She squeezed my shoulder. “Sounds good.”
I turned back to Cody, but he was somehow already across the room, helping Bree put the rest of the chairs back on the tables.
We all were swept away into closing procedures then, which was an interesting and unique experience. On a typical day at Ari’s, whoever had been here earliest would have already gone, leaving closing to the rest. But with the holiday and the camaraderie we’d all developed today, it seemed no one was willing to not see the entire day through.
Vinh and I helped Dad into the car, and Ari followed them to their rental to enjoy the evening together after they all had a nap. Before they left, each of them made a point to offer a hug or word of thanks to Cody, and I was so grateful for it.
The cloud of dust their cars left behind was illuminated by the sun that was finally starting to shine through the clouds, and the four of us stood together in the lot, the dregs of our energy finally waning.
“What’s the opposite of biscuits?” Bree asked dramatically.
Cody shared a look with her before he smirked and answered, “A big-ass bowl of noodles, Cher.”
My stomach grumbled loudly at the idea even as I mildly recoiled at the thought of eating after hours of cooking, smelling, and delivering so much food.
They all turned at the noise, and Bree frowned in sympathy at the mild revulsion that must’ve shown on my face. “Yeah, we need a breather before we can actually enjoy that, I think.”
Vinh pulled her to his side. “How about we all go shower and rest for a bit, then regroup for dinner?” His eyes slid to each of us, the invitation clear.
I met Cody’s eyes again, and the implication of an idea ran between us, but then our gazes fell from each other. An unusual feeling that was almost like shyness fell over me.
Bree said a quick goodbye to Cody and then threw her arm around me. I brought my hand up in a quick, dumb wave to him. He seemed amused by it as he walked backward to his truck and waved back before nonchalantly brushing his knuckle across his own cheekbone.
Heavens.
As many times as I had heard him call Bree a witch, I should’ve realized that it meant that he was one, too, as they were twin souls.
Bree guided me to the open car door and let out an amused sound, which I responded to with a smile that even I didn’t know the meaning behind.
“Come on, Liem. You’ll see him again soon,” she said in an overly soothing voice.
“I haven’t a clue what you mean, Princess,” I replied airily as I climbed into the backseat.
Bree held the door open and gave me an expectant look. “Then you also know nothing about why my best friend was wearing my boyfriend’s pants all day, after he pulled you into the cottage soaking wet just this morning?”
I turned my head away, channeling Cody’s sass, but it didn’t hold for more than three seconds before I looked back at her, only to find her smirking just as my phone buzzed in my pocket.
“Ya gonna get that?”
I narrowed my eyes at her as I pulled out my phone and opened the new message from Bree.
It was the picture Vinh had just taken inside Ari’s with everyone smiling at the camera.
Except for me.
I was gazing up at Cody with stars in my eyes.
“Witches,” I whispered.
Bless Princess and her good heart because she simply patted me on the leg and closed the door, leaving it be.
23
Cody
After a shower at the houseboat,during which I absolutely did not touch my dick to thoughts of kissing Liem—it was to thoughts of kissingandtouching him that had me slapping the shower wall and groaning his name this time—I was no less aroused and even more exhausted.
I avoided even brushing by the bed on the way out of the boat’s bedroom, fearing that just one touch of the soft knit blanket on top or a whiff of that soothing charcoal-and-sea smell would work as a siren’s song, and I’d become lost to it. There was some time to kill before dinner, so I took my laptop to the little booth by the kitchen to double-check my courses that would start in May.
