for saying it was the most exciting game you’ve seen … but maybe it was the only one you’ve ever really seen.”
Cody raised one eyebrow in her direction. “Can’t say I disagree.”
“You two.” She smacked her stat sheets at Cody and giggled. “Of course … you might be right.”
The mood stayed light, the celebration still all around them even after Cody dropped DeMetri off at the apartment and promised to be back soon. Chey was back at her own place now, and she only lived a few blocks away. On the short drive there, Cody realized he had something to talk to Chey about, something to ask her. He’d waited long enough, and now he knew. He cared about her too much to walk away from her … so it was time to make their relationship official.
Cody was pretty sure he felt more nervous as he walked up to her front porch than he’d felt at kickoff. Chey’s street wasn’t marked by any sort of light, and the stars overhead stretched like a canvas of light. She turned to him at the bottom of her stairs. “Tonight was amazing.”
“It was.” He searched her eyes, wondering if she felt it too. The connection that had grown stronger between them over the summer. “Hey, Chey … I was wondering … I mean, I really care about you a lot.”
“I know.” She looked at ease, relaxed … but her eyes told him she knew where this was headed. “I care about you too. Very much.”
“Right, so …” He shifted, slipping his hands in the pockets of his khaki coaching pants. “What I’m trying to say is … do you have fun with me? When we’re together?”
She let a light-sounding laugh sound on her lips. “Of course I have fun with you.” She made a silly face. “You know that, Cody … We both have fun.”
“I know.” He uttered a single laugh, one that couldn’t have possibly sounded more strained or nervous. “I mean, have you thought about whether … whether you’re ready for something else?”
“Something else?” Her eyes danced, and again he was sure she knew what he was trying to get at. But she was enjoying watching him suffer. She bit her lip, clearly trying to keep from laughing. “What sort of something else?”
“Well …” Cody couldn’t back down now. He took his hands from his pockets and without meaning to, he twisted the friendship ring. Then as soon as he realized what he was doing, he put his hands back in his pockets. He couldn’t think about Bailey … not now. Definitely not now. He took a fast breath. “What I’m trying to say is … the way things are between us … maybe we should take things to the next level. I mean … if that’s how you’re feeling too, and —”
“Cody.” She held out her hands and waited until he pulled his from his pockets. When their fingers were joined together, she lowered her chin, her eyes intent on his. “Are you trying to ask me to be your girlfriend?”
He sighed and hung his head, but the sound came out like a laugh. When he looked up, he could see that she was laughing too. “Yes … thanks for the interpretation.” He straightened and tried to regain his composure. “Chey, would you be my girlfriend? I think it’s about time …”
Even as he said the words, he realized they didn’t sound altogether romantic. Rather with all the time they’d spent together it was finally time to make their relationship official. He hoped she didn’t take his words that way, but by the look in her eyes she seemed too happy to analyze exactly what he’d said. Cody searched her expression, looking for signs of doubts, signs that she maybe wondered whether Bailey was still an issue for him. But if Chey was worried at all, she didn’t show it.
Instead she closed the gap between them and slipped her hands around his waist, her eyes still on his. “Yes, Cody.” She smiled. “I’d love to be your girlfriend.”
“Good.” He felt relieved. “I’ve been thinking of a way to say that since our night at the coffee shop.”
“You know what that means, right?” Her face was close to his, so close his senses filled with her perfume … the vanilla and cinnamon.
“What?” He brushed his face against hers, and he felt the moment become more intense, deeper.
“It means this is our opening night too. Just like Lyle.” Her voice was playful,