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“I’m already here, let me help.” He looks at me pleading. I nod and he smiles, grabbing the presents off the table and piling them into his truck right out front. It is more than I realized once you consider all the presents under the table and the ones that weren’t officially wrapped so they got pushed to the back.
Cody, Sawyer, and Riley don’t let me carry anything. They insist on doing everything themselves, piling into the bed of the truck. When they’re finally done, Sawyer and Riley take off on Sawyer’s motorcycle to meet us at my apartment and I hitch a ride with Cody.
“Watch your step.” He holds out his hand as I step up into his truck, sliding in is a little harder than it used to be.
“Thank you.” I smile at his touch. Letting go of his hand feels more permanent than it should be.
He nods and gets in on the other side. We drive to my apartment in silence, I don’t know what to say and I’m sure he feels the same. My apartment is only a fifteen minute drive but our silence makes it feel like hours. Fifteen minutes with a past lover can feel like a lifetime when you can’t say what your heart wants to. By the time we get there, I all but jump out of the truck. Taking only my purse despite my protests that I can carry more, I hold the elevator for him with the heavier packages.
Sawyer and Riley are already here, talking, which I believe is a good sign. It’s more than I can say for Cody and I anyway. They grab some packages and let me stay as lookout in case anyone tries to steal anything. What I can do besides scream and call 911 is beyond me, but at least I feel like I’m helping. It takes almost an hour to get everything into my apartment and by the time they’re done, I’m even more exhausted.
I throw my shoes off in my room, change into something more comfortable and look for some of the leftover food they saved. Sawyer and Riley are smiling as they come out of the nursery with Cody.
“We’re going to take off,” Sawyer says, and I notice Riley and her holding hands.
“Okay, thank you both for everything.” I hug Riley tightly and close the door behind them.
“Are you taking off?” I look at Cody.
“Would you like me to?”
“Why don’t you have something to eat? You must be starving,” I suggest.
“Thanks.” He takes a seat across from me as we both begin digging through the leftover pastas and salads.
Cody breaks the silence by asking me about work. We talk about Molly and how much help she’s been, he talks about the bar and how the second location should be opening soon. Cody and I eat and talk and before we know it, the sky is dark and we’ve run out of words to say. It reminds me of when we first met and we’d talk for hours about everything until the sun came up. It’s past midnight when he finally says he should get going and I want to stop him but I don’t. He stands in the doorway, as we both buy time talking about something that elongates the conversation. It’s when his hand pushes back my blonde hair behind my ear, I wonder if I made a mistake. Could him and I really work despite it all? He must be thinking it too, because the silence we both feel is deafening. It takes everything not to lean on my toes and kiss him. But he’s not as strong as me because he leans down, and just as our lips are about to touch, the baby kicks.
“Was that her?” he whispers, eyes wide. I take a step back and nod.
“Have a good night.” I smile, ending the possibility of anything more happening.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The knocking on my door at eight am wakes me and I swear I need to install one of those Ring cameras. “I’m coming!” I yell to whoever is depriving me of sleep.
“Hey.” Cody’s at the door with a box of tools in hand.
“Um, hi?” I’m suddenly self conscious of the fact that I’m wearing his t-shirt and a pair of shorts.
“I’m sorry if I woke you, I wanted to get here before you left for work.”
“Okay.” I drag out the word because I’m still confused why he’s here.
“I thought I’d give you a hand and build the crib,” he explains as I let him in.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”
“Luna, I’m here because I want to be. It would mean a lot if you let me.” His mouth forms a line.
“Okay.” I nod.
“Perfect, you won’t even know I’m here.” He starts to walk to the nursery when he stops. “Nice shirt by the way.” He winks and I blush. Shutting the door behind him, I sigh. Why did I have to answer the door without asking who it was first? Had I learned nothing from all those SVU episodes?
I hear the sounds of cardboard ripping and things being moved in there but I decide to get ready for work. It isn’t like he would let me help anyway. Molly and I had decided to make work start at ten am until we had more clients. It isn’t that we are lazy but there is no point in coming in so early when most of our calls are done in the afternoon. Which is why she’s surprised to see me when she walks in at nine forty-five am.
“You’re here early.” She lowers her sunglasses and hands me a hot mocha from Starbucks.
“Cody was at my apartment,” I say, not realizing how it sounds.
