Carter leaned his forearms on the table. “What we discussed the other night? I spoke to him, and he didn’t deny it.”
“You should try living it,” Cody stated flatly. “He has perfected the image so well no one can see what he’s really like underneath. Cassie seemed unhappy.”
“They want the best for her and have decided what she should do when she graduates high school.”
“Because that worked so well with me.” Cody winced as he moved Macy. When she didn’t react, he looked down at her, seeing her sleeping face. “She is a cute little girl.”
“Here. I’ll put her down for a short nap, then we can really talk.” Carter took her and carefully placed her head on hisshoulder. TJ opened the door and then closed it once Carter had gone through.
“We’ll wait for Carter before we discuss anything, but how is it between the two of you?” Toni grinned. “You look good together.”
“I think TJ is still adapting to the fact that I’m not a child and we have sex.”
“Cody!” TJ snapped, then dropped his head into his hand when Cody winked at him. “Why?”
“We share a bed, and we won’t be able to hide it when the kids are over. Children grow up faster nowadays, or so I’m told. Mama thinks kids should be kids, but the internet.” Cody shrugged.
“I can’t wait to meet this Mama and Jed. They sound like such nice people, and they looked after you.” Toni giggled at TJ, who mumbled something at the table.
Carter came in and put a monitor on the table, then sat next to Toni. Cody glanced at TJ, who had now lifted his head and sat watching him. “It’s your life, so it’s your decision.”
Cody nodded. “I’m going to tell you some things, and you need to let me get through it all before you say anything.”
“It’s bad, isn’t it?” Toni whispered. “That’s why you wouldn’t go into details when we had tea.”
“Fuck, Cody.” Carter leaned back in his chair, eyes closed. Opening them, he nodded. “Okay.”
Cody glanced at TJ, who reached out and took his hand. A few deep breaths and he gave them the glossed-over version. The detailed one was for TJ only, but he told them enough, so they knew what he’d gone through. When he’d finished, Toni was holding back tears and Carter’s hands were curled into fists.
“I want to see them,” Toni whispered, her voice wavering. “I want to see what they did to you.”
Cody swallowed, nodded, then stood. Turning around, he pulled his T-shirt up, heard the gasps, then let it fall back down. Sitting down, he gave them a small smile. “I told TJ I had to go through it to find me, and I mean it. I wouldn’t be alive if this hadn’t happened. I would be dead. I almost did die, but I had something to live for.”
“I wish you’d come to us and told us what Cass was doing.” Toni shook her head, wiped her cheeks, then exhaled. “You’re here now and staying. You’re not leaving again.”
“I’m here for good. I had a reason to come back.”
Carter glanced at TJ, who fidgeted in his chair. “And you got him.” Carter paused, and Cody knew him well enough to know he was deciding what to say and how to say it. “We can’t change the past, but know regardless of how you see Cass, I—we consider you family. You’re welcome here anytime you want. You’ll always have a place here if you need it.”
“I don’t think Cody wants to leave TJ.”
“And I don’t feel awkward at all with this conversation.” TJ looked at the three of them, then away. “Need any help with the cooking? Cleaning? Anything?”
“Nice attempt to change the subject, but it’s not going to work.” Toni squeezed TJ’s hand. “I’m happy for you, and if anyone mentions the age of Cody, they can go fuck themselves.”
Cody laughed. “I think the same way.”
“I’m so glad you’re all in agreement,” TJ muttered. “I’m…” TJ shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Don’t worry about it. Sure, they’ll talk, then something else will happen and they’ll gossip about that. If you do it now, then when I have the baby, we can talk about my horrific birth. They’ll stop then.”
“Is this something I should know?” Carter mused. “Should we plan it all out, so we’ll have our stories straight?” He kissed Toni,who beamed up at him. “Do I faint, and you had to hop off the table to help me recover?”
Toni’s eyes widened. “Or you hit your head and had a concussion and almost missed the birth?”
“I’m so glad this amuses you,” TJ grumbled. “Not like they’ll be saying, ‘Oh, look at him with that young man. Aren’t they related? Do you think he groomed Cody?’”
“I’ll tell them to get stuffed,” Toni muttered. “You know this place. Give them a couple of weeks and they’ll be talking about someone else.” Toni stood and rubbed her lower back. “Carter cooked, so if you get food poisoning, blame him.”
