Page 66 of The Deadbeat Next Door

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Carrie

I do not care for Cody Reynolds. I do not care for Cody Reynolds. I do not care for Cody Reynolds. That had been my mantra for the past two weeks since we’d gotten back from his mom’s place. I’d told myself that over and over again while he cooked me dinner every night. I reminded myself of that when he made me laugh and I chanted it in my mind so frequently during sex, that I’m pretty sure I said it aloud one night. Cody had either pretended not to hear or he really hadn’t heard my slip.

I was rationalizing. I knew it, but I couldn’t stop. Because if I admitted I cared about him, if I even admitted I liked him a little bit, then I’d have to stop eating the delicious dinners he cooked, I’d have to stop having the best sex of my life and, worst of all, I’d have to stop hanging out with him and laughing with him. A little voice in the back of my head had started up twenty-four hours ago and suggested maybe we could have something more, that maybe he cared for me, too. And that was a dangerous thought. That was a thought that meant we should end this charade, because he and I wanted very different things and the closer we got, the more I started to think we could have something long-term, the more likely it was that one of us would get hurt.

I reminded myself at least ten times a day of all the things about him that bothered me. He listened to awful music, he only watched educational television or sports, and he didn’t wear scarves or sweaters. I had a knitting habit and I needed someone to knit scarves and sweaters for. I needed a man who had a reliable, steady job and was ready to settle down and start a family.

All the voices in my head were making me start to question my sanity and I was getting tired of arguing with myself. That’s why, when Cody knocked on my door Friday night, I spoke before he could say a word.

“I think we need some space,” I said at the same time he said, “I’m taking you to see the ocean.”

My heart stuttered. The ocean? I’d never seen the ocean and I’d always wanted to see the ocean. “What?”

“What?”

I waved at him. “You go first.”

“I want to take you to see the ocean,” he said. “Noah owns a rental property in Myrtle beach and it’s free this weekend. He said we could use it, but if you need some space…?”

“Space?” I had started rationalizing as soon as the word ocean left his mouth the second time. “I don’t need any space. When do we leave?”

Cody frowned and studied my face like he was trying to figure something out. “Right now. Pack your clothes and throw in a bikini. The condo building has a heated pool.”

I didn’t own a bikini, but I wasn’t going to say anything that would make him change his mind about this trip. And believe me, I know how that sounds. I was a strong woman, I should have been able to take a trip to see the ocean on my own, but I’d had other priorities for a long time and I…Well, I really just wanted someone else with me to identify my remains if I was eaten by a shark. “Come on in,” I said. “I’ll only be ten minutes.”

“That’s one of my favorite things about you.” He dropped to a seat on my couch and put his feet on the coffee table. “You aren’t even remotely high maintenance.”

My heart stuttered again. He had favorite things about me? This was not good. Things were so much easier when we couldn’t stand each other.

I hurried back to my room, grabbed my bag and threw in clothes, make-up, and toiletries for three days in about two minutes. I spent three minutes choosing my books and knitting project. I owned a Kindle, but I always liked to have physical books as back-up in case my Kindle battery died or I lost my charger, or there was an apocalyptic event and all electronic devices stopped working.

I took another thirty seconds to toss in my chargers for my phone and Kindle, slid on a pair of flip-flops, and hurried back out to the living room. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”

Cody grinned, his brown eyes warm and happy, and my insides flipped and rearranged themselves in a new way that couldn’t be healthy, because it kind of hurt. I do not care for Cody Reynolds I mentally reminded myself.

He hopped up and we headed out to his truck. I bit my lip and held my breath. I swallowed hard and tried to maintain my composure. I stepped into his truck, he shut the door on me, and I let out a squee of excitement. I tried to get it under control by the time he was seated in the driver’s seat, but I couldn’t hide my smile. Cody smiled back.

“Thank you,” I said. “This is really the…It’s just…I really appreciate you taking me to see the ocean.”

He started the truck and put his arm behind my seat back as he backed out. “I’m not doing this for you,” he said once he was on the main road. “I just wanted a reason to see you in a bikini.”

I could have argued with him, but I knew he was trying to keep things business-like and platonic, just like I was. So I didn’t. “That sounds more like the Cody I know.”

His smile faded a bit, but I pretended I hadn’t noticed. I pretended, but I couldn’t make the sick feeling in my gut subside. “I brought the book we were reading,” I said. “We didn’t finish it on our trip to Atlanta.”

“Perfect.” He kept his eyes on the road and his smile seemed forced. “I’ve been dying to find out what happens.”

I read to him until the sun went down and my throat ached.

“What’s your favorite book of all time?” he asked.

“Jane Eyre.”

“Really? Why?”

“You’ve read it?”

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