The arena is loud.
I skate a slow lap before leaving the ice. Not for the crowd — I don't perform for crowds. For the camera.
I want Cody to see me and froth at the mouth.
I want him to watch me move on this ice and understand, in whatever part of his brain still functions, honestly, exactly what kind of person has been slowly gutting his entire life while he was in a coma.
I’m a force to reckon with.
Chapter 42: Adela
Myhairisdownthe way Cody likes it. I added extra blush to hide my real blush, and my clothes are designer. I deliberately picked out something that makes me look hot, but it’s hard to take off.
I need some normalcy, like something to make me feel like the girl I once was. So I pull out my phone, hold it at arm's length, and take a picture. I look like a girl going on a date with her boyfriend. Excited. A little nervous in a good way.
I sent it to Maeve.
Hot date with Cody tonight.
The response comes in eleven seconds.
Three fire emojis. HE IS SO LUCKY. Call me after.
Obviously.
I put my phone in my bag and look at myself one more time.
The face is on. The seams are invisible.
I pick up my keys.
The drive to Judge Ravenshaw's house takes twenty-two minutes.
I've made this drive dozens of times from the opposite direction. Tonight I’m using my GPS like a lost city girl. What I don’t expect is for the gate to open as soon as I pull up.
I look at the button I would have pressed, and have pressed many times, and then I pull up the driveway.
The gravel crunches under my tires the same way it always has. The hedges are trimmed the same way. The house sits at the end of the drive, and standing there is Cody.
He looks good. Really good. Better than the hospital, better than I expected. He’s filled back out, and his eyes are gleaming at me through the windshield like I’m the only girl in the world. I used to love that feeling, but now it makes me feel worse.
He opens my door for me, letting me park right in front. And his face tells me that I did well with my hair, makeup, and outfit. His eyes travel down my body, and my heart spikes. I used to reach for this feeling, and now I don’t know where to place it. He’s looking at me like I’m the moon rising in the sky.
“Baby,” he mutters, twirling me –– another gesture I used to feel giddy about. I hide my nerves and turn under his arm. He pulls me and hovers his lips above mine, staring into my eyes.
My heart races when his hand reaches up and brushes my hair back.
“I’ve missed you.”
I know that tone. He’s missed me, sure, but I know he’s growing hard in his pants right now. He’s missed my body in ways I cannot give to him tonight.
But I smile, staring back at him because I feel the chemistry low in my belly. There’s no denying how attractive this man is. “I missed you, too.”
His mouth is still near mine as he whispers, “I don’t want another week to go by without seeing you.”
Those words and that tone flow through my body like adrenaline. My heart beats faster, I feel more alive, like danger and excitement are knotting together. I pull back slightly, theintensity of him was something I’ve forgotten. He’s passionate and always has been.
“You feel healthy,” I murmur because I’m holding onto his arms and feel the muscle beneath my fingers. “It’s good to see you vertical.”
