Page 22 of Wish Me Home

“Alright, Cody. This was fun. Thank you for calling me. I think we should go before this takes a different turn.” His cheeks turned pink at the suggestion. It was humorous that he was so bashful about sex over the phone when he’d been the opposite in person. But he also hadn’t been under the same roof as his aunt.

“You have a good night, Emmett. Have a good Christmas.”

He nodded, and we ended our call. I dropped the phone on the bed and stood to stretch. My muscles ached from sitting around all day. I walked over to my kitchen and opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. Twisting off the cap, I took a hefty swallow before setting it on the small counter. I looked over at my sad excuse for a tree and cursed.

Emmett had gotten under my skin. He had me wanting to do things I hadn’t thought about doing in a long time. The idea wasn’t stupid, but I felt like I would regret it, but I was driven to do it none the less.

Walking over to my bed, I picked my phone up and stared at the blank screen. Taking a steadying breath I swiped the screen to unlock it and began scrolling through my contacts. The name was more intimidating than it should have been.

I closed my eyes and pressed the call button, raising the device to my ear. It rang and rang. I held my breath, pretty sure that my call was going to be ignored when the line suddenly picked up.

“Cody?”

I let out the breath I’d been holding and was shocked by the tear that made its way down my cheek. I didn’t bother to wipe it away.

“Hi, Mom.”

ChristmasEvedidn’tfeellike anything special. Just another day. Last night had taken a lot out of me, but I said things that needed to be said. I still didn’t know where I stood with my parents, but things felt a little better.

Getting up from my bed, I went to the bathroom and did my business. I brushed my teeth and went to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. Stopping for a moment, I stared at my sad excuse for a Christmas tree. The thought was nice, but maybe it would’ve been better had I not even bothered. I certainly didn’t feel in the holiday spirit now.

Chapter Fifteen

Emmett

“Emmett!”

I groaned and rolled over in bed, shoving my head under the pillow. Aunt Sadie was always too chipper in the mornings.

“None of that!” She ripped the pillow from my hold before smacking me in the back with it. I sat up and glared at her. I wasn’t typically a morning person, something she was familiar with.

“Why are you trying to wake me up?” I grumped, grabbing the pillow from her hold.

She released it easily because something else nabbed her attention. I realized it a moment too late when she snatched the teddy bear off of the nightstand.

“And where did this guy come from?”

I rubbed a hand down my face because she was clearly lacking boundaries this morning. “Cody stuck him in my bag.” I shouldn’t have had to explain it, but as it was, I had to snatch the bear away from her as she hugged it tight to her chest.

“That’s too cute. What’s he doing for Christmas?”

I huffed a sigh of frustration and set the bear on the bed. “As far as I know? Nothing.”

Aunt Sadie tutted. “That won’t do. No one should spend Christmas alone. He should spend it with us.”

I shook my head, climbing out of bed and rubbing my eyes. I stretched and wandered into the bathroom. Aunt Sadie tried to follow me and I slammed the door before she could come in.

“I don’t think that will go over well.” I called through the door as I took care of my bladder and then washed my hands. She was still standing there when I opened the door.

“Why not? He obviously likes you.”

I scratched at the back of my neck and moved to my dresser next, grabbing a clean t-shirt and a pair of jeans. She didn’t flinch when I dropped the basketball shorts I’d slept in, standing there in nothing but my boxers.

“I don’t think it has anything to do with him liking me because I’ve already tried inviting him. I don’t think he’s big on family things.” Stepping into my jeans, I pulled the shirt over my head and led my aunt out of my room.

She had breakfast sitting out on the small dining room table. We didn’t have a lot of traditions, but meals on holidays had been her thing since that first failed one. A smile tried to form on my face when I thought about sharing that story with Cody back in Chicago.

There was a big bowl of fluffy scrambled eggs, a plate of bacon, and some sausages. There was a pitcher of orange juice and I could smell that she’d also put on a fresh pot of coffee. I bee-lined for the cabinets, pulling out a mug and pouring myself some. I emptied two sweetener packets into it before fishing the creamer from the fridge and pouring a healthy amount into the cup.

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