Page 6 of Code Word
Wes was busy being the best dad ever, and to be even more frank, he could have that too.
That left Luke and me. We were just cruising along, and maybe that was part of Luke’s problem. Maybe he was struggling with where things were at.
I knew some days I felt like that. As if I needed to set my sights on new goals, but I didn’t know on what or where. I also wasn’t desperate to find out.
I wasn’t sure . . .
I wasn’t sure about a lot of things.
All five of us hadn’t been to the cabins together in a while, as our new lives took over. When it was new, we were here as often as we could be, but then real life intervened, and it was hard for us all to coordinate now that we didn’t have Atrous...
“Hey,” Luke said, startling me.
I spun around. “Shit.”
He chuckled. “Sorry. I wasn’t exactly light-footed up the steps.”
“Yeah, no, I was just...” I tossed my bag into the bedroom, onto the bed. Then I began pulling food out of the basket. “I didn’t even unpack this from yesterday,” I said. “Bec left it on the counter.”
I didn’t miss the way his eyes flinched. He shoved his hands in his pockets. “How... how is she? Did you say she went to Mom and Dad’s?”
I nodded as I unpacked, trying not to let on how awkward it had been between us yesterday. “Yeah. She was going there for dinner or something. You were crashed out. She didn’t want to wake you or anything.”
He nodded slowly. “Ah, yeah. I didn’t sleep much...” Hescrubbed his hand over his face, over his three-day growth, then ran it through his too-long hair. “Still kinda tired.”
“That’s why I brought you here,” I said, pulling out the bananas and the bread. “Thought a week away sounded pretty good.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” he whispered, looking out the open door. “You just got back and all...” He met my eyes briefly before looking away again, his brow furrowed. “How was that? Have a good time?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I mean . . . you know.”
He half smiled. “Not your scene.”
“Maddox called them the eat-pray-love group.”
That made him chuckle. “Accurate.”
I smiled at him, at hearing his laughter. “Becca’s friends are...” I shrugged. “Nice enough, I guess. They love staying at the Malibu house, but I just... I don’t know if I need to be there with them next time.”
His lips twisted and his eyebrow quirked upward. “Next time?”
I shook my head. “No, there won’t be a next time.”
He didn’t say anything for a while, and I filled the water tank of the coffee machine. “I was actually thinking I should sell it,” I said.
“The beach house? Why?”
I sighed and shrugged, not entirely sure why I even said that out loud. “Dunno. It’s not like we use it.”
“You could...” he hedged, “start spending more time there. If you wanted to.” His brows furrowed again and he chewed on his bottom lip. “I mean, you don’thaveto live with me. I’m a big boy; I can look after myself.”
From the slight look of panic on his face, I doubted that was entirely accurate, but in true fashion of how we were with each other, the foundation of our friendship, I decided to make a joke of it.
“What makes you think I live with you for your benefit?” Isnorted. “Uh, I’ll freeload off you for as long as you let me, thank you very much.”
He half smiled and was quiet again as he looked out through the front door at the other cabins.
“So,” he said, “are the guys coming up too? You said you spoke to Maddox?”
