Page 10 of Safe
“Might as well get this over with,” I spat the words out with as much hurt as I could muster. I wanted Alex to hear the full weight of my disapproval, but he didn’t even react.
“This isn’t going to be as bad as you think, Danielle. Cody’s a good guy.” Alex tried to sound reassuring, but it barely made a dent.
He turned and left the room. Out of sight, I rolled my eyes and silently mouthed a mocking version of his words. It didn’t change anything about the situation I was in, but just for a moment, that small bit of defiance made me feel a little better.
5. ALEX
I knew Danielle wasn’t happy with my decision about Cody, but honestly, I didn’t have the pleasure of giving a shit. Her safety was a priority. It had been since the day our parents died, and I wasn’t going to stop making it one now, especially not after what that piece of shit did to her. One day, maybe she’d forgive me for forcing this on her. For now, it didn’t matter. I could live with her hating me temporarily as long as it meant she was alive/
After breaking the news to Danielle, I left the hospital and headed home to talk things over with Cody. The house was dark except for the flicker of the TV, and there he was, sprawled out on the couch, eating Chinese food in nothing but his boxers.
“Okay,” I said with a half-laugh, “rule number one with my sister: no watching TV in your boxers.”
Cody snorted, tossing the remote aside. “I’m guessing no leads on Landon yet?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
He sat up and shut off the TV, and the mood in the room shifted immediately. He understood what I had come home to talk about. “So, this is really happening?” he asked, barely managing his words as he stared at me with an incredulous look on his face.
I hesitated to answer him. What I was asking of Cody was more than anyone should expect, and I’d half-expected him to refuse, to tell me I was out of my mind. I wouldn’t blame him if he did. He’d already saved my life once by dragging me out when everything went sideways on our last deployment, and yet here I was, asking him to step into danger again, but this time for mysister.
I must have drifted off into my thoughts because the next thing I knew, Cody was standing in front of me, staring at me head-on with a serious, yet understanding look in his eyes, ready for whatever I had to say.
“Alex, it’s okay. I’m okay with this. I’d do anything for you, you know that. You’re my brother,” Cody said, flashing a reassuring smile as he wandered into the kitchen and rifled through the fridge. “Besides, it’s not permanent. I’ve never really stayed anywhere this long anyway. That’s half the reason I joined the military. Home is wherever you hang your hat, right? I’ll just hang it in the middle of nowhere for a while.”
I ran a hand through my hair and let out a long, drawn-out sigh. I should have felt relieved, but I only felt more guilt. “I really don’t know how to thank you, Cody. You’re the only person I trust with this.”
He looked over, dropping the smile for a moment. “You have my word that I’ll protect her with my life until this is over. I mean it.” And I believed him. Cody and I were as close as brothers, and by extension, that made Danielle his family too.
“I’m paying you.” I forced the idea on him. It wasn’t a question, either.
“No, you’re not.”
“Don’t be stupid. You’re leaving your job. You’re doing me a bigger favor than I could ever repay.”
“Alex, no offense, but on your salary, you’re not paying me.”
“Cody, no offense,” A smirk tugged at my lips as I fired back, the comeback already waiting, “I’ve got money from our parents. A lot of it, actually. I never told Danielle about it. I wanted it to be an emergency fund for her, and well, this classifies as a damn good emergency.”
Cody didn’t respond because he knew I wouldn't take nofor an answer. And even if I did, I’d just do it anyway. It took a second before I noticed he was still standing there in his boxers, forking cold Chinese food straight from the container. I almost forgot we were supposed to be leaving to bring Danielle dinner.
Shaking my head, I marched into the kitchen and snatched the container from his hands. Cody stared at me, scandalized, as if I’d stolen the last bit of food on earth. I burst out laughing.
“Get dressed, man. I promised Danielle we’d bring her dinner, not a Magic Mike show.”
“We?” Cody looked confused.
“What, you thought I was just going to keep her a mystery until the day you drove her off into the sunset of hiding? We’re leaving in fifteen minutes, so hurry up.”
While Cody disappeared upstairs to get dressed, I collapsed onto the corner of our well-worn couch and pulled out my phone to text Danielle, asking her what she wanted for dinner. Her reply came in seconds, like she was waiting to start a fight.
Does this really have to happen?
God damn, she was stubborn. I couldn’t help but feel even more guilty than before for not warning Cody about just how much Danielle wanted nothing to do with this plan. Maybe, if they spent some real time together over the next few days, leaving with him wouldn’t seem so bad to her.
A few minutes later, Cody reappeared wearing what had to be the rattiest jeans I’d ever seen and a plain black t-shirt. I shook my head but didn’t say a word. We got into the car and headed out, dinner plans in hand, and an uncertain future riding in the silence between us.
I could tell Cody was nervous. Hell, probably even more nervous than Danielle. He’d always been shy, more comfortable fading into the background.
