38. Chapter Thirty-Eight #3
Cody sat down on the muddy forest floor, feeling like he was being physically shoved to the ground.
He let his head fall into his hands, breathing deeply, heart racing.
Yana was next to him in an instant. He felt her hand rest on his back.
He could feel the warmth of her palm through his soaked T-shirt.
A moment passed, and then she was hugging him from where she sat next to him. He let himself melt into her.
Everything had been moving so fast it felt nice to take a moment, even if it was to sit in the mud and be hugged by Yana of all people.
She was a very good hugger, and he could feel the heat from her elven-magic warming him up.
After a few more minutes, and several more calming breaths, Cody felt ready to leave the comfort of Yana’s embrace.
“Thanks. I, uh…I think I needed that,” he said. “We should—”
[Congratulations! You have completed your fourth Friendship Level with Resident Yana Rose! Only one more to go until Romance is Unlocked!]
“Cody? Are you okay?” Yana had stood up and was looking down at him as he acknowledged the latest notification.
Cody hesitated, unsure if he should tell Yana he earned another level with her. Although, she’d find out eventually, since she was already keeping track. But he hadn’t said anything funny. She hadn’t laughed. This had already happened once today, him levelling up Yana for seemingly no reason.
Yana was holding her hand out to help him up, so he took it, and let her pull him back to his feet.
He stood there a moment, face to face with Yana, trying to figure out what was going on with the Friendship Levels.
Her eyes glanced down to his mouth and she licked her lips.
Her cheeks were flushed pink. She leaned in, and Cody felt frozen inside his confusion.
Her lips brushed against his, barely making contact.
The warning signals finally went off in his head and he took several steps back, holding his arms out to keep her back.
“Yana…” he said, as his brain finally caught up, “your Friendship isn't leveling up because I make you laugh.”
She stayed rooted to the spot, clasping her hands in front of her, and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…I don’t know what came over me.”
Cody swallowed, unsure what to say. Unsure what to make of this.
It was one thing to have Nyrah constantly confessing her love to him and it was easy for him to dismiss her as being absurd and over-the-top, but this felt different.
He was beginning to realize it was because he actually liked Yana.
She hadn’t been pushy and loud and demanding.
She’d just been there, being kind and supportive for her troubled friend, and being a constant presence around the cottage.
And he liked her presence. And the game, and Nyrah, and even Knife, had been hinting at the direction of his love life and the possibility of letting more than one person into his heart.
It was the same sort of thing that happened in all of Grandpa Sam’s beastkin romance novels: a harem.
He wasn’t really sure what was going to happen once he reached Romance for all three women—if he was only going to pick one to marry, or if the game expected him to marry them all.
Up until now, he’d been dead set on marrying Morgan and only Morgan.
But this was the first time that the second option actually seemed like it could happen; looking at Yana as she stood in the dying light of day as she watched him, expectantly, waiting for him to say something.
He felt a pang of guilt for Morgan. He wasn’t going to act on anything right now.
He definitely needed to talk to her about this.
And if she thought this was a bad idea, he’d bury these new and confusing feelings.
“I think…” Yana said after he took too long to reply.
“I think I earn a Friendship Level every time I…fall for you more. It’s every time you do something that makes me think…
” She paused, seeming to collect herself.
“Every time you do something that makes me think you might like me back or that we might have a future together.”
Cody couldn’t help but laugh softly. “I think I was just figuring out the same thing.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I think we both have some figuring out to do. And I need to talk to Morgan before we…” His eyes went to her lips and she clearly noticed.
[Congratulations! You have completed your fifth and final Friendship Level with Resident Yana Rose! You have now unlocked Romance! Only ten Romance Events until Marriage is unlocked!]
Cody must have winced, because Yana immediately asked what happened.
“We hit your fifth and final Friendship Level,” he explained.
“Oh…So, does that mean we are ‘officially’ Friends now?”
“Yeah…” Cody realized he wanted to talk to Morgan before telling Yana about the Romance Levelling stuff. “We’re officially Friends now.”
Cody Hampshire Player Stats
Friendship Moments: Gracie: 3/5, Lexi: 3/5, Bob: 1/5, Nyrah: 4/5, Doug: 2/5
Full Friendship: Doris, William, Yana
Romance Moments: Morgan:7/10, Yana: 0/10
Relationship Status: Things are Getting…Complicated