17. Chapter Seventeen #3
“Should I go make dinner now?” Morgan asked, but Cody was so warm and cozy and happy he never wanted to leave her bed. He’d sooner starve to death than leave this bed.
“Can we stay here a little bit longer?” he suggested.
Morgan laughed softly. “Yes, please.”
He closed his eyes, trailing his fingers through her silky hair, and trying not to think about anything but this moment.
He breathed in her honey-scented shampoo or lip gloss or whatever it was that made her smell so sweet.
Or maybe she naturally smelled like honey.
Either way, she smelled amazing, and he wanted to bottle it up and put it in his inventory so he could keep it with him forever.
Morgan let out a long sigh, her breath tickling his bare chest. “I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to do this sooner. I’ve been so busy with working at the store and helping Doug with Gracie and everything.”
“Hey, uh, what’s the story there? I mean, if you don’t mind me asking. Where is Gracie’s mom?”
Morgan was quiet for a moment. “She passed away last winter. Car accident in the snow. It’s uh…it’s been a rough couple of years. It’s why I came back to Cornerstone. Up until three years ago, I was still living in Toronto. I moved back after my parents passed away, to help Doug with the store.”
“Oh, wow, sorry. Poor kid. And I’m sorry for your loss, Morgan. I had no idea. Were you close with your sister-in-law?”
“We were friends, yes. And this is why I’ve been helping with Gracie so much.
Doug has been kind of…messed up, understandably.
And Gracie…Gracie has night terrors about losing the people she loves, specifically her daddy and me.
She wakes up crying all the time, and Doug can barely calm her down.
She wants to know that both of us are okay.
Sometimes it works if Doug calls me on the phone, or if we facetime, but sometimes it’s just…
really, really bad. I need to drive out there and see her in person and I hold her until she falls back to sleep. ”
“Oh, Morgan…I’m so sorry.” His heart hurt for this poor little girl who lost her mom, and for Morgan, who’d been through a lot the past few years. And he also felt kind of bad for being a dick to Doug, now that Cody knew the shit he’d been dealt. Cody pulled Morgan into a tighter embrace.
“Gracie was also really close with your Grandpa Sam,” Morgan added. “So, losing him was another blow to the string of already bad things that have been happening lately.”
“I know I already said it, but I'm so sorry you and your family have been going through some rough stuff.”
“Thank you. Doug goes with her to a children’s therapist, and she's been improving, but she still has the night terrors. I’ve offered to move in with them, but Doug insists I keep my apartment and try to have a normal life on my own. He’s confident they’ll get through this.”
“You are an amazing sister and aunt,” Cody told her.
She huffed. “Thank you.”
They let a few more moments pass, just enjoying each other’s presence and warmth.
“Cody, is everything okay with you?” Morgan asked. “I feel like we haven’t really talked about, you know, the night I was waiting for you at your cottage. You were a bit of a mess.”
“I’m fine,” Cody said, quickly brushing her off.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Especially now that I have the best damn girlfriend in the entire world.”
Morgan laughed. “So, we’re official? Boyfriend and girlfriend?”
“Well, yeah.” Cody gave her a squeeze. “We did just share ‘I love yous’. It would be kind of weird if we said that and then decided not to be boyfriend and girlfriend.”
“I guess you’re right. And I do. Love you.”
“And I love you,” Cody said, and kissed her.
Morgan slowly broke the kiss and looked into his eyes. “If you ever needed to talk to someone, you know I'm here for you, right?”
“I know. And I’m fine, really.” Cody was half expecting Knife to jump in and make some quip about how fucked up he was or something about how mushy he and Morgan were being. But he didn’t.
Morgan pushed herself up to sit. “Well, I’m getting really hungry. I’m going to go wash up and make dinner.”
“Can I help?” Cody asked.
“Help me wipe up your cum that’s currently dribbling out of my pussy or help me cook dinner?”
“Both?”
“I’ll clean myself up, but thanks.” She smiled and gave him a pat on the shoulder. “But can you chop up some carrots? You do know what carrots are, right, Mr. Sweet Tooth?”
Cody grabbed her and wrestled her back into a hug as she giggled. “Yes, I know what a carrot is.”
They shared another slow, meandering kiss before Morgan slipped from his grasp and got out of bed. He let his gaze linger over her sexy-as-fuck body as she found her denim dress on the floor. She slipped it back on, doing up all the buttons.
She noticed him watching and she tilted her head. “What?”
“I’m admiring the view.” He gave her a goofy grin.
Morgan shook her head, smiling. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen in five minutes.”
Cody Hampshire Player Stats
Residents Met: 9/10
Friendship Moments: William: 4/5, Gracie: 1/5
Full Friendship: Doris
Romance Moments: Morgan: 3/10
Relationship Status: Definitely in a Relationship