3. Chapter Three #3
Morgan diligently scanned the products, but her eyes briefly roamed over Cody. “Feeling better?”
“Much better. Do you think maybe we could talk some—”
“No.” Morgan returned her focus to scanning.
It felt like his heart dropped to the floor. He’d pretty much expected this, but it still stung.
“Morgan, I’m sorry,” he said. She paused, her face neutral as she looked up at him. “I was young, and stupid back then, and maybe we could talk sometime?”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, I'm serious. I want to talk to you.”
She slowly started scanning his goods again. “Let me get this straight, you’re moving into your grandfather’s place, so why not hit on the girl you dated that one summer and then completely ditched?”
“No, that’s not—”
“I’m not interested in another Cody-summer-fling. One was enough, thank you.”
“I’m not interested in a summer fling, either,” Cody said hurriedly. “I am here to stay.”
“You’re here to stay? How? Where are you working?”
“Well…” He knew he was going to have to explain this to her sooner or later, and he didn’t want to start off by lying about it.
He also knew Morgan wasn’t a gold digger.
She was the kind of girl who preferred handpicked wildflowers over expensive store-bought roses.
Whether or not he had money wasn’t going to be a factor in getting back together or not.
“Well, what?” Morgan prompted.
“Grandpa Sam had a lot of money,” Cody explained, keeping his voice hushed. “Enough that I can basically live off the interest for the rest of my life.”
“I had no idea,” Morgan said. “That’s so weird…I never would have suspected that Grandpa Sam had money.”
Cody shrugged. “Me neither. So, what do you say? I want to talk to you. I want to make things right.”
She paused scanning his items and he swore he saw a glimmer of hope in her gorgeous blue eyes.
It looked like she was actually considering it, but then she let out a long sigh, shaking her head slowly.
“I don’t even know how to respond to that.
You broke up with me, didn’t talk to me for ten years, and now you’re showing up at my work to…
what? You want to apologize for something you already had a decade to apologize for? ”
She has a point, Knife so helpfully pointed out. What the fuck is wrong with you?
“Look, I know I messed up,” Cody said. “I messed up by breaking up with you, and I messed up even more by waiting this long to come back to Cornerstone. All I’m asking for right now is that we talk and maybe we can be friends?”
He’d thought about coming back to Cornerstone while he lived in the city.
He really did. But he always figured it would go about as good as it was going now, so he never bothered.
But living life on the edge, in another world, and having countless near-death experiences, really makes you rethink your past mistakes and life choices. It makes you want to fix them.
“I’ll think about it.” Morgan’s eyes flicked to her brother just behind them. He was no doubt eavesdropping now that he was done cashing out his customers.
Better than another no, Knife said.
Cody heartily agreed and tapped his credit card, paying for his groceries.
Morgan helped him pack his stuff in paper bags in silence, and then he left, feeling like he had at least made some progress.
It wasn’t like either of them were going anywhere.
He’d have time to keep shooting his shot.
Also: not once did she mention a boyfriend or a husband. That was excellent news.
He was heading back to his car when he heard a man shout, “Hey!”
Cody turned just as Doug caught up to him.
Cody flinched, half expecting Doug to punch him in the face while his arms were full of groceries.
That was kind of the Big Brother Code, wasn’t it?
You fuck with their little sisters and break their hearts, they punch you in the face?
Cody had skipped town so quickly after the breakup, Doug never had the chance.
Maybe he was going to make up for that now.
“Hey, Doug…Nice seeing you again,” Cody said slowly.
“I know you moved back to town and all, but you’re going to need to get your groceries somewhere else,” Doug said. “Next town over, Milltown, they have a grocery store. You go there from now on.”
“Seriously?”
“You fucked with Morgan.” Doug roughly poked Cody’s chest. “And now you’re finding out. I will tolerate you living here because Grandpa Sam was a good guy, but you stay out of Callahan’s and you stay the fuck away from my sister.”
Cody backed up so Doug’s finger was no longer poking him in the chest. “Look, we’re all adults now, right? I was a stupid teenager back in the day. I’m a different person now, trust me.”
“You shop in Milltown,” Doug repeated, and then turned and left.
Stab him, Knife growled. Stab the giant ginger.
No. Cody headed to his car. He was pretty sure killing Doug was not the way to win back Morgan.
Cody Hampshire Player Stats
Residents Met: 3/8
Friendship Moments: Doris: 1/5
Romance Moments: 0
Relationship Status: Woefully Single