Cali Boy

Chapter 36- Party Preparations

After brushing my teeth, I quickly downed the glass of water Codi had gotten me. I felt so much better. I still couldn't admit my feelings to him, but at least I didn't feel the urge to throw up thinking about it.

"Do you wanna lay down?" Codi asked. I nodded and he pulled my blanket and sheets back so I could get in. He turned off the lights and closed the blinds before kneeling down beside me. I turned to my side so our faces were inches apart. "Do you need me to do anything else?" I reached out a hand and trailed my fingers down his jawline. He looked so... concerned. Exactly how he looked at me after he punched the shit out of AJ. I smiled at the memory.

"Yes," I finally replied. "Come lay with me."

"I think I can do that." He smiled back. I watched as he crawled into bed with me.

"Are you gonna take your shirt off?" I murmured.

"I wasn't planning on it..." he trailed off.

"You should. It's gonna get hot if you don't." I yawned. "Plus I like you better shirtless." He chuckled before pulling off his shirt and snuggling up next to me. I laid my head against his chest, calmed by the sound of his breathing. With his arm wrapped around me and his free hand covering mine, we laid in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Codi murmured against my ear. I looked up to find him staring down at me.

After a few seconds of silence, I responded. "I don't... but I need to." I paused again. "I just need a little bit of time. But I'll tell you." I would tell him, but when I was ready.

"Okay." He looked up like he was thinking about something. "I'll give you a week."

I laughed. "Deal." We fell back into silence until I spoke up again. "Why did you do all of that for me?" I said softly as our fingers played together.

"I-..." he started hesitantly. He looked down at me again. "I really care about you. That's why. And I think it's time someone took care of you like you take care of everyone else." His response made my heart swell. So it wasn't the three letters I was thinking in my head, but at least it was something.

"Even though I'm an imperfect mess?" I asked.

He laughed. "If an imperfect mess means an amazing beautiful girl then yes. Even though you're an imperfect mess." I beamed. He really had changed since I first met him. Or maybe that version of him was there all along. I was happy either way.

I leaned up and planted a sweet kiss on his lips. He responded quickly, returning the same sweetness to my lips. I couldn't get enough of him and I realized with the competition starting up Monday, I wouldn't be seeing him as often. Worse, he would be too tired from surfing that I doubt I would be able to kiss him or touch him. Sex would be off of the table. And now that I've been spoiled with it once or twice a day or once every other day, I wasn't sure how I was gonna handle it.

I initiated a longer kiss by parting my lips and leaning into him. He didn't hesitate to follow my lead and deepen the kiss either, that is until I tried trailing my hand down to his shorts. He grabbed my hand softly and brought it back up to his chest before withdrawing from the kiss.

"We should sleep. We have a long night ahead of us," he said.

"But..." I pouted.

"We'll have plenty of time to do what you're thinking later." Ugh, he was right. But it couldn't hurt to try one more time. I creeped my hand down only for him to catch it again. "Babe. Chill," he murmured in the cutest sleepy voice I'd ever heard.

"Fine. But you can't just give me the best sex of my life and be surprised when I want more later." He grinned and let out the cutest little laugh. He pulled me in and gave me three kisses on the cheek. When he was still for a couple of seconds, I looked up to find him sound asleep. I smiled before shutting my eyes and blissfully drifting away.