Page 21 of Offside Play (Love The Game #1)

Jude

M y fist rapped against Cody’s apartment door. Then again, harder.

No answer.

Fucking beautiful, stubborn, self-isolating asshole . He drove me fucking insane, and yet I wanted him so much.

“I know you’re in there,” I called through the door, hoping I wasn’t loud enough to piss off any of his neighbours. “I can hear your TV.”

I couldn’t, but it was beside the point.

He was in there—I knew that for a fact, thanks to Mrs. White, a lady who lived on his floor.

She’d spotted me skulking around earlier and had immediately given me a detailed account of the comings and goings of not only Cody, but of several other residents in the building.

Still no answer. I knocked again.

Silence.

Closing my eyes, I leaned my forehead against the door. How long was Cody going to keep ignoring me? It had been three days since our conversation in my hotel room. Three days since he’d walked away from me like everything we’d shared meant nothing.

Three days, during which I’d realised a few things.

Firstly, the fact that it felt like my heart was breaking meant that Cody Clements was even more important to me than I’d thought.

Then there was the way I couldn’t get him off my mind, my heart fucking aching at the thought that he was all alone, thinking things about himself that were completely untrue.

And finally, the things he’d said to me in my hotel room.

Maybe I was wrong, but after a couple of days, when my head had cleared and I could look at things more rationally, I couldn’t help feeling as if he’d been trying to push me away to protect himself.

Fuck, I hoped I was right. If I were, it meant he cared about me, too, and that our situation wasn’t hopeless.

I couldn’t leave Calgary without knowing. I couldn’t leave without seeing Cody again.

And the stubborn bastard was about to learn just how stubborn I could be.

“Cody.” I banged on the door again. “I’m not leaving until you talk to me. Five minutes. That’s all I’m asking.”

More silence, but I could’ve sworn I heard a floorboard creak from somewhere inside his apartment. Maybe it was my imagination, but fuck it. I was going to take every chance I could.

Resting my back against the door, I slid down until I was sitting on the hallway floor with my legs stretched out in front of me.

“If you’re thinking you’re gonna tell me I’m wasting my time here and I should be with Brayden, don’t bother.

I spent the first night after you left me with him.

Pizza and computer games, like we used to do when we were younger, before he moved here.

He’s hurting, and he’s fucking gutted that the team lost, and he blames himself, too.

But you know what? Even with all that shit going on in his life, he realised straight away that there was something wrong with me. ”

Was that another creak inside the apartment?

I listened for a moment, but everything remained silent.

Licking my lips, I continued. “I didn’t tell him about you.

I managed to convince him I was feeling bad for the team, which I am, but fucking hell, Cody, it’s blatantly obvious that this shit is affecting me.

” I took a deep breath. “I might be wrong, but I think it’s affecting you, too.

Brayden said no one’s seen you since the game. ”

Still nothing.

“I’m not leaving until you open this door. I’ll sleep in the hallway if I have to. Mrs. White already thinks I’m your boyfriend, by the way, so she won’t be surprised if she stumbles across me in the morning.”

There was a click, and then I fell backwards with a sudden cry as the door swung open. From my upside-down position, I saw Cody eyeing me warily. Fucking hell, he looked exhausted. All red-rimmed, tired eyes, messy hair, and crumpled clothes. He was still the most gorgeous person I’d ever seen.

“Mrs. White thinks what?” he rasped.

A relieved smile tugged at my lips. “She thinks I’m your boyfriend.

” Scrambling upright, I scrubbed my hand down my face.

Now that Cody was here in front of me, all my planned words had disappeared from my mind, and I was aware that I was just staring at him like an idiot.

“Uh. She said you haven’t been collecting your mail. I think she’s worried about you.”

“I’m fine.”

“Yeah, okay. Of course you are.” I rolled my eyes, injecting as much sarcasm as I could into my voice, and it might’ve been my imagination, but it looked as if a tiny smile was tugging at his lips.

His smile, if it had been a smile, quickly disappeared. “What do you want, Jude?”

My jaw clenched, hurt running through me all over again as my brain reminded me of the last time we’d been in the same room. “To talk to you. Properly. Not to have you make stupid fucking decisions for both of us based on what you think is best for my life.”

“We already talked.”

“No, you talked. And then you left before I could respond.” Taking a chance, I stepped forwards, the toe of my trainer crossing his threshold. “Can I come in? Please?”

“For fuck’s sake, Jude. Why can’t you leave me alone?” he muttered, which fucking hurt, but he stepped aside to let me in. Was I a masochist for doing this?

No . When I glanced at his downturned mouth and the misery that was so clear in his eyes, despite his efforts to hide it by looking everywhere but at me, I knew I was making the right decision.

I was even more sure when I entered his living space, seeing the empty takeaway containers piled on the coffee table and kitchen island, the pillows dumped haphazardly on the floor, the glimpse of his unmade bed through the partially open door.

And the TV currently showing a replay of his last game, which was the most damning evidence of all.

“Okay. Pack a bag.”

He stared at me, his mouth falling open. “What?”

“Pack a bag. Enough for at least two nights. We’re leaving.”

“The fuck, Jude? We’re not going anywhere.”

I folded my arms across my chest, staring him down. “Yes, we fucking are. You can come with me, or I walk out of this door, and you won’t ever see me again. Your choice.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Try me,” I snarled, and the venom in my voice took me aback as well as him. I’d originally planned to call his bluff if he said no, but honestly, I was at my limit. Either he came with me now, or I’d go, as much as it would hurt us both.

Okay. That wasn’t true. I’d try again. But I hoped I didn’t have to. Steeling myself, I hardened my gaze. “I mean it, Cody. If you don’t come with me, I’m leaving.”

He stared at me for a long moment. “Where?” he finally asked.

I exhaled, hiding my shaking hands by shoving them into my pockets. “It’s a surprise.”

“I don’t like surprises.”

“You’ll like this one.” My voice grew softer as I moved closer to him, my shoulder nudging against his. “Come on. You know you can trust me.”

There was another long pause, and then he let out a defeated sigh. “Fine.”

When he disappeared, I cleared up the empty takeaway containers and picked up the pillows from the floor before turning off the TV. By the time he emerged with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder, his apartment was more or less back to normal.

“Are you gonna tell me where we’re going?” he muttered.

I stepped up to him, pausing for a second to gauge his mood before I brushed a kiss across his cheek. “Nope. Still a surprise. Come on. You’re driving.”