Chapter 19 Luc
The following day, I head to Cody’s place with a small box of cake tucked between my arm and my chest. The weather has completely turned around; it’s pouring.
With ten more minutes of walking ahead of me, I’m soaked, and I still have around ten minutes of walking ahead of me.
I’m cold and wet, and without a jacket, I cannot protect myself or the cake I brought from my dad’s shop.
That’s the worst part about all this. I had to fight for these pieces of strawberry cake. It was either this or the prune cake, and if I show up on Cody’s doorstep with a dessert I know he hates, I might as well stay away.
“Please, Claire,” I’d said in the shop, finding myself begging once again. As a person who takes pride in being independent, I hated doing it. I didn’t have a choice, but I pray it was the last time I had to. “I really need two pieces of that strawberry cake.”
Claire shook her head, unwavering. “I can’t give them to you. I need this whole cake for an order.”
“Please, you don’t understand. My future depends on it.
I need them to win someone over, someone I .
. .” Nope, I thought to myself. I can’t say love yet.
“Someone I really like. And I won’t have a chance with him if I bring the prune cake.
I might as well not try at all, and I have to try. I promised him I would.”
Claire frowned at my plea. “Your future with someone depends on whether or not you bring him strawberry cake?”
“Yes. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. Just tell the customer we ran out and delay the order. I’ll tell them myself; I’ll do anything.”
Finally, she agreed—probably because of how desperate I looked—but only under the condition that I’ll be the one telling the customer their order is delayed. That’s going to suck, no doubt, but not as much as missing my chance with Cody.
And so, right now, I’m walking as fast as I can to his house, mentally crying at my situation. The cake is in a paper box, and if it continues to rain like this, it’ll get soaked. All that’ll be left is a drenched mess, and I’ll have fought for it for nothing.
I repress a sob. Everything seems so hopeless lately, even the weather.
The walk to Cody’s house feels like forever, and even when it comes into view, my prospects seem bleak.
Still, I ring his doorbell, because there’s no way I’ll back down after all this effort.
No matter how hopeless or miserable I am, I will keep trying.
Luckily, once I ring Cody’s doorbell, it doesn’t take him long to open the door. No one else is in sight. At least that’s something I have going for me.
“Luc. Jesus, get inside. It’s pouring,” he says as he steps aside to let me through. I quickly enter, shivering and dripping water onto the floor. “What were you thinking coming here in this weather?”
“I promised I’d come see you,” I tell him. “And I brought you cake.”
I hand him the wet box with a shaking hand, and he takes it. He puts it on a nearby cabinet, then quickly brings his attention back to me. “You’re soaked”, he replies, looking me up and down. “And freezing.”
I nod, because I am absolutely both of those things, and what’s worse is that I’m afraid it’s all been for nothing.
But then something unexpected happens, something that makes all the misery worth it.
“Come here,” he says, opening his arms. Before I know it, he pulls me close, his hands rubbing my arms to warm me.
My God, it feels so nice to have him holding me.
As I’m standing here, safe and warm, I’m pretty sure I would have let someone pour a bucket of water over me if I knew it meant he would hug me.
It’s only been a few seconds, but I can already feel my heaviness lifting, the sadness and misery fading.
Being near Cody does that to me. He has a miracle touch, that’s the only way to explain it.
There’s just one problem, though. Now we’re both wet. Dark spots are appearing on his shirt from my dripping hair. “But you’re getting wet because of me.”
I immediately regret saying it because it might mean he’ll pull away. But to my relief, he stays where he is and shakes his head. “Don’t worry about that.”
I groan and sink into the hug, trying my best not to get him soaked, but it’s pointless.
The least I can do is refrain from wrapping my arms around him and getting his back wet.
Instead, I clench the sides of his shirt in my fists, never wanting to let go.
This is what I love about him; I hurt him and he’s mad at me, but he still tries to help me. I’m cold and wet, and he truly cares.
