"We're going to get an apartment together for the fall." Emily beamed, and I knew I'd made the right decision. My dad would give me absolute hell over it, but it would be worth it. Emily and I didn't have forever left, only a few years at best. Hell, if things kept progressing at the rate they had with Clay just over the short time we'd been at the lake, then we wouldn't even have a few years.
While I figured Brody and I might fall in love, I was pretty sure that Emily and Clay were already there.
"And, I'll come visit all the time and sleep on the couch." Cindy moved up beside Emily. "I'm going to get a small apartment above the culinary school in town and see about teaching a few classes. I need to make a few more connections before looking at opening my own place."
"And, you need a sugar-daddy," Dedra threw in. "To sponsor your restaurant."
"I'm not thinking that will be too hard to find." She wagged her eyebrows and opened the door to the candy shop as we laughed.
The smell of sugary goodness washed over me, and I breathed in deep, letting everything go and walking for the closest bin of chocolate. I was good for now, but the chocolate would help insure that I'd be just as good later.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Brody
Cora didn’t come over on Tuesday night, and then she came down with something that had her swearing me off for a few days. I kicked around the house, hating how badly I wanted to see her. It wasn't something I was used to, and yet I felt like I could get used to it.
"You still pouting?" Clay smacked me in the chest as I stood at the kitchen sink, looking out at the lake at all the activity going on.
"What? Yeah, I guess." I ran my fingers through my hair. "She only has a week left out here. Not seeing her for a few days is fucked up."
"You like her." He poked me in the side.
I glanced over at my best friend and snorted. "Yeah, dumb ass. You just getting that vibe?"
"I think it's great." Daniel walked into the kitchen and hopped up onto the counter next to the sink. "Are you going to try to keep things going with her after this next week? Is she staying here in Arizona?"
"I think she is. It sounded like her parents were somewhere close from the side conversations I've heard her have with her friends and the few times we've talked about the future." I rubbed my chest and turned to face my friends. "Let's get out of here this afternoon. There's a big party down on the dock by Clint's house. You guys wanna grab some beers and just go hang out?"
"I do." Daniel hopped off the counter and opened the cabinet, pulling out a bottle of suntan lotion. "I say we forgo inviting the girls and just go have some time to ourselves."
"You tired of Dee?" I asked.
"No, not at all. We decided we're better friends than anything else we could be." Daniel sat the sunscreen down and pulled off his shirt. "I'm thinking it’s for the better, anyway. Med school is going to require all of my attention, you know?"
"Yeah, I can imagine." I moved to the fridge and pulled out a six pack of beer. "Where the fuck is Derek?"
"He's still asleep. I think Cindy stayed over last night. You wanna draw straws on who's going to go wake him up and get her outta here?" Clay laughed and walked to the pantry to get the cooler out.
"Um, no. Emily interrupted me and Cora the other morning, and she's lucky she's so cute or I'd have bitten her head off." I chuckled as Clay growled at me. The boy was in love. I had no doubt that he and Emily would be together for a long time, and I was almost jealous.
Some part of me couldn't help but wonder if Cora was really sick or just too upset over the situation with Tinsley to be around me. My fucking sister and her lies. I couldn't believe it, but after talking with her, she'd confessed. I sat in shock half the afternoon after talking with her. She'd been nothing but a prude from what I knew, and it was crazy how you could live with someone your whole life and not know them, at all.
Cora was struggling with all of it. Her stomach might be upset, but she was struggling, too. Her lack of texts after Tuesday left me with two options: to step up and sweep her off her feet, or let the relationship fade away like she seemed to be trying to do.
I couldn't fathom not having another night with her. Or a day. Or a few hours.
"Hey. Did we lose you?" Daniel waved his hand in front of my face. "You go get Derek up."
"What? Really?" I glanced over at Clay, who was loading up the cooler.
"Come on, dude. You're the only one that he listens to. Go get him, shit." Clay gave me a look.
"Fine." I walked to the cool
er and grabbed a beer. "But next time something comes up, one of you limp-dicks is up to handle it."
"Whatever." Clay scoffed at me and closed the cooler. "Daniel, help me lug this shit out to the porch."