Page 45 of Safe
“For caring about me. For being patient with me. I’m sorry I reacted that way.”
“Hey. You have nothing to apologize for, okay? You’re going to get through this, and I’m going to do what it takes to make you feel safe.”
As I unpacked breakfast and made us two plates of food, I couldn’t help but spiral. I had done nothing to deserve someone like Cody. For years, I lied to my brother, kept secrets, sat idly while Landon broke the law, pushed away everyone I knew, and yet, Cody saw none of that part of me. He didn’t care. And when I tried to apologize, he took the burden away from me.
I brought the food out to the deck where Cody was waiting, and he smiled at me as I put a plate down in front of him, but there was still a heaviness I had to get off my chest.
“Cody, it’s not okay that I did that.” The words came out blunt and bare. I was not about to let him take on my issues or think that I had placed him in the same realm as Landon.
“Danielle, it’s fine. It’s all still fresh. You’re gonna have those moments. I know damn well you’re gonna have a lot of them. The only way, and I mean theonlyway, that we’re gonna get through it is if you show me what wounds you’ve got. I can take it. I promise. You’re not gonna scare me away.”
I sat in the quiet that settled between us, and Cody allowed it. Every conditioned instinct screamed at me to distrust him, yet beneath that, a deeper truth resonated.
Somehow, my soul knew that he wouldn't shy away from my broken parts. This should have been a moment of ecstasy, this burgeoning connection, but instead, all I felt was fear.
It wasn't until Cody stood and gathered my plate that I realized I hadn't spoken another word through the rest of breakfast. And still, he wasn't bothered. He planted a soft kiss on my forehead before disappearing back into the house.
Is this love?
The question repeated in my mind, insistent. I thought I'd been in love before, believed I was loved. But it took just one person, someone who wasn't even trying to love me, to expose the hollow charade that I had never truly been loved. Love isn't secrets, or pain, or the suffocating grip of control. Love is witnessing every facet of a person, the brilliant and the broken, and choosing kindness through it all.
The sudden shriek of the garbage disposal from inside snapped my train of thought, and I went inside to join Cody.
“What do you want to do for the rest of the day?” Cody asked me, not even looking up from the dishes, but hearing me come in.
You. I want to do you.
“I don’t know. Relax. Nap?”
Cody laughed. “You always want to nap.”
I smiled, placing myself behind him and wrapping my arms around him as he finished cleaning up. “What can I say? I’m a sleepy little baby.”
“Okay, okay, fine. Relaxing and having a nap. I have an errand to run, but then tonight, I’m planning something.”
“Oh?” He was always up to something. This time seemed different. Usually, he’d tease me about surprises nonstop for days on end, but not this one. This one seemed sudden, serious, and unplanned.
“Yeah, but it’s a surprise. Mostly because I don’t know what it is yet.”
“And the errand?” I was trying as hard as I could to pry information out of him. He kept doing this as if he got some sick pleasure watching me squirm up until the very moment a surprise is revealed.
“Nice try, but that’s also a surprise.”
“Well, in that case, I’ll go shower and get to relaxing.” I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek before leaving him to his planning.
22. CODY
The sound of the shower starting was my cue. I was on a mission to make this weekend unforgettable for Danielle, and dinner tonight was just the opening act. Penguins. She adored them. That casual comment from Alex months ago had been tucked away in my brain, waiting for its moment.
Where the fuck am I going to find penguins in Colorado?
Then, as if the universe itself was eavesdropping on my mind, a search result came up for Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Problem solved.
"Huh. Well, that was almost too easy," I said aloud, glancing towards the bathroom door to ensure Danielle was still occupied.
To be safe, I waited until I got in the car to make the arrangements. A few minutes later, it was booked. The plan was coming together in my mind. Dinner, a scenic drive to Colorado Springs, a hotel for the night, and then the pièce de résistance—Danielle, enjoying a private picnic lunch surrounded by waddling penguins.
It had cost a small fortune to reserve the penguin exhibit exclusively, but the thought of her face when she saw them made every penny insignificant. It wasn't like I was struggling for money, not with Alex paying me weekly. Most of that cash just sat in a growing pile I hadn't found a purpose for. Until Danielle. She was priceless, and this gesture felt like the least I could do for someone so deserving.