“I’ll get you a towel,” he says after a while, pulling me out of my spell. “I’ll put your clothes in the dryer and give you some of mine to wear. They’re probably too big for you, but a sweater should work, and I’ll see if I can find some pants you won’t drown in.”
I nod, even though I’d much rather stay in the hug. There’s no chance of that, though; I’m dripping water on the floor and getting Cody almost as soaked as I am. We can’t hug forever, no matter how tempting it may seem. If anything, I should feel happy with what I’ve received so far.
Cody steps away, motioning for me to follow him.
He leads me into the bathroom and hands me a dark gray towel before leaving again.
I don’t know where he’s going exactly, but I’m cold and eager to get out of the wet, uncomfortable jeans sticking to my legs.
My shirt hangs from my shoulders, heavy from all the water it sucked up, and I hurriedly free myself of my clothes until I’m wearing only my underwear.
I snatch the towel I placed on the sink and start drying myself off.
And that’s where I am, almost naked, when Cody walks in carrying clothes.
He freezes when he sees me, and I pause drying myself to look at him.
His eyes are wide; he’s definitely ogling me, despite trying not to.
One look at him and I can tell, he can’t keep his gaze from lingering, from traveling slowly over my body.
It rests on my boxers, and I know he remembers exactly what’s underneath them.
Good. That means he still wants me at least. Maybe I can use it?
“S-sorry,” he says, embarrassed, and before I can reply, he’s already dropped dry clothes on the counter, snatched up my wet ones, and disappeared from view. I’m disappointed by how quickly he left, but the way he looked at me definitely offers a silver lining.
I continue drying myself off, feeling a lot better than before I came here. Not only am I no longer cold, wet, and alone, but I also know Cody still wants me. That part hasn’t changed, and because of it, I can’t keep myself from smiling.
Several minutes later, I step out of the bathroom, completely dry except for my hair, which is still damp and will be for a while.
I decided to wear only Cody’s sweater and my underwear.
The shirt says, “Toronto University.” It’s too big for me, but I love it already.
It’s warm and cozy, and it smells like him.
When I enter the living room and he sees me wearing his sweater as a dress, an expression of longing and conflict appears on his face. Once again, it shows that he wants me but won’t allow himself to have me. Not yet anyway, but hopefully someday soon.
I gesture at myself. “The pants were too big and not really comfortable.”
“Okay, that’s fine. Sit down, I’ll get you a blanket.”
I nod and smile at him, trying to be on my best behavior.
“I’ll get the cake. I mean, if you want to eat it with me?
” He remains silent, hesitation flashing on his face, and my desperation grows.
“Please, Cody. That was the whole point of me coming here, the whole point of getting soaked . . . so I could eat cake with you.”
“Alright,” he says immediately, his expression lighter. “You get the cake; I’ll get the blanket.”
Not long after, we sit on the sofa, side by side.
He’s eating his piece of cake so neatly, like a gentleman, so that nothing lands beside his mouth.
Probably on purpose, because if there was even so much as a crumb on his lip, I don’t think I could have stopped myself from lapping at it and kissing him.
Still, I should be grateful. Cody and I are here together, enjoying the strawberry cake I brought.
Thankfully, the rainstorm I walked through didn’t ruin it, and fighting for it proved absolutely worth it.
Now I’m actually feeling good. Cody’s sweater is comfortable, his blanket draped over my legs keeps me warm, and the rain softly tapping against the glass reminds me how nice it is to be safely indoors.
And not only that, but the person I want to be with is sitting beside me, enjoying dessert with me.
He actually hugged me too. Maybe there is hope for us yet.
We’re not sitting that far apart, but he should be much closer if you ask me.
I want to scoot toward him and lean my head against his shoulder.
I long for his fingers to curl through my hair, caressing my head.
I want to drape my bare leg over his and keep it there until we decide we can’t keep our hands off each other. I want him. So badly.
Fighting these urges is difficult, but maybe we can start with something small. I know I have to give him time. I told him I’d keep coming back, fighting to gain his forgiveness, waiting until he gives me another chance, and I will do just that. For as long as it takes.