For the love of the game

Chapter 18

"Hey, we gotta get up." I hear cody say very groggily. I rub my eyes and lay there looking up at the ceiling not wanting to get up.

I swallow and I notice that my throat hurts. I hiss at the pain when I bring my hand up to touch my throat.

I remember everything that happened yesterday, but I try to push those thoughts out. At least for the week.

Taking a deep breath I get out of bed, and go and wake up Jordan. Of course like I expected she starts fussing not wanting to get up.

"Hey Jordan, come on princess, you have to get up. When we get over there I'll buy you ice cream." I tell her. Hoping a bribe will work.

Her eyes shoot open and she sits straight up. Giving me the biggest smile.

I make sure that she's comfortable and has a sweater and a blanket for the plane.

"Hey cody, can you wake up Jason please." I ask, half asleep.

Cody nods and he leaves the room. Once I know he's gone, I go over to my mirror and look at all the fresh bruises. Especially on my neck.

I wipe a tear that has found its way on my cheek, and make sure to put my sleeves back down and put my hood on.

I turn back around to find cody right there. Staring at me with concern in his eyes.

"Who did that to you?" He ask. Taking a few steps closer to me, and observing my bruises.

I debate weather or not I should tell him. I realize he deserves to know. He's done so much for me already, he should at least know the truth.

" I went to the gym earlier." I start off. " and then I met this guy there. He seemed nice, but he also looked familiar like I'd seen him before.
Um he asked if I wanted to join him for dinner and I agreed, for some reason." I look down at my hands feeling ashamed for talking about another guy.

"When we went in to eat he started getting super touchy, and not like touching my shoulder with his or something, but he started touching my butt, and I didn't say anything.  So we sat down and ordered the food.  He asked where I went to school, and after telling him, he told me that I went to school with his brother.  Jackson." 

Cody grabs my hand and guides us to the bed, so I can finish.

" I felt a panic attack coming on so I went to the bathroom to calm myself down, and when I came out I couldn't find Carter.  I thought that maybe he got tired of waiting and left, ya know.
So I go out to my car, and I feel him grab me.
He pushed me against the car telling me about how Jackson told him about me. How I was desperate and bad in bed and all that. So he said he wanted to see for himself."

I look down, feeling a tear fall on my lap.  Cody grabs my hand, and with the other holds my cheek which I lean into.

Cody slowly starts to lean in and so do I, I look down at my lips and right before they connect with his the door is opened and we quickly pull away.

" we're ready." I here Jordan say, squeezing her teddy bear.

I quickly stand up trying to straighten myself out. My cheeks are hot and I cannot look at cody right now. Was I about to kiss him? I shouldn't of done that he probably doesn't feel the same way.

I grab my suitcase, Jordan's hand, and leave the room with cody following behind us.

"You ready Jason?" I ask finding my brother asleep on the couch. He has his baseball bag covering his eyes and is about to fall off the couch.

Jason jolts up, falling on the ground with a loud thump. "Yeah." He breaths out.

We head out the door and make our way to LAX.

We decide to take cody's car, it's easier since someone can come back and pick it up for him.
I get into the passengers seat as Jason, and Jordan get in the back.

I hug my sweater tighter around my body and lean my head on the window. I watch as we pass the cars, and how it's early morning and the sun will be rising soon but the city lights are still brighting the sky.

Since cody is a Major League Baseball player they don't expect him to park his car and have to walk all the way to the entrance and carry his luggage.

Instead cody tells us to grab what we might need for the plane ride and the rest will be put into our room later.

We are led into a separate hallway. Are we getting on a separate plane? I guess I never really thought about how baseball players travel.

"Have you ever been on a plane before?" Cody asks, as we walk towards the plane.

"Um, no actually, We've never been out of the state." I say embarrassed, and look down. Cody's probably been to every state in the u.s.

"Well then I guess we'll have to make this trip extra special." Cody says smiling at me. I smile back, feeling my cheeks get hot.
I don't really know what he means by that. I mean he's going to play baseball. That should be his only concern.

Eventually we board the plane, while Jason mingles with the players, while Jordan and I talk to some of the girlfriends and wives.

"So did you and cody finally make it official." I hear Maddy say from right next to me.  She's smirking with one hand on her hip. 

"No um, we're just friends."  I stutter, as Jordan laughs right beside me.  I stick my tongue out to her and she giggles.

"You should let cody know that." Maddy laughs, then gives Jordan and I hugs before she goes and sits with Corey.

Jordan goes and sits with Jason, while I sit in the seats behind them looking out the window.

"Hey you alright." Cody comes and sits next to me, as the plane gets ready to take off.

"Yeah I'm good." I say. Hoping he doesn't see my fear of flying.

Cody shocks me when he grabs my hand lacing our fingers together and gives me a small smirk.  I smile back and look down at my lap feeling nervous.

The plane starts to take off and we are angled in the air and pushed back in our seats.  I hold onto the handle with my other hand squeezing as hard as I can, while cody rubs my hand with his thumb.

Eventually we get to a point in the air where I start to calm down and check on my siblings.  I find them passed out, Jordan laying her head on Jason.

After going to the bathroom, I return to my seat finding cody asleep.  His mouth is wide open and he's snoring.  I smile at his state and take my seat right next to him.

After about twenty minutes of just staring out the window I feel cody lean his head on my shoulder and try to move closer to me.  I hope he's still asleep so he can't see how red I am.

Out of the corner of my eye I can see him smiling, and that makes me even redder. He knows that he makes me nervous and now he's just messing with me.

I'll get him back later.  Eventually I lay my head on the window and close my eyes falling into a deep slumber.