Into My Own

Thirty-Seven

"Woah, Coda... Are you okay?" Kellan took me aside the second my boots hit the gravel in his driveway.

I sniffled. "I'm fine."

"Bullshit. What's wrong?"

Truth be told I not only cried all the way home, but a good deal on the way to my destination as well. The red eyes and blotchy skin gave me away no matter how hard I tried to hide it.

He prodded a bit more when I didn't answer immediately. "Is it because of Charlie moving out?"

I nodded, dropping my head in a miserable gesture of defeat.

Kellan surprised me by wrapping his long arms around my shoulders and pulling me to him.

"He's not leaving forever. And you know he loves you a lot. We all do."

I nodded against his shoulder and squeezed his waist with all my might as if I could draw some peace and calm out of his tall body and into my own. He made no move to let go until I released my spider monkey hold. On the contrary, he rubbed soothing circles on my back as I tried not to cry.

"Uh, are we interrupting something?" Blake's smirk fell as soon as she took in my haggard appearance. "Oh honey, come here."

I almost laughed as she pushed Kellan out of the way to give me a tight hug.

"Did my asshole cousin fuck up again?"

I actually did laugh a little at that one.

"No, your asshole cousin is just fine in my book."

Oakley moved in for a hug the moment Blake released me.

"Are you okay?"

I nodded again.

She held me at arm's length and shot me a motherly look. "Bullshit. And did you eat breakfast?"

"Yes."

"Coffee doesn't count as breakfast," she added.

I looked away sheepishly. "Then no."

"Well good. Because I have a whole bucket of chocolate chip cookies that I made right before I came over that need to be ate!"

"Finally!" Blake exclaimed. "She wouldn't let me even touch them until you got here!"

Oakley began her interrogation as soon as we were all seated at the bar in the kitchen.

"Sooo, how was the date?"

"It was good," I replied, biting into a cookie.

"You two are so lame! He gave me the exact same answer!" She screeched in frustration.

"At least they're on the same page," Blake commented, receiving a glare from the boy himself for speaking with a mouthful of food. From what I'd gathered, that was a pet peeve of his.

I cleared my throat, ready for a change in subject. "So we're roping today?"

"Yup. I actually had an idea." The excited gleam in Kellan's eyes was a bit alarming.