The Suite Adult Life

September (13.1)

"I would be fine at my apartment, really." Honestly he just wanted a shower and to collapse on his bed. After spending too long in the hospital and on the plane he just wanted to throw on some records, cover his ears in his cans, and smoke a joint.

"Nonsense!" Jackson scolded. They had helped him with his bags saying that they would get whatever he needed from his place and bring it over to them. Being alone was the last thing he needed for his recovery. Cody just wanted to edit his pictures and start looking for a new lens. It was his favorite...

His eyes started to flutter close as he felt Zack wrap an arm around his waist. "Come on, little bro." The two rested their heads together as they walked into the large upscale apartment.

As they came through the front hallway a crowd erupted, shouting "Welcome Home!" There were a few dozen people in the living room, from friends to colleagues. Carla had invited what looked like the entire senior photo department who shook his hand and gave him gentle hugs, minding his ribs.

London appeared with her girlfriend from off to the side. The petite Thai woman punched him in the arm after wrapping him in a close embrace. "Don't do that again!" She admonished. "You have no idea how worried we all were!"

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. "I missed you too, London. In fact, the thought of you was what got me through. I mean, I wouldn't be alive if I wasn't subjected to your daily tongue lashings!" The sarcasm came through thickly accompanied by a wide grin.

"Dork!" She insulted him merrily. He found out that her girlfriend's name was 'Jeannie' and she was a yoga instructor who read chakras on the side. Cody did his best to act interested. His younger self would have had a field day trying to prove her belief wrong. He was so happy that he had moved on from that phase. He attributed that to experiencing all of the different cultures and beliefs of the world. He was incredibly privileged to do what he did.

Through all of the guests there was only one person he wanted to see. He wanted to tell her that he had fulfilled her request, his promise. He finally spotted her in the corner, sipping on a cocktail, looking out of the floor to ceiling windows to the park below. She gave off an air like she didn't belong or wasn't worthy to share such a moment. He walked up to her, standing just to the side. He looked over her profile and took in the foundation covered bags under her eyes. Was she allowed to be a part of the group text or did London and Jackson gatekeep his status from her? "Annoying, isn't it?" He sighed, looking out at the same view.

"What does Jackson do?" She asked.

Cody shrugged his good shoulder, still feeling a bit of pain. Zack had been given a regimen by London after she consulted with his doctors in Israel. He had programmed various alerts into Cody's smartwatch telling him when he should be in bed, when he should wake up, when to take his meds, and when to eat. He wasn't cleared of his concussion yet. The cuts over his face and neck were scabbing and healing. Thankfully he didn't need any stitches - which he mourned secretly. Scars told a story, and as his brother would say 'bitches love scars'.

"It's nine am, somewhere," he snickered at the old joke. Cody leaned against the window trying his best to ignore the pain. He saw her look at him out of the corner of her eye, not buying the James Dean swagger. "Why did you only text me once?" Usually he wouldn't be so blunt, but it was the one question that hung in his mind through his ordeal.

"Why didn't you text back?" She asked. It was a verbal parry. She wasn't defensive. She didn't want to be. But she had waited every day, checking her phone all day, even waking in the night thinking she had missed a text or call. The group text they were on only provided the information that either Zack or London felt they could safely give.