Page 35 of The Change Up
Hesitantly, I walk to the front door before glancing through the peephole. His back is to the door, but I would be able to recognize the tall, muscular body that makes up the man consuming my every thought in a crowd of people. Scanning him from head to toe, I take in the way that his jeans hug his lean waist and make his ass fantastic. The long-sleeve he’s wearing clings to his back, stretching across the lats he’s clearly been working on. Oh for fuck’s sake, of course. Of course, he’s wearing his powder blue hat with CTU stitched in red across the front.
Why does the sight of a guy in a backward hat make me want to drop to my knees?
Ugh, I’ve been spending too much time with Brynn.
Resting my forehead against the door, I take a second to give myself a mental pep talk. He’s probably here for Brynn. He’s not going to bring up last night. And if he does, I don’t have to take it.
Taking a deep breath, I turn the knob and face the boy who keeps finding ways to crush me. He slowly turns his body to face me, and my breath catches in my throat.
The carefree boy with a wild spark in his eyes stands before me completely, utterly deflated. His eyes are downcast as he struggles to meet mine. The happy-go-lucky energy that normally radiates off him in ways that feel contagious is long gone.
“Hey, Chlo. Think we can talk?”
Nodding my head as words won’t form, I open the door wider to welcome him inside. I have no idea what the hell is going on, and his mood has my guard on high alert.
Cody steps through the door, his frame erasing the space between us causing me to take a step back.
Brynn flies from the kitchen and heads toward the steps. “I’ll be upstairs FaceTiming Q. Don’t kill each other. I really don’t want to have to deal with keeping any more secrets.”
Cody nods his head at her and silence falls over the room as we watch her run up the stairs, her bright blond hair flying behind her in her wake.
I bring my bottom lip in between my teeth and turn my attention back to Cody, but when I look back at him, he’s already looking down at me causing my breath to stutter. It seems he has a way of doing that.
“Want to go into the living room?”
“Yeah, that works.”
“I’m going to grab my wine. Want some?” I gesture my thumb over my shoulder toward the kitchen table where the mess from dinner is still sitting, but it looks like Brynn put any leftovers away. She moved quickly. With a glance at the stairs, I narrowed my eyes as a sinking suspicion that the text Brynn got while we were eating was from the boy at my side.
“Nah, I’m good.”
“Beer? Water?”
“Just came here to talk, Chlo.”
Nodding my head, I quickly rush into the dining area as Cody turns and walks into the living room. Grabbing the wine bottle, I refill my glass with a hefty pour before following the steps Cody took.
He’s sitting on one side of the couch, leaving the other side open for me. My mind quickly flashes to a couple of weeks ago when we were both stuck at the house together. And the look in his eyes before he tried to kiss me. Looking at him today, you never would have guessed it was the same person.
Leaning forward, I watch him try to find a comfortable position. He settles on bending his elbows and resting his body on his thighs. Keeping his body facing straight ahead, his head turns before finding my eyes.
What he says next shocks me.
“I’m sorry for fucking everything up.”
THEN
“Hey hon, can you take my table in the back for me?” Marnie, the owner of Marnie’s Diner, asked me.
Placing the rag I was using to wipe down the counter in the bucket on the shelf, I make my way over to take a new order. I’ve been working at Marnie’s Diner since I was a freshman in high school. I started out clearing tables and being a dishwasher, until halfway through my sophomore year when Marnie moved me to waitress. She works with my school schedule to make sure that I’m getting enough hours while still maintaining my grades.
Now I’m two months away from moving from Dallas for the first time and starting my first year at Central Texas University. While my dad could pull strings and get me a job anywhere or at any restaurant in the city—including his—he wanted me to learn the industry by starting at the bottom. Not that Marnie’s is the bottom, because the diner does incredibly well. It’s a staple in the neighborhood and has recently beenfeatured in a few travel magazines for its unique 1950s flare and incredible home-style recipes.
Even though at fourteen, and after years of spending my free time in my dad’s upscale restaurants, I always pictured that my first job would be working alongside my dad, I didn’t realize how privileged that dream was. But at eighteen, I’m really glad I was able to experience working in the diner. It’s been a lot of fun, and it’s not as high pressure as my dad’s restaurant. And the people I work alongside have inspired me to pursue my journalism degree. Each one of my coworkers has a story. They’ve struggled to make ends meet, they have a love of cooking,andthey are paving their own path in the restaurant industry. Not everyone starts out and goes straight to the Food Network level.
Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my purple-covered notepad and pen to take the newcomers’ order. Glancing up, my feet falter at the two guys sitting at the table. Both are gorgeous with their messy, damp hair, and muscles on full display thanks to their cutoff shirts, but it’s the one sitting facing me who causes me to lose my footing.
He’s stunning.
