Page 80 of Talk Birdie to Me

“I used to think that, too.” Cody took a deep breath and remembered the conversation with his mom. He wasn’t about to tell Geena she was ribs, but he needed to tell her something. “Then I met you. And hung out with you. And I, uh, kind of fell for you.”

This time, she did smile. “I don’t think that, uh, falling for someone changes who a person is.”

“I don’t know that I’ve changed,” he said. “I think you’ve brought out parts of me I tried to deny.”

There was a long pause while she assessed him. He could see her running that new data through her mind.

“Okay, let’s say that’s true,” she said. “Why would you hide your ability to have a caring and committed relationship?”

Cody took another deep breath and told her the truth. “Because I didn’t want to be my dad.”

That erased the smile from Geena’s face. “You’ve never mentioned your dad before.”

She was right. He didn’t like to talk about him with anyone. But he was always there with Cody, affecting his every decision.

“He bailed on my mom. Right after I got my first job out of state. But he was never really there for either of us, even when he still lived in that house. His leaving nearly destroyed her. She’s good now, but I swore I’d never hurt anyone like that.”

Geena blinked at him, processing each word. “I think the fact that you’re worried about becoming him is the best reason that you won’t.”

“Maybe.” He shrugged. “But that’s where I was. Why I only wanted casual stuff. Why I never wanted to have anything serious. Not just because I was restless and liked to job and location hop.”

“That’s weirdly honorable,” she said. “But I’m guessing you were hurting yourself by trying not to hurt anyone else.”

“I didn’t realize I was hurting myself. I only knew I didn’t want to hurt anyone else.” He cleared his throat and said the next true thing. “And then I met you.”

She eyed him curiously. “What does that mean?”

“It means I don’t want to run from this,” he said. “My mom made me realize that maybe you’re worth sticking around for. I still don’t want to hurt you like my dad hurt her, but I can’t imagine that I ever could. Not now. Not the way I feel about you.”

He remembered the email waiting on his phone, and doubt clouded his brain the way it had been clouding his thoughts for the last couple of weeks.

But he shook that thought away and stayed in the moment with Geena. He refused to let his fear win out.

He held his hand out again, and this time she took it.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get you some clothes and whatever you need. You can have my bed, and I’ll sleep on the couch.”

Geena stared at him for a few moments, contemplating the offer. She glanced at the empty cage, then returned her attention to him. When she spoke, her voice was small, but the words gave Cody a comforting warmth.

“All right, Brasseaux. Let’s go.”

20

Geena exited the bathroom wearing her pajamas and fuzzy socks just as Cody emerged from his closet. He carried a spare pillow in one hand and a lightweight fleece blanket covered with dancing pandas in the other.

He smiled when he saw her and pointed at the llamas on her pants. “Good to see those again.”

Geena nodded at the blanket draped over his arm. “Don’t judge.”

“No judgment,” he said. “I genuinely think they’re great.”

Geena believed him, and her self-conscious thoughts faded into the background. There were many more things to worry about than what Cody thought of her pajamas.

“I really am fine with sleeping on the couch,” she said. “I don’t feel comfortable taking your bed.”

“Absolutely not. You’re taking the bed, and that’s the end of that.”

Geena could tell she wouldn’t win this battle. Part of her bristled at the chivalrous nature of the order, but her gut was telling her that this wasn’t about chivalry or chauvinistic demands. Ricky had been chivalrous, at least in the beginning. But chivalry masked the rotting stink of his personality. It was nothing but smoke and mirrors.

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