Page 30 of Touchdown

I snort. “That’s not going to help, Brandon.”

“Then what will help?”

I hesitate. “Has Cody… Has he said anything? About why he left?”

It still doesn’t really make sense to me. Things were going so well, and then Cody just vanished. His arguments about not being good enough for me or giving me what I wanted were completely ridiculous. I wish I could shake some sense into him, but he has made it clear that for whatever reason, he doesn’t want me anymore.

I love him, and I thought he loved me just as much, but I was wrong. If he had, he never would have just left like that, even if I had seriously screwed up.

Brandon sits back in his seat. “He has talked to me, but that was in confidence, Luke. I’m not going to betray him.”

“Of course,” I say dully. “I wouldn’t expect you to betray a friend.”

“I can’t tell you what he said to me, but I can try to talk to him. Perhaps I can talk some sense into him.”

“What’s the point? He doesn’t want me and you can’t make him.”

“You’re a fool if you think he doesn’t want you. He’s been just as miserable as you have these past two weeks.”

“If he wanted me, he wouldn’t have left me. He didn’t have to accept my proposal, but he left me, Brandon.”

“He was just—I’m sorry, but I can’t say. Iwilltalk to him, though. I can tell you this, Luke: Cody still loves you. I’ll talk tohim. The two of you are perfect together. There has to be a way to work things out.”

I shake my head sadly. Brandon is clearly trying to cheer me up, but he’s going about it in the wrong way. Still, I appreciate that he’s trying. “Thanks, Brandon.” I force a smile as I get up. “I’m going to head home for the day.”

“You do that, Luke. I’ll talk to Cody.”

I know that there is no talking Cody into doing anything he doesn’t want to do, and there is no talking anyone into continuing a relationship they no longer want. Brandon’s task is pointless, but I’ll let him find that out for himself.

12

Cody

I’m halfway through my usual bedtime routine—eat, shower, cry in the shower, lie in bed going through old pictures of Luke and me, cry some more, sleep—when the doorbell rings.

I shuffle over to the door. I imagine it’s probably just someone advertising something, so I’m surprised when I see Brandon standing on my doorstep.

“Brandon, what are you doing here?”

The moment I open the door, he steps inside past me with a determined air. “Cody, we need to talk.”

Never in the history of time have those words preceded a pleasant conversation.

I square my shoulders and nod, endeavoring to keep my voice steady. “What is it?”

Brandon follows me to the lounge where we sit opposite each other. “It’s about Luke?”

Alarm flutters in my stomach. “Is he alright? Did something happen?”

“Yeah, something happened. The love of his life broke up with him and left him broken!”

“Oh,” I say softly. “He’ll bounce back. Luke is strong. He can get through this.”

“He shouldn’t have to. Neither should you, Cody. The two of you are meant to be together. I know you’re afraid. You told me about your reaction after Luke proposed. You panicked, Cody, that’s all there was to it. You’ve been in a state of panic ever since then. I know you don’t want to get hurt again, but Cody, you’re hurtingnow.Just think about it—what could possibly hurt worse than this?”

He has a point there. I can’t imagine much hurting worse than this. Except—

“If I go back to Luke and he betrays me, that will hurt worse.”

---