Within You

two.

*Flashback*

My heart dropped in my stomach as I watched Cody pack his bags. He was starting his baseball career tomorrow. I also leave for UCLA tomorrow with Lex. "Here," he says, holding out his Hamilton High baseball sweatshirt. "What are you doing?" I ask him because it was his favorite sweatshirt to wear and surprisingly he hadn't given it to Sabrina.

"I'm giving it to you to wear, whenever you miss me, wear it," he quietly explains as he turns back to face the closet. He's fumbling through piles of clothes, figuring out what to throw out and what to take.

"Shouldn't you give it to Sabrina?" I blurt out, hoping he doesn't get mad.

Cody quickly stands up and looks at me, he begins to laugh. "Kylie, Sab and I broke up for the hundredth time. Sometimes I think, we're just better off as friends," He discloses, grabbing a pile of clothes to put in his last suitcase. "Shit, I'm eventually going to have to come back and get more things, but I have to go soon. Anyway, I sprayed your favorite cologne of mine on there."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, watching him zip up the final suitcase to take to his new Camelback Ranch "dorm". "I'm sorry I couldn't be here tomorrow to send you off to UCLA, but I'll text you I promise."

"Don't make promises that you can't keep Bells."

He nods, his smile barely grows. "Let's go," he tells me, rolling the suitcase out the door and into the living room. "Mom, Dad, let's go I'm ready!" he exclaims as I follow him out of the house. He throws the suitcase in the backseat. "Okay Kylie, I need to talk to you." His voice is rushed and he ends up taking me away from the car, away from his parents.

"Okay? Is everything okay?" I ask him, feeling nervous.

I can tell he wants to say something but he doesn't, his hands shake as he places them on my face. I can see him close his eyes and slowly lean toward me. I let it happen—the kiss. The kiss is gentle, he's savoring every moment my lips are pressed against his. He slowly breaks the kiss. I can see the tremble in his lips and the way he lowered his eyes to hide the tears forming. He rushed into the car.

At this point, I didn't know what to do. Cody couldn't look at me as his dad backed out of the driveway. I took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh, a sob escaping my lips.

I looked at him and remembered the last time that we parted ways. I let out a heavy sigh and looked back at the LA skyline from our position on the mountain top, lightning flashing across the sky. "Why didn't you tell me? How you felt..." I ask him, my voice trailing off. He let out a heavy sigh, his eyes never leaving the city.

"You were leaving to UCLA and I was starting my baseball career, I didn't know how to tell you," He admits, grabbing my hand. "I've always loved you, Kylie." I can see him look at me and I look back at him. I placed my head on his shoulder; Cody plants a gentle kiss on the top of my head. "You know what this means now?" He questions, breaking the comfortable silence that we shared.

I lift my head off his shoulder and look at him. "No, what?" He laughs gently and looks at me. "We're together now," he admits, grabbing my hand and looking back at the skyline. I look at him, "No, Bells, don't do that!" I tell him, shaking my head.

"Do what, Ky?" He whines, laying his head on my shoulder. "Cody, just because we've mutually admitted that we love each other, doesn't automatically make us together," I advise him. "As much as I want to be with you, I want this to be done right," I admit, brushing my fingers through his tousled hair.

Cody lets out a heavy sigh, grabbing my hand and placing a gentle kiss on the back of it. "Okay Ky, well I don't drive back to Rancho until Tuesday so how about dinner, tomorrow at seven?" He asks me, sitting up from my shoulder. "Wear something nice okay?"

I give him a reassuring nod. A grin forming at the corners of my lips. "Yes, okay!" I excitedly exclaim. "I can't wait then!"

"I can't wait either, let's take you back to the dorm."

Cody pulled up to my dormitory building, the lights were dimly lit in the front and you can hear the faint bass booming somewhere. "Well, looks like they're still partying, Lex might be there," I groan, looking back at him. "But I'll see you tomorrow okay?" I remind him and I can see the sparkle in his hazel eyes gleam. The corners of his eyes wrinkle and he flashes his white teeth.

"Yes beautiful, I can't wait to see you tomorrow. Unblock my number Ky so I can text you," he laughs, holding my hand and kissing it. "Okay Bells, I'm sorry, I'll text you." I was already hopping out of the car before I turned back around to give him one last kiss.

"Had to give you another kiss," I tell him, hopping out of his car. I slam the door behind me and peak in the mirror. "I love you," I whisper. Cody's crooked smile appears, "Come back in here so I can give you another kiss."

I run around to the drive seat, tippy toe my way into the window so I can reach him. I hold myself on the back of the seat as he continues to kiss me. "I love you," he says, pulling away from me. "Goodnight."

I smile at him, "Goodnight." I skip up to the entry way of my party dorm looking back at him and blowing him a kiss. I watch as his black sedan drives away into the warm LA night--reminds me of nights in Arizona.

The door swings open with drunk people stumbling out into the lawn and nearly collapsing. I push my way into the hallway and manage to reach the elevator to go to my floor. I hated Friday's in the dorms because usually someone throws a party--every Friday. It seemed that today was a big party, the football team probably won, but I'd hope that they would've had the party elsewhere.

I finally managed to arrive at my dorm room, where I hoped to find a sleeping Lex. My key turned the lock open and Lex was sitting on her bed with her textbook open and a dimly lit light right next to her.

"Hey Mrs. Bellinger, how was tonight?"

"Lex I'm tired, there's a party going on and I want to sleep!" I exclaim, crawling into bed. I tucked myself under the covers closing my eyes. The bass still boomed throughout the room. "It was absolutely perfect," I tell Lex, my eyes closing slowly.