There. She’d said it. Because she wouldn’t lie — not now or ever. Honesty was the glue in any relationship.
“You think he will?”
“Probably. We haven’t talked in forever.”
His silence lasted ten seconds. “Okay.”
“I think it’s good. The two of us never really had closure.”
Brandon could’ve said a lot of things in that moment. From the beginning he had teased Bailey that Cody didn’t exist. Cody who had never come around the set of
Unlocked,
never showed his face at the premiere, or at Bailey’s house the times Brandon was over. He could’ve said some quick remark about how the two of them hadn’t only missed out on closure — they’d missed out on the kind of relationship that might actually require it. But instead he kept his tone even, kept it rich with assurance and faith that she was telling the truth. “Then you go ahead and talk to him, Bailey.”
“It’s nothing.” Her heart hurt with the depth of Brandon’s kindness. “You believe me, right?”
Brandon chuckled. “If you’re asking me whether I’m crazy about the idea that my girlfriend is about to have a late-night talk with her old boyfriend, then
no.
I’m not crazy about it.” He waited, until the easy laughter faded from his voice. “But if you’re asking whether I trust you, the answer is
yes.
I absolutely trust you, Bailey.”
“Thanks.” Her voice sounded more somber than she meant it to. “That means a lot.” Guilt ran a quick course through her veins. She had no ulterior motive, no plans to do or say anything that would betray Brandon. But if he could’ve read her heart during the game—when she couldn’t take her eyes off Cody—she might have some explaining to do. Not only to him, but to herself.
“Well, then … I’ll let you go.”
No, she wanted to say. “I don’t want you to.” Her tone lightened and grew serious all at the same time. “Please don’t let me go.”
“I won’t, baby.” No doubts lived in his answer. None at all. “Go have your talk. Text me tomorrow when you wake up.”
“Okay.” She felt lost and unsure. If she were stronger she should’ve told her mother to call Cody and stop the visit. She wouldn’t talk to him, wouldn’t meet with him if she had a backbone. Not after how he’d walked away. Not when she had a boyfriend who deserved her undivided attention. She exhaled and her shoulders slumped forward a little, like someone was pressing down on them. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” His smile sounded in his tone. “Hey …”
She hated this, hated how she felt. “What?”
“I love you.”
Hearing him say the words … knowing he’d never said them to anyone but her made her even more conflicted. “I love you too.”
The call ended and Bailey sat in silence, staring at the long dark driveway in front of the house she grew up in.
What am I doing, God? Why am I allowing this talk?
No answer drifted across her heart except one. A Scripture she’d read that morning in her time with God. Romans 8:28:
I work all things to the good for those who love me.
Bailey thought about that.
All things.
That meant the conversation with Cody would somehow wind up being a good thing. Because there was nothing inherently wrong with it, and Brandon had even given his blessing. So she had nothing to feel guilty about. They would share a conversation, nothing more.
But if that were true then Bailey had no explanation for one thing.
The way her heart reacted when Cody’s truck came over the hill.
Five
B AILEY FELT THE TEMPERATURE DROP THE MOMENT C ODY parked along the circle in front of her house. Even in the dark of night, she could feel him watching her, sense his eyes on hers the way she’d sensed them on her at the football game. He climbed out of his truck, slipped his hands into the pockets of his hooded jacket, and made his way up the walk. Everything about the moment, every mannerism of Cody’s, the sway of his body, the easy athletic way he had
“You think he will?”
“Probably. We haven’t talked in forever.”
His silence lasted ten seconds. “Okay.”
“I think it’s good. The two of us never really had closure.”
Brandon could’ve said a lot of things in that moment. From the beginning he had teased Bailey that Cody didn’t exist. Cody who had never come around the set of
Unlocked,
never showed his face at the premiere, or at Bailey’s house the times Brandon was over. He could’ve said some quick remark about how the two of them hadn’t only missed out on closure — they’d missed out on the kind of relationship that might actually require it. But instead he kept his tone even, kept it rich with assurance and faith that she was telling the truth. “Then you go ahead and talk to him, Bailey.”
“It’s nothing.” Her heart hurt with the depth of Brandon’s kindness. “You believe me, right?”
Brandon chuckled. “If you’re asking me whether I’m crazy about the idea that my girlfriend is about to have a late-night talk with her old boyfriend, then
no.
I’m not crazy about it.” He waited, until the easy laughter faded from his voice. “But if you’re asking whether I trust you, the answer is
yes.
I absolutely trust you, Bailey.”
“Thanks.” Her voice sounded more somber than she meant it to. “That means a lot.” Guilt ran a quick course through her veins. She had no ulterior motive, no plans to do or say anything that would betray Brandon. But if he could’ve read her heart during the game—when she couldn’t take her eyes off Cody—she might have some explaining to do. Not only to him, but to herself.
“Well, then … I’ll let you go.”
No, she wanted to say. “I don’t want you to.” Her tone lightened and grew serious all at the same time. “Please don’t let me go.”
“I won’t, baby.” No doubts lived in his answer. None at all. “Go have your talk. Text me tomorrow when you wake up.”
“Okay.” She felt lost and unsure. If she were stronger she should’ve told her mother to call Cody and stop the visit. She wouldn’t talk to him, wouldn’t meet with him if she had a backbone. Not after how he’d walked away. Not when she had a boyfriend who deserved her undivided attention. She exhaled and her shoulders slumped forward a little, like someone was pressing down on them. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” His smile sounded in his tone. “Hey …”
She hated this, hated how she felt. “What?”
“I love you.”
Hearing him say the words … knowing he’d never said them to anyone but her made her even more conflicted. “I love you too.”
The call ended and Bailey sat in silence, staring at the long dark driveway in front of the house she grew up in.
What am I doing, God? Why am I allowing this talk?
No answer drifted across her heart except one. A Scripture she’d read that morning in her time with God. Romans 8:28:
I work all things to the good for those who love me.
Bailey thought about that.
All things.
That meant the conversation with Cody would somehow wind up being a good thing. Because there was nothing inherently wrong with it, and Brandon had even given his blessing. So she had nothing to feel guilty about. They would share a conversation, nothing more.
But if that were true then Bailey had no explanation for one thing.
The way her heart reacted when Cody’s truck came over the hill.
Five
B AILEY FELT THE TEMPERATURE DROP THE MOMENT C ODY parked along the circle in front of her house. Even in the dark of night, she could feel him watching her, sense his eyes on hers the way she’d sensed them on her at the football game. He climbed out of his truck, slipped his hands into the pockets of his hooded jacket, and made his way up the walk. Everything about the moment, every mannerism of Cody’s, the sway of his body, the easy athletic way he had
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