As The World Turns

Chapter 33

Jodie lent against the door and breathed heavily. The last person she wanted to see was him; moving to look through the looking eye on the door, Jodie sighed realising that he wasn't going to leave without her actually talking to him.  So with a frustrated huff, she turned back around to face the door and yanked it forcefully open.

''Ya gonna tell me to fuck off again or are you going to let me talk?'' Joe raised an eyebrow as he sternly made eye contact with her.

''Depends what you've got to say to me,'' Jodie replied, leaning against the door frame, her arms crossed, looking like she was about to tap her foot impatiently.

''Look, I get going to the club and then the ice rink was a dick move...''

''Ya think. You were making yourself look like some creepy stalker,'' Jodie bit back, biting her tongue after to stop herself from cursing anymore. A part of her really did want him to explain himself; even if it was because she'd had enough of his sappy apologies.

''Anyway,'' he drew out the word, obviously seemingly annoyed that Jodie had interrupted him. She just shrugged, waving her hand to get him to carry on, ''the reason I've been trying to apologise to you is cause I've been going through some of my shit and found this.''

Jodie hadn't even noticed that the reason his hands were behind his back was that he'd been carrying something. She didn't say anything as he revealed to her a book, which he held out for her. A little confused; since she wasn't really sure what it was, Jodie took it from him.

''Just look through it and get back to me ok?'' Joe started to back away. As he took his first step down from the porch, the sudden bright yellow lights of car headlights flooded the front of the house.

Pulling her hand up to block the light, she tried to see who it was but was still to blind to tell. Glancing down at her watch, Jodie realised that it couldn't be Taylor because she'd only been gone for just over half an hour.  In the end, it didn't take her long to figure out who it was because what Joe said next revealed to her who it was.

''Maybe don't sure Mathers,'' he grumbled before dodging away from the light as Marshall parked the car. It appeared Joe was trying to sneak away unseen but unfortunately didn't quite manage it. He started to become just as flustered as Jodie was as she tried to, without Marshall noticing, sneak back inside so she could place the book Joe had given her on the bookshelf located nearest to her in the hallway.

''I'm just leaving Marshall don't get all pissy with me,'' just raised his hands before trailing back towards his car, which he'd parked by the curb.

''Well do me a favour and don't come back,'' Marshall shouted as Joe clambered inside his car, before pulling away.

''Really Marshall?'' Jodie rose a brow, staring at him with her arms crossed as he slowly approached her.

''He got no reason to be here, I'm just making sure he knows that,'' Marshall shrugged, going to mover past her, but she didn't move, ''yo, ya gonna let me in?''

''Not, when you're acting all pissed off,'' Jodie replied, shifting her weight one side to the other; it was starting to get cold and so her bare feet were getting chilly.

''Well, whose fault is that?'' He spit out, causing Jodie to scoff.

''Well, it's not mine,'' she mimicked his tone.

''I mean it kinda is, you're embarrassed about me meeting your posh family.''

''I'm sorry what?'' Jodie couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up in her throat, ''my family is far from posh Marshall damn, is this what all this is about you think I don't want you to meet my family,'' Taylor was right, Marshall had been thinking exactly what she had said earlier.

''Well don't you?'' He questioned, thinking that maybe, after all, he had been wrong.

''Of course, I want you to meet my family, you've already met my Dad. In fact, both my Mum and my Dad wanted you to come,'' Jodie confessed, lowering her gaze down to look at her feet.

''Wait,'' Marshall paused his voice lowering to a whisper, realising that raising his voice wasn't going to help the situation, ''so why don't you want me to come?''

''I just feel as if everything's going so fast between us and I got worried. But I've been doing so thinking and...'' she trailed off unfolding her arms, so she could offer her hand to him, ''come with me,'' without question, Marshall let her take his hand.

Jodie gently pulled him through the front door; getting him to shut it once he was across the threshold. Still, without question, Marshall allowed Jodie to pull him through the hallway and up the stairs. He thought she was taking him to her bedroom until she turned left at the top of the stairs instead of right.

''I was trying to think of a way of showing you that even though I'm a little scared of how far we're going soon, I'm still committed to us,'' Marshall nodded, as Jodie brought them to a halt outside what looked to be a very narrow cupboard.

''Er so you know that comic book that you were reading in my room and a threw it away,'' Marshall nodded, not really sure what she was getting at, ''well I only threw it away to get you to stop reading it cause,'' trailing off she opened the door.

Marshall stared wide-eyed as he came face to face was all bit a rather narrow cupboard. But the floor to ceiling rows of shelves, filled with comic books, took his full attention.

''This is fucking amazing Jo, I cannot believe this exists,'' Jodie giggled, wrapping her arm around his waist to stop him from moving forward.

''Now who said you could touch, looking only,'' she ordered.

''Wait are you serious?'' Marshall questioned a little unsure.

''Ya huh, there my Dads too and so if ones out of place he'll know, even if he's all the way at the club.''

''Well tell him this is dope,'' he replied a little sad that he couldn't shuffle through the collection to see what was really there, ''but why'd you show me if I can't touch them.''

''Oh, I meant you can't touch my dad's ones. His are on the left, mine on the right,'' Jodie pointed out, steering him towards the right side, which had significantly fewer books, which was understandable, ''oh and also I've been thinking and I'd love for you to come with me to my cousins weddding. If you want to that is?''

''I'm not really bothered anymore,'' he shurrged, trying to keep a straight face, but Jodie spotted the quirk of his lips.

''Marshall,'' she whinned as his laughter filtered through the upstairs of the house.

''I'm kidding, of course, I want too,'' he finally replied, kissing her longingly.