Chapter Thirty-Two
Blake
A few uneventful days have passed since Adrian showed up at the Paulson’s to save me and… other things. I’ve seen Adrian twice since Saturday night, and both times started with me doing my ‘tomato impression,’ as he puts it.
It’s not that I’m embarrassed about what we did. Not at all. But it’s all I can think about. And when I see him, the memory suddenly feels even headier.
We still haven’t talked about what happened with Zippy. I did call Erika on Sunday to check in, and she said the bump was half the size as the night before already. That was good news, which I quickly passed onto Adrian hoping to put his mind at ease too. I figure there isn’t much else to say since everything is okay with us.
If anything, the hardest part was hiding the truth from my dad. I have this pit in my stomach that’s been there since I left the Paulson’s. I’m positive he doesn’t suspect anything, but I worry how Adrian’s feeling, especially with how much time they spent together with some cases on Sunday.
Thankfully, my dad’s probably too preoccupied with his newfound anxiety about how much interest I’ve taken in Benji the Beagle’s recovery, as well as Chispa’s surgery today. I know it comes from a good place, but it’s frustrating to have him slightly hovering over me again.
He’s worried about how involved I am with Chispa’s case. Even though he doesn’t realize the connection to that topic, the wrapped ankle I’m sporting only added to his concern, and argument, against me coming to the clinic on my day off.
Except I couldn’t not be here for Lela and Jorge. Not that she had to ask, but her daughter called the clinic a couple of days ago asking if there was someone who could be there with her parents since she wouldn’t be; I knew I had to.
And I know my dad has a vet tech, and an assistant, who speak Spanish and will be in surgery with him, but very few employees know more than the common greetings.
Even though he asked me to take an emotional step back, I want to believe he knows me better than that. And it was always going to be a big fat no.
Either way, he should be glad I didn’t listen considering the evening receptionist called out, so I’ve been helping up here for the last hour. I’d rather be sitting with Lela and Jorge, but they’re close enough I can keep an eye out if they need anything. And really, it’s slow. I’m just up here so the vet assistants and kennel workers can focus on their jobs in the back.
The bell over the front door tells me that one of the last pet owners of the evening is here. Except when I look up, I am not looking at Diane Moore. Standing in front of me, looking equally surprised, is Cody Howard. As in the same Cody who played baseball with my brother, and one of the boys I had a long on-again-off-again fling with.
He looks just as surprised to see me, except he recovers quickly with an easy smile. “Hey, Blake.”
It makes me feel weird and small sitting with him standing there. It doesn’t feel like that with Adrian, I think. I always feel comfortable when he’s around.
Clearing my throat, I slowly stand up, grimacing at the pain shooting up my ankle. I ignore the crutches leaning against the desk and lean my hands down to hold some of my weight.
“Hey, Cody. I wasn’t expecting to see you.”
“I’m just helping my mom by bringing Licorice in. Oh, and she got remarried. That’s probably why you didn’t recognize her last name.” I just nod and try to smile. Makes sense. “How have you been?”
He’s always been friendly, which is partly why I liked him well enough. I even used to feel like he was easy to talk to. But not anymore. It’s not even embarrassment like I once assumed it might be. I feel kind of guilty for ignoring him, despite the fact that he’s never shown interest in more than clandestine meetings—and even that sounds too appetitive for what we did. Which was met up in the backseat of one of our cars. And sometimes at the beach. And at one of our houses, though that was rare.
“I’ve been good. Just helping out here,” I shrug. “How about you?”
“Yeah, I’m doing good. I’m actually going to Stanford.” His grin overtakes his face, and I can’t help but return it now. That was always his first choice, and he had been worried that he wouldn’t get in.
“Wow, Cody, that’s awesome. I’m really happy that worked out for you.”
He gives me a small nod. “Yeah, thanks. I’m just home early for fall break. Are you going to UCAH?” He means one of the local colleges—University of California, Aurora Hills where Adrian goes. I shake my head. “The University of Southern California?” he asks, hope thick in his voice.
And I hate that.
It doesn’t affect anyone else if I’m enrolled in a university or not, but this is the response I get from almost everyone. As if school isn’t always going to be there. Or that it’s somehow wrong to not want to spend my young adult years putting all of my time, energy, and money into a career I’m not sure I’ll like in two years.
“No,” I mutter with another small shake of my head.
