with him, and slammed her back against his door, as his mouth came down on hers with more emotion than it ever had before. When she gasped, he plunged his tongue into her mouth and kissed her with everything he had. His hands tangled tight in her hair, as his tongue dominated her mouth. When her hands dove into his hair and she held on tight, he knew he was screwed. Her soft whimpers had his cock rock hard, and his hips thrust forward against her on their own. His entire body was holding her against his car, with not a bit of space between them, when he finally pulled away, leaving them both panting and gasping for air.

“I should go,” he said, and Julie nodded, but she didn't move.

It took everything Cody had in him to take a step back, and the moment he did, he watched her mood deflate. Without ever looking back at him, Julie walked toward her apartment. Cody got in his car and drove away, hoping he wasn't making the biggest mistake of his life by going with her, but also knowing there was no damn way he'd let her go without him, and not just because of her father.

“Please don't let this blow up in my face,” he said into the empty air surrounding him, as he headed home, knowing he was going to be working half of the night just so he could take the time off to go with her the next day.