Page 57 of The Change Up
“You are enough. You are more than enough, Wildflower.”
His words keep replaying in my head while I sniff. There’s no doubt snot is pouring from my nose. I’m a hot mess in my underwear.
If only the vicious trolls could see me now. Imagine all the material I would be giving them.
Smooth, gentle touches glide down my back as Cody tries to calm my cries. I should be embarrassed to be pouring my literal feelings out, but I can’t find it in myself to care.
This is the first time in a long time I’ve let myself feel.
“Wildflower. Look at me.”
I shake my head because ew, snot.
“I don’t care what you look like right now.” It’s like he can hear my thoughts. “I promise you don’t need to be put together all the time. You are perfect just the way you are.”
Wiping my face, I gather as much moisture as I can before wiping the wetness on my bare legs. Slowly, I bring my head up, and our gazes find each other.
His hands gather on either side of my face as his thumbs wipe the tears from under my eyes. “What happened two years ago was not your fault.”
“It.” He punctuates the word with a kiss on my left cheek.
“Was.” Right cheek.
“Not.” Forehead.
“Your.” Nose.
“Fault.” Lips.
I don’t know where to go from here. Words fail me. I can write article after article, but right now my mind is going, what’s a word? What’s a sentence?
“I have a lot to make up to you and a lot to explain to you, but right now, you’re my priority. You are the only thing that matters to me.”
I scoff. “What about baseball?”
“Baseball can wait.” My eyes widen at his admission. Cody Jacobs has never put anything over baseball, and this is something that everyone knows.
Shaking my head, I push out of his embrace. Pacing the small walkway in my room, I continue staring at him while moving my head back and forth. He starts coming toward me, but I raise my hand stopping him from coming closer. “Don’t say that.”
“Say what?”
“Say that I matter more than baseball. We’re just getting started.”
“Oh baby, we’re just picking back up where we left off. You’re already my Wildflower. And I’ve been yours since our mornings at Marnie’s Diner.”
“Cody, we’ve changed since then.”
“Yeah, but that’s something we’ll learn as we go. But you’re still the same Chloe. Some of our journey has changed, but I still know what makes you Chloe Mariano. You still love to go onruns and spend your free time in the kitchen.” Slowly, he steps one foot in front of the other and starts erasing the gap.
“Your nose is always in a book, and if it ain’t romance, you don’t want it.”
We both smile at that line. I had a sticker on the back of my Kindle the summer we were together that said something similar.
“Your favorite color is purple, but in a pastel or lilac shade. If you’re not wearing a dress or skirt, it’s a matching loungewear set. You prefer sneakers with your dresses. You love pineapple on pizza. Your favorite coffee is a honey lavender latte. Hmm, what else am I missing?”
“Wait?” I stop him, and he quirks an eyebrow at me. “You remembered honey lavender is my favorite latte?”
He flashes me his famous boyish smirk, and with a wink, says, “Who do you think was making sure you got a honey lavender latte every morning before a bus ride or at the hotel?”
