Page 65 of Teach Me How

Reese is up, shimmying back into her skimpy white dress. If he was shocked by seeing her bare shoulders, that dress isn’t going to help matters. I hand her my shirt. “You better put this on.”

She winces, nodding. Pulling my shirt on, it skirts well past the hem of her dress. I can’t decide which one looks better on her. Both versions are sexy as hell.

“Skyler!” She hisses. “Desperate situation.”

“Right. Yes. Damn, okay.” I hesitate by the door. “Give me a second with him. He’s my cousin, I should be able to get him to understand.”

She nods, sitting on the edge of the bed. I push into the hallway, not feeling at all confident. Even though he’s the youngest cousin, we never could push him around. He was never as easy to manipulate as Mitch was and, unlike the rest of us, Cody has a very firm, unbending moral anchor.

That’s not to say he’s old-fashioned, because he’s not. But once he makes up his mind, it’s hard to get him to budge.

I find him sitting on the couch, elbows leaning on his knees. He looks up at me with disappointment in his eyes.

Not good.

He opens his mouth, but closes it again, shaking his head as he sits back. I sit down in the chair across from him. “It’s not what it looks like.”

Cody huffs a laugh. Leaning forward again, he lowers his voice. “Really? Because it looks like you banged poor, sweet Reese Olson. And I know you wouldn’t do something like that because she is your best friend’s little sister. And also… that’s sweet, little Reese Olson.”

“I didn’tbangher.”

His eyebrows fly up. “Really? Were you just playing doctor?”

“I didn’t bang her.” I reiterate, keeping my voice down. “I made love to her.”

We both turn a little green around the gills at the use of that phrase, but there’s no other way to describe the way that felt. And I won’t have him belittling it because he’s in a state of shock.

“I knew you were a womanizer, Skyler. But I figured you still had a sense of honor. This is fucked up. Like, amazingly fucked up.”

Reese’s voice cuts through the tension. Clear and unconcerned. “Thanks for the compliment.” She circles the couch, batting his legs aside. “Scoot.”

She sits down and turns to face him. “Cody.” She smiles sweetly before glaring at him. “Calm the fuck down.”

43.

Reese

Cody is staring at me like a fish out of water. His mouth works, but no sound comes out. Eventually, he manages to croak, “You have a tattoo.”

Of all the things he saw today, that is the part that seems to upset him the most. He looks offended, like I kept the secret from him specifically. “Yes, Cody. I have a tattoo.”

“Since when?”

“Since a few months ago.” I can feel Skyler behind me. I cansmellSkyler on me, a fact that makes my cheeks burn like two smoldering coals. But I’m not going to lean on Skyler to get me out of this mess. “Cody, about what you saw… I’m going to need you to keep that private.”

He barks a laugh.

I glare at him. “You’re not going to tell Mitch or Bo. And you’re sure as shit not going to tell my brother.”

“I hardly ever talk to Josh.” Cody says.

“You won’t tell Mitch, either. Right?”

He laughs, shaking his head. “Oh, I’m telling Mitch.”

“Cody. Please. I’m not joking.” I pause. “If this gets back to Josh…”

Cody’s gaze flicks behind me, landing on Skyler.

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