He looks slightly confused as he opens his mouth, probably to ask about another college or swimming.
Before he gets the chance to let a sound out, another voice pulls both of our attention to the back hallway. “Is the patient ready to go back?” Adrian asks, his eyes glued on mine. He usually has Wednesday’s off like me, but he’s picked up shifts to help Mickey when he can.
How much of that did he hear?
There’s not much of a reason to assume that I know Cody, yet I still feel like I got caught doing something wrong. The longer I look at Adrian though, I don’t see any sort of accusation. But there is something sparked in his gaze. Something I’ve never seen from anyone before, at least not directed at me.
“Oh crap,” Cody laughs easily, “I was so distracted from running into you I totally forgot why I was even here.” I know he’s talking to me—I can even feel his eyes on me—but I’m caught up in Adrian’s orbit now, refusing to break our contact until he does.
With languid steps—the movements far too captivating—he closes the distance. I glance down at the small space between us. His chest brushes my shoulder as he leans around me to grab the pre-appointment paperwork and hands it to Cody.
Finally looking away, he adds, “You can finish that over there.” He points to one of the chairs on the other side of the lobby. I try to bite back my smile. “And I’ll take you back when you’re done.”
“Thanks, man,” Cody says with a smile, not noticing the tension rolling off of Adrian in waves. I guess if you didn’t know him, he somehow still looks friendly and approachable, except I do know him.
And the glint in his eyes gives me the impression he wants to regress back into a caveman and throw me over his shoulder, before running away from any man that’s ever looked at me.
I don’t think I should like that thought as much as I do.
Once Cody is sitting about twenty feet away with a black cat meowing in the carrier next to him, Adrian looks back at me, not saying anything. He just leans his butt against the desk in front of me, so I lower myself back into my seat, feeling much more comfortable with him there. He has at least four inches of height to Cody, but it isn’t stifling. It feels almost like an invincible force protecting me.
“That’s… Cody,” I lamely try to explain. “I knew him in high school.”
“You went to an all-girls school, right?” He playfully lifts a brow.
Rolling my eyes, I nod. “You already know I did. Don’t be a dick,” I snap.
He offers me a sweet grin, and my insides instantly melt like an ice cream cone on a summer day at the beach. “Okay, sorry, sorry. I’m just feeling…” He grimaces at himself, tilting his head back and forth. “Weird,” he settles on.
I stare at him, trying to keep a straight face. “Weird,” I repeat.
“Yeah,” he breathes and looks at me almost apologetically. “I shouldn’t have interrup—”
“No,” I whisper, “You definitely should have.”
He lets out a breath. “I wasn’t planning to. That isn’t really my place…” He trails off, like he’s unsure about that statement.
I shrug, feeling a little helpless, but quietly admit, “It could be.”
There’s a heavy moment of eye contact before he breathes out, “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I nod.
“So you aren’t hanging out with anyone else?” he teases, the easy energy we’ve come to know returns. Shaking my head, I think back to the first time we FaceTimed, and the slight panic I went into when I asked him to ‘hang out’ again.
“No, I’m definitely not hanging out with anyone else.” This time my cheeks flame from the double meaning.
Leaning forward, only close enough for me to quietly hear him say, “Good. I’m starting to think you’re the only person I ever want to hang out with ever again.”
And just like that, I’m mentally turning into a puddle at his feet.
With his body still bent toward mine, he says in a more serious tone, “But I heard him asking about colleges, and I didn’t want you to get in your head over something so stupid.”
“I didn’t plan on even having a second thought about him, actually.”
That possessive expression greets me again, this time it’s mixed with satisfaction.
Grabbing a pad of sticky notes, Adrian scribbles something down. I squint but wait quietly. Ever since he left the lollipop for me, I’ve found candy and notes waiting for me a couple of times.
A chair softly skids backwards, and we both look up to see Cody returning with the paperwork. Before he gets to the desk, Adrian leans forward, sticking the note to the computer screen in front of me. He smiles down at me and steps out from behind the desk redirecting Cody to the exam room to get the appointment going. Adrian gives me a quick wink over his shoulder before closing the door behind him.
Turning back to the computer, the note only says ‘pretty girl’ with a messy cloud drawn around it. Pulling it toward me, I rub my finger over it—feeling giddy like a schoolgirl—then fold it and slip it into my bag.