She De Man

Dark Day

*A week later at the Heffernan's.*
*Cody's POV*
I'm not listening to dad talking to Casey until something he says catches my attention.
"She just left in the middle of the day yesterday and didn't show up today. I'm worried about her. I've never known her to leave and not show back up."
Casey says, "I texted her yesterday and never heard from her."
I ask, "Who are you two talking about?"
Casey says, "Star."
I look at dad and say, "She just got up and left yesterday? She didn't tell anyone why she was leaving? She didn't call in today and say she wasn't going to be there?"
Dad shakes his head no and says, "No, Cody, she didn't."
I grab my phone and pull up the calendar and mumble, "Crap."
They turn and look at me. I tell them, "Today is the day she lost Brandon and Dixie Rose."
Casey's eyes get big.
I get up and say, "I'm going to grab some food for her and go check on her."

*45 minutes later at Starlee's place*
*Starlee's POV*
I'm curled up in a ball in my bedroom and crying my eyes out. This day gets harder and harder every year. I lost my husband first on this day then I lost my daughter on this day years later. Two of the most important people in my life left me on this day. I hear the front door open but I don't worry about it. There's only a handful of people that have a key and those that don't know how to get in without it. I hear someone coming up the stairs and I'm hoping this is god's way of saying he's done with me. The door opens and I don't move.
I hear someone mumble, "Damnit, Star. I'm turning the light on."
The light comes on and I pick up my head. Cody slowly walks over to me. He sits down on the side of my bed. I move closer to him and let him wrap his arms around me. I start crying harder and hear him murmur, "Star, it's okay."
We stayed like that for a good 30 minutes before I stop and look at him.
I whisper, "Why are you here? I thought you were mad at me."
"I'm upset with you, Bug. You need me more right now, though. Today is a rough day for you and everyone knows it. Your usually surrounded by family on this day but your here for some odd reason. You should have called, Bug, that way someone could be here with you. You worried dad when you just up and left yesterday." He tells me.
I bury my head into his shoulder and mumble, "I didn't mean to worry him. I just couldn't handle it. I knew I needed to get out of the office."
He rubs my back and says, "I know. Why don't you go take a shower and then come downstairs? I got us something to eat." He kisses the top of my head and gets up.
I watch him walk out of the room and wonder how I got lucky to have a friend like him. I don't deserve to be his friend after all the crap I put him through. I drag myself out of the bed and go to the bathroom to get in the shower. I take my shower and then head downstairs. I walk around the corner in the the kitchen and walk into Cody. He grabs me to stop me from falling.
I mumble, "Thanks Code."
He nods and lets go of me.
"I got some of our usual. Well what use to be our usual take out food. I assume you still eat the same thing you have always ate." He says.
I look at him and roll my eyes. "Code, we only stopped talking for a few months. It's not like we went years without talking. Yes, I still eat the same stuff I use to." I tell him.
He says, "It felt like years at times."
I pinch him and say, "It wasn't."
He looks at me and says, "Did you really just pinch me?"
I grin and shrug my shoulder and walk over to the fridge to grab some beers. I open them and hand him one.
"Well sure, Bug, I want a beer." He says to me.
I give him a look and tell him to shut up and drink it.
He mumbles, "Bossy."
I grin at him and say, "You love me."
He says, "Are you sure about that?"
I give him a look and grab plates for our food.
We eat our food and I keep playing with my beer bottle. He looks at me and puts his hand on top of mine to stop me from playing with the bottle.
I look at him and say, "Just thinking. I promise I'm not nervous or thinking anything wrong."
He nods and finally says, "Want to watch a movie?"
I grin and say, "Only if you let me pick it out."
He laughs and shakes his head. I go to the living room and look for a movie to watch. I plop down on the couch after I put it in and grab my blanket off the back of the couch. Cody walks into the living room and sits down beside me.
"What movie did you pick out this time?" He asks.
I grin and says, "Well I wanted to go chick flick but then again I wanted to go Disney."
Cody says, "And?"
I grin and say, "You'll have to wait and see!"
The movie starts and he laughs and says, "Bug, this movie isn't a chick flick or a Disney movie."
I nod and say, "I know. I decided I'd be nice and not make you watch either one."
A little while later he pulls part of my blanket onto himself. I grin and move closer to him. He wraps his arm around me and I put my head on his shoulder. I laugh and he looks at me.
He says, "What are you thinking about that has you laughing?"
I say, "We use to do this a lot when we were younger. Remember the first time we watched a movie at the my wonderful big brother's house and I kept thinking Jared was going to flip his lid when he found out. It ended up being Pete who flipped out the most though."
He smiles and says, "I remember being yanked off the couch and being drug outside by Pete. He gave me the talk. I kept trying to tell him we were only friends. He didn't believe that one to much."
"They've never understood the sleeping with each other, cuddling with each other, or the holding hands. To them it's signs of a relationship and not a friendship. They have never really understood our friendship." I tell him.
"Not many people do, Bug. That was part of Jamie's issue with us. She didn't like how close we were and how we acted." He says to me.
"We will have to find you someone that understands we're a package deal. That we have this really weird friendship." I tell him.
He shakes his head and says, "We will worry about that later, Bug. Right now I just want to rebuild what all I messed up with you."
I nod and say, "How did you know that I needed you today?"
"Dad was talking about you up and leaving yesterday. Then Casey said she texted you and you didn't answer her. That's when I kinda knew something wasn't right. I got to thinking about what month it was and looked at my calendar. I was right and knew it was that day for you. I knew I needed to be here even if I'm not happy with you." He tells me.
"Thank you for as always being here for me and remembering that this day is hard for me. I promise I'll make someone FaceTime me so I can see you ride. I just don't want to be traveling all before I have to get ready to ride for finals." I say to him.
"Just shut up, Star." He says to me.
"I don't know how to shut up and you know it." I remind him.
He puts a finger under my chin and tilts my face up to his and kisses me.
I don't say anything back to him.
He grins and says, "That made you shut up."
I roll my eyes and stand up. He gives me a confused look.
I quickly inform him, "I'm going upstairs to pack. I'm going to Kempsey in a couple days."
He groans and says, "I swear, Starlee, you better have decided that long before I kissed you."
I say, "I did. It was already in my plans. The movie is over anyway. Turn the tv off and come help me pack."
I hold my hand out to him as he turns the tv off. I smile and lead him upstairs so I can finish packing for Kempsey.